On our Fabian Cares page, you can get to know the Fabians! We tell you about the good deeds in our day-to-day life that bring us joy, and how you can help together with various charities. We share our tips for doing things in Helsinki as well!

MEET OUR STAFF: Duty Manager Jan

Who are you and what do you do on a daily basis?

I am Jan Backlund, and I am the long-term shift manager at Hotel Fabian. I started in the industry working the night shift, which I did for nine years. I have worked helpful shifts in all Kämp Collection Hotels and in addition to reception work I have worked in restaurants and catering. Many things have been tried!

I have enjoyed working at Hotel Fabian and it is great to come to work every day! Morning always begins with coffee. My working day includes everything from ordering goods, scheduling and onboarding new employees. I like solving problems as well. Hotel Fabian is like a second home for me and a job in the right balance with everyday life.

What do you recommend to do in Helsinki?

If our guests ask for tips, I will of course begin by exploring what they are interested in. Helsinki has a lot to offer! Concerning sights, I often get to guide guests to the Temple Square Church. Many people are interested in art exhibitions and it's nice to be able to recommend options from our wide selection of museums and art exhibitions in the area. For example, the Design Museum is located really close to our hotel.

I am an outdoors person, so it is easy to recommend nature destinations. You can take a walk in Seurasaari or cycle around the coast of Helsinki. Cafe Regatta is a great place to go for a coffee in the summer. As a day trip destination, Porvoo or Nuuksio are of course excellent, if you plan to go a little further In Helsinki, Uutela and Aurinkolahti provide beautiful scenery within a metro ride from the city centre.

What kind of things make you feel good?

Last year we were contacted by the Vesala school. They were looking for a partner for their work based learning traineeships. We began to experiment and this collaboration and guiding young people has become an important part of my own work. The young people have been very brisk and have been able to get acquainted with various tasks, from cleaning to reception work. We have been able to provide them with the opportunity to practice their transition into working life.

In particular, it warms our hearts that our reputation has clearly spread in the school and that a lot of young people want to come to work practice just with us. Of course, we hope that young people will get enthusiastic about the industry and perhaps one day come to work permanently for us, for example, at Hotel Fabian.

What is the best thing about working at Fabian?

There are two factors to be mentioned here: firstly, the working community. We have a very good atmosphere in the hotel and this is reflected in our guests. Our different departments work together better than ever and we help each other across department boundaries. For example, cleaners are familiar colleagues to all of us, even if they represent another company.

And this good team spirit is significantly related to the other thing, our product: hotel service. All of us have invested in this product and it is of high quality in many ways. Due to the framework, we have the opportunity to create a very successful visit for our guests. Hotel Fabian is ovet 10 years old, but our rooms still appeal to travellers and our personal service makes them come back again.

Tell us about your most memorable joyful encounter with a hotel guest!

We have seen and experienced all sorts of things! Personally, as I like solving problems, I think of a time when our breakfast room was full of guests and suddenly there was a power outage. I jumped into the role of the master of ceremonies without thinking about it, and we set the candles on the tables.

And one time, one guest had accidentally arrived at the wrong hotel and I directed them to the right one. Later that day, I was informed that the meeting place of this guest the next day had suddenly changed, and I reported this to the other hotel. The guest was really impressed and came to the place to thank for having received such a good service from a hotel they had not even end up staying! This is exactly what I mean by the fact that we at Hotel Fabian have the time and will to take care of everything.

What was your #GoodDeedOfTheDay today?

An older gentleman was very pleased when I went to get him up the bed this morning. He had fallen on a slippery slope, even though he was wearing ice spikes. I guess that counts as a good deed for the day!

Jan Backlund
Duty Manager
Hotel Fabian

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