Maurits de Graeff - Steering a Hotel through a Pandemic

Maurits is born in the Netherlands “onder de rook van Rotterdam”, studied hospitality management at the Hoge Hotelschool Maastricht and worked in the hospitality industry ever since. His first role was in one of the most iconic hotels in the Netherlands the “Hotel Des Indes” in The Hague. Maurits became a true globetrotter, working in many countries in Europe, Ghana, Costa Rica and Mexico. 

In 2009, Maurits moved to Australia to manage the first boutique hotel in the Nation’s Capital. The plan was to stay for 4 years, but he fell in love with the country and never left. In Canberra, Maurits opened two hotels and a restaurant, before moving on to Adelaide to manage the Playford Hotel MGallery by Sofitel, which is part of ACCOR Hotels. You can find the Playford Hotel, with its beautiful Art Nouveau styling, at North Terrace opposite the Adelaide Convention Centre.

This year has been one of the most challenging years for the global tourism industry and at the moment The Playford Hotel is closed for the general public to participate in the relocation program of the South Australian Government. Maurits managed to keep all hotel staff employed and his team can’t wait to get back to some kind of normality in the new year!

Before entering the government relocation program, the hotel was the epicentre for visiting AFL teams and a popular destination for South Australians who love the Playford Feast, a high tea, but different! Maurits had fast forwarded renovation works, changed every procedure thinkable and created new food concepts, a new butler service and QR codes for room service orders. 

Aside from steering the Playford hotel through extremely challenging times, Maurits has found time to join the DutchSA Board and contribute his extensive hospitality experience and networking skills to support of the Dutch business and social communities in Adelaide.

For more information about the Playford hotel, opportunities in the hospitality industry and DutchSA, please send an email to Maurits at mdegraeff@theplayford.net.au

---