Staff Highlight: Miles Van Der Veen
Our Easton Porter Group team members are the heart and soul of what we do. From meals served at our restaurants to personal touches at our boutique hotels, our high-touch teams work hard to elevate the art and joy of travel and dining.
Meet Miles Van Der Veen of our Concierge Team at Zero George Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina. Miles grew up in Washington, D.C. and moved to Charleston to start school at the College of Charleston. He graduated with bachelor degrees in Hospitality and Tourism Management & Business Administration. Miles began his career as a licensed insurance agent but soon found himself in the hotel business. After gaining experience at Hilton’s Homewood Suites, he became our guest guru at Zero George. He handles everything from planning guest itineraries to assisting with restaurant operations–all to ensure a stay at Zero George exceeds expectations. When he’s not resolving guest inquiries at work, he enjoys playing hockey and watching his favorite team, the Washington Capitals.
Check out the following Q&A with Miles to learn more, then head over to Zero George to see him in action.
What’s the best part about working at Zero George?
The best thing about working at Zero George is sitting in the background of Chef Vinson’s cooking class. He is constantly changing the menu but my favorite dish on the Zero George Restaurant menu was a 30+ day aged duck or the Mozzarella Balloon.
What is one of your favorite memories from your time working at Zero George?
One of my finest memories from Zero George occurred during the first hour of my afternoon shift. Chef Amanda knew that 5 o clock was quickly approaching and needed octopus ready for service. The octopus on the menu was prepped in a stove-top pressure cooker which for weeks had an imperfection on the rubber gasket. Without warning, there was a deafening bang. The lid of the pressure cooker has shot into the stone back splash of the kitchen leaving octopus tentacles scattered all throughout the room! It looked at first glance that Chef Amanda had successfully released the kraken.
When you’re not working, what can we find you doing?
When I am not working you may find me sailing in the Charleston harbor, at the beach, or rollerblading downtown.
