Randy Santos, chief concierge at the 362-key Fairmont Doha in Qatar, has been appointed as the new international president of the prestigious, worldwide concierge association, Les Clefs D’Or.
The association was founded in November 1929, four weeks after Pierre Quentin, concierge of Paris’ Hotel Ambassador, hosted 11 fellow concierges to dinner.
Quentin was elected as the group’s first president, and there have been a further 25 presidents, including two women, before Santos’ inauguration.
Originally from the Philippines, Santos moved to live and work in Qatar in 2008 and becomes Les Clefs D’Or’s first president working in the Middle East.
Hotel News Now sat down with Santos to ask him about his journey, the importance concierges still play in the hotel and hospitality industry and his love for his adopted home.
What is the secret to being a great concierge, and what do you think you have personally brought to the discipline?
Being a great concierge is about having passion for delivering exceptional service and a willingness to help and assist your guests without expecting anything in return. Personally, I think that my positive energy and my ability to anticipate the needs of our guests has taken the concierge service [the Fairmont Doha] provides to another level.
What is the best lesson you have learned in respect of your duties?
Life as a concierge is a continuous education. You never stop learning, and it’s important to understand that your knowledge is your power in this discipline. The greatest lesson I have learned is to find out what is going on in the city in which you work before it is officially announced. That way, you can really supply your guests with the insider information that they can’t find anywhere else.
What are your origins, and what was your journey from day one to the day you started at the Fairmont Doha?
I’m from the Philippines and moved to the United Arab Emirates to work as a concierge. I began my career as a receptionist at a hotel in the Philippines. I then moved to Dubai to work in a few properties before settling in Doha and landing my dream role at the Fairmont Doha in 2022. My career in the luxury concierge profession has stretched over 33 years, and I have worked at some of the world’s best five-star hotels.
From my first day at Fairmont Doha, I have been mesmerized by the service they offer, the incredible Katara Towers in which it is housed and the culture at Accor.
The properties offer such an incredible tailored experience for its guests that every day is a new challenge and a new opportunity to show off what we can offer. Doha is also an incredibly vibrant city, and I really feel my skills as a concierge have been finely tuned here. Coming to work is always exciting; there’s so much to offer guests in terms of excursions, such as dune bashing in the desert and whale shark watching. I come to work ready to give our guests the best recommendations with stories that create incredible experiences. Our guests leave their stay with us with beautiful memories of Doha due to our work, and that positive impression of our service is not only great for Fairmont Doha but reflects incredibly well on our concierge service globally.
What hotels and hotel firms have you worked for, and how much of the world has it allowed you to see?
I’ve worked in the Philippines, Dubai and Doha through my work as a concierge. The best thing about the job of a concierge is that they are needed everywhere in the world, and there really is so much opportunity to go to places you might not otherwise have the chance to visit.
What is the membership of Les Clefs D’Or, is it growing and has its membership base changed, perhaps with not every member working for a luxury hotel but many working in the industry’s other niches?
The hospitality industry suffered greatly during the pandemic, but the great thing about the members of Les Clefs d’Or is that they are highly skilled individuals that can easily adapt to any workplace. Travel and the hospitality industry are building back stronger than ever, and those knowledgeable, experienced, flexible and confident concierges are in very high demand. We are seeing our membership increase all the time.
What has the organization brought to the hotel and travel industries since it was founded in 1952, and what is its aim moving forward?
Being a nonprofit organization, our objective is simply to expand the global network of concierges and continue to educate to ensure that every guest is offered outstanding service. That is our primary focus, and I believe the organization holds concierges across the world to the highest of standards.
When you are not working, what do you like to do, and if there is one place in the world you’d like to travel to, where is it? Did you manage to catch any of the FIFA World Cup 2022 games held in Doha last November and December?
When I’m not working, I spend time with my family exploring all the wonderful attractions Doha has to offer. Doha has incredible restaurants, which we particularly enjoy experiencing. Being in the hospitality industry, I have always loved traveling, my favorite places to visit being Bali, Indonesia and Italy.
I’m a big football fan, and one of the joys of Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup was getting to see so many of the games myself.