The wooden revolving door, lots of marble and the lift with copper doors in the lobby of Boutique Hotel Corona exude an atmosphere of days gone by. But appearances are deceptive. Led by owner Emile Gassler, the illustrious hotel on the Buitenhof has doubled its capacity from 36 to 72 rooms in recent years "and we are far from outgrown".

Lisa Muller is perhaps The Hague's youngest hotel manager.

So a professionalisation drive was necessary. Recently, that has been in the hands of Lisa Muller, with her 28 years of age perhaps The Hague's youngest hotel manager.

And to think she started as a receptionist only a few years ago. "I know every step of the ladder and have been through almost everything at least once. Nobody fools me," she says confidently. For Muller, today's Boutique Hotel Corona is no longer the hotel she walked into on her first day of work. "Looking back, I think back then everyone did what they thought was right for themselves. That works fine when you have a small hotel, but with the doubling - also in operations and staff - the noses had to be more in the same direction.

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That is why I developed clearer job profiles with my predecessor Mariëlle van der Hilst, who has since left our hotel for a new adventure in Austria, which made the goal more tangible and enabled us to create a better product."

The lobby of Boutique Hotel Corona.

That goal is crystal clear to the hotel manager: the highest degree of hospitality. "For that, I talk a lot with everyone, from housekeeping to reception. And very good ideas come out of that."

Before there is time to ask about examples, Muller has them ready. "Guests don't come to our hotel to be treated as a number, so every day we look at how we can take that extra step and respond to needs," she introduces. "For instance, we guide our guests to their rooms whenever possible, and if we know what they are coming for, we even map out the optimal route in advance to show them as much of the city as possible.

'Happy Birthday'

To returning guests, we write cards with a personal note. Is it someone's birthday during their stay? Then a small gift will be left in the room of Boutique Hotel Corona and we challenge the team to surprise the guest by singing 'Happy Birthday' to them. And, oh yes: our housekeepers do chat with the guests, unlike what you often see."

To keep herself and her people on their toes, Muller regularly works with mystery guests. "In doing so, we score between eight and nine," she says proudly. "But the hotel can and does get better every day. During a training session after such a mystery visit, we therefore discuss the findings with each other. It is special that everyone is willing to give their best for the hotel. And valuable, because without a stable and close-knit team you are nowhere in this business."

The recent renovation did not involve an interior stylist. "We came up with it all together, right down to the colour combinations."

How involved that team is is proven by the recent renovation. "There was no interior stylist involved. We came up with it all together, right down to the colour combinations. As a result, it feels like our own hotel to all of us."

Hotel Corona

While the coronavirus was a hard sell for many, Hotel Corona got wind of the pandemic. "No, we didn't think of changing the name," Muller chuckles. "In no time the press was on our doorstep and we were a selfie hotspot; we've never had so many check-ins on our social media. And merchandise with our name on it flew out the door. A bizarre turn of events." Muller and her predecessor did not let that momentum pass them by. "Our website, Corona.nl, attracted a lot of curious visitors. We responded to that by revamping the site and sharing more about the hotel's name and history via social media."

Lockdowns or not, Hotel Corona remained open. "Guests wrote messages with their reservations like, 'I met my girlfriend in corona and we would like to celebrate at your place.' And some guests who fled home because of the strict measures and booked a room with us because of the striking name have now become regulars." Existing regular guests also boosted the hotel in uncertain times. "Before corona, we had predominantly business guests. They had no reason to stay with us during the lockdowns, but some booked a room anyway to come here to work and support us. Then you do notice that you have built up a huge loyalty as a hotel."

Corporate guest

Although the business guest is gradually returning to the regular, Muller notices a change from the pre-pandemic era.

"We have gotten a better mix of guests who come here for work and tourists who want to explore the city. It remains to be seen whether that will continue in the longer term," she formulates cautiously. One thing is certain though: with twice as many rooms as before, twice as much can be done. "When there was no renovation, we often ran into the problem that we could not take on large parties. Simply because we didn't have the rooms. Now that we do, we can tap into a whole new target group, such as large organisations. So we will work on that."

The occupancy rate is going in the right direction after the first 'normal' year after the expansion. "Well, we are still in that same unique spot, the best location of any hotel in the city. And then of course there is our personal service," Muller explains the good figures. "So as far as I'm concerned, we can expand again."

www.corona.nl