'While everyone else is on one ear, I'm at work. My rhythm is therefore against the natural cycle, because I have to stay awake during the night. But I'm used to that by now. I made a very conscious decision to work at night. For example, I'm looking into taking a course in the future and I'll have time for that during the day. For this work you have to be a real people person and know how to deal with different situations. Sometimes I really have to act when someone causes a nuisance. Fortunately, that works out well for me. I can naturally sympathize with people and have learned a lot from experienced night porters. I love the fact that I have a lot of responsibility. Most nights I'm alone, so I make the decisions myself. A disadvantage of working at night is that I can't always sleep peacefully during the day because of street noise or when the neighbors are renovating, which is quite irritating. Then I have to settle for less sleep. Our hotel is accessible 24/7. I get a lot of calls for reservations. People really want something arranged right then and there, because otherwise it keeps them awake. Then I am happy to take care of it for them. I also help guests in the hotel. The other day a man had locked himself out; he had opened the door to the hallway in his hotel room instead of the bathroom door and was standing in the hallway in his underpants. He was completely disoriented. Fortunately, I was quickly able to get him back to his room where he could continue sleeping soundly. At least it's not a boring job; I experience plenty of fun, crazy and exciting things.

I experience plenty of fun, crazy and exciting things

'I work four nights a week, from 11 in the evening until 7 in the morning. After my shift, I usually go straight to the hotel gym to work out for an hour. Then I get home around 8:30, shower and then go to bed. Hopefully I then sleep until about three in the afternoon. I don't have a standard rhythm because of this. That's how my weekend starts on Sunday morning. Sometimes I do feel that I miss certain things in terms of socializing with friends and family. But I really like working at night. If there is a problem, I have to solve it myself. And at night you have more personal contact with the guests, during the day it all goes much faster. There are a lot of quiet nights. Guests then call for very small things: "Can I have an extra towel?" or "Can the temperature of the room be adjusted?" During the night, I can really take the time to solve the problem. Because it's usually not busy, they get full attention. But sometimes it's a lot more restless. Then you have to deal with people who have been drinking or causing noise pollution. At times like that, it comes in handy that I have a background in security. With the right conversation techniques, I can speak to them in such a way and make sure that no more nuisance is caused, so that the other guests can also sleep well. It's all about conveying superiority. I am quite down-to-earth and very clear. I always take a personal approach and my humor when addressing guests about undesirable behavior. When I use a little joke in the process, it just lightens things up and the problem often resolves itself.'

'My reverse work rhythm actually suits me quite well. I have a lot of contact with people in America, whom I met through online gaming among other things, and then the time difference and the fact that I am awake at night is actually very convenient. Before I became a night porter, I was a lifeguard. But when the pool closed, I had to look for something else. My father was a night porter and thought it would also be something for me. And he was right. Some nights are quiet, then I start with some administrative work, and there are always a few guests coming to check in. On nights out, it's usually busier. Then I often get calls from people who still want a hotel room that night. It's nice to be able to help with that. At midnight the front door is locked and I have the freedom to walk around. Then I can hear and see if everything is quiet. I work full nights alone; I have no problem with that. In fact, if there is a problem to be solved it is an extra challenge that I am alone. I am then the one who makes the decisions. I have to be strict on a regular basis. And I once had to evict a group of people from the hotel when they caused a real nuisance and kept going after several warnings. I won't raise my voice, but calmly explain the situation. Then it always works out. But in general, guests are more relaxed at night than during the day. Some people come down to have a chat if they can't sleep. We have a lot of international guests who suffer from jet lag, and then you can have a chat with them. At night you have a lot more time for that. That's what makes it so much fun.

At night you have more personal contact with guests