Technology is so ever changing that as soon as we start to become comfortable with it, a new version or more advanced product enters the market and we have to adjust and re-educate ourselves. This reality affects all hotel departments and seeing how the concierge is in the front line of the action, we have to deal with this on a daily basis and be able to react instantaneously. The mutation of this affects directly the role of a concierge and his or her relationship with his or her guests. READ MORE

Contact through social media accelerates conversation and offers more connection opportunities between the concierge and his guest, but also complicates the relationship with an overflow of information coming from online reviews. The role of the concierge, whose was until recently to be the sole source of information for travelers, is rapidly changing to skimming and sorting all of the available information for the guest. With more than half of the North American population active on social media, our guests are opening their lives to us through Facebook, Twitter and FourSquare. From a concierge greeting a guest who just virtually checked-in at the hotel through FourSquare, to assistance through tweets, the principles of good service that apply in person are transferable to social media. READ MORE

Simon Bajouk, concierge at the Ritz-Carlton Montreal, which re-opened this past spring after a multi-year, multi-million dollar renovation, likes to employ a very personalized approach to guest service in order to ensure that guests check in again and again. By breaking his guest service methodology into six categories - Experience Customization, Gift Giving, Character Judgment, Empathy, Leadership and Professional Presentation - he explains how to take the guest experience to the next level. READ MORE

Going back a few centuries to the time of castles in France, the concierge was the individual who held the keys to the castle rooms and looked after the needs of visiting royalty. Henceforth the correct meaning of the title; "The Keeper of the Keys." READ MORE

In today's competitive business environment, concierge services are popping up everywhere-from automobile dealerships and car rental companies to physicians, hospitals and banks-all promising the value-added services that hotels have created and nurtured for so long. Yet, at the same time, there has been a trend toward outsourcing this service within the hospitality industry, particularly in markets like Hawaii and New York. Has the concierge department become dispensable? In this column, Sam Wilhelm, chef concierge, Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, provides insight into what his department has been doing to make its 22-member team a priceless and indispensable service for the Resort's discriminating guests and for management too. READ MORE

That unflappable, multi-tasking concierge in your hotel lobby, who grants guests' wishes like a genie, can actually boast of belonging to one of the world's oldest professions. And the history of the concierge reads like the history of civilization itself; beginning as a helper along ancient trade routes, to the keeper of the candles in grand European castles, to the modern-day concierge with a smart phone full of contacts around the globe. And through the centuries, the goal has always been the same: To assist and comfort travelers and lodgers. READ MORE

This article is addressed to Hotel Executives in the process of hiring a concierge. It contains inside characteristics that will help the recruiter at finding the right candidate. Most of them are personality traits, since the essence of the concierge performance is highly personal: establishing powerful relationships with guests, coworkers and vendors. The concierge mindset directly impacts the hotel's overall objective to offer memorable experiences through personal service. READ MORE

The key for the current concierge is to beat tech-savvy users at their own game. Concierges need to engage their arriving guests early in the process through the channels they are using, remain engaged through the stay and prime guests for the next stay by continuing to engage after departure. READ MORE

The luxury travel market has remarkably transformed in recent years. One of the world's leaders in research for consumer regions throughout the world, Euromonitor has spelled out some of the stark changes. Emerging markets are growing faster than advanced markets to drive worldwide growth of the luxury segment. While traditional travel destinations (Italy, France and the U.K.) are still the most popular, Gulf countries and China are growing fastest. Today's luxury traveler considers the entire globe to be a potential destination; whereas past generations may not have looked past Western Europe. READ MORE

It is interesting to observe how the role of the concierge has evolved over the centuries. Particularly in Europe, concierge means "keeper of the keys," referring to someone who was the caretaker of a small inn, usually living on the premises. Over time, the role of the concierge transitioned into the hotel employee whose occupation is to assist guests with special requests, anything from directions, to dinner reservations, airport transfers and tickets to concerts among other things. READ MORE

While travelers dream of white sand beaches and warm locales during the cold winter months, you may be surprised at how many from around the world make the trek to New York City. More at the end of the year, in fact, than any other time: September through December is the busiest travel season for the world's most visited city. People seek out Santa at Macy's, the famed Rockefeller Center tree, and designer holiday shopping, but what many guests to New York don't realize is how much there is to do aside from the "typical tourist" activities, and especially the best way to navigate the city when millions of visitors take on the streets. READ MORE

In the hospitality industry, we strive to build relationships with our guests. In the concierge profession, many of these relationships are often life-long and fulfilling relationships. Many of us have participated in life transforming events for these guests. Whether planning surprise engagements, assisting with wedding and honeymoon plans, or finding the right schools and colleges for their children, every aspect of our service can be a pivotal moment or an emotional shift in winning a guest for life. Many concierges have been in the industry so long that they have actually watched their guests' children grow up. This is because top concierges are committed for life. READ MORE

Probably not many know this but the Concierge society in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark) has a long and glorious history. In Sweden the Swedish Hall porters Association (SHPF) dates back to 1926 and were for many years also a national union for their members. SHPF were counting more than 200 members in the 60's and 70's. The association was at that time also an important member of UICH Les Clefs d'Or. READ MORE

With the proliferation of social media and electronic guest requests, the role of concierge is increasingly moving online. Therefore, it is vital to merge the duties of your concierge and social media teams so that answers to digital queries are as beneficial as possible and presented in a timely manner. This transitional phase will effectively see the end of the dedicated social media manager and concierge job descriptions with a convergence of the two in the form of guest relationship managers. READ MORE

The role of the concierge has evolved over the years, from lighting candles in Medieval days to the present day part-magician who makes the impossible possible for guests in luxury properties. But in our current world of high speed, high tech, will the position survive? Philip Barnes, General Manager of The Fairmont Pacific Rim & Regional Vice President, Pacific Northwest for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts talks about the concierge and how he sees it in the hotel operation of today. READ MORE