Conrad Istanbul's Kling-up through the traditional route

It is one of several five-star hotels built around the same time in the late 1980s and managed by major international hotel groups. The managers of these hotels insist that competition is good for them; it keeps them on their toes.

Jean Sebastien Kling is one of those managers now and he came in June 2007. He looks too young to be in charge of a large five-star hotel like the Conrad but his experience is long, varied and challenging.

Kling says of his career, "The hospitality [sector] was an early choice, as I always enjoyed the conviviality of this industry, sharing some great moments around a table with friends or clients, or enjoying a good glass of wine and redoing the world at the same time!"

His family owns a vineyard in Alsace in eastern France and he studied for seven years at the hotel school in Strasbourg, eventually obtaining his Master’s Degree. He joined Hilton Hotels in 1996 and started on a fairly traditional career through food and beverage, catering and banquets. But these moves took him to many places starting with Strasbourg and continuing on to Egypt, Brussels, Amsterdam and Finland before coming to Turkey.

"In April 2004, I joined the regional F&B team as Director of Food and Beverage Europe and Africa. This job gave me fantastic exposure. I got to discover and understand many countries and regional markets, and of course work with a lot of interesting people at all levels."

And then in June 2007, Kling came to Istanbul to become the manager of the Istanbul Conrad Hotel.

But it seems that Egypt enjoys a special place. "Thanks to my job, I have been able to travel extensively and work in different countries. All destinations were rich in discovery and encounters, but out of all these assignments there is one that remains particularly close to my heart... Egypt. A full year spent in Sinai, more specifically in Nuweiba, in a Hilton resort located on the Red Sea (Gulf of Aquaba). Nuweiba was at that time, in the late 90’s, still a small Bedouin village, totally isolated from modern urban life. Nuweiba was also the place where I got to meet Sarah, the woman who would become not only my wife but also my travel companion since then." [His wife also works in the hospitality industry and promotes Istanbul as a destination abroad. Turkey is a new journey for her and a new culture that she enjoys a lot.]

Kling said, "Working today in Turkey and Istanbul is another chapter in my career, one which also brings me a great deal of satisfaction and learning opportunities with a great team around me here at the Conrad Istanbul. I got to travel to Turkey when I was previously Director of Food & Beverage for Hilton Europe & Africa between 2004 and 2007. One of my responsibilities was to visit regularly all the hotels of the region and review the F&B Operations performance and assist the local team to overcome the challenges they face.

"Istanbul is a very exciting city to live in as it features all the advantages of a major megalopolis, but also the charm of a unique location, heritage and culture. The life is extremely lively and the sense of hospitality of the Turkish people is amazing."

The Conrad Istanbul
The Conrad has a good reputation for contemporary luxury, style, individuality and outstanding service among business and leisure travelers and when Kling was asked about this, he described what’s behind that reputation.

"Conrad guests enter a modern world of personalized service and business savvy that balances the best of today's high-tech needs with high-touch sensibilities and gracious cultural delivery. We want Conrad Istanbul to be unique, enabling our guests to indulge in the wonder of the culture. Staying at a Conrad should be a great experience."

"Conrad Service Culture is at the core of the brand’s continued success and it is founded on the principle that judgment and integrity are valued above rigid adherence to formal rules. As such, Conrad Istanbul handpicks seasoned hospitality professionals from across the country to deliver consistent, seamless, genuine and personalized service that is complemented by their own individuality. In turn, Conrad provides a working environment in which every team member garners optimum enjoyment and professional fulfillment.

"From the early recruitment stages, we spend time training and empowering our staff to be individuals and give them every opportunity to excel. They can then make the best decisions for themselves and for our guests. At Conrad, the people are at the heart of the brand."

The Conrad Istanbul is part of the Hilton Hotels Family now after a longish separation from the parent company. Conrad Hotels was founded in 1982, with the goal of operating a network of luxury hotels and resorts in the world's major business and tourism capitals and top resort destinations. In November 2000, Hilton Group plc and Hilton Hotels Corporation formed a joint venture company to expand the Conrad brand of luxury hotels on a worldwide basis. With the acquisition of Hilton International by Hilton Hotels Corporation in March 2006, the Conrad brand is now the most global luxury brand within the Hilton Family and has been renamed the Conrad Hotels & Resorts.

