The Concierge department of a hotel is synonymous with the highest, personalized levels of
service and hospitality found in luxury hotels. Those who have this title are professionals who
manage to exceed the expectations of guests to produce unique experiences and emotions.
They provide an organized program of activities to the residents and suggest the options
available according to their needs and desires. They act as their personal assistants and manage
their time properly and according to their preferences. Nothing is impossible, as long as it is
legal and moral, from a romantic dinner at the seaside to a hot-air balloon tour of the city.
The concierges who meet the aforementioned challenges of the profession and are armed with
the suitable skills, presented with the opportunity to take another step in their careers by
joining the elite organization of Les Clefs d’Or.
Les Clefs d’Or is the name of the world concierge association created in 1952 in Paris and has
over 4000 members in 80 countries. The purpose of the association is to provide quality services
through group members around the world.
According to the official website of Les Clefs d'Or International, the organization is "an
international network of men and women with common interests and goals." They are easily
recognizable by the golden keys on the lapel of their jacket. They have their own secret code, a
combination of sources for inside information, intelligence and communication. The Les Clefs
d'Or group is a society comprising hotel concierges of unparalleled professionalism.
Les Clefs d’Or historical background
On October 26 th , 1929, Pierre Quentin, concierge at the Hôtel Ambassador in Paris, along with
ten other colleagues from the largest hotels in Paris, came together, realizing that, as a team,
they would merge their services in prestige and value.
A Swedish membership formed for the same purposes and orientation soon followed this. A
Dutch network was set up in 1937, and other countries soon followed. In those troublesome
times, the members allied and agreed to help each other amid unemployment, illness and other
challenges of that time. However, cooperation between theseassociations was not clear until
after World War II.
On April 25th, 1952, representatives from nine countries met in Cannes for the first conference
and formed the "Les Clefs d'Or" network of the Européenne des Portiers des Grands Hotels
(UEPGH) alliance. It was organized by Ferdinand Gillet, Chief Concierge of the Parisian Hôtel
Scribe, who was recognized among the members as the "father" of Les Clefs d'Or. The nine
countries that attended were: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain,
Switzerland and Great Britain.
As the years went by, more countries joined, including Morocco in 1964 and Israel in 1970.
During the 1972 conference in Mallorca, Spain, the group officially became an international
organization, with countries taking part internationally and initially renamed International Union
of Cliffs of Gold. Canada joined in 1976 and the United States in 1978. Another name change
took place in 1995 and the community became known as the "Union Internationale des
Concierges d'Hotels Les Clefs d'Or" to identify its non-European members. In 1998, they created
the official uniform cross keys in collaboration with the Swiss jewelry store Bucherer.
Today, the official name of the fraternity is "Les Clefs d'Or – Union International des Concierges
d'Hôtels", in order toshow the crucial training of the concierge profession and mark its evolution
from the previous, straightforward function of the doorkeeper. Annual Les Clefs d'Or
conferences are held daily, at a pan-European and global level, where tourism industry issues
are discussed, as well as issues of innovation and new high-quality techniques.
Imagine a guest in a hotel in Birmingham wishing to attend a sold-out theatrical performance in
London. As unlikely as it sounds, a fellow member of Les Clefs d’Or in London may know the
right people to get a ticket to such a show. Thus, with the help of the colleague-member you will
fulfill the wishes of your guests and amaze them.
Each Les Clefs d'Or concierge is an ambassador for his/her country as a destination, and strives
to offer an unforgettable experience to its guests. But how does one get this impressive
distinction and what does it mean for your guests?
Becoming a member of Les Clefs d'Or is not a simple task. They require each candidate to have
at least five years of experience in a luxury hotel reception, and the last two years specifically in
a concierge hotel department to be considered a worthy applicant. In addition, candidates must
undergo a series of interviews and complete questionnaires. The complete application of the
candidate is then submitted to the committee of the organization for approval. The application
must be accompanied by two letters of recommendation from two members of the organization
who agree and propose the person concerned. Some of them achieve and receive the coveted
Gold Key pin, produced only by the Swiss jewelry store Bucherer, to be placed with a special
adjustment on their lapel.
This exclusive organization has about 4,500 members worldwide, which is only a small
percentage of the concierges that exist in the world and has members in dozens of countries
and metropolises.
In addition to many years of professional experience in luxury hotel concierge departments,
prospective members must submit recommendations from other members of the organization
and pass written examinations. If accepted, the concierge wins the title of Les Clefs d'Or
Concierge and a lapel pin with two gold keys, representing that now the concierge holds the
keys to the city.
All travelers who often stay in high-quality hotels are familiar with the golden keys and
understand as soon as they see them, they are in the presence and care of an experienced
professional to organize their stay. Upon arrival at a luxury hotel, guests introduce themselves
to the concierges and especially the ones with the golden keys on their lapels.They immediately
share the reasons for their visit, giving the concierge all freedom to organize their stay. It is
certain that his/her suggestions will not be based on online reviews, but on personal
experiences. Most likely, he/she already knows a lot of details about the preferences of the
guests. Technology today and especially social networks is a common method of accessing this
kind of information. Undoubtfully, the hidden gems they suggest, along with the acquaintances
they have, will take off every guest’s experience.
The members of this organization are so close, since their sole purpose is to best meet the
needs of their guests, exchanging information and making acquaintances. Imagine a hotel guest
who needs a service in a distant metropolis of the world. All you have to do is contact your
colleague/associate, a member of the international group in the requested location, and ask him
to suggest the best and most reliable service provider.
Concierges are prepared to do the impossible; a phrase mentally engraved in every traveler.
Some regular occurrences, which for the average person would remain on the verge of their
imagination, belong to the daily life of a concierge. A chauffeur waiting in a red Corvette to drive
you around Paris? A presidential suite for an arranged photo shoot with a tiger in
Johannesburg? An experienced concierge knows the right people to do it.
The services they provide must be of genuine interest, as well as exclusive confidentiality and
privateness. Concierges live between and very close to important people, with detailed
knowledge about their character and family. This is a great responsibility that the concierge is
called to manage discreetly, in order to protect the guest, but also to act as an ambassador of
quality services of the hotel and the city. It is a common phenomenon after the departure of
guests, a concierge to keep in touch with them, especially in recent years with the convenience
provided by technology and social media.