Where hospitality meets social impact

the Future of HospitalityOkay. How so why did you wait. Why did they ask you? What what what what was the the the yeah. Tell me, why did they ask you? What does it make you so special that today they invited you to be to come on the board?

Dennis LagewegYeah. That's a so because I always was quite working on the Kone Kone Koneiland, also as a board member to see what improve in the city center of The Hague, what can we do with the restaurants, what can we do with the bars. But also, I was, yeah, I had the project in the car and for the city tax, which was growing a lot. So for example, when I worked at the soc at the the stay okay, it was a hostel. Mhmm. Increased the city tax from €2.05 to €5.35. Then I was the one for the car and went to the city council. And because of all the work that I did and also the network that I had in the egg, they said, like, okay. Can you join us as well at the football club? So, yeah, I'm now in two boards, but, yeah, I think that made it special because working hard, dedication also with the to really improve the city of The Hague. And now to see also with the footballs with the football club, like, how can we improve, for example, the restaurant in the stadium, but also the bar. So that's also the for the club. So and also in a lot of meetings, like, okay. What can we do on a on a match day? Can we improve something? Do we need to lose or or do we need to change something different bites during the during the breaks, or what can we do? So I'm advert advising the local football club in that kind of area.

Dennis LagewegSo that's my idea. Yeah. Wonderful.

the Future of HospitalitySo how did you start your career in in hospitality? Because now you're the the the the the manager the hotel manager of the social hub. I wanna hear all about that. But let let let us go back to when you started. Why did you start in this particular industry?

Dennis LagewegYeah. I think this is a really funny funny story. When I was 12 years old, my parents divorced, and my mom worked as a cleaner at at housing, but also at cafes and bars. So every Saturday morning, she was she was cleaning the bar, and I can throw play some darts in the cafe. That was really fun. But then she said, okay. I'm cleaning a house somewhere, and, yeah, the neighbor has a a beach club in Schaffenningen. And at that age, I was 30 years old, so she said, like, yeah. I arranged for you that you can start tomorrow. Because my mom's also from The Hague, so she loved to to give that power. 13 years old. One three. 13 years old. So I was like, what can I do then? What do I have to do? So I and but the most interesting fact, it was in The Hague, and it was the the nudist beach.

Dennis LagewegBut my mom didn't know it, so it was so I went there, after a couple of weeks, she said, like, yeah. Well, how how is it there? I said, yeah. It's from a lot of nude, naked people. She said, like, why? I said, yeah. It's a nudist. She said, like, what are you doing there? You're 30 years old. You cannot work there. I said, yeah. But it's okay. They have dresses. Know, they're I love it. Old clothes. But, yeah, afterwards, we can still love about it. But that was really my first job in the hospitality. Yeah. Then I went to school. Of course, I still went to school, and I did to study tourism.

Dennis LagewegAnd I worked in a bar in Margherta Margherta so close to Barcelona. And I did that for four years as a manager. Okay. But every summer, I worked there. And every winter, I came back to Netherlands. So and then I started to work in hotels. So I worked at Hotel des Endes, Park Hotel, really high class hotels in the EIC. But every summer, I I left again to Spain. And at a certain point, I met my wife winters

the Future of Hospitalityin The Hague at at the hotels, and in summertime, you were in Malgatari. Yeah.

Dennis LagewegYeah. So yeah. This was a that was a really good life when you were 21. But then at a certain point, I met my wife in the last season of of and she said, okay. So we went back to Netherlands, and I quit at that job. But then she said, yeah. Now you need to be serious. So first of I did some sales jobs. I sold some trucks all over the world. I did a lot of things. I worked for local newspaper to send to sell advertisements. And at a certain point, I missed the hospitality. I missed the people. And there was a new hotel opening in close to Schaffeningen, and they called me and they said, we needed the sales manager. Can you help us out?

Dennis LagewegSo that I did for, I think, almost two years. So we called all the embassies. It was the a short stay product, but also a long stay product, which was quite new in that time in The Hague. And after two years, I got a phone call by a new hotel opening in the city center of The Hague because they saw my work at the other hotel. They said, we need you. We're going to open a new hotel, and we're looking for assistant hotel manager. And after one year, I said, okay. This was really nice. But then I saw it stay okay that they were looking for a hostel manager. And I think, like, yeah, the gap was then so good because, yeah, I already had the experience, and a hostel is, of course, a real different vibe.

