Hotelier brings diverse global experiences to Oklahoma City's Skirvin Hilton Hotel

But when van der Laan and wife, as empty-nesters, had the opportunity to move to Oklahoma City from Florida in February 2011 for him to manage the Skirvin Hilton Hotel for Milwaukee, Wis.-based Marcus Hotels and Resorts, it “was a no-brainer,” van der Laan said.

The industry veteran said he embraces the history of the hotel, likes and respects the community that saved it — after being shuttered for 17 years — and considers it a privilege to serve as the hotel's “custodian,” along with a staff of 160.

Van der Laan, 50, recently sat down with The Oklahoman to talk about his professional and personal life. This is an edited transcript:

Q: Can you tell us about your roots?

A: My hometown is Hengelo, Holland, a city of about 80,000, 20 miles from the German border. Three of our five TV stations were German ones, so speaking German, along with Dutch, came second nature to me. I started learning English at age 6 at the privately-funded public school I attended and where I played soccer and other sports, with students from Austria, England and elsewhere. People don't know it, but Holland is a tremendous melting pot.

My brothers — three years older and five years younger — still live in Holland. Our parents are deceased. My father worked as an export manager for a German company that made scales and slicing machines for food stores. My mother worked for a foundation that helped integrate foreign workers into Dutch societies.

Q: How'd you decide on a career in the hotel and restaurant industry?

A: Originally, I planned to study geography and history, because they were subjects I loved. But at the last minute I decided to go to hotel school at Hanze College, some 100 kilometers from my hometown. From age 16, I'd worked as a disc jockey at clubs and restaurants, and my boss was the owner of multiple restaurants. So the industry is what I knew. I graduated third in my class.

Q: What was your first job after college?

A: I worked for a year for a small, family-owned hotel in Switzerland. The owner doubled as the executive chef and his wife, executive housekeeper and front-office manager. I was the maitre d' for two restaurants. It was great hands-on experience. I lived in the hotel and every morning woke to a view of three mountaintops: the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau.