Alumni

“We Just Went for It”: Nicky van Westenbrugge on Building a Vibrant Independent Hospitality Brand

An Interview with Nicky van Westenbrugge, co-owner of Hotel Parkzicht and restaurants Thym, HOUT and Casa Pepe – By Ruben Kraaijvanger, Student at Hotelschool The Hague

Nicky van Westenbrugge (HTH, class of 2009), together with her husband, Derk van Westenbrugge (HTH, class of 2009), is the driving force behind Hotel Parkzicht and restaurants Thym, HOUT and Casa Pepe – all located in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Both are graduates of Hotelschool The Hague. Nicky embarked on her journey as an independent hotelier at just 26 years old. This year, she and her husband were announced as the Independent Hotelier 2025 – an award recognising excellence in independent hospitality. We were fortunate enough to interview Nicky.

You can also listen to this article here

How did it feel to win as Independent Hotelier of the Year?

I was surprised! Yes, we were nominated—also last year—but I always expect the big names from Amsterdam to win, not a hotel like ours that doesn't often appear in the media. So, I really wasn’t expecting it at all.

The jury was very impressed with how we work, and that’s a huge recognition for us. In the end, that means more to me than all the media attention we’ve received.

What did you do after graduating?

I did my final internship in Brussels at Starwood Hotels and Resorts, in digital marketing. I stayed on for a while to wrap up some projects, and they wanted me to stay as well. After that, I wanted to settle back in the Netherlands and build my career here.

I worked in digital marketing for a loyalty company, which was outside hospitality. But I quickly realised I only really enjoy marketing when it’s hospitality related. So, I decided to open my own restaurant in Utrecht, where I was living at the time. Not long after, Hotel Parkzicht came along, and that’s when everything really started.

When did you discover your passion for having your own hotel?

I think I already knew as a child that I wanted something of my own. I love creating things and imagining how they should be. That entrepreneurial spirit was always there.

At Hotelschool, I never imagined I’d open my own hotel. Far from it! That’s why I started in digital marketing. But there, I realised I wanted to run my own business. I often felt like I couldn’t fully act on my ideas because I always had to ask permission or follow someone else’s direction. I missed that creative freedom.

So, I left my office job to start a restaurant in Utrecht. After a while, I was about to sign a purchase agreement for a property when I heard Parkzicht was available. It had gone bankrupt, and they were looking for someone to take it over. Many people were interested, and we had to make a quick decision. We went for it.

A few days later, we signed the paperwork and suddenly owned a hotel in Eindhoven. It was a huge switch—from a restaurant in Utrecht to a hotel in Eindhoven. I never even made a business plan for the hotel. It was a now-or-never moment, and we chose ’now’.

How did you decide to actually go for it?

I’m originally from the Eindhoven area and already knew the hotel and restaurant. I always felt really good when I was there and saw its huge potential. It's a beautiful, historic building in a developing city, nicely located by the park and within walking distance from the city centre.

I really believed in the opportunity — but in the end, you have to decide for yourself. And that kind of decision comes down to gut feeling: Do I think I can do this?

It was a big step to take at 26, together with my now-husband. We said, “We’ve both never done this before, but if we're going to do it, we’ll do it together.” So that is what we did.

What is it like to run a hospitality business together with your spouse?

No one knows me better than he does. We've been together since Hotelschool, and we really understand each other's strengths and weaknesses. I do my thing, he does his thing, and we trust one another.

It can be challenging sometimes, mainly at home. It is hard to fully switch off, relax together and not talk about work. But our work is our passion, so the line is really thin. When we are on holiday or out for dinner, of course we talk about work, but we try to keep it lighthearted and keep the tough conversations for working hours. We also encourage our teams to separate work and home life.

What is it like to be an independent hotelier in current times?

I really like it! Independence is one of my key goals — being able to decide what, where, and how.

That makes me more balanced in my life, even if completely balanced is probably an illusion.

If I feel overwhelmed by work, if there is too much going on, I can decide to go for a walk, do something else or take a break, which is really good for me. Being an independent hotelier also allows us to make decisions quicker than in a franchise, which helps the business a lot of the time, and stay adaptable.

