CONCIERGE COMPETITION
14 HOTELIER MIDDLE EAST | August 2019 | Volume 18 Issue 08
Hotelier Middle East talks to Abey Sam, chief concierge at JW Marriott Marquis, and
National President of Les Clefs d’Or UAE about the challenges a concierge faces and
how the Concierge Mastermind of the Year competition will change things in Dubai
CONCIERGE IS THE FIRST AND LAST
IMPRESSION FOR A HOTEL GUEST
Hotelier Middle East believes it is time for concierges to ‘shine’. Since the Concierge Mastermind of the Year 2019
competition was launched in last month’s Hotelier Middle East issue, requests from applicants have fl ooded in.
The competition has been designed to put Dubai-based concierges in the spotlight and as a platform for the
sector to be recognised for its efforts and hard work.
The competition will have two heats held in August and September 2019 at a venue yet to be confi rmed. The
winner of the competition will be unveiled in front of the region’s hoteliers and guests during the Hotelier Middle
East Awards in October 2019.
Abey Sam the chief concierge at JW Marriott Abey Sam.
Marquis and the national president of Les
Clefs d’Or UAE believes that a concierge is a
hotel guest’s best friend.
“A concierge is not just someone who
checks a guest in and out. Rather, they are a
dynamic source for every guest. They take
care of them, their personal needs and are a
touchpoint,” said Sam who explained why the
role got his interest in the first place.
One of Hotelier Middle East’s partners for
the competition is the concierge association,
Les Clefs d’Or UAE. It’s accepted that, although
joining the association is not easy, the benefits
of being a member are very rewarding.
For the first level of membership there isç
written test, then a panel interview and once
someone gets selected, they will be assigned
a practical project.
The project that eventually earned Sam his
membership in the esteemed association is
now part of JW Marriott Marquis’ most popular
Dubai tour. “My project was about exploring
Dubai in three hours, where we go to the old
town and start the journey with a walking tour
from Bur Dubai. It also involves a walk to the
spice and textile souq. It gives the essence of
Dubai,” he explained.
When it comes to concierges in the UAE,
Sam says that there are some properties that
don’t have one. His advice to these hotels is to
have a designated concierge desk.
He said: “Hotels need to have a concierge
desk. A few properties think that they can
replace a concierge with a different posi-
tion and that one role can handle every-
thing. But it’s not true. A good concierge
is the first and last impression for a hotelguest, which is very important.”
This is one of the reasons why Sam be-
lieves that Hotelier’s Concierge Master-
mind of the Year is a big plus.
“When I first heard about this com-
petition, I knew we had to be part of it
immediately. This competition will bring a
lot of exposure to concierges,” Sam said.
The end result of the competition will mean
that hotels have the best concierge and at
the end of it all, the guest will have a valu-
able experience,” he added.Challenges that concierges face
According to Sam, access to certain venues
and points of interest in the UAE is a chal-
lenge that he has to overcome: “Reaching out
to certain restaurants and making bookings
for our guests has been challenging. Acces-
sibility to certain areas is not supported,” he
explained. “Collecting information is another
challenge. If you’re not connected to our
association or local sources, then you will not
know more about day to day happenings in
the city. You’ll only be handling day to day
work at the office. Concierges sometimes do
have that attitude and don’t go out much and
explore,” he added.