Talk:Concierge

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[edit] Link Spamming

In a moment of bold editing, I removed what seemed to be blatant advertising for various concierge companies. I left in the link to the trade association - as it is non-profit and serves the industry. But given the history of edits, there appears to be a fair bit of "advertising" being added and removed.

If someone feels strongly, then create a List of famous concierges page. AMe 21:44, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

Agreed. This is an encyclopedia, not a directory. Heyyou20 09:00, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Hotel Concierge Service -- Fee Required

BigMack 19:06, 4 September 2006 (UTC)I specifically looked up this word to find out if it costs extra to avail oneself of the typical hotel concierge service, or if it's simply a "free" service provided by a hotel. This article does not provide a clear answer. Can the answer be added? Thanks!

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There is an interesting etymology to the word concierge. One school of thought suggests that the Latin root is conservus, or fellow slave. Les Clefs d’Or members, however, prefer the Old French derivation that can be traced back to feudal times. The comte des cierges, or keeper of the candles, needed to know where all the functions in the palace would take place; as they were in charge of maintaining the candles for each event. Over time, the comte des cierges became the person in charge of catering to every whim and desire of a palace’s visiting nobility.

In the Middle Ages, the concierges were the “keepers of the keys” at noted government buildings and castles. There is even a famous prison in Paris named The Conciergerie in honor of the warden who kept the keys and assigned cells to the inmates.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the international tourism industry experienced a tremendous boom, in large part due to the increasing popularity of rail and steamship travel. Switzerland’s “grand hotels,” in working to satisfy the needs of these travelers, created the “Hall Porter” position. These first-ever modern concierges were responsible for everything from meeting the guests at the station in a horse-drawn carriage to assisting them with every detail of their stay.

With time, these Swiss concierges relocated to other cities throughout Europe as a means to stay at the constant disposal of their traveling clientele. In October 1929, three of the more prominent concierges met in Paris to exchange service tips and ideas. They found that, together, they could more effectively network and enhance guest services throughout their cities. As a result, many European countries created national concierge “societies.”

The end of World War II sparked a renewed interest in the need for these societies. Concierges throughout Europe created a chain of mutual assistance and friendship to help smooth the journeys of their clients who were traveling in post-war Europe. On April 25, 1952, delegates from seven European nations met in Cannes to hold the first ever “Congress” and create “L’Union Europeene des Portiers des Grands Hotels (UEPGH). Ferdinand Gillet [right] (then concierge at the Hotel Scribe, Paris) masterminded this effort and is considered the “father of Les Clefs d’Or.” Mr. Gillet served as president of this association until 1968.

In 1970, with the acceptance of Israel as a member country, UEPGH became UIPGH (Union Internationale des Portiers des Grands Hotels) signifying that not just Europe, but countries from around the globe, were joining forces.

Today, the UICH acronym stands for Union Internationale des Concierges d'Hôtels “Les Clefs d’Or.” The word concierge appears in the name as a way to strengthen the brand-name recognition of UICH as a society of professional hotel concierges.

The USA section of Les Clefs d'Or was formally recognized on November 21, 1978, when the United States became the 19th member of UICH (Union Internationale des Concierges d'Hôtels) at a meeting in Vienna, Austria. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Concierge212 (talk • contribs) 22:54, 11 January 2007 (UTC).