Frequently asked questions

Here you’ll find answers to the questions we’re most often asked by hotel owners and franchisees, investors, developers, management companies and hotel brands. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Email us at info@studio-inari.com or call +31 6 2440 5522.

Contact Us

About studio inari

  • studio inari is a collaborative hotel and hospitality consultancy based in Bloemendaal, near Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We work with hotel owners, investors, developers, management companies and hotel brands to improve performance and build lasting value. With more than 20 years of global experience with leading brands such as Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, Marriott, Meliá and Choice Hotels, our experts deliver measurable results for independent, lifestyle and branded hotels.

    Our name is inspired by Inari Ōkami, the Japanese deity of rice, prosperity and business success, reflecting our commitment to long-term growth and sustainable performance in every project.

  • studio inari was founded in 2025 by Helen ter Beek, who leads the consultancy as Founder & Managing Partner.

    A graduate of Hotelschool The Hague, Helen has more than 20 years of international hospitality experience across three continents, including senior roles at Choice Hotels, Hilton, InterContinental and Meliá. Her expertise spans hospitality strategy, asset performance, franchise and brand management, commercial performance, openings and concept development. She founded studio inari around a simple idea: hospitality businesses shouldn’t need a large consultancy to access high-level expertise. Today, she brings together the right experts for each project and is known for turning strategic vision into measurable, practical results.

  • We are based in Bloemendaal, near Amsterdam, the Netherlands (KvK: 98428640). We work across European hotel markets, with particular strength in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain, and our team also brings experience from the US and Asia. Working in English, Dutch, French and Spanish, we collaborate easily across different cultures and markets.

  • Several things set us apart from traditional hospitality consultancies:

    • Your interests first: we act in the interests of our clients, whether you own, invest in, develop, manage or brand hotels, so your investment and brand relationships deliver maximum value.

    • Senior experts, flexible model: every expert has led their discipline at a senior level. We bring in a single specialist or build a multidisciplinary team, depending on what your project needs.

    • Proven global expertise: more than 20 years of hands-on experience across luxury, lifestyle, independent and branded hotels, with leading brands such as Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, Marriott, Meliá and Choice Hotels.

    • Results, not just reports: we don’t stop at recommendations. We work alongside your team to put the plan into action and deliver measurable results.

    • Multilingual and multicultural: seamless collaboration in English, Dutch, French and Spanish.

    • No big-consultancy overhead: we work side by side with your team, without the cost and layers of a large consultancy.

    • Commitment to sustainability: we build environmental, social and economic sustainability into every solution, so success today doesn’t come at the cost of tomorrow.

Our services

  • studio inari offers four core services, each designed for the challenges hotel owners, investors, developers, management companies and hotel brands face at different stages of a hotel’s life:

    • Owners & franchisee support: safeguarding your interests and strengthening your partnerships, from brand and operator selection to franchise management and performance reviews.

    • Openings & project management: end-to-end support from market research and concept validation to pre-opening, so your hotel opens on time, on budget and ready to perform.

    • Asset, interim & change management: stabilising and improving performance during leadership gaps, ownership changes or periods of underperformance, to protect your ROI.

    • Commercial & operational excellence: growing revenue and guest satisfaction through revenue management, sales and marketing, F&B, finance and guest experience.

    Not sure where to start? inari insight, our 360° hotel performance review across seven disciplines, gives you a clear picture of where your hotel stands and what to fix first.

  • This service helps hotel owners and franchisees safeguard their interests and strengthen their partnerships. Franchise agreements, brand selection and performance optimisation can be complex, so we guide you through every step, ensuring your hotel thrives while staying aligned with your partners. Support includes:

    • Seamless pre-opening, rebranding and repositioning

    • Brand and operator selection, including onboarding

    • Franchise and brand management support

    • Owner–brand relationship management

    • Commercial and operational performance reviews, including inari insight

    • Guest experience enhancement

    • Leadership mentoring and team development

  • Yes. Openings and project management are a core area of our expertise. Our experts have led pre-openings for international brands and independent hotels alike, from the commercial build to pre-opening finance. We support every stage of the process, including:

    • Market research and concept validation

    • Brand and concept development

    • Brand and operator selection

    • Operational input into design and construction

    • Pre-opening strategies and execution

    • Operational and commercial roadmaps with action plans

    • Leadership coaching and recruitment

    We make sure your hotel opens on time, on budget and true to your brand’s identity and strategic goals.

    Already well into your plans? inari insight opening reviews your opening plans and materials to find gaps and risks while there is still time to close them.

  • When performance dips, leadership gaps arise or your hotel goes through a significant transition, we step in to stabilise, optimise and drive profitability. Support includes:

    • Asset performance reviews and brand audits

    • Strategic turnaround plans

    • Market and competitive analysis

    • Interim and crisis management

    • Quality audits and operational improvements

    We act in the interests of owners and investors, maximising your investment and protecting your ROI.

    Want a clear picture first? inari insight performance shows how your hotel performs today and what to fix first.

  • This service covers the full commercial and operational spectrum of hotel performance. Whether you’re repositioning or growing, our multilingual, insight-led strategies increase revenue, enhance guest satisfaction and streamline operations. Support includes:

    • Revenue management, pricing and distribution strategy

    • Sales and marketing strategies

    • Brand repositioning and rebranding

    • F&B strategy and concept development

    • Financial strategy and cost control

    • Performance audits and actionable KPI plans

    • Guest journey optimisation and mystery guest programmes

    • Quality assurance and market expansion

    We turn data and market insight into clear, actionable plans that increase RevPAR, strengthen your competitive position and drive sustainable profitability.

    Want a clear picture first? inari insight performance shows how your hotel performs today and what to fix first.

