Articles > Concierge Heaven

In an era of extreme specialization, it was only a matter of time before the hotel concierge upped the ante by honing in on tasks so situation-specific they make ear, nose and throat docs seem like first-year residents. Need surf lessons? A chartered plane? Once the domain of the ordinary hotel concierge, these days that simply will not do. No, no, no. For this is the dawning of the concierge specialist, a new cabal of happy-to-help hired hands that takes the duties of the concierge to the next level. Although the Toronto-based Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts chain was the first in North America to offer a concierge program, the past year has seen the definition of concierge expanding across the hotel landscape while becoming increasingly focused. Almost comically so.

John Rolfs, general manager of the Ritz-Carlton in South Beach, for instance, offers "the world's only tanning butler" - a male model clad in designer swimwear sporting a holster filled with sundry SPF creams and lotions to keep guests moisturized and protected. Before dispensing the tanning products and Evian spritzes, the buff butler breaks the ice by introducing himself along the lines of "Good afternoon, I am the tanning butler. I am happy to offer you some complimentary sunscreen, and can apply it to your hard-to-reach back and shoulder areas if you wish." Finally, back rubs don't cost. But can you imagine the implications? "A little lower . . . a little lower . . . a little . . ." Also poolside, at L.A.'s Hotel Bel-Air, a pool concierge service provides fresh chilled towels every two hours as well as terry-cloth-covered ice packs. Frozen grapes and popsicles are passed out in addition to, natch, regular cocktail service.

The newly branded Affinia Dumont in midtown Manhattan is the city's first (and so far only) fitness suite hotel. It's the "it" spot for health-conscious business travellers, owing in part to the fitness concierge who arranges appointments with personal trainers, leads yoga classes in the lobby, and references his "black books" for NYC fitness resources, restaurants with healthy food options, and runner's maps. He also hands out towels and a water bottle when you get back from your run.

Heading into the bedroom, the Benjamin in New York has a sleep concierge who offers 10 types of pillows and a library of aromatherapy scents. And at Hotel Quintessence, near Quebec's Mont Tremblant, a fire concierge will restock your luxury-room hearth with lumber, start your fire, and keep it stoked - even if you've attempted to light the pre-set teepee yourself. Then he'll replenish the silver bucket with fresh ice, straighten his green vest, and insist you have a nice evening as he silently shuts the door behind him. Also in Quebec, there's the snowmobile valet at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie.

For group concierge service, the Fairmont "Gold" rooms of the Hotel Vancouver and the Empress in Victoria have private check-in, a dedicated concierge staff and frou-frou cocktail-hour canapés in the private lounge.

The trend has also caught on overseas, where at the new Faena Hotel + Universe in Buenos Aires, you can request the expertise of a personal "experience manager." At the Rosewood's Hotel Seiyo Ginza in Tokyo, a "cultural" concierge has the latest info on both high-art and lowbrow experiences.

The Four Seasons group have a whole raft of concierge specialists. To wit: Four Seasons Resort Aviara in San Diego boasts a surf concierge who has the stats on the latest wave conditions, winds, water temperature and sweet spots along the local beaches. Both Four Seasons Resort Whistler and Jackson Hole (in Wyoming) offer ski concierge services, which handle everything from lift tickets to ski school, ski waxing to boot warming, and - here's the best part - ski valets to help guests fit their boots and then carry skis out to the gondolas for them. You needn't lift a ski glove. Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North in Arizona has a golf concierge, a former golf pro turned concierge (so sad when that happens) who selects the best courses to play depending on guests' abilities, and will also secure the most sought-after tee times. Four Seasons Hotel Washington has a "diplomat's concierge," who can charter a jet to Istanbul on a Sunday, and tell you where to eat once you get there.

Whether you're royalty or aged retiree, everyone can agree these mission-specific can-do concierges are a welcome trend. Still, with all of these job-focused concierges running amok, it begs the question: what's next? The "concierge concierge"?

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