Whoever speaks to Thijs Merks immediately hears the voice of a hotelier pur sang. After years of being responsible for the operation of all Accor hotels in the Benelux, Thijs Merks decided to seek entrepreneurship. He led the acquisition of Postillon Hotels and now runs several hotels, including ibis Styles Delft City Centre, Villa Schoolthoff and Hotel Maison Maastricht Centrum. Three totally different hotels, but with one common denominator: a keen eye for innovation, without losing sight of people.
In all those years he saw the industry change. Or rather, not change at all. "We have the most beautiful profession in the world, but we find change extremely difficult," he says. "We often keep doing things the way we've always done them, until there's really no other way." Yet he is convinced that the future of hospitality lies precisely in that innovation. "If we want to continue offering hospitality, we have to work smarter: with more attention to people and less time for administration."In this interview, Thijs shares his down-to-earth take on technology, behavior and why he believes Groupz will help future-proof hotels.
"The hotel industry is a wonderful profession, but also a traditional one," Thijs explains. "We want to keep everything personal, and I understand that. Contact with guests is fragile, you don't want to lose that. But staff is getting scarcer, costs are rising, and the pressure on returns is increasing. Then you can't keep doing everything as before. "
He sees it every day: "There is often resistance to change. That's human. We don't want technology to replace personal contact. But automating does not mean taking the human being out. On the contrary, it means that we make room for the moments that matter. If a system does the administration, the employee can finally focus on the guest again. And that makes work more enjoyable for everyone. "
Thijs is not someone who digitizes blindly. "You have to look closely at where automation really adds value," he says. "For me, that always starts with the guest: does it make the experience better, easier or more personal? If the answer is no, then we don't do it." Then he looks at the data. "Good information helps you work smarter. If we know better why guests come or how a group is composed, we can help them better and use our marketing in a much more targeted way. That's not only more efficient, it makes the whole operation sharper. "
According to him, there are numerous processes that can be better supported with technology. "Think of check-in or group reservations. Those processes are often complex and manual. By partly automating that, you create space for where we as hotels make the difference: hospitality, attention and experience. "
"For me, automation is not a cutback. It's an investment in quality: of the work, the data and the guest's experience. "
Thijs had known Niek for years from the hotel industry. "We've been in the business together for years, so I know he understands these kinds of processes," he says. When they talked about the challenges at ibis Styles Delft City Centre, where an employee went on maternity leave and a group process needed to be better organized, Niek told them about Groupz. "That conversation came at exactly the right time," says Thijs. "We needed to find a way to make the process more organized, without compromising quality. Niek explained what Groupz did and I immediately thought: this sounds logical. Not as another extra system, but as a solution that really adds something. So we just gave it a try. "
Taking a leap of faith when it comes to trying new things is not foreign to Thijs anyway. "I've tried plenty of things that didn't work the way they were advertised, but with Groupz I had no doubt about that. It worked well right away. The replacement had mastered everything within two or three weeks: that would never have been possible the old way. Then you would have been talking about two to three months. "
Meanwhile, Thijs has also brought Groupz to the attention of other hotels. "At ibis Almere, for example. There the group process was not running well. We then made someone specifically responsible for group reservations and implemented Groupz. That made a world of difference. Administrative tasks, such as lists of names or room assignments, are now done by the group leader. That not only saves time, it's also much more reliable. "
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- Thijs Merks
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He sees the impact of Groupz especially in daily operations. "Room lists were always a hassle. That is now a thing of the past. Less goes wrong, we have less noise in communication, and the whole process has become predictable. "
He also notices the difference financially. "We have fewer hassles afterwards, fewer discussions about rooms or refunds. That saves time and frustration. In addition, the data quality is much better: we know why guests come and with how many people, which allows us to use marketing smarter and better manage returns. "
That better structure also pays off concretely. "We saw an increase of about ten percent in upsell, especially in ibis Styles Almere, because we were able to offer groups extra dinners there. In addition, we save about six hours a week in administrative work in both locations. That doesn't sound spectacular, but it's still about €9,000 per year per hotel. And more importantly: the time freed up, we spend on the guest."
"What also makes a big difference," he adds, "is that the information from Groupz is now available to reception and the restaurant in a structured way. As a result, we know exactly what was agreed upon and can ensure that guests get what was promised. That makes it not only more efficient, but also more guest-oriented."
But perhaps most importantly, the employees work with more peace of mind. "They don't have to constantly switch between emails, Excel lists and phone notes. Everything is neatly together. This creates peace of mind. And calmness translates to better guest experience."
Yet Thijs emphasizes that technology alone is not enough. "The success of such a change depends on behavior. You have to bring people along and get them used to the change. It is important that they see and experience that their work becomes more fun and meaningful as a result. About three-quarters of the people love that, and for the rest it might just not be the right place anymore. "
He often sees that 75% of people get excited when they see what it brings, and 25% don't. "That's not a big deal. If someone prefers administration, maybe it's just not the right place anymore. But for most people, it actually means they can be closer to the guest. And that's why we once chose this profession. "
He believes hotels that combine innovation with attention to people are going to make a difference. "The guest notices it immediately when there is peace and focus in a team. That's where hospitality begins. "
Where many entrepreneurs link technology to cost savings, Thijs looks at things differently. "For me, it's not about hours or euros. It starts with the guest. Only then do I look at ROI. If it improves the experience, the rest follows naturally. "
He sees return wider than numbers. "You invest in peace, in quality, in fewer mistakes. You prevent hassle, and that is also return. And fair is fair: if the work becomes more fun, people stay longer. That might be the biggest gain. "
In doing so, he works from a clear idea: ROGE, or Return on Guest Experience. "A better experience in our guest journey ultimately delivers everything that matters: higher spending, great conversations and better reviews. That's what we do it for."
Thijs advises his colleagues to regularly step away from the delusion of the day. "We are all busy with the operation: every day has to be perfect. But precisely because of that, there is little room to reflect. Sometimes you have to step out of the operation for a while, or let someone from the outside look in. That always pays off. "
He concludes with a smile, "Groupz helps with that. Not because it's a system, but because it brings structure and calm. And that's exactly what we need in the hotel industry: clarity, quality, and time for what really counts ... the guest. "
"You don't innovate to save money, but to get better. "