- Hotel concierges provide a wide range of services, including making reservations and organizing events.
- Elly Grace Rinaldis, a concierge at the prestigious Hilton Hotel in Brisbane, Australia, gave us an exclusive look into her fascinating job.
- She shared some of the most extraordinary requests she’s received from guests and the generous tips she’s earned in return.
The concierge is the hotel world’s equivalent of a genie in a bottle, but some guests go beyond three wishes.
Elly Grace Rinaldis, a 26-year-old concierge at the Hilton Hotel in Brisbane, Australia, takes us behind the scenes of this magical job. It turns out, being a concierge is more than just booking restaurant reservations.
Each morning, the staff receives a list of diamond members—those with the highest customer loyalty status—who will be arriving that day.
The luxurious five-star hotel primarily caters to business travelers, including high-maintenance VIP guests referred to as “handle with care guests,” according to Rinaldis. “They require delicate handling.”
Guests sometimes make impossible requests, like wanting a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef, which is a 20-hour drive or a 2.5-hour flight from the hotel.
“I can’t help but find it amusing when these things happen,” she told Insider.
Instead of immediately dismissing absurd requests, Rinaldis treats each question as if it were completely valid. For example, if a guest asks about a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, she may suggest chartering a private helicopter but recommend spending at least a week there to fully enjoy the experience.
As long as the request is within reason, Rinaldis does her best to accommodate it.
Recently, a returning guest asked Rinaldis to organize an elaborate wedding anniversary party at the hotel. She spent three days planning the event, which she documented on her TikTok account.
“She wanted dresses for herself and her daughter, a makeup artist, and everything delivered to the hotel,” Rinaldis said.
Rinaldis booked a DJ, arranged catering, purchased flowers, and even hired a Bentley to transport the guests. All her hard work paid off, and she received a generous $800 tip—the largest she’s ever received from a hotel guest.
Typically, guests tip Rinaldis between $5 and $20 for services like parking their cars and carrying their bags to their rooms. The most she’s received for standard concierge duties over a few days was $150, according to Rinaldis.
How a guest treats the valet drivers upon arrival can indicate if they’ll be challenging to handle, Rinaldis explained.
For instance, when one guest entered the parking lot through the exit lane, Rinaldis asked if he wanted valet service. His response was, “I don’t want you monkeys parking my car.”
Rinaldis cheekily replied, “You came in the wrong way, so I don’t know who the monkey is,” she told Insider.
If a guest is unhappy, the industry uses a “return of service” to appease them, such as providing a free night’s stay, a bottle of champagne, or complimentary parking.
“Most reasonable people understand that, at the end of the day, I’m not a miracle worker. I can only do my best,” Rinaldis said.
Do you work for a cruise line, airline, or luxury hotel? Email this reporter at [email protected] to share your story.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
