What makes a five-star concierge service?
Reading Time: 2 minutesOne of the benefits of the success of the film The Grand Budapest Hotel has perhaps been to raise a small amount of awareness of the some of the challenges laid down to the concierges of 5* hotels. The trick, of course is to deliver exactly what is requested, but with an aura of supreme calmness.
In the film, the main character, Gustav, played by Ralph Fiennes does indeed fulfil a considerable number of services (willingly, it must be said) that might be considered as ‘beyond the call of duty’.
The concierge at a real-life Budapest hotel revealed some of those challenges to a national newspaper, recently, but Fashionizer we have also one or two unusual requests. Let’s just say that it’s not unheard of for our maids’ dresses to be requested in perhaps a larger size than normal to be given as a present to a VIP customer. On occasions, such requests require further discussion with the hotel management. Most of our garments have been exclusively designed for a client’s staff, so it’s down to the hotel to decide if they’re happy with their exclusive design to be worn at large.
One consideration is that security is an issue nowadays: a uniform is there partly to identify easily those who are employees of the hotel – both for the customers and the staff’s colleagues.
Of course, if you think of where you might see uniforms, the traditional outlets spring to mind – hotels, restaurants, airlines, shops and malls. But the request for uniforms can come from some unexpected sources. A few years back we took a call from Sir Tim Rice. He’s a celebrated lyricist, but the uniforms he was wanting weren’t for a West End show, they were for his personal cricket team. He’s a bit of a fan of the wood on willow and wanted his team to look just right.
Our response: “We’re happy to oblige, sir.”
