In the opinion of the well-traveled readers of this forum, which hotel in London has the best Concierge? Your personal experiences would be appreciated as we will be reserving soon for Christmas week. I am specifically interested in those deft individuals who can get reservations to fully booked restaurants (FIFTEEN) and sold-out shows. Many thanks.
I often wonder if this whole bit about the concierge being your best friend is total B.S. Sure, we've all read stories in magazines about a concierge loaning a guest their shoes or arranging to have an elephant transported from Bangkok to Dehli, but I have never gotten much useful out of any concierge in any hotel I have ever stayed at, including luxury hotels.
For enough money, anyone can get into any sold out show. OK, maybe a restaurant reservation, but that just needs some advance planning -- if it's that big a deal, how often do you do it last minute?
I think this whole concierge deal is totally overrated and would not choose a hotel using that as even one of the minor criteria -- let the flames begin!
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by RichardInSF:
I think this whole concierge deal is totally overrated and would not choose a hotel using that as even one of the minor criteria -- let the flames begin!</font>
I generally agree. The only place I choose based on them is the FS in Las Vegas because it is the only non-high roller concierge that can get you VIP access to the nightclubs.
Grumbler, thanks for the One Aldwych recommendation. I checked the hotel's website and the property looks interesting and well-located.
RichardINSF, why don't you tell us how you really feel. Seriously, while I'm interested in neither elephant transport nor a new best friend, I would like to dine at Jamie Oliver's new FIFTEEN restaurant, and it is booked through 2003 (yes, I do advance planning). Concierge service is just one of several important criteria I use to evaluate hotels.
How valid an indicator is membership in Les Clefs d'Or?
At some hotels I see some people at the desk who give the impression that they might have the title without the background (and I'm trying not to be reverse-ageist - a few years ago a quite young concierge in an Italian hotel got me two tickets to an "imposible" opera opening night).
[This message has been edited by Non-NonRev (edited 10-23-2003).]
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No personal experience with the concierge staff at Claridge's, but I am told that they provide a high level of service. Friends who have stayed there have asked them for some fairly "impossible" tasks, even by luxury hotel standards. The staff did not disappoint.
A fair bit of warning, though. Even the most connected concierge in the city will have trouble getting you into fifteen. The restaurant works on pretty egalitarian principles and keeps fairly strictly to their policy of first come first serve with regard to reservations. I use Quintessentially as a concierge service in London and fifteen had absolutely no interest in setting up a relationship with them in order to provide their fairly well heeled clients with reservations. I have had friends try through the concierge at the Savoy and the Berkeley, also to no avail.
And now a personal opinion. Don't waste your time. I had never waited for a table anywhere else in the world for as long (two months) as I waited for a table at fifteen. I have also never been to a restaurant that was so over-hyped. The bar upstairs is nice and is said to serve a great breakfast or light lunch. The restaurant downstairs is a farce. Overpriced. The service is lackluster and the staff is definitely under-trained and amateur. From the second series of Jamie's Kitchen (it was on here in the UK recently), it seems like I'm not the only one with these complaints.
I think Jamie Oliver is doing a great thing with regard to training unemployed teenagers and giving the profits to charity. But I'd rather just be asked to write a check to charity than trek all the way to Islington and be over-charged for a meal I could easily get at any "hip" restaurant in town.
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Four Seasons over looking Hyde Park. Nigel is totally awesome! He makes sure everything goes as requested...simply brilliant at his job. I like the Dorchester as a hotel better but you cant beat the staff at the Four Seasons!
There is some truth to the notion that concierge service is overrated, particularly in a city like London, where there are a lot of very good hotels with a demanding clientele. On the other hand, I have found that in some cities, good concierges can really enhance the experience - one example (apart from the One Aldwych recommendation) is the Park Hyatt Tokyo, where the service and the perceived "clout" of the hotel do seem to help you get to where you want to go.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by coplatua1k: Four Seasons over looking Hyde Park. Nigel is totally awesome! He makes sure everything goes as requested...simply brilliant at his job. I like the Dorchester as a hotel better but you cant beat the staff at the Four Seasons!</font>
I second this. I have stayed at this hotel something more than 40 times since 1995 (am headed there again the end of November), and they have always made me feel extraordiarily at home, which built strong loyalty on my part. And Nigel has managed a couple of "miracles" for me - most recently last year when my wife was with me, and and she had her heart set on seeing the Madonna play (a hard ticket in a small house with only a 30 day run). To make it more difficult, we only decided that morning to see if we could get seats and change our flight home until the next day. After several hours of trying all the agents and brokers, Nigel managed this through "a friend of a friend", changed our flights based upon his success, and called my cellphone to let me know it was all done.
On another occasion, he has also arranged to have the house engineer glue the heel back on my shoe upon my early am arrival, after it fell off on the stairs of the SFO 1st Class lounge while en route to my flight to LHR, allowing me to head to my first meeting (before the shops opened) without limping. These things he does do make a difference.
[This message has been edited by Marin 1K (edited 10-23-2003).]
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I think the best Concierge award in London can be split between:
Corrado, Head Concierge, One Aldwych
Alan, Asst Head Concierge, One Aldwych
Corrado got me into Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road with 2 weeks notice; into Nobu, Saturday night, 7:00pm with 2 weeks notice, and The Ivy on a Friday night, party of 6 with one month notice. Got Lion King tickets, central seats in the stalls, two days notice for 10% more than Box Office price even when Box Office saying show sold out.
Just my 2 pence worth. . . .
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by grumbler: There is some truth to the notion that concierge service is overrated, particularly in a city like London, where there are a lot of very good hotels with a demanding clientele. On the other hand, I have found that in some cities, good concierges can really enhance the experience - one example (apart from the One Aldwych recommendation) is the Park Hyatt Tokyo, where the service and the perceived "clout" of the hotel do seem to help you get to where you want to go. </font>
Just out of curiosity, what sort of things are you asking the folks at the PHT to get? I'm curious because I stay there a lot and have hardly ever asked them to get anything. Maybe I should be!
Incieentally, do you tip for these services at the PHT? I wouldn't think they'd take a tip.
