Every month we put one of our partners and his or her organisation ‘in the spotlight’. This month it is Patrique Bulté, General Manager of the Student Hotel Maastricht.
1. Why did you choose the position you have now?
I am fascinated by the concept and the design of the Student Hotel and I was genuinely excited to take the challenge to put this innovative concept into the Sphinx quarter – an exciting and upcoming new development location in Maastricht.
2.What are the most recent developments within your company?
We have added a coworking space called Collab to our product. This provides work space for about 30 super creative companies. Apart from “The Commons”, which is our restaurant, we are also adding “The Bold Rooftopbar” in April. The SNS Community store will open in May. There are a lot of interesting development happening in our neighbourhood!
3. Which challenges are you facing?
One of our biggest challenges in the Sphinx quarter will be parking. During peak moments we see large numbers of traffic. Recently, Loods 5 opened and we expect even more traffic. The maximum number of parking bays has been set to 7500 for the city centre, so unfortunately there are no plans yet to increase parking capacity. The entrepreneurs in the neighbourhood are keeping a close eye on the traffic and we are working together with Maastricht municipality to find a solution. Still, it is definitely a challenge.
4. What have you achieved, of which you are most proud?
The Student Hotel is part of the beautiful national monumental building of the Sphinx. Despite the redesign and repurposing we have been able to honour the industrial heritage of the building. I’m also very proud of the team that we have formed to offer 250 students a home away from home. Finally, as chairman of the Sphinx quarter foundation, I’m proud to work with the local entrepreneurs to offer a new and interesting program in a newly developed and hip neighbourhood.
5. What do you do when you are not working?
I love spending time going out with my wife Carolien and my children Lukas and Jamie. We love hiking along the ENCI quarry. I also go mountainbiking with my oldest son Jamie.
6. What does the Maastricht Convention Bureau mean to you
Maastricht Convention Bureau is the motor that drives conventions to our beautiful city. It’s very impressive to see them working and planning ahead for several years to bring Maastricht to the attention of associations. I’m also very happy to see that the Sphinx quarter is just as loved as the older quarters of the city. It makes Maastricht even more exciting and more beautiful than it already was.
