My name is Saskia Machielse and I am 22 years old. I am enthusiastic, energetic and always up for a good time. In my free time, I enjoy playing football and running, as well as having a drink on a terrace with friends.

How did you end up at Hotel New York?

In August 2021, I started as a Front Office intern at WestCord Hotel Delft. I ended up working there for a total of three years. After that, I moved on to other challenges, but I quickly realised that I really missed the lively and dynamic atmosphere of hotel life. That’s when I started looking into the opportunities within WestCord, which eventually led me to Hotel New York!

What does your role as a Reservations Employee involve?

As a Reservations Employee, I mainly handle requests for our meeting rooms. These can be all kinds of requests: from private guests who want to celebrate their birthday, wedding or anniversary, to business guests who come to us for conferences, meetings, workshops, presentations or other corporate events. We are also responsible for reservations for large groups in our restaurant.

Whenever needed, I also help with room reservations. This includes handling both individual requests, for example for specific packages, as well as group bookings. And if the Front Office needs an extra pair of hands, I am always happy to help! :)

What do you enjoy most about your work?

What I enjoy most about my work is the contact with our guests. I love taking care of a request from the very beginning and ultimately creating a result that completely matches the guest’s wishes. Good communication with the team is also incredibly important. It is precisely that collaboration that makes it so enjoyable to work together and create something great!

What does a typical workday look like for you?

My workday almost always starts with a walk through the hotel, where I say hello to everyone. Then I head upstairs with a nice cup of coffee and dive into my inbox. We deal with urgent requests first. I also check the meeting rooms and go through the schedules for the following day, making sure that any changes or additions are communicated to the kitchen and pastry department on time.

At 10:30 a.m., we have our morning meeting. Colleagues from different departments, such as Reservations, Kitchen, Food & Beverage, Front Office and Marketing, discuss the most important matters for the day.

After that, I continue processing requests and changes and remain available by phone for our guests. In between, I sometimes have appointments with guests who, for example, want to view one of our meeting rooms or go through a quotation together.

What makes working at Hotel New York so special?

Working at Hotel New York has a very unique atmosphere and character. The history of Hotel New York plays a major role in this. Many guests look around as if they are walking through a museum, which also makes the building a very special place for me to work.

I am also impressed by how many guests we manage to make happy every day and by how much happens behind the scenes to ensure that everything runs smoothly. There are so many different requests, guests and tasks coming together, which means that no two days are the same. That dynamic atmosphere is exactly what I enjoy so much.

What would you still like to learn or achieve in the future?

I haven’t been working at Hotel New York for very long yet, so there is still a lot for me to learn. First, I want to master all different types of group requests and become increasingly independent in my work. Eventually, I would love to take on some of the larger and more complex requests as well. I am eager to learn and enjoy challenging myself, so I hope there will be plenty of new challenges coming my way!

Do you have a fun or special memory from your work that you would like to share?

I haven’t been working here for very long, so I don’t have one specific memory that really stands out yet. However, I have noticed that the different types of guests are what make your workdays so special.

For example, I once helped out at the Front Office when a large group of Americans arrived to check in. They had an incredible number of very heavy suitcases with them because they were going on a two-week cruise afterwards. We helped them bring all their luggage inside.

Two of the guests were very interested in the history of the Directievertrek Reuchlin, so I showed them the room and told them a little more about its history. They were incredibly enthusiastic and grateful. About an hour later, they came back with three drinks from the restaurant as a thank-you. That genuine appreciation from our guests is something I find very special and it makes the work even more enjoyable.

When was a moment when you thought: ‘This is exactly why I work in hospitality’?

I feel this especially when I see how happy a guest is, or when I hear afterwards that they had an amazing time. That’s when you know what you’re doing it all for.

I also really value the social atmosphere with my colleagues. I don’t think I would fit very well in a typical ‘office’ environment. It is the dynamic atmosphere, the interaction with colleagues and working together to tackle a busy day that I really enjoy about hospitality.

If you could try out another role at Hotel New York for one day, which role would you choose and why?

I would choose Human Resources. I am a real people person and I enjoy talking to different people and getting to know them better. I would also find it interesting to learn more about the administrative side of Human Resources. The combination of working with people and doing administrative tasks really appeals to me.

What tip would you give someone who would like to work at Hotel New York or WestCord Hotels?

My main tip would be: just go for it! Start in a role that you think will give you energy and challenge you. Within WestCord, there are plenty of opportunities to develop yourself and take different steps throughout your career.

I have personally already experienced several different roles within WestCord: from Front Office intern to Food & Beverage employee, F&B Supervisor and eventually Reservations Employee. I think that says enough about the opportunities that are available! :)