Dennis LagewegAnd I did that for two years. Three years. And then we came up, my wife and I, to move to Spain. That was always the dream of me. I said, I want to go back to Spain. So we I said to her, say, okay. I said, okay. I'm really sorry, but I'm going to leave. She said, look. So we they said, okay. Dennis said, no problem. Thank you very much for everything. And we went to Spain, and after three months, my wife said, I want to go home. Oh. I said, we we are at home. We live in Spain now. This is our new house.

Dennis LagewegBut, yeah, she said I really don't feel comfortable here in Spain. It's a different vibe. It's different it's it was not the dream that she had expect expected to have. But in the when I was working at the social of at the Stay Okay, we already were in contact with the social hub along because they were across the roads. So for emergency or overbookings, we already used each other. So I was quite familiar with the product. Yeah. So I also know the regional manager already, so I called her up when I was still in Spain. I said, you are looking for a manager? Because I saw the job there.

Dennis LagewegI'm I'm here. So, yeah, that's already a year ago or two years ago already. Right. So back but, yeah, that's in a short story how it all started with a beach club. And now I think nine years later as a hotel manager of, yeah, of the show shop. Great story. And you mentioned you missed the hospitality when you were working in sales. So I

the Future of Hospitalitytake you're good at sales because you sold trucks. Trucks, advertisements. Yeah. Everything. But you missed Yeah. Hospitality. What was it that you missed about hospitality?

Dennis LagewegYeah. Yeah. I always loved talking with people, talking with the guests, advise them about where to go, when to go. But, also, I love to work with with with teams. Yeah. So to see my teams grow, to see my interns grow, and really to grow as a team. And and that's what we also see in The Hague. We we see a huge we I saw a huge potential with my management as well to grow in the m and e. And, yeah, to build that up, you know, to to say, like, okay. We are in one of the baddest areas of the world, of Europe. The scale is right. But there was a huge potential.

Dennis LagewegAnd we saw it. And I think we almost tripled our m and e revenue in one year just to invite everyone and to bring everybody to the hotel and work with the team and to show really the hotel. And that's what I missed a lot because, yeah, sitting in the office, calling everyone, and I had a I had an amazing job. I went to all different parts of the world to sell trucks. But in the end, you know, really being one with your team and to make the guest experience every day better. Like, how can we surprise the guest? How can we make it better? How can we, yeah, really make the product better? And that's what we did. Yeah. And that's what I missed. Just, you know, bring out a breakfast and walk around with the guests and say, hey. How was your stay? Oh, you're going to that, or do you need anything? Yeah. And that's that's what I do on a day to day basis, and that's what I love the most. So yeah. I I can tell. Your energy is saying, you know, is is is proving that all. So tell me about the social hub. What is it? What kind of hotel is it? What makes it different from others? Yeah. So it's the the most of the you will all know it as the student hotel.

Dennis LagewegStarted ten years ago by Charlie McCracken, still our CEO. Mhmm. It was to create a better society and to give students a place to live. Okay. So so it started in Rotterdam with the first hotel twelve years ago, then we moved to Amsterdam. And the third location was The Hague. We are now opening they have just opened Rome as our twenty first hotel in Europe. So, yeah, we are spending quite quick, but all keeping in mind that we have a hybrid hospitality model. So that means during the semester years, so that's different per country. But for example, in The Netherlands, we have semester from September to June. We are there for all the students.

Dennis LagewegAnd then in July, August, we changed all the rooms to hotel rooms. And then afterwards, we expect to have a kid. So that's really the and that's the good thing with the social hub so we can play with the rooms. And we also have extended stay guest. So what we can do as well is stay here for two weeks or longer. So that makes us a unique product. We can always allocate rooms differently. We can change from from hybrid hospital hybrid to student room, to hotel room, to extended stay. So all the rooms are suitable to have every market needs that is needed. We have a gym. We have laundry machines. We have huge play areas.

Dennis LagewegSo, yeah, that's really make it different from the other hotel. That's really make it unique. The student vibe that we still have, even though we changed the name, what we are really trying to do is have a social impact. Yeah. So we need to see what we can do with the neighborhood, with the bill with the companies around us to really build that society. So for an as an example, last week, we did a after dinner with the with the local neighborhood. We're doing local food tours. That is the starting point. So you really go into the Schildersweig with a guide. But, also, yeah, we do so many things.

