Caroline van Kessel (35) has worked with pride and pleasure for 8.5 years as hotel manager of Pulitzer in Amsterdam. A hotel that not only breathes the rich history of Amsterdam, but also the ultimate luxury feeling of a five-star hotel. Little wonder, then, that DOUXE sheets and linen can be found (and bought!) on the king-size beds there. 

DOUXE’s philosophy and bedding fit seamlessly with what Caroline and her team want to give the guests of the Pulitzer Hotel every day: “A unique and wonderful experience, sincere attention, and the feeling of being completely pampered.” 

Does that description of luxury apply to you as a person too?

“Yes, for me it is the people who make the real difference between a good hotel and a great hotel. As a guest you can feel whether the staff genuinely want to make your stay enjoyable, or whether it is a role they are playing. People who really enjoy giving you a wonderful experience – isn’t that the ultimate feeling of luxury?”

So for you, luxury isn’t about, say, golden taps and chandeliers?

“No. I think luxury means something different to everyone anyway, and that for many people it isn’t necessarily about golden taps and the feeling that you are only allowed to whisper. It is more about sincere attention for you and your wishes. I hope we can give our guests precisely that feeling.”

Yes, because how do you do that? What does your day as a hotel manager look like?

“In my role I am responsible for the entire hotel operation: the day-to-day running of the hotel, in other words. An incredibly diverse and dynamic job, especially in a hotel made up of 25 historic canal houses - with all the challenges that entails.”

 This sounds like a really nice job. Is that right?

“Yes, definitely. Besides the buzz and dynamism I love - which come with a hotel in the heart of Amsterdam - I find the great variety of people I get to work with every day the best part. Everyone is an equally important link in the chain when it comes to creating unique experiences for our guests. And when those guests have an enjoyable stay, it gives me a huge boost every time – that is what we all do it for.”

Besides an enjoyable stay, guests surely also have remarkable questions or requests from time to time?

“Definitely, I could write a book about it. The most remarkable request came from an Arab sheikh, who just before departure said he would like to buy a typically Dutch live cow as a souvenir to take home – luckily for the animal that could not be arranged at short notice, and we stuck with an enormous plush cow.”

Have you ever actually slept in the hotel yourself?

“Definitely. At the end of our last major renovation in 2016 we wanted to ‘test’ as many rooms as possible before paying guests stayed in them. So the whole hotel team, including employees of the contractor that carried out the renovation, slept in as many rooms as possible. That was a really fun time. In addition, we now invite all our new employees to stay overnight on the evening before their first working day at the hotel – so they get to know the hotel as a guest right from the start.”

The hotel is quite big. Do you have a favourite place?  

“I have two, is that allowed? The Book Collector’s Suite is my favourite room in the hotel. It is – as the name suggests - full of books and even an antique typewriter. I have been an enormous bookworm since childhood and this suite is the best place to drift away with a good book. I also love the atmosphere in ‘the pharmacy’; the entrance of restaurant Jansz. When I walk in there, I am immediately drawn into the rich history of Pulitzer and the many stories that have taken place in the canal houses.”

Your love for this hotel shines right through. Was it love at first sight?

“Yes. From the first moment I stepped into the hotel I felt the history and what a special place it is. I think it is important to be proud of the company you work for, and that is something that binds all the employees of Pulitzer. Who else can say that their workplace is located in 25 canal houses from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries?”

Is the team just as close-knit?

“Yes, I felt the family feeling in the team straight away and that suits me very well. You spend such a large part of your life at work and with your colleagues, so it is very important that you look after each other and can have fun together. I think guests feel this too.”

That fits nicely with the Christmas feeling. How is Christmas celebrated in the hotel?

“Every year we start by lighting the ten-metre-high Christmas tree that stands in our inner garden. Normally we invite good contacts and neighbours of the hotel for this and toast together to a lovely Christmas. Unfortunately COVID is throwing a spanner in the works this year too and we are keeping it to a ‘digital’ version, sadly.”

Do you have an ultimate gift tip for Christmas? You have a real Pulitzer Shop, I understand?

“I think the yellow Pulitzer Throw is a real eye-catcher, both here on the beds and at home on the sofa. The bright colour really adds some pizzazz to your interior. And of course the Pulitzer pillow and the bed linen that DOUXE developed for Pulitzer. With those you really create the five-star feeling of a top hotel at home. Ultimate tip!”

Last – and no doubt tricky – question, because try choosing between your children: which other hotel would you like to stay in some day?

“Ha, that is indeed a difficult question. There are so many hotels where I would still like to sleep. I love Paris, so a night in the iconic Hotel Ritz is high on my wish list. I also have a great love for Africa and I would love to sleep at the Cape Grace in Cape Town or, even more unique: The Giraffe Manor in Kenya in the middle of the African wilderness.”

Well, it is almost Christmas, isn’t it, you never know.

“Exactly. Who knows.”