two years ago she was working at an easily forgettable hotel off ventura blvd.
she was their front desk agent of the month one month.
one day she texted me and said, i love these people but i gotta get out of here.
and shared with me stories of one valley drama after another.
i told her, the waldorff just opened in beverly hills, im sure theyd love all the skills you’ve learned there and elsewhere.
she was all, LOL, doubt it, they’re really fancy, but ok i’ll try.
and boom she was hired as a personal concierge.
first they put her on the grueling overnight shift. she shined. helped some famous people that are household names, who loved her. and then they placed her in the early morning shift.
some days she stood at the front door for hours opening it and saying hi hi hi hi, other days she was on the phones, sometimes she was the bellperson carrying people’s bags, and some days she was rocking it at the front desk.
she won best on her team a few months ago, in part because she signs people up for their rewards card, effortlessly upgrades people who want bigger and better, and is beloved by everyone from the housekeepers to the valets
if you look on trip advisor the guests leave sweet comments about her.
and when they return to the hotel they’ve been known to hug her
she truly is that nice.
but personal concierge isn’t lobby concierge, and that’s really where she shines because
not long ago she was a lobby concierge at a different fancy hotel by the beach
where she was the best at advising travelers and tourists and honeymooners and everyone
about where to eat and what to do. helicopter tours? trips to catalina? nobu?
she’s a native los angeleno which means she’s not just knowledgeable but more than helpful.
so the other day she noticed that a different fancy hotel was looking for a lobby concierge
and that hotel has a bunch of the top rated concierges in town.
you can tell because when you’re awesome they give you this tough-to-get pin,
The call it is getting your keys.
if you saw the great Wes Anderson film, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” they spoke of
a Society of Crossed Keys, a secret, international collection of world class concierges
who can book you a table at the toughest restaurant,
get you tickets to the most sold out show,
or perform impossible feats of service from behind a podium at the highest quality hotels around the world.
in reality there truly is an international group of concierges who actually do attempt to meet every need they are asked
and they too have a crossed key pin
and the next hotel that amber will be working at has about 5-6 members of that club as concierges,
who, i am certain, will take her under their wing and teach them their tricks
and she will share with them all the secrets she knows.
like, for example, where to get the best ramen they’ve ever had the pleasure of known – just 10 minutes from LAX.
oh did i bury the lede? amber applied and was accepted and starts at the new place soon.
it has been amazing to watch her rise up the ladder and literally have her dreams come true.
when we first started dating this is all she talked about
and here it is.
reach for the stars dear friends, they want to hug you!
