Arnaud Glannes: “Concierge Hotels is a Challenge for Me”

Arnaud Glannes, you recently joined the Concierge Hotels team. Can you tell us a bit about your job?

I joined Concierge Hotels two weeks ago as Sales and Conciergerie Manager. I will be supporting the development of services for the conciergerie clients and also work on customer relations. I coordinate the team of concierges; work on special VIP requests; approach partners and service providers, and I also take care of the recruitment and training of concierges. As for the sales part of my job, I respond to customer requests and I also look for new clients.

What motivated you to join Concierge Hotels?

Concierge Hotels has a young and dynamic team which I was eager to join. As part of this team, my challenge will be to develop this unique conciergerie concept and make it grow and prosper. Joining Concierge Hotels as Sales and Conciergerie Manager also means that I will be working on sales and reservations for hotel booking. This will also be a challenge and a challenge is always an exciting endeavor!

And what is your background?

I started working in the tourism sector fifteen years ago in Paris as a concierge. I then moved in 2008 to Hawaii USA to work as Guest Services Manager at The Hilton Hawaiian Village, a 3600 rooms hotel located in Waikiki Beach. In 2009 I was promoted by Hilton Hotels as Director of Guest Services for the opening of the Waldorf Astoria Orlando Florida. My Lovely wife Jennifer is Mauritian that is why we decided to move to Mauritius in 2011. In 2012, I did the opening of the St Regis Mauritius Resort as Director of Guest Experiences in charge of the Rooms operations including Concierges and Butlers services. Having worked in the telecommunications sector before, I went back to the phone industry after one year and now I’m back in the tourism industry. And I’m here to stay… I am also part of Union International des Concierge d'Hotels (UICH). In 2005 I became a Clefs d’Or Concierge in France and I got the same recognition in the United States in 2009. Being a Clefs d’Or concierge means you are an experienced concierge who is dedicated to providing excellent service to all. You have only a few concierge Clefs d’Or in Mauritius.

Press Release: Concierge Hotels ® announces exclusive agreement with SAMSUNG B-THERE Travel app in wide Indian Ocean!

Mauritius March 10^th, 2015

The b-there Travel App is essential for any business traveller or travel enthusiast, this convenient travel application enables Samsung smart device users to book flights, accommodation, car rentals and holiday and safari deals at discounted rates exclusively and specially negotiated for Samsung smart device users.

With the b-there Travel App the sky is the limit. You can book your entire vacation from the palm of your hand in a matter of minutes! Want to go to Cape Town? Book your flight, reserve your room at the hotel of your choice and even arrange for airport transfers to and from your hotel.

b-there is the future of travel!

Benefits of using the b-there Travel App
- Benefit from exclusive and amazing holiday packages for you and your family
- Search & book available flights for best prices
- Find and book hotels at specially negotiated prices for the Samsung user 
- Search for your next car rental at discounted prices
- Find the best prices for your destination
- Save time and money
- Book everything from your Samsung Smart Device
- 24/7 Support Centre dedicated to you the user
- On-going promotions and competitions where you can win holidays and Samsung Smart devices

The b-there Travel app is continuously growing our base of preferred suppliers and improving the app experience with regular updates and adding of new specials and promotions. Being a Samsung Smart device user has never been this exciting and rewarding and it needed a strong hospitality partner in Indian Ocean: Concierge Hotels®.

Concierge Hotels® is the wide Indian Ocean OTA - accessible in English, French and German - powered by Sabre Hospitality Networks offering “Privilege Services and Hotels in Mauritius, Seychelles, Rodrigues, Reunion Island, Maldives, Madagascar, Sri Lanka & Zanzibar for affordable luxury holidays.”

Founded in 2010, Concierge Hotels® has built over the years an exclusive portfolio of over 100 hotels offered with unique privilege services, between Zanzibar and Sri Lanka, based on exclusive partnership with Sabre Hospitality Solution as Online OTA until 2023.

To compete with established travel agencies whose prices can be compared on Meta Search engines, Concierge Hotel has built an “added value strategy” based on it’s own concierge service La Conciergerie® Indian Ocean and exclusive agreements with DMC and unique service providers. These services are included in the price of the stay or offered at discounted prices:

• Free concierge service during stay for VIP and local experiences,
• Free airport road transfers at destination, from airport to hotel (excluding Air Taxi),
• Free newspaper in Native language delivered at hotel room,
• Special rates, VIP access on local activities and VIP pick-up, transport and delivery, luggage services.

It’s no coincidence Concierge Hotels® has been chosen as an exclusive partner of Samsung South Africa “b-there” mobile application.

Download the b-there Travel app now to gain access to your amazing travel deals and be rewarded for making the smart decisions in life.

For more information contact: Clea Vedrine - clea@concierge-hotels.com – Marketing & Communication Officer

Edouard Labat: “With Concierge Hotels, I went from theory to hands on experience”

Edouard Labat, you will be starting your third and final year of Bachelor in Tourism and Hotel Management at Vatel Mauritius next month. Can you tell us a bit about your four months long internship with Concierge Hotels?

I had an experience as concierge in a hotel before but had never worked on such an exclusive and upscale concept as Concierge Hotels. When asked by the person in charge of internships at Vatel last year what kind of internship I was looking for, I immediately said I wanted to get hands on experience in sales and marketing. As Junior Concierge at Concierge Hotels, that’s exactly what I got. The experience was very enriching. I was able to express myself and share my ideas. I met with future business partners to sell our concept.

And did you manage to sell?

I haven’t signed any contracts with potential business partners but this experience was nevertheless a great one. Especially as Concierge Hotels gave me the opportunity to work in the booking department for the past two and a half months. I worked with Mauritian clients who wanted to book hotels both in Mauritius and Rodrigues Island. This was hand on sales experience. I went from theory in the classroom to the real world, selling real products to real customers. And since Concierge Hotels’ booking is more complex than booking in a hotel itself, with loads of research to do, etc. I learnt a lot.

You mentioned the fact that you could share the ideas you had with the Concierge Hotels team. Mind sharing some of these ideas with us?

I had loads of ideas they had already thought of but I managed to come up with some new ideas too. I suggested some VIP services like the bodyguard service and also a day at the horse racing track in the lodges. I might be leaving Concierge Hotels now but I trust these services will be a huge success with our VIPs.