A genuine welcome! I invite you to learn about my guest focused journey.
"To understand the needs of your guests is challenging. All your antennas and receivers have to stand wide open, all the time!"
Raymond Brunyanszki
About Me
My Background
53 years ago I met my parents and soon after was brought to my first home in Utrecht in the Netherlands. At age 7 I apparently told my parents I would some day be a hotel owner. At age 16 after finishing High School my parents gave me some money to use for my drivers license or any other educational use. A 3-week trip to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand not only broadened my perspective it gave me a glimpse of how would be able to combine my passion and career. So far it allowed me to live on three continents, consult legendary hotels and travel companies, and work with the very best in this constantly changing industry. And yes, about 30 years after I informed my parents of my plans I become the owner of Camden Harbour Inn and Natalie's a hotel and fine dining restaurant concept and design Restaurant both member of Relais and Chateaux. Still as passioned as I started, still figuring out what a guest journey really means in a ever changing world this will never stop I am thankful to have met so many great people from a countless amount of countries and different (cultural) backgrounds. Perhaps the most important lesson I have learned is that we may be all different but we share in the need of love, happiness, security, feeling safe (peace) good health, being appreciated and making sure that a next generation is left with better chances, opportunities and life than ours. Hospitality and the hotel guest experience plays a crucial role in connecting, educating, being inclusive and creating your personal perfect experience.
Camden Harbour Inn and Natalie's Restaurant
My childhood wish to own a hotel became reality in 2007. With the purchase of Camden Harbour Inn, a $2.8 million deal and a top to bottom renovation of almost $2 million the hotel offered a new vision on what hotels could be in the state of Maine and the New England region. A New York Time writer pitched the newspaper an article about a new generation of 'innkeepers' and fresh and modern approach to a guest experience. The writer was unable to find another comparable property so the article was never published. It would take another couple of years before more aspired hoteliers, after seeing Camden Harbour Inn asking some of the highest rates in New England and at the same time grow occupancy to record highs for the area, also created experiences that would help grow both ADR and occupancy. In 2013 we became a member of the prestigious Relais and Chateaux association at the same time Travel+Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler listed the inn as one of the top 100 hotels in the world. In 2014 Camden Harbour Inn was ranked number 19 Best Small Hotels in the world. The inn has pretty much received every recognition and award in the industry and has a strong loyal group of returning guests. Personal and detailed attention, creating unique curated experiences and offering a strong sense of place with a commitment to the local community, buy mostly at local farms, fishermen, lobstermen, forester and share shops, galleries and restaurants with our guests. As one of the largest employers in the area and one of the few year round operations because we wanted our staff to have the ability to make a year round living and maintain and grow knowledge and quality, we find it important that a small remote community benefits from the very often high income guests we welcome. Sharing the wealth benefits us all! Our hardworking and dedicated team is the only reason why the inn has grown from $300K annual sales when purchased to almost $3 Million in 2022 in room sales. Or a per key value from $140K to $650K in 15 years. Amenities alone would never justify the rates it is a people industry. Trying to make your team as passioned as you are is the key to your success. Together with continue to listen to-and act on (when needed) the feedback you receive. We sell a dream and a goodnight sleep. I am living my dream but although I have a great Camden Harbour Inn signature hotel bed at home, I don't get enough sleep.
Natalie's Restaurant
With a beautiful hotel comes a culinary destination. Natalie's is the original restaurant describing the culinary direction as Modern New England Cuisine. With our own vegetable and herb gardens and our strong commitment to locally sourced ingredients , Natalie's was the first restaurant to offer a multiple coursed lobster fine dining experience 16 years ago and we are proud to still support the largest local and statewide industry. Especially in a time the industry is struggling with a highly unfair unsustainable evaluation by Sea Food Watch. Natalie's only uses lobstermen that are committed to work with breakable fishing lines and preferable vessels with electric engines. At the helm is the 5th Executive Chef since the restaurant opened in 2007. Chef Jose Ochoa is creating dishes that are showing the bounty of local ingredients and the seasonal changes. Committed to a zero waist kitchen, the restaurant serves breakfast and dinner year round. In the winter the restaurant also has a more casual bar menu for the local community to enjoy. The front of the house is in good hands with Restaurant Manager Sven Smit, steering evening after evening to a success for the past 7 years. Together with bar manager Mike Freeman and Sommelier Kathryn Snow and a team of over 25 people in high season Sven ensures every guest has an unforgettable experience. The restaurant is an extremely important opportunity for us in ensuring our hotel guests have a far more personalized stay. Like Natalie's a destination restaurant adds to what you can ask for your room night and allows you at several moments to check in with your staying guests. At the same time it allows the hotel to keep telling stories in the press, on social media and through newsletters. It helps the hotel with a recovery when needed. There is not a barrier between the restaurant and the kitchen and the hotel. Hotel Manager Gilbert Pena, Sven and Chef Jose work extremely close together and there is ongoing exchange of guest knowledge to further improve the connection. Natalie's has been instrumental to the success of the hotel and has become a culinary landmark in the state of Maine, the only true fine dining restaurant in the mid-coast of Maine and one of the highest scores in overall satisfaction on Opentable.com. Awarded top 100 Best restaurants in the USA by opentable.com, Top 10 best hotel restaurants in America by USA Today and a numerous amount of accoladed and recognitions, Natalie's became a strong brand by itself, a reason why people visit the area and a profitable component of the overall operation. With an average ticket price of $172 before taxes and gratuity, Natalie's has the highest ATP in the state of Maine. The restaurant has always focused on quality vs quantity and purposely doesn't sell more than about 80 seats per night, as we learned that doesn't only greatly improves the guest experience, it also results in higher sales per table as the restaurant does a better job in advises and guests don't feel rushed. With a n average food cost of 23% year round and combined BOH and FOH average labor cost at 27%, for a fine dining restaurant is highly profitable. In 2021 Natalie's grossed $2.3 Million, with a 14% profit margin, which is an exceptional achievement of a dedicated team in a seasonal destination where a few winter months record losses.. In 2020 after being closed for almost 3 months and a reduced seating law, Natalie's grew a few percent to 2019, until then the best sales since the opening. The strong commitment to the health of our guest by introducing sensible procedures advised and overseen by our full time sanction specialist made our guests feel very safe. Also our commitment to a year round operation, offering livable wages, sponsoring education and growth and creating a environment focused on having a successful career in the industry has resulted in a minimum of staffing issues many have been facing post pandemic. Everybody at the hotel and restaurant has the ability to make decisions and is motivated to not pass guest requests or concerns to a different person but rather help the guest directly. After 16 years Natalie's is in the final season and the inn plans a new restaurant concept to be introduced in 2023. COVID19 has propelled some of the trends that started pre pandemic. We will continue to operate in the highest market segment but with a far more focused concept which continues some of the strong aspects of the current culinary output and service. However to remain at the forefront of dining the new concept will also even far more embrace the coastal area and have a deeper focus on vegetarian and vegan options. Further optimizing our commitment to sustainability, local and embracing a sense of place. It will help the restaurant to continue its growth and we are excited about all the new stories we can tell.
