Originally Posted by
Peterpack
You watch shows like Hotel Babylon and you see the insane demands that guests make on the concierge and hotel staff.
Do you ever test the concierge to see what they can do ?
Is this level of service a myth ? or only for the most special of guests in the most expensive rooms ?
E.g. when ordering in room dining, i never got the impression that the kitchen was willing to make me anything totally off the menu. I didn't ask outright, but hinted there were things i would have prefered to eat.
Part of the job of a really good concierge is not merely finding things for you to do and acquiring tickets or reservations, but rather to help you plan those things out in a meaningful way.
I'm most impressed by a concierge that, when I suggest five or six things I'd like to do and four or five restaurants or cuisines I want to try, puts together an itinerary for me that makes sense. I don't want a lunch for Italian food at 230pm followed by that trendy sushi place no one can get into at 545pm because 'that's all they had.' I don't want the sold out tickets to [insert attraction or show here] if it's 45 minutes from the hotel and the restaurant you suggest is in the other direction. A good concierge will, with, minimal guidance, provide things to do that are convenient and flow together in a logical way. I've been amazed at the lack of logic that some people on the job show.
On a related subject, what does one tip a concierge? I was recently at a nice US hotel, and only needed him to make me three fairly easy dinner reservations. What would something like this warrant in your mind?