Frequently Asked Questions

Here you will find answers to the questions we are most frequently asked by hotel owners, investors, franchise operators, management companies and hospitality professionals. If your question is not covered here, please get in touch at info@studio-inari.com or call +31 6 14855900

Contact Us

About studio inari

  • studio inari is a specialist hospitality consultancy based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. We partner with hotel owners, investors, management companies and operators to unlock the full commercial potential of their hospitality assets. Drawing on over 20 years of hands-on global experience with leading hotel brands including Hyatt, Hilton, and IHG, we deliver measurable, results-driven outcomes across independent, lifestyle, and branded hotel properties.

    Our name draws inspiration from Inari Okami, the Japanese deity of prosperity and transformation, reflecting our commitment to long-term growth, sustainable performance, and meaningful change in every engagement we undertake.

  • studio inari was founded by Helen ter Beek and Ronald de Lange, who serve as Co-Founders and Managing Partners.

    Helen ter Beek is a graduate of Hotelschool The Hague with over 20 years of experience transforming hospitality investments across three continents. Her areas of expertise include franchise optimisation, brand performance, commercial strategy, and operational transformation. Helen is known for translating strategic vision into measurable, practical outcomes.

    Ronald de Lange brings over 30 years of experience driving strategic transformation and commercial performance improvement across the hotel industry. His expertise combines deep operational knowledge with revenue optimisation, distribution strategy, change management, and end-to-end technology implementation. Ronald has successfully led more than 100 hotel openings across all property types and market segments.

  • Our office is located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (KvK: 98428640). We are active across European hotel markets and operate internationally, with particular strength in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, and the wider European hospitality landscape. Our multilingual capabilities in English, Dutch, French, and Spanish allow us to collaborate effectively across different cultures and markets.

  • Several factors distinguish us from traditional hospitality consultancies:

    • Owner-first mindset: we consistently act in the interests of the property owner or investor, ensuring you receive maximum value from your hospitality asset and brand relationships.

    • Proven global expertise: hands-on experience with luxury, lifestyle, independent, and branded hotel operations across Europe and beyond, including long-standing relationships with Hyatt, Hilton, and IHG.

    • Results-driven focus: we do not simply produce reports and recommendations. We develop and execute action-oriented strategies that deliver tangible, measurable outcomes.

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

    • Agile, flexible delivery: we operate as an extension of your business, without the overhead of large consultancy structures.

    • Commitment to sustainability: we integrate environmental, social, and economic sustainability into every solution, ensuring that commercial success today does not compromise tomorrow.

Our Services

  • studio inari provides four core service areas, each designed to address the specific challenges faced by hotel owners and operators at different stages of their investment:

    • Owner & Franchise Support: protecting your ROI, navigating franchise agreements, optimising brand relationships, and maximising performance across all commercial and operational dimensions.

    • Hotel Openings & Project Management: full end-to-end support from pre-opening planning and brand concept development through to a successful, on-time, on-budget launch.

    • Asset, Interim & Change Management: stabilising and improving hotel performance during leadership transitions, ownership changes, or underperformance situations.

    • Commercial & Operational Excellence: revenue optimisation, distribution strategy, pricing, guest experience enhancement, and operational efficiency improvement.

  • This service helps hotel owners maximise their investment and protect their return on investment by navigating the complexities of franchise agreements, brand selection, and ongoing performance optimisation. Specific areas of support include:

    • Franchise agreement review, brand selection, and brand alignment.

    • Optimising the owner-brand or owner-operator relationship on your behalf.

    • Commercial and operational performance reviews.

    • Guest experience optimisation and enhancement strategies.

    • Leadership mentoring and team development.

    • Pre-opening, rebranding, and repositioning support.

  • Yes. Hotel openings and pre-opening project management are a core area of our expertise. Ronald de Lange alone has led more than 100 hotel openings across all property types. We manage every element of the process, including:

    • Brand and concept development.

    • Pre-opening strategies and phased execution planning.

    • Operational and commercial roadmaps with detailed action plans.

    • Leadership coaching and senior recruitment support.

    We ensure your hotel opens on time, on budget, and fully aligned with its strategic and commercial objectives.

  • When a hotel experiences a performance dip, a leadership gap, or a significant transition, Studio Inari steps in to stabilise, optimise, and restore profitability quickly. This service includes:

    • Strategic turnaround planning and execution.

    • Asset performance reviews and brand audits.

    • Market feasibility studies and competitive analysis.

    • Interim management during leadership vacancies or transition periods.

    • Crisis management support.

    • Quality audits and operational improvement programmes.

    We act as the owner's advocate, protecting and growing the long-term value of your hospitality asset.

  • Our commercial excellence service covers the full commercial and operational spectrum of hotel performance. This includes revenue management strategy, distribution channel optimisation, pricing strategy, sales and marketing alignment, OTA performance improvement, and guest satisfaction enhancement. We translate data and market intelligence into clear, actionable plans that increase RevPAR, improve your hotel's competitive positioning, and drive sustainable profitability.

