Visiting Vivian-Jessica Schiller
The Ruhr metropolitan region is synonymous with industrial history, international trade fairs and cultural events and venues of major importance. But there is even more to discover, a real one-off - the Schlosshotel Hugenpoet in Essen. The moated castle lies in the middle of an extensive park, an island of tranquillity in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city.
Ms. Schiller, we are sitting on the sun terrace of the bistro in the Remise - your favorite place?
Vivian-Jessica Schiller: Certainly one of many! It's a casual place that offers a wonderful view of the castle. In winter, we would have met by the fireplace, as we have three impressive Renaissance fireplaces made of sandstone with magnificent reliefs. One is in the lobby, the second in the Fireplace Room and the third in the Green Salon - so you'd have plenty to choose from!
From what you say, you seem to have a strong personal connection with the castle.
VJS: That's right. Every morning when I come up the driveway and the castle rises into the sky in front of me, it's an incredibly beautiful feeling.
Ms. Schiller, we are sitting on the sun terrace of the bistro in the Remise - your favorite place?
Vivian-Jessica Schiller: Certainly one of many! It's a casual place that offers a wonderful view of the castle. In winter, we would have met by the fireplace, as we have three impressive Renaissance fireplaces made of sandstone with magnificent reliefs. One is in the lobby, the second in the Fireplace Room and the third in the Green Salon - so you'd have plenty to choose from!
From what you say, you seem to have a strong personal connection with the castle.
VJS: That's right. Every morning when I come up the driveway and the castle rises into the sky in front of me, it's an incredibly beautiful feeling.
Castle hotels play a major role in your CV - is that a coincidence?
VJS: That's difficult to say. But it's true that I'm attracted to castles. I come from a family of restaurateurs in Essen and realized early on that I wanted to follow this path. I completed my training as a hotel manager at Schlosshotel Wilkinghege in Münster and then worked at Schlosshotel Bühlerhöhe in the Black Forest. At some point, I wanted to return home - and had the opportunity to find my place of work here at Hugenpoet. That was in 1998, with my first job at reception.
You've been the director here since 2018. What is your philosophy of hospitality?
VJS: It is the aim of the entire team to offer our guests a temporary home from home. “Being at home” is a feeling, and we want to convey this to our guests - regardless of the occasion that brings them to us. We are warm and unagitated and unobtrusive in our service and want to make our guests' stay as pleasant as possible. This castle is beautiful, but only our 70-strong team can fill it with life. Which, by the way, I am very proud of. It is young, diverse and motivated. What makes me particularly happy is that we have no shortage of trainees. I think that also says a lot about our philosophy.
Castle hotels play a major role in your CV - is that a coincidence?
VJS: That's difficult to say. But it's true that I'm attracted to castles. I come from a family of restaurateurs in Essen and realized early on that I wanted to follow this path. I completed my training as a hotel manager at Schlosshotel Wilkinghege in Münster and then worked at Schlosshotel Bühlerhöhe in the Black Forest. At some point, I wanted to return home - and had the opportunity to find my place of work here at Hugenpoet. That was in 1998, with my first job at reception.
You've been the director here since 2018. What is your philosophy of hospitality?
VJS: It is the aim of the entire team to offer our guests a temporary home from home. “Being at home” is a feeling, and we want to convey this to our guests - regardless of the occasion that brings them to us. We are warm and unagitated and unobtrusive in our service and want to make our guests' stay as pleasant as possible. This castle is beautiful, but only our 70-strong team can fill it with life. Which, by the way, I am very proud of. It is young, diverse and motivated. What makes me particularly happy is that we have no shortage of trainees. I think that also says a lot about our philosophy.
Schlosshotel Hugepoet is located in the middle of the Ruhr metropolitan region with two large trade fair locations. Do you benefit from this?
VJS: If you're talking about our guest structure - we have a lot of trade fair and business guests, and another large proportion of our guests come for a little break with one or two nights and gourmet experiences. We have a lot of golf travelers. And most of our guests come from Germany or the Netherlands.
Your house is located directly on the Ruhr Valley cycle path. Do you have many cyclists as guests?
VJS: The number is increasing and we think that's great! Especially on Sundays, many cyclists visit us for lunch or for a classic “coffee and cake” in the bistro in the Remise. We want to live the tradition of this castle hotel in a modern way, and that also means being able to consciously move away from the 5-star superior image in order to appeal to new target groups. Mind you, the image, not the claim. And we are constantly pursuing this theme with our in-house events. More than 300 guests accepted the invitation to the “Day Drinking” in the castle courtyard. It's a balancing act, but it works.
Do you also extend this balancing act to the culinary arts?
VJS: Yes, in our gourmet restaurant 1831 we offer the “Get to know 1831” menu on Wednesdays and Thursdays. A 3-course menu including aperitif, wine accompaniment, water, coffee and digestif at a reduced menu price. This is aimed at young people and those who have no experience of gourmet cuisine.
Your head chef Dominik Schab has also been at Schloss Hugenpoet for a long time - 20 years. How would you describe his style?
VJS: Dominik Schab is a representative of modern French cuisine and he is simply brilliant at giving his creations an international twist. I call his style “fine dining rethought, informal and unusual”.
Let's stay with the culinary delights. In contrast to many other hotels in your segment, breakfast is given extra space on your website. Why is that?
VJS: Our “Hugenpoeter Schlossfrühstück” is not only very popular with overnight guests. We have many external guests here, as well as meetings and conferences that start with this breakfast. We haven't reintroduced the buffet since the end of the coronavirus pandemic, but instead serve an étagère, which is a feast for the eyes. Guests can order whatever they want à la carte. We have noticed that much less food goes to waste. So we are also making a contribution to combating food waste.
Let's get back to you, Ms. Schiller. How do you start the day?
VJC: I have to admit, I'm very fond of decorating. So I start my working day with a tour and do a little check for myself, completely relaxed, no control. But I simply have a love of detail. And that has to be right.
YOUR HOST AT SCHLOSSHOTEL HUGENPOET
You can reach Vivian-Jessica Schiller at www.hugenpoet.de or by email at info@hugenpoet.de.
Thank you very much for the lovely interview!
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