Hotel Arsenaal by WestCord

Can you introduce yourself?

Sure. My name is Fransien Meints, I'm 26 years old, and I live in Leiden. I came to Leiden for my studies, and eventually completed my Bachelor's degree in hotel management in Amsterdam. After my studies, I started working in various hotels, mainly at the reception. I've been working for Hotel Arsenaal for 1.5 years now.

How did you end up at Hotel Arsenaal?

Well, it's actually quite funny. After my studies, I knew all the hotels in Leiden and wanted to find a nice hotel elsewhere. It's very important for me to work in a hotel I can be proud of, so I was really looking for that. I once did an internship in Zwolle at a hotel that had been open for 2 years at the time. My internship supervisor spoke highly of being part of the opening of a hotel, so that also seemed interesting to me. Coincidentally, I saw that Hotel Arsenal was going to open and applied immediately. I thought it would be fantastic to experience everything from the beginning.

What makes working at Hotel Arsenaal unique for you?

What makes the hotel very unique for me is that it's a small hotel with a small team of employees. Everyone works in all departments, so you really create a bond with each other. What also makes it unique is the location where we are situated and the rich history of the hotel. It's nice to see that guests are so admiring of the location where we work. I can share this story with new people every day. We've really made something beautiful out of it.

How do you experience the atmosphere at Hotel Arsenaal?

Actually, really good. We're a young team, with many nice employees who are studying hotel management or another hospitality-related course. It's fun to introduce them to hotel life and teach them a lot. Some employees, like me, have been here from the beginning, so I've created a very nice bond with them. This is because we've also worked on things together, like putting chairs together. It provides a very nice change and balance. Everyone gets along well, and we're inclined to always help each other.

What would you like to develop within WestCord?

Yes, that's quite funny. At first, I thought that becoming a Front Office Manager would be my ultimate goal. This was really my dream job, and I achieved it here in a short time. I started as an operational employee, then moved up to front office supervisor, and then to manager. It's very nice and reassuring that they have given me their trust. But working in this small hotel, where you also do multiple departments, has made me want to become a General Manager someday. That would be a really nice goal.