Dennis LagewegIt's we have lunch and learns. We have open up for students that if they feel not comfortable or if if our team as well, they can also use open up. So we're really trying to create a better society.

the Future of HospitalityAnd I think And you lower the threshold. What I'm hearing is that that anyone in a neighborhood, in the whole community I mean, it is You're part of the community, and people feel welcome to just walk in and out and just it's it's a community hub.

Dennis LagewegYeah. Yeah. Basically, yeah, we could also change the name to community hub. But that's it every everybody is always welcome at at the social hub. You can just sit here and relax and work. You can have a chat. You can yeah. Everything is possible at the show shop, I always say. But, yeah, we have a lot of people just coming in for a coffee and work. Even though we all also have coworking, but they just sit, and they love the vibe that is hanging around. Yeah. Also with team members, you know, and that what's yeah. What really makes us special. You can walk in every time of the day and feel welcome, and that's what we're always trying to do. Right. Right. What are the challenges that you're facing

the Future of Hospitalityas as the general manager now of the socialite? Yeah.

Dennis LagewegThat's interesting because everybody I think the most of us challenging is the staff, to have enough staff. But we are good. We always have enough staff. We always have a high occupancy. That's the good thing because we already have the students in house. But, yeah, you always have the the yeah. The challenge is always to how do you allocate all the good rooms because, yeah, you get the semester. So we have the students combined with the hotel guests, which works perfectly. But also which students can work with what other students. They share one kitchen, so that's always a challenge for us. But if we look for us, it's always the challenge, like, at this point, how to get our name really, like, that we are here.

Dennis LagewegMhmm. But we we have changed our name from the social hub to this from the student hotel to the social hub. Social hub. Yeah. Yeah. Challenge is, like, what is the social hub? Everybody know the Moxie or the Marriott. They know it. But as we just started ten years ago, it's quite difficult to know, like, if we call somebody like, oh, we're with the social hub. Okay. What do you do? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We are a hotel. Oh, you are a hotel. Because in The Hague specifically, I don't I think in Amsterdam as well, everything is now called the hub. You you see it everywhere in The Hague. It's the hub. It's the hub. It's the hub. Yeah.

Dennis LagewegSo for us, the most challenging thing is now we have a really good brand and marketing team, is to get the social hub as a hotel wise. So we are there. We are a hotel where you can walk in every day. But the most important thing is, like, what is the social hub? Yeah. Most of the people say, oh, you work for the social oh, the student hotel, you mean? No. I work for the social hub. And that's So that's the challenge.

the Future of HospitalityYeah. That is yeah. Yeah. I I see that. Because indeed, the name itself, it's it's I mean, you wouldn't think of the social hub being in a hotel. That's that's that's not what I get when I hear the name the social hub. I indeed expect it to be a community center, a hub indeed where people work and and mingle and network. That is that is what I see, but it's so students are living there for a certain time of the year, and then it's also a hotel. It's a very interesting dynamic

Dennis Lagewegcombination of things, I think. And Yeah. And I think what our CEO's always mentioned, when he started this twelve years ago, everybody said, don't mangle the students with the hotel guests and with the extended stay guests because that will have, yeah, some picture. But to be really honest, it works already for twelve years. The most fun fact of this is that also the hotel guests love to be in the student fight. They love the dynamics with the students, students hanging around, playing the piano, or just studying in the study areas. And then you see the hotel guests mingling with them and talking with them. And so, yeah, it's what whatever they said twelve years ago, like, don't do it. Yeah. Our CEO did it, and, yeah, till this day, we see it works. So, yeah, that's really, really cool. Found it out. You found it out by just doing it, and, yeah, that's that's that's that's how it works, I think. What is the biggest lesson you've learned as a general manager?

Dennis LagewegGood question. Yeah. I I think the team is the most important. And, of course, the guest is important, but we work with a program which called Office five where we measure the how happy the team is. So every week, they get a they get a, yeah, the questionnaire like, hey. How do you like it now? How is the management? And really do something with the feedback. I think the biggest lessons that I learned because when I started here two years ago, the Office five score was quite low, but we worked on it. And we're now one of the highest of all social ops at this point. So what you see is also that our team works good, but also our review scores are good. And I think the biggest lessons is that I learned is the guest is important, but the team is even more important because they work with the, yeah, with the guests every day.

