Local, the cornerstone of everything at the Supernova Hotel

Supernova opened just before the pandemic started. Not exactly the greatest time to be opening a hotel but Glenn tries to spot the silver lining: “At least the hotel was well preserved, it’s all very sustainable”, he jokes. Fortunately the hotel is now much busier. Glenn and Jan-Maarten started out their careers running a “hotelthroughout the city.” They offered a service to people who like to rent out their house because they are travelling for long periods of time. “We used to criss-cross the city with laundry and cleaning products on our scooters. One day, we decided that we’d had enough and wanted to the same job, in one single location”, Jan-Maarten says. Glenn adds: “So we started to look for something different, something permanent. And that’s how we decided to open our own hotel, defining every aspect of the concept ourselves, and giving our creativity free rein.” They came up with the idea of a boutique hotel, with 38 rooms, together with investors who had already acquired the building.

To get hotels to sign up for Hotel Neutraal, BlueCity asked the Rotterdamse Hotel Combination to assist them with recruitment. That’s how Glenn and Jan-Maarten found out about Hotel Neutraal. Prior to their participation in Hotel Neutraal, Glenn and Jan-Maarten had already taken some steps to become more sustainable. They chose to install large soap dispensers, which last longer, and all the rooms are furnished with vintage furniture, which they snapped up on Marktplaats. “Food waste is a real no-no. That’s why we joined Too Good To Go. Any leftovers are served during the staff lunch.” Too Good To Go is an app which partners can use to sell leftovers to consumers at affordable prices. Because Supernova now uses this app, the amount of food they have to bin is minimal. 

Local products and sustainable collaborations. That is what the owners of Supernova are currently focusing on because they believe in supporting the local economy. An approach that is consistent with BlueCity’s blue economy, and Supernova’s personal philosophy. “Why look globally if you can get it locally? This ties in with our concept, which is all about sourcing products locally, in Rotterdam”, Jan-Maarten explains. The local aspect is apparent throughout the hotel, starting with bitterballen from rotterzwam on the menu and photos from the Dutch Photography Museum on the wall. "We want to become an extension of the city, making sure that people know that they are in Rotterdam. This is reflected in our collaborations, in the products we use, and in the art on the wall, but also in the hotel’s colour scheme, which is based on the colour blocking of Kruiskade. The dark red corridors are also a nod to the sex clubs of which there used to be plenty in this area. You can feel the spirit of Rotterdam in the hotel.” Guests can also use free bicycles to take in all the sights and sounds of Rotterdam and experience it like a local. It’s a sustainable way of exploring Rotterdam. 

“We find things that are related to the local environment very important and we do what we can.” They support local entrepreneurs by offering their products in a tiny shop in the hotel, such as Susan Bijl's Rotterdam bags, and some furniture, including the beds, was made by a Rotterdam furniture maker. The chef, with whom they work four days a week, also uses local products. “He tried to source everything locally. 80% comes from the Netherlands, the remainder from all over Europe.” Last week, the menu included goose. The birds were shot in Krimpenerwaard to prevent overpopulation. 

Besides the local aspect, the owners of Supernova also believe in cooperation. They have collaborated with (local) entrepreneurs and organizations on various levels, contributing to social sustainability in addition to promoting cultural development. This is consistent with one of the sustainable themes within Hotel Neutraal, namely social entrepreneurship. "On the social level, we have chosen to work with Pameijer. Twice a week, a person with a disability who is a trained bicycle mechanic checks our bikes. That’s his job.” The hotel’s large garden is maintained by other team members from Pameijer, when the owners need an occasional hand. During the lockdown, they partnered with several Rotterdam restaurants, such as Heroïne, De Matroos en het Meisje and Mevrouw Meijer. “We decided to join forces with several restaurants because they were forced to close but we were still allowed to offer room service. We got everyone around the table to ensure that everyone could continue to do what they loved to do", Jan-Maarten explains. The garden rooms overlook a work of art by artist Iwan Smit. It was in danger of ending up in a landfill after being removed from its original location. Thanks to the excellent contacts between the owners and the artist, the hotel was able to adopt the sculpture. It has since found a place in Supernova’s garden, among the plantings.

For more information about the program Hotel Neutraal click here.