JanHein van de Watering (The Travel Company/Travel & Sportpromotion, Breda) is an entrepreneur with a great passion for sports and travel. It is not uncommon for the two to come together in his work. For the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, Van de Watering has rented a complete hotel. “It felt like a gamble, but a calculated gamble that worked out well.” To get straight to the point: how do you manage to rent an entire hotel for the Olympic Games in Paris?
‘The idea actually arose after the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020 were postponed due to the corona crisis and ended up taking place without an audience. That was quite a blow, especially since I had organized trips to Japan for about 30 to 35 people. Cancelling those plans was a huge setback. You don’t go to Japan for three or four days before the Games, which you do in Paris. So the travel costs for Japan were quite high, averaging about 7,200 euros per person. But I wanted to do things differently in Paris. I started looking for a suitable hotel, something that was not easy. After a lot of searching, I came across the Le Relais de la Malmaison, a beautiful hotel with 88 rooms, just what I needed.’ How did you end up finding the perfect hotel? ‘It was a combination of luck and a lot of searching. I had a list of about a hundred hotels and started filtering by location and facilities. In the end, my cursor got stuck on an area that I had actually already written off. That was because a parcel deliverer rang the doorbell and I walked away for a while. When I returned, I looked on Google Maps to see where the cursor had stuck, apparently at the Le Relais de la Malmaison. It turned out to be a hit: a four-star hotel with a large garden and plenty of rooms. We have now temporarily renamed it Maison de Paris-Bas, with its own logo, designed by students from the Rooi Pannen here in Breda.’
How did the hotel react when you approached them? ‘Initially, they were surprised and wondered if the Games were really coming to Paris. In the beginning, I only wanted 44 rooms for people who had already been to the Rio Olympics in 2016, StudioRio, an initiative of Floris Evers, an ex-hockey international and a good friend of mine. After some explanation and negotiations, I had 44 rooms. After I put the phone down, I thought: you’re crazy too. So I called back and said, ‘Do all 88 rooms’ and that worked out well.” 
What can guests expect at the hotel? ‘We want to turn it into a kind of mini-Holland Heineken House. The hotel has a large garden where we place two video screens. Guests will receive a special polo shirt and a goodie bag from Team NL. In addition, we have a large canopy where we can organize events, such as a performance by the Hermes House Band.’ How are you going to achieve that? “It’s about creating an environment where guests feel at home and can live the Olympic experience to the fullest. In the garden, guests can watch the matches live. We also invited a number of ex-athletes to stop by and share stories. In this way, we not only create a place to stay, but also a community of sports enthusiasts.’ Who are the guests who have booked with you? ‘It’s a mixed bunch. From parents of athletes to fans and even some ex-athletes, such as Ronald Jansen, the former goalkeeper of the Dutch national hockey team and now father of hockey international Jibbe Jansen. Companies such as Hema, PrincessTraveller, 2MOSO, Beequip and Matthijs Snoep have also purchased rooms for employees and relations. But the majority of them are real Orange fans who want to experience the Olympic adventure.’ Do you still have rooms available? ‘At the moment, 98 percent of the rooms are booked. There are still a few rooms available due to last minute changes, but things are going fast. Colleagues from the Travel Company and other sports enthusiasts have also reserved their place. I myself am staying in one of the three motorhomes that we are allowed to park on the site.’ What are the biggest logistical challenges you’ve faced? ‘One of the biggest challenges was organising the facilities, such as parking spaces and bicycle rental. We work together with a partner from Breda who brings 80 to 90 bicycles to Paris.
‘It was a calculated gamble that paid off’
The hotel itself also has some great facilities, such as a swimming pool, sauna, and a golf course. In addition, we have a large orangery that we use for special events. We have also set up a comprehensive schedule for the events in the garden so that everything runs smoothly.” How did you approach the financial side of this project? ‘That was quite a challenge. I made sure that the customers paid a deposit of 500 euros to confirm their reservation. They can pay the remaining amount in installments. This gave us the flexibility to pay for the hotel in installments as well, which eased the financial pressure. The most important thing was to charge a fair price, so that it remained accessible to everyone.’ What are the costs for the guests? ‘Guests pay 1,590 euros for four nights in a double room in a four-star hotel, including breakfast and free parking. We’ve kept it as affordable as possible without compromising on the quality of the experience.” It sounds like you’ve built a strong community. How important is that? ‘Very important. It’s not just about offering an accommodation, it’s about creating a community of sports enthusiasts. Many of our guests know each other from previous Olympic Games or other sporting events. This creates a great atmosphere and a strong network. It’s fantastic to see people come together and share their passion for sport.’ How did your network help you with this project? ‘My network has been crucial. From finding the hotel to arranging facilities and events, everything has been made possible by the connections I’ve built over the years. I am doing this project together with Karel Mul, who was there in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. In addition, I have many friends and colleagues who have helped me with their expertise and resources. This project couldn’t have been as successful without them.” What are your plans after the Olympic Games in Paris? ‘The applications for the Winter Olympics in Milan are already pouring in. I’m also cautiously looking at Los Angeles in four years’ time. The idea is to find a kind of Melrose Place-like complex there where we can organize something similar. (Melrose Place is an American television series from the 1990s.) In addition, I continue to work on golf trips of CITY2CITYGOLF and other sporting events, such as the Masters and a golf cruise through the Mediterranean.’ What drives you to tackle such projects? “Sports and travel have always been my passions. I love giving people the best experience possible, whether that’s a trip to the Olympics or a golf vacation. I like to arrange everything down to the last detail and give people an unforgettable time. It’s always a challenge to organise everything properly, but the happy faces make it all worthwhile.’