Dennis LagewegAnd to, yeah, to have a good and happy team because, yeah, what I also mentioned, open up Office five, we're really measuring it. If you have a happy team, you have happy guests. That that is what I really learned in the last couple of years. And, of course, there are always things in between, you know, that that you have friction in the team or some things are not going well, but really talk with the team and really go sit down with them. We have weekly one on ones, as we call it, at the social hub. So everyone gets one hour with a a manager. So it can be Oh, okay. Manager can even be with with me. So we really deep dive into it, like, hey. How is it going? How would you like to share anything? How do you feel?

Dennis LagewegDo you miss anything? And that's also you know, I know all the birthdays of my team members. I know their all their home situations, their financial situations, and we always try to help. And I think if you look at what I also mentioned, what what you said, what is your challenge? We have a team which is now quite steady for over two years. Of course, we have people who left, but the mains, I think, of 23 members that we have right now, 18 are already working here for two years. Wow. That's the that's also the biggest power. So make your teams happy, and then you, yeah, you get this sort of alignment where we can really, yeah, get to the next level, and that what we are doing. So, yeah, my recommendation is to really sit with your team, to really talk and take the time to really, like, hey. Not like, hey. What's going on? But really, like, hey. Who are you? What are you feeling? What what's going on in your head again? Yeah.

Dennis LagewegWould would you like to share anything? You know? It can also be like, what did you did in the weekend? Or do you need some support with

the Future of Hospitalityyeah. Or, you know, we yeah. That we work with young people, and they have some problem. I can imagine. Well, I see I hear that a lot. Young the the the the the last two generations are more in in line with that, with sharing their personal life, and it's not. I mean, we grew up, I grew up, you got work and and private. That's that's totally different, and you don't you don't talk about your private life when you're at work. You keep that apart, but this is totally the opposite. And apparently, that is working out for you, for for the shows, for for everyone.

Dennis LagewegYep. Yeah. And yeah. Yep. It's definitely working out, and I think that is a huge strange change. And I think that's also if I look at when I started at at, for example, Descendis, I didn't see the general manager. I saw him. He was drinking coffee in the morning, and then he went to his office. Old school. Old school. Old school. And and that's also during this day. So I sometimes need to tell my team, like, okay, guys. I'm not know, I'm in my office, but because they feel so welcome, like, yeah, we can always talk with him, which is really, really fucking really good, of course. But you see huge change that they, you know, they find the GM or they find my my assistant manager. They always know where to find him. So I think open being open for them is a huge change what I what I also saw over the last fifteen years.

the Future of HospitalityHow would you describe your management style?

Dennis LagewegYeah. I'm really a people person. So Yeah. That can be clear. Yeah. I can be quite direct, of course. You know, when we have guidelines, when we have goals, I'm quite direct. You know, I I always go for goals. We always get get it done. You know? That's for me the most important. But do it as a team. Mhmm. Also work in the breakfast if needed. I also work at the bar if needed. I can work on every locate also at the reception. And that what makes, I think, the leadership style, you know, really being able to work on all the different positions in the hotel.

Dennis LagewegYeah. That's really what else I love. That's the first of all. Mhmm. But, also, I think that is really my leadership style. You know, I can I can be tough? Believe me. Sometimes they say to me, like, okay. This is the opposite from the dentist who is always really nice. But, you know, sometimes there is a boundary, of course, and I said, okay, guys. These are the goals. These are the meaning. These are the points that we have. And being, you know, that direct really works because they get guidance. And on the other hand, they I'm also the guy that they can talk to on a Friday afternoon, which they call and say to them, hey, Dennis. I have some issues. Can I please talk with you?

Dennis LagewegSo

the Future of HospitalityI think It's really cool that you lowered that that that that threshold

Dennis Lagewegthat people feel comfortable to come to you and share their personal stories and or whatever is going on in their lives that could potentially affect their work. Yeah. Yeah. And and really help them as well. You know, if there was some bit of you know, I'm not going to share it with everyone, but we always try to see, like, okay. How can we help? Can we maybe buy some groceries for you? Or can we help you support somewhere? Or and I think really have the, how do you say it, the line. You know? I'm still the manager, but on the other hand, I'm also human. So, yeah, let's see where I can help you. You know?

