A Day in the Life of a Hotel Concierge

A hotel concierge is a hotel’s front-line customer service employee, often described as a hotel’s ambassador. The primary duty of a hotel concierge is to keep guests happy, and all day-to-day hotel concierge responsibilities are geared towards that primary function. So what is a typical day in the life of a hotel concierge like? Here we’ll get into the details of just what these hospitality professionals do every day.

All About Hotel Concierge Responsibilities

The responsibilities of a hotel concierge include a long and varied list of services. The concierge is typically found in the lobby of a full-service hotel, at the concierge desk, taking requests from guests in person, over the phone, via text message or by email. Common requests that a concierge attends to are arranging for extra towels, pillows, or other hospitality items to be placed in rooms, recommending local restaurants, entertainment venues and other attractions, and securing reservations or tickets for guests.

They also provide services for guests like:

• maps and/or directions to local amenities
• arrange transportation
• coordinate secretarial and other office services for business travelers
• process and deliver guest messages
• attend to any complaints, concerns or questions posed by guests.

A hotel concierge also has behind-the-scenes duties, attending to tasks that may include planning special events, overseeing doormen, bellmen and valet parking and luggage services, as well as general lobby operations. While a simple description of these duties may make it sound rather mundane, being a hotel concierge is a very fast-paced job that can often be novel and exciting .

How To Become A Hotel Concierge

Most hotel concierge positions are offered by upscale, full-service hotels, and these employers expect candidates for these positions to have a few years of experience in the hospitality industry. An associate degree in a hospitality-related field can help you get your foot in the door. Employers also want a concierge to have an in-depth understanding of local attractions, restaurants and features as well as knowledge about the travel industry. This means you’ll probably have to spend a little time working your way up to a concierge position after you have earned your degree.

Use that time to gain experience, learn as much as you can about hotel operations, and develop a network of contacts, including other hospitality professionals, restaurant managers and staff, as well as people involved with local businesses and entertainment venues – factors that are essential to becoming an efficient and indispensable hotel concierge. You might also consider continuing your education with hospitality-related or business management courses, and perhaps learn a new language or two.

Not only can these measures help increase your knowledge base and skillset, they clearly show that you have drive, initiative and are dedicated to success, increasing your odds of getting a good hotel concierge position. Additionally, the education, skills and contacts that you’ll be able to bring to the table as a concierge will place you in a good position for career advancement, qualifying you to move up to concierge positions in prestigious 5-star hotels, jobs like chef (head) concierge, or hotel management positions.

For more information on how to prepare for positions in the hospitality industry, contact the Bryant & Stratton Admissions office or check out this page on degrees available for hospitality students.