“If it’s possible and it’s legal, we’ll do it”, says Steve Hales as he lists the type of requests he and his team try to accommodate.
Many of the roles they perform daily will not be found in their job descriptions.
Steve has driven brides to their wedding, been a celebrity minder, provided assistance to a heart attack victim and helped in a search and rescue.
He has been called on to act as an emergency plumber, TV repair man, car valet and fire officer as well as giving tour guide advice.
Such is the life of a hotel concierge, where the days’ experiences are as varied and unpredictable as the guests.
Can you prepare to be a concierge?
Steve is head concierge and in charge of a team of five at the luxury five-star Ness Walk hotel in Inverness.
Four decades of working with the public in the likes of Harvey Nichols and the Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh helped prepare him for the job, although not fully.
“Having worked with the public for so long equipped me with certain skills to adapt to different types of people and different pressures”, he says.
“Having that experience helps not to be overawed by things.
“But there are certain situations you haven’t thought about.”
Like being asked where a hotel guest could land their helicopter.
“I try my best to accommodate most requests, but landing on the lawn was one I couldn’t do.”
Missing guest
Steve also found himself searching for a Ness Walk guest who took a wrong turn when looking for a cash machine and became lost.
He and the man’s distressed wife started a hunt and were able to trace him from his description of his surroundings.
Another guest was taken to hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack.
Steve has also overseen hotel evacuations following fire alarms, inevitably at busy times.
“You may think a concierge’s job is just about carrying luggage and hotel transfers.
“But there are a lot of things you don’t think about.
“The human element is massive and its about adapting to different situations.
“It’s also a very physical job, you’re on your feet for eight hours, pushing trollies around, carrying heavy cases, lots of stairs to climb.
“It’s a challenge as the concierge team is the lifeblood of the hotel and get involved in so much that’s going on.
“If you like a job with variety, it’s for you as no two days are the same.
“The requests, the demands and the requirements are always different.”
Concierge offers advice and helps with surprises
The Ness Walk team provides a service from 7am to 11pm but, in reality, the work starts before guests check in.
Messages arrive in advance seeking advice on places to visit, the best restaurants, distilleries and golf courses; where to go fishing, canoeing, hiking or even to see sheep dog demonstrations.
For special occasions chocolates, balloons and champagne are ordered to surprise loved ones.
Or, in the case of one guest, a private, bespoke boat tour of Loch Ness, complete with seafood platters, champagne and fine wines.
The cost of arranging such luxury is not revealed, but around 50 times the usual price of a trip to Urquhart Castle would be a reasonable guess.
In between the indulgent interludes, concierge staff could be involved in less glamorous tasks like cleaning or maintain the hotel’s cars, reprogramming a bedroom TV or tackling a blocked toilet.
“It’s quite funny really. My wife knows my DIY capacity and can’t believe they send me to fix anything.”
Privacy is paramount at Ness Walk
Ness Walk is used by many celebrities, including film and TV stars and famous musicians.
“Some keep themselves to themselves, use room service all the time and we see very little of them”, says Steve.
“Others are happy to mingle with guests.
“Sometimes we get fans and paparazzi at the gate. We have to manage the arrival and departure of the guest with as much privacy as possible.”
The concierge team gives the same privacy and discretion to other guests and their more discreet requests.
“We don’t divulge information about any guest regardless of whether they are celebrities”, says Steve.
“People come here for different reasons and we treat everyone the same.”
Anything he can’t – or won’t do? “I’ve not been asked to do anything illegal, not so far.
Enough stories for a book?
“But what happens here stays in the hotel, it’s something we are very aware of, the discretion of a concierge.
“I’ll keep it for my memoirs”, he jokes. “I’ve probably got a few chapters already.”
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