Julie von Sperling

Guest Relations Manager, Nimb Copenhagen

Meet Julie von Sperling, and learn all about what a 'Guest Relations Manager' is up to?

photo Åse Helena Hansen

Nimb is our favorite boutique hotel in Copenhagen- or rather, our favorite hotel in Denmark. An exclusive hotel, which ought to set the standard for other modern hotels in the country.
In thirteen uniquely decorated rooms, all with a view of the Tivoli Gardens you are staying in stylish luxury - antiques, open fireplaces, Bang & Olufsen flatscreens and big beautiful bathrooms.
Best of all, and quite unusual for Denmark in general, is the service level thorughout the house of Nimb. All staff members are highly educated and love what they do. You feel that energy when you are there, whether you are staying at the hotel, or just stopping by for a drink.

We have met with Julie von Sperling - Nimb's Guest Relations Manager, to see what she is up to.

Julie is 32 and lives in Copenhagen. She has been with Nimb since June 2009.

- What skills does your job require?
I cover a lot of different areas; anything from small surprises left in the rooms, to big events and marketing. So I'd say a good sense of the big picture, creativity and to be extremely service minded, by having a good sense of the wishes of our guests.

- At what point in your life did you know this was for you?
Well I didn't plan to get to where I am at today. It is a natural development of my former experiences. There was no doubt in my mind when the General Manager of Nimb offered me this position. Multi tasking motivates me, so this is the perfect job for someone like me.

- Where did you train and for how long?
I started off  studying architecture and received a BA, before I decided to explore the hotel/restaurant business. A field that has always attracted me for some reason. So I got into service- and economics at the Hotel-and Restaurant School of Copenhagen. After that, one year at Oxford Brookes University, for their´Hospitality´classes. I was then offered a management trainee postition at the 'Four Seasons' in Washington, D.C. in the USA, where I learned the 'hard way' for one and a half years- a great place to train. When my visa expired, I was transferred to the Four Seasons 'George V' in Paris.
Then off to London.
The company, A Curious Group of Hotels, is a small privately owned chain with three hotels in Europe and a Private Members Club in Oxford (like SOHO House in London and New York). My training consists of experiences, gathered from a lot of places and situations, so in that sense I guess you can say- it's a never-ending learning process.

-How many languages do you speak?
Needless to say, the majority of our guests are from abroad whether they are guests at the hotel, visiting the restaurants or participants of an event - so it's a definite plus to know more than Danish. I also speak English, French and German.

- What brought you back to Denmark?
A natural desire to be close to my family and friends again; I think it's called safety... I guess a natural reaction to having been away for five years experiencing an exciting different world. Besides a need for feeling safe, I think I just needed to try out my new skills in Denmark...at least for a while- you never know what may happen in the future.

- How does working abroad compare to working in Denmark?
It is difficult to generalize, because all countries are so different. All hotels even just within Denmark, have each their way of conducting business. But always, at the companies where I have worked, the international approach has been the main focus point, and to welcome the needs of each visiting culture in a special and understanding way. Outside of Denmark things are 'bigger' and 'more', but Denmark is slowly catching on to that, thanks to all of the attention we've been paid from abroad, over the past few years.

- How did Nimb find you?
I found Nimb! When I had made my decision to go back to Denmark, I knew I wanted to work within the boutique hotel genre, and in a place where quality and service were top priorities. It had to be a company, where I would have the opportunity of being involved in the daily running of the place. Nimb was an obvoius choice; small with high quality standards and a unique charisma that really appealed to me.

- Are you involved in the strategi of the house?
I am part of a small leader-group, where we discuss and consider new ways; so yes, I am involved when it comes to 'my' areas. I also work with the Tivoli H.R. and communications depts. Nimb is owned by Tivoli A/S.

- Your job must require that you stay up to date- How often do you travel and where to?
Every two months I go on a trip. It can be trips to anywhere from Stockholm to New York City. These two places in particular are places, where innovative thinking takes place non stop- with open minds to all new and different. I also read a lot of international magazines and news papers to stay alert to trends around the world.

- Do you work on your own, or mostly in teams?
I mostly work on my own, but of course I constantly interact with the various depts.- when planning an event - the kitchen staff, the florist, the bartenders etc.

- Is there a connection between service and knowledge?
Yes, definitely! You learn to 'read' the customer's needs and their culture. Some guests have much higher expectations than others. Danish guests expect less, in general. You need to be able to figure out when and what in a split second, in order to be at your best and exceed their expectations every time.

- How many hours do you work in a week?
My job and many of the positions within this genre is a lifestyle. It is hard to say. You need to be passionate about your job, because it requires so much from you. You have to be willing to give that. I'd say 60-70 hours a week, during a big event, but then I take some time off, when we're less busy- so it all works out in the end.

- Who gets the ideas for all these internationally flavoured offers, available to your guests?
We all do- every time one of us returns from a trip, we bring back new ideas. We note everything in a little 'idea' book, we carry with us at all times. Everyone at Nimb is specialized in their field, and many of the staff members have lived and worked abroad. We aim to surprise our guests, and we usually succeed in doing so.

- What is the most exciting/unusual you have arranged for a guest?
Nimb is able to create all sorts of moods, espcially the romantic kind. We had a guest wanting to surprise his girlfriend by proposing to her. We litterally filled their room with roses and petals, for when they got back from Herman- our Michelin restaurant. Before they went to the room, I had arranged a trip for them in the Tivoli Garden ferris-wheel, during which he decided to 'pop the question'. Luckily she said YES, and when they returned from there, we were all greeting them with champagne on the terrace. . .

 - How do you go about arranging a violinist or a personal shopper for a guest?
If a guest would like to have a personal shopper, we find out what kind of things they like, they may have special wishes, their preference of style, how curious they are- and from that, we make a plan. If guests would like to have a violinist play in their room, we are fortunate to have connections to the many talented musicians performing at the Tivoli Gardens.

- In your job you always have to be 'on' 100%- Do you find that difficult?
As earlier mentioned- for this job you need to 'live it'. When you radiate a lot of energy, you get a lot of positive energy in return. That motivates me, and is something I try to live by. When your job and your personality connect, it all comes very naturally, and so to me, it is never a problem. Of course at times you feel less up to it, than at other times, but then I recharge from a long run, or sometimes with a glass of wine at the end of a long day.

- Your job must require diplomatic skills, in order to deal with the various needs of the guests?
I grew up in a family of four children, so my diplomatic skills I learned at home. My years in the business have taught me to handle difficult or stressful situations with a smile and a high level of energy.

foto Trappe - Nimb's website