Txema-uncovered

by Karina Miñano

A Spaniard, born in Pamplona, he was christened José Maria but known by the Basque nickname for Jose Maria: Txema. Although he is very proud of his “motherland” he considers himself a global citizen, with an adventurous spirit that has taken him to remote places where few dare to go. Although now he takes care of himself a bit, he was always ready to confront the challenges of a backpacking trip. Molded by a strict ecclesiastical education, an ardent athlete, a successful business man and hotel director, a true gentleman with a firm but somewhat dreamy gaze, this is Jose Maria (Txema) Ripa, Director of the Barbizon Palace 5 Star Hotel.

Profiles presents the first interview with Txema Ripa.
Known in the business world for his excellent performance as director of three hotels in North Holland, Amsterdam, Txema shows us his personal side, revealing a side of himself well known to his family and closest friends.

“I owe much to the seminary”
Very early in the morning the young Txema began his daily routine. At 7 am he awoke for the first daily prayers with his classmates at the seminary in the small town of Artieda in Navarra. After the required cleaning came breakfast accompanied by another prayer before going to class. After lunch there was barely an hour to rest before resuming the days lessons. In addition to that, Txema had 2 hours of compulsory sports as well as 2 hours of study and then was required to attend Mass, after which came dinner, a final prayer, and bedtime. Punctually at 10pm the lights went out and, like magic, total silence fell over the monastery. The weekends had their own routine, Saturday rosary prayer, and Sunday was the day of the Lord. Txema’s life, wrapped and surrounded by the walls of the monastery, was only unwrapped once a month when he visited his family and neighborhood friends in Pamplona. Some would say it was a hard life for a 13 year old; however, for Txema, the Augustine seminary gave him more than a rigorous discipline --- it gave him the secret that would lead him to his success as a director of hotels. 

It is well known that a man adapts to circumstances, even more so as a child. Txema not only learned a lot at the seminary, he also had a good time. He thinks that the education he received was excellent at an academic level and also at both a physical and spiritual level. Besides the regular subjects he engaged in extracurricular activities such as chess, singing in Latin, piano and organ lessons and some others together with the constant physical activities where he excelled. Txema was a smart and intelligent student. "I was not" hoity-toity "in the classroom, but I liked my studies and, more than merely studying, I focused on what the teachers said and that was enough. I did not need to study for hours before exams ". At 17 years old, adolescence surprised Txema with a host of adventures to be discovered. By at that time his dream was to be a biologist, which would take him out the door of the seminary, never to return.

 The adventure starts

During adolescence Txema’s liberal and adventurous spirit drove him to move away from his country and his hometown of Pamplona. At only 18 years of age and no international experience, Txema started his adventure working at a summer camp in Maryland in the United States, surprising his parents and friends. At that time he was in his first year of studying tourism. However, Txema wanted to be a biologist, it’s true. Yes, it’s true, but Txema found out that besides geography and art, the study of tourism contained other subjects that were of interest to him like economics and languages. In other words, it was the combination of mathematical, cultural and artistic aspects that he liked very much.

Nevertheless, the adventure started just two months after arriving in the United States. He had saved a little money and, aboard a van and accompanied by a Russian woman and a Hungarian man, he decided to travel across the country from coast to coast. Over the course of a month and a half Txema traveled across the states located between New York and California, passing Niagara waterfalls and stopping at places that he found interesting. In the second year of his studies he decided to return to the camp and continue to get to know the country that welcomed him. It was in this manner that he arrived in Florida and to the other states located in the south of the country.

Starting as a professional

The successful hotel director hadn’t always been a director. He had to start somehow and what better way than to start at a hotel chain that represents his city and region. NH hotel started its operations in Pamplona, Navarra. In fact, this is how the name of the chain was born as it stands for Navarra Hotelera. Txema started as a receptionist in a hotel in Madrid and later he worked at NH Bretón. There he he made a good impression, performing his duties with discipline and responsibility. However, after a time, his, adventurous spirit was taking a toll on him and, in a blast of decisions, he moved to Sydney (Australia). “It is a beautiful country, pleasant to live, warm and with very friendly and open inhabitants”, Txema would say about the country of the kangaroos.  During a year he worked as a restaurant manager in “The Spanish Club Restaurant”, where he made a lot of friends and got to know many people. After having lived and worked for a year in Australia, where he arrived by traveling through Asia (passing through Indonesia and Thailand), his adventurous spirit called for another adventure. This time, he decided to take his bag pack and travel around the world in six months. He got to know and visited many places in New Zealand and the American continent, such as Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic, just to name a few. When traveling back to Europe the airline with which he flew gave him a free flight to the destination of his choice. Txema chose to go to the mysterious and exotic Egypt. After six months of traveling and physically exhausted he finally decided to return to lovely Spain and continue his professional career.

Living in hotels

Holiday Inn Express Hotel employed him as head of Reception and due to his performance he was sent to England. While in London NH called him again, this time they offered him the task of opening the first NH express hotel in Madrid. A few months later and thanks to his work in this hotel the management of NH decided to place all their trust in him and he was chosen to open and be the director of the second express hotel in Barajas. The next year he was again promoted, this time a 4 star hotel: the Prisma in Madrid, to transform it in just two years to the NH Atlántico Coruña. His spirit of adventure and international experience has now cumulated in Amsterdam, as director of three NH Hotels

From receptionist to director

Txema believes that a trainee should learn about everything they can and take maximum advantage of their apprentice status. What better example than himself, who started as a trainee in reception, then was responsible for reception and finally became a hotel director.  Txema began working at express hotels, then later 4-star hotels, and as of September 1 of 2008, Txema became the new director of a 5 star hotel here in Amsterdam. But it is not easy to arrive at this position.  "It's a combination of hard work, ability, and luck. Being in the right place at the right time. If you have ability and you work hard but nobody sees you, you have no chance."

From 4 of 5 stars

His job as head of the NH 4-star hotels has given him good results professionally and personally. However, Txema needs to move, to climb up, to face new challenges and therefore he did not hesitate in accepting the proposal:  Director of a 5 star hotel. The hotel is none other than the Barbizon Palace which is located opposite the Central Station in the heart of Amsterdam and offers 270 guest rooms, two restaurants, meeting rooms among many other comforts that identify a hotel as a 5 star category hotel. It is a professional challenge with different types of demands and requirements  with which  Txema is more than pleased, he feels honored and flattered and rightfully so.

Without fear and with the sincerity that characterizes him, Txema confesses he feels proud of the NH hotel chain, because it has given him the opportunity to grow both professionally and personally. Txema feels he’s growing alongside the growth of the NH hotel chain. That growth is thanks to his professional experience as well as the fact that he is getting older (Txema is 38), becoming wiser and more decisive. "Working in hotels is a world where the clients and guests come from a range of different cultures, religions, sexes and customs, and where many things and anecdotes occur. “

Working is not everything

Although it is true that no one can stop Txema in terms of work, it is also true that over time he has learned to value his free time, to enjoy the company of his friends, to make time for his hobbyies without neglecting his work and his dedication to it. And as the old masters say, the balance in our lives is achieved based on our life and working experiences. Therefore Txema considers this stage of his life as the most effective professionally due to a balance that allows him to give the best of himself at work and enjoy his personal activities with enthusiasm, an enthusiasm and a balance that makes him feels agile, strong and intelligent.

Txema has things very clear in his life. He lives in the moment and at this moment he wants to be the best hotel director. In 10 years only God knows what will happen, but today Txema is happy and wants to stay happy, he wants to give all of himself to be the best and I am sure that is the way it will be.