Turkey and tourism
Asked how Turkey compared with the tourism and hotel industry in Europe, Kling replied, "In my opinion, Turkey’s hospitality industry would still benefit to grow in terms of quality and service, although the offering and the expansion of new luxury international hotel brands, especially in Istanbul, has greatly contributed to improve the image of the country as a leisure or MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) destination.

"Turkish tourism recovered from its downward spiral and tourist numbers have been rising again over the last few years. This upswing was especially apparent in areas such as Istanbul and Cappadocia I believe, where an influx of tourists was observed. Many of the visitors to Istanbul come for business, conferences or to soak in the culture. We also see more international conferences and conventions coming to our city.

"We had solid results this year and were expecting even more in the coming four to five years, but unfortunately the recent terrorist events in Istanbul and the economic crisis have created a slow down in these moments of uncertainty, as travel restrictions have been issued by many of our key corporate companies and feeder markets. We need to be cautious for the moment."

Given Kling’s extensive and varied experiences, it is not surprising that he is prepared to speak out on the problems and shortcomings of the Turkish tourism industry and on what should be done for further improvement.

"The most recent tourism policy document stresses principles of sustainability and sets, as a priority, the preservation of cultural heritage, which in my eyes is one of the key assets of the country Ğ of course this also applies to Istanbul," Kling said. "While recognizing the value of Turkey’s core product such as sun, sea and sand tourism, I believe that the country’s tourism industry should also have an emphasis on diversification of product including sports or health spas for example. It is fair to say that as far as Istanbul is concerned, the Convention Bureau has already positioned the city as an international congress destination. Much more business can be expected in this field in the medium and long term.

"Last but not least, a major problem associated with tourism in Turkey has been rapid and unplanned development Ğ the emphasis being on increasing capacity to accommodate ever-growing numbers of tourists. This trend has been abandoned in the meantime and the focus is now on quality rather than quantity, with an emphasis on environmental sustainability.

"With the introduction of new international brands such as Hilton Garden Inn for example, the country’s offering will gain in consistency and awareness, which will without any doubts create more appeal for the travelers to the main Turkish cities, but even more importantly for all the secondary cities, which need this type of demand."

Istanbul and Kling
Kling said his favorite vacation destination in Turkey to date is Cappadocia and its unique scenery, amazing heritage and the genuine sense of hospitality of its people. But his favorite city in Turkey is without any doubt Istanbul, because of its scale, energy, cosmopolitan style and especially due to the fact that it is such a contrasted city from a cultural, historical and geographical point of view.

On whether Istanbul is recognized well enough in terms of tourism, Kling said, "I believe that because Istanbul has such a diverse offer, the aim should to create various concepts when promoting it and aim at targeting all the key feeder markets and market segments to ensure a smooth influx of travelers to the city, 12 months a year. In my opinion, advertising and promotion of the city should be targeted. Istanbul should focus on overseas promotion, aiming to highlight the country's tourism potential at the international level and to emphasize the tourism facilities available.

"Istanbul 2010 will definitely be a highlight for next year. We are preparing ourselves to promote the hotel and its services with a view to compliment all the cultural activities that the city will create."

Kling lives in the Conrad Istanbul and finds it extremely convenient but it allows him to be as visible as possible and he is close by in case of an emergency. He also get out and enjoys many places in Istanbul like a terrace in Ortaköy or a trendy place on the Bosphorus.

Travel has always been one of Kling’s passions, as has discovering new territories and meeting different cultures. This always gives him inspiration to explore further and is inevitably one of the reasons he was so attracted by the hospitability industry. "While traveling I would always dedicate myself to two passions: photography and scuba diving. I also playing squash and tennis and of course Alpine ski if my favorite hobby during the winter time, having had the chance to learn and enjoy skiing since I was 6 years old." Now that we know more about Jean Sebastien Kling, it’s easy for us to believe he wholeheartedly embraced the idea of having a purple Christmas tree in the Conrad Istanbul lobby. What do you think he will do next?