It also has its challenges. There's no backup from a big hotel group like Accor or Marriott. We are truly on our own. Some of the recent challenges are inflation-related —rising supply costs and wages go up every year and put pressure on hotel operations. But I see the positives in the higher wages: it makes hospitality more attractive as a career. Hospitality is hard work, and better pay is a step in the right direction for our industry.

I enjoy the ever-changing challenges. Every day a different challenge, that’s what energises me.

What are the biggest obstacles you have encountered within your business?

We started our hotel during a financial crisis, taking over a hotel that went bankrupt. Hotels across the country were struggling with empty hotel rooms, and we were starting from scratch.

To add to that, I did everything for the first time, including tough conversations and letting people go, which I found very difficult. Luckily, I’ve learned and now, I am looking at it from a business perspective while remaining personal. We’ve faced many other challenges — COVID, financial highs and lows—but I believe if you're willing to face your problems, you can overcome everything.

What is your biggest learning experience from starting your own business?

Learning to trust in what I know, and what I can do. I think I used to ask permission and confirmation from others. Like: What do you think? Maybe this is a good idea? All the while, in my heart, I actually knew what I wanted.

Now I say: I think we should do this and then ask: Who’s with me? That’s when the bigger things started happening in my life.

Where do you envision Parkzicht in the future?

I always use the word vibrant for our places, because I think vibrant applies to all of them — but especially to Parkzicht, where something is happening all day long.

That is also true for our other businesses. It must be a fun place to be.

We are currently developing a new project: a luxury hotel in an old monastery just around the corner from Parkzicht. It will have 60 rooms and a beautiful restaurant in the chapel. Again, the word “vibrant” applies. Yes, it will be high-end, classical and elegant— but when you walk into the restaurant, it should feel joyful and vibrant.

That is the feedback we get from all our businesses. We’re not one-hit wonders —we’re rather evergreens. We’ll be around.

What achievements are you most proud of?

After 13 years, I am really proud of our ever-increasing number of regular guests in our restaurants and hotel, plus the fact that our staff has been working with us for over 8 years and even up to 13 years. I am truly proud of having steady teams, this is a huge achievement for me.

I don't look at awards as proof of success, but I’m still proud that restaurant HOUT was named one of the best five pizza places in the Netherlands by Pizza Top 50. And of course, winning the Independent Hotelier of the Year Award!

Nicky and Derk winning the Independent Hotelier 2025 Award

What is your biggest mistake, and what did you learn from it?

One thing that really stood out for me was the feedback I received from my team and I am grateful that they shared it with me. Sometimes I got so carried away in these amazing ideas that I forgot to bring them along. I was already there in my thinking process, while they still had to figure out and understand my ideas.

Now, I take more time to involve them, ask for their input and listen. They ground me and bring different outlooks.

In the end, we come up with even better, more structured ideas. With all these great people working together, we create amazing plans.

What was the most useful thing you learnt at HTH?

I don't know if my teachers would like to hear this, but the most valuable lesson came from living together with fellow students in Skotel from all kinds of backgrounds and cultures. I was always a social person, but when you live in a house with 16 people culturally and personally very different from you, that is a challenge.

That was quite hard sometimes. You had to do cleaning checks, live together, and work on projects. That feeling of having to do it together has stayed with me. When you have your own business, it’s the same: not everyone works exactly the way you want it, or how you would do it. But in the end, you get the results together. So, I think learning that every person is different, is the best experience you get at Hotelschool.

What would be your advice for students graduating in 2025?
Don't plan too much. You have to express your desires, but if you plan everything, you might miss the best opportunities. They usually come along when you least expect them. Be open-minded and ready to dive into new opportunities when they come along.

Quickfire Questions:

Your favourite book? Camino is my current favourite.

Last movie you watched? Luckiest Girl Alive.

Morning person or a night owl? Night Owl, I wish I was a morning person!

Biggest dream in a few words? Being able to live wherever and do whatever I want, whenever I want to.

One thing on your bucket list? A second home.

Favourite thing you’d like to do in your free time? Travelling.

Favourite places to visit? London, Tuscany, and Portugal.

Best aspect of living in The Hague? I loved the combination - having the village vibe of Scheveningen with the beach, and the vibrant city centre just around the corner. Where I worked in a restaurant and went clubbing. It had the best of both worlds.