Weekend Bergen – Hotel Bergen - Blooming

“From head of reception to sales and marketing. From concept monitor to assistant manager - you name it, I’ve done it in the more than 8 years that I’ve worked for blooming hotel. At any rate it makes for an unusual collection of business cards. And as from early 2010 I have been the hotel manager of blooming hotel. So I’m sorry, the most attractive job has already been given away …

My ultimate goal is to make blooming hotel ‘simply’ the best hotel of the Netherlands. And I am absolutely certain that this can be achieved. The combination of this special place, with its great history (the ‘blooming story’ as we call it) is unique. Add the passion with which the whole blooming team is at work day in day out and you have all the necessary ingredients to attain our objective.

People regularly ask me what blooming actually is … blooming is not a red carpet, but we do pride ourselves on the dunes stretching from the garden and the wood up to our front door, blooming has no banqueting halls in the basement with a lozenge design wall-to-wall carpet and loud flower-patterned wallpaper, all the blooming halls overlook the dune area. You were looking for the porter in the top hat? Sorry to disappoint you, the blooming smile welcoming you is unsurpassed. Nor do we have golden taps, look for those on: www.burj-al-arab.com you know – the seven-star hotel in the desert. Our staff does not wear a full dress suit, and we do not lay out buffets with trimmings to cover the legs of the tables. blooming hotel is different and always moving, which is precisely why I feel I have found my niche here.

The lion’s share of my time is devoted to my co-workers. To my mind, good contact with the team is essential. I am firmly convinced that if you treat your staff well – and attention is expressed in little things, like a personal gift for Christmas - and if you enable them to use and develop their talents and they enjoy their work, they will flourish and excel. At the end of the day, the guests reap the fruits of that.”

“My favourite season is spring. I thoroughly enjoy seeing how nature, after a long winter, shows that it has not forgotten itself. As gardener of blooming hotel I take care of some 14 hectares. It’s never boring, for there’s always plenty of work to be done. In the dune or wooded area, in the gardens, around the ponds or in the flower, herb and vegetable garden.

The busiest time is harvest time, when I pick some 35 kilos of strawberries in a day. And baskets full of tomatoes – from tiger tomatoes to olive tomatoes and white tomatoes - , beetroots – they also come in different varieties - , truffle potatoes, Mexican and Russian tarragon, scorzonera, black-eyed peas, paksoi, parsnip, aubergines, peppers, Romanesco cauliflower, butter beans, Chinese beans, raspberries – well, is there anything we don’t grow? I’ve worked for blooming hotel quite a while now, 37 years to be precise.

The work has become easier over the past few years. I used to turn over thousands of square metres of soil by hand, now I have a machine to do that. I’m not going to stop doing this work. If it’s up to me, I’ll carry on until I’m 85. And the manager has already told me that that’s fine with him. Even if I want to go on until I’m 100.”

“Eight years ago I started as a trainee at blooming. In fact, I’ve never gone away. The position of facilities manager is one I created myself. That’s the great thing about working at blooming. If you don’t shirk your work, there’s lots of opportunities. It’s never boring here. Plans galore, standing still is not done at blooming (nor by me, for that matter), and – very important – it’s always enjoyable here.

With my colleagues, as well as with the guests. The sun I cannot arrange for them, but otherwise I’ll do anything for the guests. And for the hotel. As facilities manager I’m responsible for everything being in tip-top technical order. Which means I always have bathing trunks in my drawer, in case I unexpectedly have to go into the swimming pool, and I always have a screwdriver on me, for there may be guests asking me to force the lock of their suitcase because they’ve forgotten the numeric code.”

“In the kitchen I’m happy, my niche is behind the oven. Cooking is relaxation. Even after all those years. I love to create things. There’s nothing better than turning honest products – our ingredients come from our own garden and from local farmers – into beautiful dishes. Motivating the kitchen brigade – where would I be without them – is part of my duties and cooperation with the gardener is a must.

I want to know everything about the herbs and the vegetables – and there are a great many – which he sows, cares for and harvests. Five years ago I started at blooming as sous chef. Since then a lot has been changed and renovated. That makes working at blooming so special. There’s always something happening. Thus, we have recently altered the restaurant.

The open kitchen and the wood oven that we use to bake fish dishes, pizzas, bread and to fry vegetables, bring about more interaction with the guests, which is good. We see now what we are doing it for. And for whom. When a little old lady personally steps up to me to thank me for the lovely dinner, I make sure that there’s a nice pot of herbs ready for her at the reception the following morning.”

“You could say I am part of the furniture, for I’ve worked at blooming for 35 years. Every day I enjoy the trip from Hoorn to Bergen. blooming hotel is a special place. There is attention to detail, attention to the staff and attention to the guests. Pampering guests is in my genes. I’m a caring person. When people are happy, so am I. Since I’ve worked here as hostess for so long, I know many of the guests.

I really appreciate it when they show me that they like to see a familiar face. Recently I spent a weekend at blooming hotel with my mother and my five sisters. They stared their eyes out. And I felt proud. Proud of the fact that I can work in the nicest hotel in the Netherlands.”