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Looking back, how did your relationship with hospitality begin? 

I’m from a family of entrepreneurs. When you can walk, you can help. That was always the idea. I loved going with my father to his business and helping out. My uncle had a tennis hall, and on Saturdays I helped him with preparing the luxury snacks. Sometimes he even let me behind the bar, even though I wasn’t officially old enough to work yet. 

I could stand on a crate and pour the beers. I loved it. When I was finally old enough to get a real job, I started as a waitress.  

I have so many warm memories from that time. It was very old-fashioned back then. You had to memorize all the productnumbers. But I learned almost everything there. Nel, the lady who owned the place, was incredibly warm, but also very precise. She always said, vertrouwen is goed, controleren is beter. 

(“I trust you, but it’s better to check.”) 

That was probably my first, and maybe my best, introduction to hospitality. Everything has to be on top and then you can have fun. You are ultimately responsible. You have to push your team from a 7 to the 10. 

Which moments or mentors have had the biggest influence on the career you’ve built today? 

Nel definitely had the best influence as a mentor. Because it was my first real job. It felt safe and warm, so you can take big steps. When I opened my hotel, she came to visit, and that meant so much — she feels like family. 

But honestly, everyone has been a mentor in some way. Good or Bad.  

But nothing has more impact or teaches you more than building your own place. The first year was overwhelming — I cried a lot in the shower. My investors pushed me hard, I learned invaluable lessons. At Morgan & Mees I grew from a naïve young girl into a wise powerful woman. 

Mentors also come from books and inspiration from cities like London Paris or New York. I always add my own “Morgan and Mees sauce.”  

One book in particular — It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be — became my bible. If you want something badly enough, you’ll find a way (while also recognizing the privilege to live in NL and have a support system ofcourse). 

One principle that also stayed with me is the Pareto law (80/20 rule): focus on the 20% that truly matters — in guests, staff, and relationships. Not everyone has to be a match. Likes your idea. And that’s okay. 

Was there a turning point when you realised that creating and running a boutique hotel was your next step? 

Yes. I wanted to start my own place and I fell in love with this building.  

The broker told me There were over forty interested buyers. I was number forty-two. I found the lady owner on Facebook, asked her for coffee, I was the only woman interested and somehow everything aligned. It felt magical. 

I remember seeing it all before it existed. I saw myself there, with red lipstick, hosting. After three years, I was finally wearing the lipstick while hosting in my own beautiful hotel. 

If you had to describe the Morgan and Mees experience in three words? 

Small hotel, BIG sparkling personality 

How do community, local collaboration, and conscious choices show up day-to-day? 

There’s a lot of love here. Staff guests, suppliers. Everybody is friendly and loyal to each other. If something fits, we don’t change it easily. Whether it’s soap, coffee, or tea. When it’s good, it’s good.  

It’s a win-win. If a guest loves a brand we use, I can tell them where to find it. We work together with other hotels, restaurants and shops. Together we can create the best experience for the visitors of our beautiful city. There is enough for everyone. 

It’s better for sustainability, for the experience, for the team. When it’s real and local, everyone benefits. 

How does the theme “Shaping Tomorrow: Where Innovation Meets Independent Spirit” resonate with you? 

I’m open to innovation, especially AI, as long as we don’t lose the personal and the authentic feeling. That’s our core. If everything becomes robotic, the soul disappears. From the staff, the chef, the experience. 

When coffee tastes good, it’s not just the beans. It’s the love that goes into it. That’s our extra ingredient. 

If innovation can make the team’s life easier, help them reduce the workload so they are happy and smile more, then it’s a win. As long as Morgan and Mees stays Morgan and Mees. 

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