  • YYes. From single independent hotels to international hotel brands, we have extensive experience with independent, lifestyle and branded hotels. Our experts have worked with leading brands such as Hilton, IHG, Marriott and Meliá, as well as with independent owners and operators.

    Whether you’re a first-time hotel owner, an investor with a franchised asset, a developer planning a new hotel, a management company or a hotel brand, we tailor our support to your situation and goals, bringing in a single specialist or a multidisciplinary team as needed.

  • Yes. Hotel repositioning and rebranding are among the most complex and commercially significant projects an owner can undertake. We have guided properties through full repositioning strategies, including upmarket transitions, brand switches, and the redefinition of target guest profiles. We manage the commercial, operational, and brand transition dimensions to ensure a smooth and successful outcome.

How we work

  • We work in two complementary ways, on their own or combined, depending on your needs and goals.

    Expert execution
    When speed and specialist expertise are critical, we work alongside your team and take responsibility for delivery: implementing complex initiatives, managing critical transitions or tackling urgent performance challenges. This delivers:

    • Immediate impact, with decades of senior experience applied directly to your hotel

    • Faster results through focused, experienced execution

    • Solutions for complex turnarounds and high-stakes transitions

    • Reduced risk through proven methods and disciplined project management

    Building internal strength
    Through structured coaching, hands-on mentoring and solving problems together, we build lasting capability within your own team. This delivers:

    • Improvement that stays with your organisation after our work is done

    • Knowledge transfer, so your team can apply the frameworks independently

    • Greater confidence through supported execution and skills development

    • Solutions owned by the people who know your hotel best

    The combined approach
    Most of our partnerships combine both. We might manage a critical hotel opening while coaching your leadership team, or run an urgent revenue programme while mentoring your commercial team to sustain the gains. You get results now and a team that can maintain and grow performance long after we step back.

    Not sure where to start? Many clients begin with inari insight, our 360° hotel performance review, to see what their hotel needs first.t.

  • Our flexible model means we can mobilise quickly once we understand your situation and priorities, especially for turnarounds, interim management or crisis situations where speed is critical. Email us at info@studio-inari.com or call +31 6 2440 5522, and we’ll be in touch within one working day to discuss timelines.

  • We are flexible on how we work together. Some clients need a focused strategic review, a specific project or short-term interim support. Others benefit from an ongoing advisory relationship. We assess your needs and design an engagement that makes commercial sense for your situation, with no unnecessary long-term dependency.

    A good place to start is inari insight, our fixed-fee 360° hotel performance review. It gives you a clear picture and action plan, after which we can propose tailored support based on your needs.

Working with hotel owners, investors & operators

  • We help hotel owners, investors, developers, management companies and hotel brands solve challenges such as:

    • Underperforming revenue: finding where hotel revenue is leaking and sharpening pricing, distribution, sales and marketing to increase profitability

    • Untapped franchise value: choosing the right hotel brand, aligning with brand standards and getting the full value from your franchise partnership

    • Operational challenges: streamlining processes and strengthening team performance, so your hotel runs more efficiently

    • Undifferentiated positioning: repositioning your hotel, brand and offer to stand out in a competitive market and attract the right guests

    • Inconsistent guest experience: reviewing the guest journey and coaching your team to deliver experiences that keep guests coming back

    • Openings that must perform from day one: bringing operational reality into your opening plans, from concept to pre-opening

    • Leadership gaps and performance dips: interim management, turnaround plans and hands-on support to stabilise and recover performance.

  • Absolutely. Franchise agreements, brand standards and owner–brand relationships are one of our core areas of expertise. Our team includes senior leaders who have worked on the brand side at Choice Hotels and Hilton, so we understand both sides of the relationship.

    We help you understand your obligations and points of commercial leverage, work alongside your legal advisers where needed, and act as your strategic partner to get the best possible outcome from your brand relationship. Find out more about our owners & franchisee support.

  • Underperformance is one of the most common reasons owners come to us. We usually start with inari insight performance, our 360° hotel performance review across seven disciplines. Senior experts review your hotel together to identify the root causes, whether commercial, operational, structural or leadership-related.

    You receive a clear scorecard and a prioritised action plan. From there, we propose tailored support based on your needs and work directly with your team to implement it, measuring progress against agreed performance indicators.

  • Yes, and this is where we add particular value. Owners, investors, family offices and developers entering hospitality for the first time can underestimate the operational complexity of a hotel and the importance of commercial strategy. We provide independent, expert guidance, from market research and concept validation to brand and operator selection, so you can make informed decisions, avoid costly mistakes and build a hotel that performs from day one.

  • Yes. Brand selection is one of the most important decisions a hotel owner makes, and getting it wrong is expensive to unwind. With senior experience on both the owner and brand side, we provide independent guidance on brand and operator evaluation, franchise terms, fee structures and long-term strategic fit, so the brand you choose truly serves your investment goals. We then support onboarding and help you build a strong owner–brand relationship from the start.

Practical information

  • Our fees are tailored to the scope, complexity and duration of each engagement, rather than a one-size-fits-all model. After an initial conversation to understand your needs and goals, we provide a clear and transparent proposal.

    For inari insight, our 360° hotel performance review, we work with a fixed fee based on hotel size, agreed before we start, with no hourly billing.

  • Yes. We work in English, Dutch, French and Spanish, with the cultural understanding and market knowledge to match. This makes us particularly effective for owners, investors, management companies and hotel brands operating across several European markets or working with international teams.

  • Yes. studio inari B.V. is a registered Dutch company (KvK: 98428640), based in Bloemendaal, near Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

  • We welcome conversations with owners, investors, developers, management companies and hotel brands at any stage, whether you have an urgent performance challenge or are simply exploring your options.

    We’ll be in touch within one working day.