Turkish Delight- Ritz-Carlton Style

By Dana C. McPherson, MCC PLSI

As a child I read a lot. One of my favorites was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis. At the beginning, the Queen of Narnia tempts Edmund with Turkish Delight. I had never heard of Turkish Delight but it sounded divine. Edmund eventually betrayed his family and sold his soul for Turkish Delight. Years later in Istanbul I had my first taste of the fabled Turkish Delight. Nice, a little chewy, reminding me of bubble gum; hardly worth selling your family or soul out for this confection.

Recently, at the Ritz-Carlton in Istanbul, that changed. Disembarking after a Black Sea cruise on Oceania with fifty other luxury travel agents we were training, we had a 20-minute ride to go the pittance of half a mile to get there. Reaching the Ritz-Carlton, various porters and doormen greeted us by name, a sure tonic for the ride. Once in the massive marble lobby, Mr. Brown checked us in while I explored. I was taken with the amazing views of the Bosphorus and Asia across the water. A small table in the lobby held several elegant jars with copper lids stuffed with Turkish Delight. Immediately I reached in with tongs taking a small rose colored candy, about the size of a dice, and plopped it into my mouth. 

From that moment I wanted more and understood Edmund selling out his family for Turkish Delight.  Unlike any confection I had ever experienced, it was supple and delicate with lingering flavors dancing on the tongue for hours (if you waited that long to try another flavor).  After eating 3 or 4 pieces, we finally went to our suite.

A charming lady escorted us to our room.  She opened the door and we stepped into 2,600 gorgeous, amazing, square feet (View the Suite).  We stay at the Ritz-Carlton 25-30 nights each year when joining a cruise to conduct our seminars or attending trade shows.  The office overlooked Europe, the talking Jacuzzi tub had Bosphorus and European views, the dining room gazed at Asia, the living room and bedroom had Bosphorus views too.  In Istanbul we’ve stayed at many luxury properties but this was breathtaking.  I expected staff to pop out asking if we needed anything and they did.

The dining room sat 10, encouraging us to invite guests. We invited the cruise director from the Oceania Nautica, Dottie Kulasa, and her husband, comedian extraordinaire, Tom Drake. Their ship was overnighting and they said they would be delighted to put on the Ritz. 

Shopping all day at the Grand Bazaar we returned to the Ritz-Carlton Club for champagne. One glass led to two and two to… well anyway, Dottie and Tom arrived and were announced by the charming ladies of the Club. We enjoyed some delicious Meze (appetizers) in the Club and caught up. 

Martin Kleinmann, the GM was in the Club greeting guests and made our guests feel at home. We proceeded upstairs to our suite and gave them a tour of our palace. The chef of the hotel was there to personally greet our guests and ask what they would like for dinner. We told him to decide and proceeded to enjoy the view and have some lovely California chardonnay. The coffee table was overflowing with an amazing display of various flavors of Turkish Delight. Dottie and Tom tried several pieces and were hooked. There is something about being at a Ritz-Carlton overlooking four Sultan’s palaces and enjoying the view from your own, however temporary. The Food and Beverage manager personally supervised the dinner which was beyond words. I am not certain how many bottles of wine were served but all the guests were definitely enjoying the experience. Dottie and Tom left and returned back to the ship and sailed away the next afternoon. This memory will be with all of us for a lifetime. 

At the spa the next afternoon, The Laveda, our experience was equally rewarding and relaxing. The Turkish bath or hamam was a religious experience at the Ritz-Carlton but that is another story.

The moral to this story is that this is what you can do for your clients. When booking a cruise, please do them the favor of booking them a pre and post hotel so they may further enjoy their adventure. Most clients are loyal to one or two hotel brands. Platinum Seminars enjoys the Ritz-Carlton worldwide and the perks that go with that. Once your clients stay with a luxury brand with frequency, they are recognized and rewarded. Make sure they are using all the benefits of the credit cards they carry. AMEX offers many benefits for Centurion and Platinum members. I am told Visa and Master Card offer similar benefits to their high end clients.

Stay with a brand that is loyal to your clients and to travel agents in return. You should also be experiencing luxury properties first-hand so you can more confidently recommend the properties. Your client’s memories of their trip are priceless and you as their agent are in position to continue making those special memories for a lifetime.

I still have some Turkish Delight in the fridge and it is calling me, beckoning me to sit in a quiet place and savor a memory that was 40 years in the making. After it warms to room temperature, I will take the journey to Narnia and see what other adventures and mischief I may find.

Just as Turkish Delight takes seven years for an apprentice to master making it, an agent should learn about luxury every day and make it a part of their life. Turkish Delight is only made from a few simple ingredients; sugar, cornstarch, cream of tartar and flavoring. A luxury experience contains simple ingredients as well; exceptional service, outstanding location/property, unique amenities and a reputation to deliver all of these on a consistent basis.

I look forward to seeing you in Narnia or onboard one of our cruise seminars.  The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul would be a wonderful place for you to stay when you attend ASTA’s International Destination Expo in Istanbul next year.  Experience it, Sell it!

Platinum Seminars trains over 2500 travel agents how to sell luxury on over 250 sail dates a year.  The training is traditionally conducted onboard the cruise lines.  Experience a Platinum Seminar and see how you can make your clients memories Platinum.     www.platinumseminars.com