When the tech bubble burst and then 9/11 occurred, suddenly, I saw a shift in the paradigm. Hotel concierges’ hours started getting cut, or worse. Some jobs began to go away.
Then came the Great Recession of 2008-2010.
And then came the greatest equalizer of all:
The Smart Phone
Today, you can simply click and scroll your way toward a reservation, trans- portation, and into pretty much any situ- ation you desire - in DIY fashion - without the help of a concierge who’d otherwise take you by the hand and per- sonally guide you toward the happiness you’re seeking.
Want proof of the ebbing of the profes- sion? Walk into, say, a Kimpton hotel. I love everything about that brand – the modern style of its spaces, the well- thought out tech-savviness of its rooms, and the vastness of the amenities bas- kets they dole out to their grateful guests.
But if you want to book a table at a hot restaurant, then you’ll need to go to the front desk, because most of the Kimpton properties have homogenized their staffs – their desk agents play dou- ble-duty as concierges (and as reserva- tionists and as managers on duty, too).
Which is fine as long as each concierge- acting individual is well-versed in his/her city, and extremely well-connected with those gatekeepers who can grant access to otherwise off-limits venues in town.
Unfortunately, most front desk agents are too busy checking guests in and out to expand their connectional horizons.
The really sad news is that our middle and upper-tiered hotels (like a Kimpton) easily can operate without having a concierge on staff. But the good news is that the top rung in lodging – the four and five star/diamond properties - they must have a concierge staff if wanting to retain a certain [elite] ratings status.
Meanwhile, corporate, residential and lifestyle management concierge services continue to grow (albeit slowly) across the country.
And this makes me think of what my hotel friends can do to help to bolster themselves in a market where guests are getting younger and where more of them than ever before are apt to simply
Mid-Atlantic EvENTS Magazine 69
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