  • Yes. We have extensive experience working with both independent boutique hotels and internationally branded properties. Whether you are a first-time hotel owner, an experienced investor managing a franchise asset, or an operator of an independent lifestyle property, we tailor our approach entirely to your situation and objectives.

  • 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 use two complementary delivery approaches, which can work independently or in combination depending on your needs and objectives:

    Expert Execution (Direct Delivery)

    Our hands-on implementation approach is deployed when speed and specialised expertise are critical. We work alongside your team as direct partners, taking responsibility for implementing complex initiatives, managing critical transitions, or addressing urgent performance challenges. This approach delivers:

    • Immediate impact through decades of proven experience applied directly to your property.

    • Accelerated results through focused, experienced execution.

    • Complex problem resolution in turnaround situations or high-stakes transitions.

    • Reduced risk through proven methodologies and disciplined project management.

    Building Internal Strength (Coaching and Mentoring)

    Our coaching and mentoring approach focuses on developing sustainable capability within your own organisation. We transfer knowledge and build skills through structured coaching programmes, hands-on mentoring, and collaborative problem-solving. This approach delivers:

    • Sustainable long-term improvement that remains within your organisation after our engagement concludes.

    • Capability transfer so your team can apply proven frameworks independently over time.

    • Enhanced team confidence through supported execution and skill development.

    • Cultural integration, as solutions are implemented by the people who understand your property best.

    The Combined Approach

    Most of our client partnerships blend both approaches to maximise both immediate impact and long-term performance. For example, we might directly manage a critical hotel opening whilst simultaneously coaching your leadership team on operational frameworks. Or we execute an urgent revenue optimisation programme while mentoring your commercial team to sustain and build on those gains independently. This hybrid model delivers immediate results whilst building your team's capability to maintain and grow performance over time.

  • We operate in an agile and flexible manner. Once we understand your situation and priorities, we can mobilise rapidly, particularly in turnaround, interim management, or crisis situations where speed is critical. Contact us via info@studio-inari.com or +31 6 14855900 and we will respond promptly to discuss timelines.

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

Working with Hotel Owners, Investors & Operators

  • We specialise in solving the critical challenges that keep hotel owners, operators and management companies awake at night:

    • Underperforming revenue: identifying revenue leaks and optimising pricing, distribution, sales, marketing, and guest services to restore and grow profitability.

    • Operational inefficiency: streamlining processes and improving team performance to reduce costs and increase productivity.

    • Franchise complexity: guiding owners in selecting the right brand, negotiating agreements, maximising partnership benefits, and ensuring ongoing alignment with brand standards.

    • Brand differentiation and market positioning: repositioning properties to stand out in competitive markets and attract the right guest profile.

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

  • Absolutely. Navigating franchise agreements, brand performance requirements, and owner-operator dynamics is one of our core areas of expertise. We help owners understand their contractual rights, obligations, and points of commercial leverage, and we act as a strategic partner to ensure you achieve the best possible outcome from your brand relationship

  • Underperformance is one of the most common reasons owners engage us. We begin with a clear-eyed performance diagnosis to identify root causes, whether commercial, operational, structural, or leadership-related. From there, we develop a structured, prioritised action plan and work directly with your team to implement it, measuring progress against defined performance indicators throughout.

  • Yes, and this is an area where we add particular value. Owners and investors entering hospitality for the first time frequently underestimate the operational complexity and the importance of commercial strategy. We provide the expertise and independent guidance you need to make informed investment decisions, avoid costly mistakes, and build a hotel business that performs from day one.

  • Yes. Brand selection is one of the most consequential decisions a hotel owner makes, and getting it wrong is expensive to unwind. We provide independent, owner-focused guidance on brand evaluation, franchise terms, fee structures, and long-term strategic fit, ensuring the brand you choose genuinely serves your investment objectives.

Practical Information

  • Our fees are tailored to the scope, complexity, and duration of each engagement. We do not apply a one-size-fits-all pricing model. Following an initial conversation to understand your needs and objectives, we provide a clear and transparent proposal. Please contact us at info@studio-inari.com to begin that conversation.

  • Yes. We provide professional support in English, Dutch, French, and Spanish, with the cultural fluency and market understanding to match. This makes us particularly effective for hotel owners and investors operating across multiple European markets or working with internationally diverse teams.

  • Yes. studio inari B.V. is a registered Dutch company with KvK number 98428640, headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

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

  • Yes. Brand selection is one of the most consequential decisions a hotel owner makes, and getting it wrong is expensive to unwind. We provide independent, owner-focused guidance on brand evaluation, franchise terms, fee structures, and long-term strategic fit, ensuring the brand you choose genuinely serves your investment objectives.