Technology’s Role in Reinventing the Concierge, Not Replacing It

I was a concierge many, many moons ago in Beverly Hills. Most people know the hotel—it was the *Pretty Woman* hotel (the Beverly Wilshire)—and after a year on the front desk, I was able to move to concierge, which I loved.

I enjoyed the autonomy, but I also enjoyed the chance to go above and beyond and help resolve any challenge a guest might have, which is usually: ‘I’m new to this place. I need this, I need to go here, I need some ideas of where to go.’

Being able to step in and be helpful is lovely and gives you much more engagement with the guest. On the front desk, it’s checking in, checking out, and if they come to see you in between, it's usually because they have a concern or a complaint. People are always happy to see the concierge because they usually want something.

Around 20 years ago, I moved into concierge technology, where one of the ongoing concerns is that you are seeking to replace the role, when really you are looking to provide a tool to do it better. You need to have all the information at your hands and be able to convey it quickly to the guest, but it doesn't negate the need for that relationship. Sometimes our guests want to talk to us about very personal matters, above and beyond just making a dinner reservation.

When I first started deploying concierge technology, I went to a hotel in New York, and the concierge there was a lovely gentleman, a member of Les Clefs d’Or. I remember him saying, ‘I can see how that could be useful, but I'm never going to use it,’ and his GM laughed and patted him on the back, saying, ‘Well, you're not really going to have a choice,’ which stressed him out.

I remember staying at his desk until about 10 o'clock at night, just helping him start using it. And I said, ‘I know it's easy to go back to what you're used to, but trust me, I'm here. I'll be your crutch.’

Months later, he came to a trade show, walked up to me, and said, ‘If anybody tells you they can't use concierge technology, have them come see me.’ I've never forgotten that, because this was a person who’d been doing the job forever with his red leather log book and all his cards. Changing that was huge.

The core of being a concierge hasn’t changed: it’s about being someone who cares. I remember when the chief concierge of the InterContinental Paris Le Grand retired around 15 years ago. He was such an icon in the city that the hotel threw a huge retirement party for him in their beautiful ballroom. Dignitaries from around the world flew in, celebrating the retirement of a hotel employee, but that was the level of the relationships he had with people.

Every day there's something different, and that's one of the exciting things about being a concierge. Not everybody can be a concierge. You have to have a passion for where you are, want to show off your city, and be someone who anticipates. You cannot be reactionary. A good concierge is like a really, really good house manager; always anticipating. You're always one step ahead of the guests, knowing what they may want or need before they do.

The challenge in the sector now is AI; everyone is terrified that it is going to take their jobs. But if used correctly, it can be a partner. Why does it have to take someone’s energy to be asked what time checkout is multiple times a day? A concierge’s time should be taken up with making the stay extraordinary, which is what the guest demands across the hotel sector, no longer just at the very high end.

A good concierge still has that knowledge base, intuition, and experience to give the guest what they need—you can’t replace that. It’s one of the oldest jobs in hotels, but, with guest engagement at the heart of every business, it’s needed more than ever.