In the heart of Leeuwarden stands Hotel Management School Leeuwarden, where hospitality is seen not just as a field of study, but as a way of life. At HMSL, the goal is not simply to educate students for a career in luxury hotels. It's about mastering the art of genuine attention. And that's exactly what students and staff demonstrated during their collaboration with us.
When hospitality meets humanity
“We call it ‘hostmanship’,” explains Marco ten Hoor, Director of HMSL. “The art of making people feel welcome. Not just in a hotel, but everywhere. Even on the streets.”
It’s a value deeply woven into the school’s educational program, from international internships to local community involvement. That social component is gaining an increasingly prominent place. For instance, during the annual introduction week, first-year students are introduced to the city, their studies, and their own responsibilities as future professionals.
From student initiative to structural collaboration
The collaboration with Sheltersuit didn’t start with a policy, but from the students' own motivation. During a previous activity focused on social engagement, they said: “We want to do something with this.” Sheltersuit was invited to share their story at a gathering for new students. What followed was an immediate and natural connection between the hotel school and Sheltersuit.
Sheltersuit’s message, that shelter is a human right, resonated with the school’s vision of hospitality. Where the focus is usually on five-star service, a new perspective emerged: hospitality for people without a front door.
Sleeping in the cold, waking up with awareness
In April, students organized a Sleep Out on the school grounds in Leeuwarden. They spent the night outside in Sheltersuits to raise money and literally put themselves in the shoes of people without shelter. It wasn’t a symbolic gesture for a photo op, but a serious, night-long ordeal. “We didn’t want a cozy bonfire,” Marco emphasizes. “It had to be real. Quiet, cold, uncomfortable.”
And it truly was. Cyclists rushing by, cars slowing down, the lack of control over your surroundings, it hit hard. Not just for the students, but for the teachers and organizers too. “The fundraiser for Sheltersuit brought in €7,000,” says Stephanie van Oorschot, Industry Relations Officer at HMSL. “That means around 30 Sheltersuits will be distributed in Leeuwarden on our behalf. And just as important: the students gained insight. A level of awareness you can’t teach in a classroom.”
Impact in their own city
The impact wasn’t abstract. The Sheltersuits the students slept in were cleaned and then handed out to unhoused people in Leeuwarden through Wender, a local shelter organization.
The beauty of it is that our students are giving back to their own city. They’re learning that hospitality starts right here.
This local impact aligns with a broader educational vision. In HMSL’s teaching hotel, for instance, guests can opt out of room cleaning in exchange for a tree being planted. But the collaboration with Sheltersuit made things more tangible, more human, more urgent.
A new generation with heart for society
The involvement is contagious. “The most beautiful part is that this all came from the students themselves,” says Marco. “And now it’s spreading like wildfire.” The student association wants to make the Sleep Out an annual event. And when colleagues leave the university, they no longer receive flowers, they now make a donation to Sheltersuit.
What began as a one-off initiative is becoming a permanent part of the school culture. Not because it’s required, but because it moves people. And that, according to Marco, is exactly the goal: “Of course we want to train students to be professionals. But above all, we want them to become people who care about others.”
More than a lesson in hospitality
The collaboration with Sheltersuit shows how education, activism, and compassion can go hand in hand. At Hotel Management School Leeuwarden, hospitality isn’t just defined by linen napkins or room service, it’s defined by human dignity.
And perhaps that’s the most valuable lesson you can learn at the beginning of your studies or at the beginning of a cold night outside.