Dennis LagewegI come from far. I come also from Lac Qui, and my parents are also divorced. But still, you know, we are going to a, yeah, to a point. But there is a a great line between that. They know I'm the manager, but they also know, like, hey. Dennis, if if I need Dennis, I can call him in the middle of the night, and he will help me. And I think that's also making people stay here for a long time, and, yeah, that's what I love.

the Future of HospitalityWonderful. Sounds good to me. How do you see the future of hospitality develop?

Dennis LagewegI phew. There will be a lot of changes. I think if we look, for example, the traditional hotels with the desk, I think will be replaced by kiosk or self check-in. We are piloting sometimes in Delft because we have the TU Delft at the social hub quite close with robots as well. Mhmm. That that's just in a testing phase, but I think it will be combined. So you will have some robots combined with with human work because I think hospitality is always like being human, and it can have to be replaced with robots. But for example, all the TSH that we are have now in global Europe has a kiosk.

Dennis LagewegThere is somebody behind it, so you can do a self check-in, but there is always somebody to guide you. Yeah. And I think that will be the the biggest change. Yeah. Having more digital things, what you already see a lot of years already, is online check ins where you can already check-in weeks before where you can add on things to your rooms. I think that will make a huge step, you know, in in in the in the upcoming five years. And I think the robots, yeah, will also you already see it in some hotels with housekeeping, which is quite clever and quite smart because it's quite inefficient efficient.

Dennis LagewegSorry. So I think the robot thing will be, yeah, taking a huge hit. How about AI? The the the the we hear AI all the time. Do you have you embraced AI in some way already? Well, I'm reading some books right now about AI. Okay. Because everybody was calling like, yeah. You really should do something about it. And yeah, of course, it will replace, yeah, the chatbots and all that kind of things. There will be, like, AI and, I think, the reservation departments. But I think, still, you need a human to really have that interaction and to really, yeah, have that connection with the guest. Mhmm. Of course, you can make AI as as as, how would you say it, as fun and as smart as possible.

Dennis LagewegSo, yeah, that will also, of course, have a huge impact on our business, but I think in a good way, but never lose the human side of it because, yeah, you will just need them. That that's that's good. That I I agree.

the Future of HospitalityMy last question for you is, what advice would you give to someone who wants to step into the amazing excitement industry of hospitality?

Dennis LagewegYeah. I I would say just do it, of course, because it's amazing. No. I think there is when we looked at the last couple of years, also with COVID, there was the when a lot of people changed, to different works. They went to call centers and all that kind of stuff, and there was a huge drop in, yeah, in stuff, for example, in The Netherlands. But I think what we see now is that a lot of people coming back. They're coming back to the hospitality because it's it's yeah. It's I love the job. And being with guests every day, making the most out of it, I think just go for it. There is a unique opportunity, and there's a unique growth path as well. You know? I think we have a lot of people here starting at the social up being coming as a host. So as a receptionist, growing to a supervisor, growing to a community manager.

Dennis LagewegSo, you know, they can learn a lot, and it's also really for the young people. It's the basic skills. You know, how to interact with guests, how to talk with people because, yeah, it's not on a cell phone. So how to talk with people and, yeah, you will see so many things that you can use in the daily life as well. So I think for young people to start at at hospitality, I think it's, yeah, it's a huge huge opportunity for them to really see things in real life. And to and to develop themselves in all different ways. Yep. Yeah. And, yeah, and develop your your skills and Yeah. Interact with people, how to communicate, and how to do some things that, yeah, that are really important for you as well, but also grow as a person. We have here great interns, for example, who started here two years ago, and we're completely didn't know anything. They didn't know what a cappuccino was, for example. Yeah. They heard of it, but they didn't know how to make it. And now they know how to make it. They worked here, and they go back to school and they say, yeah. I want to stay at the social hub or I want to work in the hospitality.

Dennis LagewegSo if you want to work in hospitality, just go for it because it's yeah. There is a new unique opportunity for it. Wonderful.

the Future of HospitalityDennis, thank you so much for your insights and sharing your stories. I love it. No problem. Always good. You can always call me. Okey dokey. Thank you. Alright. Thank you, Arjan. Bye bye.