Olivier Wauters, Executive Director of Eventonline, recently visited the HasHotel in Hasselt, Limburg, and had a conversation with hotel manager Saskia Beckers.
“My brother Dimitri Beckers took over the hotel in 2008. He already owned Hotel Century 100m from HasHotel at that time,” Saskia Beckers says. “HasHotel was for sale then and when he bought it we gradually started renovating the hotel. The hotel already had 20 years on the clock, but nothing had been renovated in the meantime. So it was high time something happened to it. And then we started to renovate the hotel floor by floor.”
Originally, the hotel had four floors with 33 rooms. The new owners immediately decided to expand the hotel with a fifth floor. “That’s where you’ll find our very nice penthouses with a view. With that, we expanded the hotel first, because that was also a lost space. Consequently, we got three more rooms. And then the following year we tackled the next floor and so gradually the rest, until everything was renovated.”
There was also a terrace on the first floor with meeting rooms underneath. “Now, that was also a lost space because that terrace that was attached to one room
located, so the plan was already anyway to also expand the hotel with additional rooms on that piece of terrace. Then that piece was demolished all the way down to its foundations to put up a new seven-storey building there. That’s how our rooms deluxe balcony and our penthouse XXL were added.”
Adding seven floors of rooms immediately doubled the capacity for the hotel compared to 2008. The lobby was also tackled. “The original lobby was too small and quite dark. So we then changed that completely. With the renovation, the lobby moved to the first floor. Finally, the restaurant was also renovated.”
Corporate Meetings I ALL-IN -ONE solutions
As a company, what can you expect at the HasHotel? “To companies, we offer an all-in-one service,” explains Saskia Beckers. “We have up to 30 rooms available for a group. In addition, we have two very nice meeting rooms. We have the Plus One (38m2) and Minus One (90m2). These are comfortable rooms where you can have pleasant meetings. Not chilly rooms, but really comfortable and luxuriously furnished, so that dinners can also take place there.”
Both meeting rooms have all the technical facilities for a smooth and professional conduct of your meeting or presentation. Moreover, you choose which formula suits you: do you rent the space alone or combine it with lunch, dinner or reception? Getting together with a group of up to 14 people? Then the compact meeting room Plus One, which is also accessible via the lift, is just what you are looking for. During the break, you can catch your breath on the outdoor terrace to enjoy the beautiful view of Limburgplein.
Minus On, the most spacious meeting room, which can be reached by stairs and lift, has plenty of assets to accommodate a larger gathering in style: a separate entrance, a cloakroom, a lounge – which can be used as a break-out room if required – a heated patio, an open fireplace and its own bar. Perfect for quarterly, sales or brainstorming meetings, for example. Suitable for up to 100 people for a reception or party, up to 60 for dinner.
After all, all catering comes from our own kitchen. “We can also call on Atelier V,” adds Saskia Beckers. “Like HasHotel, that catering company is part of the C Group. As a matter of fact, we also have Hotel Century as an additional hotel nearby here just 150 metres away. There we can offer additional rooms if necessary. Moreover, we also have very nice restaurants, also within walking distance. 900 metres, Trentanove, an Italian restaurant and Maison Mathis. Both are on the waterfront.”
Parking
Parking in a big city is important, especially corporate. That too is no problem for HasHotel. “We use Q-park nearby,” says Saskia Beckers. “We also have reservations for a small car park on availability. That is located some 350 metres from HasHotel. We also have garage boxes available for our guests to rent. An individual lockable box. And for cyclists, we have a separate garage where people can charge their bikes and park them for free.”
Teambuilding
Companies wishing to pair a tailor-made teambuilding event with their stay at HasHotel need not go hungry either. “For your unforgettable teambuilding, our HasHotel team is happy to put its heads together. Sporty, creative or rather culinary? Tell us the ingredients of your ideal team moment and we will work out a tailor-made original concept. From a sushi or cocktail workshop to a golf afternoon, a city tour or a day of intense sports. The possibilities in Hasselt city centre are endless,” says the manager.
Local artists
Anyone walking around the HasHotel will undoubtedly notice the artworks on the walls. “That’s Hasselt art,” agrees Saskia Beckers. “Those are artworks by Mireille Billen. We try to promote our Hasselt artists a bit. We think that warm feeling, the atmospheric lighting, but also the sustainable materials are super important. It fits in with our long-term vision. So we also keep refreshing the rooms. Every other year we are painting somewhere to give a room a new colour or taking out details and adding something new to the decoration. Guests who return several times always notice something new. The artworks also change; Julie Boes, also a Hasselt-based artist, hangs her works in the studios. We actually always want to excite our guests with new things.
B&B with hotel service
HasHotel has now been operating in the hotel market for 16 years without being part of a big chain. What is the success? “The advantage of HasHotel, and what I also often hear from our guests, is that they feel at home here. We also have cool staff at reception, who know their customers. Plus, we have super tasty restaurants within walking distance. People know our business by now, and they like making that tour of our restaurants. And especially that feeling of home, I think. Our guests often say, yes, it’s like a B&B here, but with hotel service. In the welcome area, our hotel guests always get a welcome drink. That immediately puts people at ease. Meanwhile, they also get some tips about Hasselt, for which they can always contact our receptionists. And of course our fine team of multilingual staff welcome every guest in a pleasant way. Escorting guests to their rooms. Carrying their suitcases. These are details that people really appreciate and which you can’t do in a hotel with more than 100 rooms, for example. You can’t do that, you don’t have the time. And those details, that’s where we have to be stronger. And that is also what people remember,” says the manager.
