Les Clefs d’Or® (translated as The Golden Keys) is a professional association of hotel concierges, with approximately 4000 members working in over 80 countries and 530 destinations, in literally every corner of the world. Easily identified by the golden crossed keys on their lapels, these members are an elite fraternity, globally connected, committed to professional development, and driven to setting new standards for guest service perfection.
With roots dating back to 1929, Les Clefs d’Or was officially founded in France in 1952, as a not-for-profit organisation based on two pillars: Service and Friendship. Before earning the right to wear the golden keys, those who aspire to become a member must have numerous years of experience as a hotel concierge, pass comprehensive testing and prove beyond doubt, their ability to deliver the highest quality of service.
Serving more than 100 million guests every year, Les Clefs d’Or members fulfil an infinite variety of requests from the everyday to the extraordinary. As lifelong professional hotel concierges, their experience, knowledge and professional relationships make them the most reliable local experts and Ambassadors of their chosen destinations.
With every member having access to the Les Clefs d’Or global network, often meeting face-to-face at one of their annual International Congresses, there is nowhere they cannot reach or guest request they cannot deliver. No one knows the world like Les Clefs d’Or. From Berlin to New York City, Paris to Tokyo, and everywhere in between, Les Clefs d’Or concierges strive to provide nothing short of inspired service.
For further information about Les Clefs d’Or, please visit www.lesclefsdor.org or contact James Ridenour, General Secretary, at generalsecretary@lesclefsdor.org.
You can recognize Concierge Clefs d’Or by the keys they display on the collar of their uniforms. These crossed gold keys are more than just the symbol of the organization — they are the symbol of guaranteed, quality service.
Concierge Clefs d’Or will accommodate every guest request so long as it is morally, legally, and humanly possible. Their services run the gamut from the mundane to the extraordinary, yet each request is fulfilled with vigor to the guest’s full satisfaction.
Concierge Clefs d’Or handle all duties with zeal: mail and messages, recommendations and reservations, travel and meeting planning, personal shopping and professional communications. They are also supreme social advisors, business expediters, and personal confidantes.
On those rare occasions when guests’ requests cannot be fulfilled single-handedly, Les Clefs d’Or Concierges have the necessary back-up: a never-ending network of acquaintances, friends, and colleagues from around the world to see to it that guests’ demands are met.
Les Clefs d’Or members have dedicated many years of hard work and training to the concierge profession. They are pleasant and welcoming in appearance, they remain calm in a hectic environment, and they always display integrity. Indeed, discretion is the hallmark of a Concierge Clefs d’Or.
Les Clefs d’Or Concierges have their fingers on the pulses of their cities, able to advise guests on restaurants, night life, sporting and theater events, sightseeing tours, shopping, etc. They can direct guests to any location, to any product, at any time of day or night.
Les Clefs d’Or Concierges are motivated by a genuine desire to serve. They are prudent, patient, kind toward guests and staff alike, self-confident, tenacious, persistent, adaptable, ingenious, disciplined, and flexible.
The global environment of today’s business world demands that concierges be able to converse with all travelers, from Albania to Zaire. Many Clefs d’Or members are multilingual and most are well-versed in many cultures.
Les Clefs d’Or Concierges have worked hard to obtain their keys. Whether requesting something simple or complex, you can be sure they are trusted resources to business travelers and vacationers alike, always keeping guests’ safety, enjoyment, and satisfaction in mind.
Please watch this fantastic video to better define the ‘Concierge Clefs d’Or’.
Every national chapter of Les Clefs d’Or has slightly different requirements for a hotel concierge to become a member. Some common minimum requirements are as follows:
- Be currently employed in a hotel of good standing.
- Have completed five consecutive years in the hospitality industry.
- The prerequisite time frame to be served in the position of Chef Concierge is to be two (2) years or in the position of Assistant Concierge two (2) years if working under a Chef Concierge who is a member.
- Provide letters of reference from past and present employers.
- Provide letters of reference from service industry sources.
- Provide a full resume detailing personal details, employment history, education history and copies of relevant training, qualification and employment certificates.
- Provide a statement of how in practical terms, he or she would contribute to Les Clefs d’Or should his or her application be successful.
- Provide letters of introduction from two active members of the association, one of whom is to be your Chef Concierge if you are an Assistant Concierge, who are prepared to endorse and support the application.
- Attend an interview once the Interview Committee is satisfied all minimum requirements have been met, and that the application is in order.
More info, please visit lesclefsdor.org
INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee is elected to manage and run the association in accordance with our statutes. The Executive Committee make recommendations to the Board of Directors who vote to enact or reject these recommendations. Once accepted by the Board of Directors these recommendations are then presented to the membership for final ratification at the General Assembly. In our association the members are the ultimate authority.