Inspired from ancient history

For many years a large building stood on the shores of the Bosphorus just north of the Besiktas ferry landing. It was basically a burnt-out ruin, only its blackened, outer marble walls remained. The Çırağan Palace seemed to be unlucky. Each attempt to find a company and enough money to rebuild it ended in failure. Then a Japanese company, in conjunction with Yuksel Insaat, came up with a feasible palace restoration plan that included the construction of a matching hotel.

It was 1987 when the Turkish government accepted the plan and shortly after, Kempinski Hotels were awarded the management contract. Today ıstanbul offers one of the best five-star hotels in the world, the Çırağan Palace Kempinski ıstanbul, next to the restored Çırağan Palace.For those who have visited or stayed at the Çırağan, it is an amazing experience. This sentiment was echoed by the recently appointed manager Andrea Mugge in an interview with the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review.

“For me, every day is still special and unique,” says Mugge. “Walking through this wonderful, historical palace that once housed Ottoman sultans, and around this great hotel, gives me enthusiasm for and pride in my work and myself. The history around this palace is amazing … I walk through the historical gallery, listening to songs composed by the Sultans themselves, or go to the hamam that has remained the same for almost 150 years.

“It is very impressive … I am looking forward to learning more and more about the incredibly rich history and culture of ıstanbul and of Turkey.”

Enthusiastic, attractive and vivacious are three adjectives that can be used to describe Mugge. She clearly enjoys her job which is not surprising given she grew up in the hotel business.

“My grandparents had a restaurant in my hometown of Lueneburg, near Hamburg,” she said. “I knew very early on that the hotel business would be my life. My career started with a classic apprenticeship, I mean classic in every sense of the word, at the InterContinental in Hanover, Germany. After gaining more experience, I was transferred to London where I increased my knowledge in housekeeping. With the years, my career developed and I became experienced in every department. With the Kempinski group, I have spent time in Dubai, Jordan and Bulgaria before I received my new assignment, as the hotel manager of the Çırağan Palace Kempinski.”

A normal day for Mugge presents challenges as unforeseen events occur. “In the hotel business, flexibility is the most important motto at all times. I enjoy that aspect very much. Despite all planning, a lot of unforeseen and interesting things can happen. Each day is a new challenge with new opportunities and new tasks. My morning starts with a short update on the previous night and a check of the figures, followed by an operation meeting. I walk from the roof to the basement at least once a day, meeting guests and colleagues, hosting sales calls and attending social events.”

Mugge says despite the current global economic crisis, the Çırağan is fairing well. “Being the only Ottoman imperial palace hotel in Turkey and a landmark Kempinski hotel, we are still able to deliver the budgeted figures. We are being proactive in minimizing the effect of the worldwide economic crisis, if it ever hits Turkey.”

The best part of the jobMugge says meeting guests is the best part of her job. “The team has created such loyalty in our guests, they keep coming back for years and we do feel like one big family here … I also enjoy working closely with all of our team members in the different departments; seeing them each day and sharing their daily news … definitely seeing the Bosphorus every morning gives me motivation. Traffic can be a challenge, however, even that does not damage the charm of the city.”

Mugge is happy to have a highly motivated team who possess creativity and innovation. She also meets a lot of people giving her the opportunity to learn new things everyday. The only thing that can make Mugge angry is when things are not well prepared or well organized.She describes one of the most exciting parts of her profession as meeting so many guests from different countries and cultures. “I believe that meeting all these guests is a gift. Every conversation brings you new insights, inspiration and ideas. It is wonderful to have this opportunity.”

Working in the hotel business and being transferred to different locations can leave a manager without time to pursue sports or hobbies. Mugge has avoided this by taking up golf, as she believes it is an ideal sport in which to relax while socializing at the same time. “With this sport it is possible to combine business with leisure.”

Future plansAs to her feelings toward ıstanbul, Mugge says, “Istanbul is one of the most impressive cities I have ever lived in. For me, it is a wonderful, cosmopolitan and multi-cultural metropolis that has a lot to offer, be it culture or history, modern architecture or its perfect location on the ‘Golden Horn.’ I am very impressed by the friendliness and openness of the people. Having come to ıstanbul for the first time in 1989, I now see many changes and I am looking forward to discovering all the famous areas of ıstanbul, not to mention the great Turkish cuisine with its variety of fish, meat and vegetables.”

It is difficult to see how Mugge will be able to leave the hotel to explore ıstanbul, given all the new programs and events happening from now until the end of the year.

“Actually, there are a lot of exciting things going on at the hotel at the moment, we have many new ‘babies,’” said the Çırağan manager. “Like the Maybach 62, the most sophisticated sedan in the business, is now available for airport transfers and rental for the first time in Turkey. We are very proud to have the sedan to serve our hotel guests and Istanbulites who rent it for special days or transfers. In a year, only 150 Maybach 62’s are produced and we have one at our front gate. It is all hand-made inside and features the latest innovations in safety, comfort and technology.

“In the area of food and drink, there is no need to say that an exciting festive season is approaching, with Bayram, Christmas and New Year all in one month. Starting Nov. 30, we will have a special Advent brunch every Sunday and we did not forget the kids; we have cheerful programs that we think kids will love.

For Christmas and New Year we have exquisite lunches and dinners. In the meantime I strongly suggest İstanbulites come and taste the delicious Aegean mezzes we started serving at the Laledan a fortnight ago. Eighty percent of the ingredients are brought from the Ayvalık region daily, 40 types of delicious mezzes are served every night, with 15 types of fish and 22 types of rakı, just the way you would have them in an Aegean town.

The Çırağan Bar has started hosting a very exciting jazz trio on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights that İstanbulites know very well; Sibel Kose, Sarp Maden and Kagan Yildiz.”

One can see that Andrea Mugge is making the most of her time and her abilities. Although the Çırağan Palace Kempinski ıstanbul already had an excellent and dedicated staff, she will surely add to the hotel during her stay.