voco The Hague
Rethinking the hotel room: what could be done more efficiently?
A former bank vault in the bar, comforters with recycled filling, and doorstops made from discarded hotel linens. voco The Hague makes conscious choices that suit both the hotel and its guests. Some are significant, while others are surprisingly simple. Rooms Division Manager René Broertjes explains why these details make all the difference in the guest experience, daily operations, and collaboration.
A unique story within a global hotel group
voco is part of IHG, an international hotel group with thousands of hotels worldwide. Despite being part of such a large organization, each voco hotel has its own distinct identity. In The Hague, that identity starts with the building itself: a former bank where original features, including the bank vault, can still be found in the bar.
Rather than identical hotels, each location has its own story while maintaining a consistent level of comfort and service. “At its core, a hotel offers a bed, a shower, and a television. What really sets a hotel apart is the service and how consistently you deliver it,” René explains. “When you consistently get the basics right, you build trust.”
Comfort through conscious choices
This is reflected in the hotel rooms. The bed should look inviting, and the linens should be clean, fresh, and neatly made. The comforters have filling made from 100% recycled materials, without compromising the comfortable sleeping experience voco aims to provide.
The hotel also takes a critical look at what simply isn’t necessary. Single-use plastics are avoided wherever possible, and water- and energy-saving showerheads help reduce consumption. Two complimentary bottles of water in every room? Not here. Guests can refill their own water bottles. This means less glass waste and less unused water being thrown away.
The same approach applies to housekeeping. During a guest’s stay, rooms are cleaned upon request. This means bed linens and towels are not automatically replaced every day when guests don’t need them to be.
Discarded linens become doorstops
Sometimes a good idea simply starts with a conversation around the table. During a brainstorming session between voco and Blycolin, the idea emerged to give discarded linens a new purpose. One of those ideas was a doorstop.
Housekeepers now use this ergonomic doorstop to keep hotel room doors open while cleaning. This way, some of the linens that no longer meet the quality standards for use on beds can still serve a purpose within the hotel. And that brings things full circle.
For René, this shows what collaboration can achieve. It’s not just about delivering what was agreed upon, but also about working together to find smarter ways to use materials and improve daily operations.
“The great thing about the doorstop is that it addresses two things at once. We prevent unnecessary wear and tear on hotel linens that are still in good condition and give linens that can no longer be used on beds a new purpose.”
– René Broertjes
Continuing to improve together
For René, partnership is about clear communication, honoring commitments, and looking ahead together. “Sometimes things don’t go as planned, and that’s okay. What matters is being open about it and working together to find ways to do better next time.” Especially in a hotel that operates 365 days a year, it’s important to have partners who are flexible and committed to long-term collaboration. The doorstop shows what this kind of partnership can achieve: a practical idea developed together that is now used every day.