Les Clefs d’Or UAE president and guest experience manager at The Palace The Old Town Randy Santos said the main challenge for the chapter was to source qualified members.
Santos spoke to HotelierMiddleEast.com following the first general assembly of Les Clef d’Or UAE since achieving its independent chapter status from Union International Concierges Hotels, held at Kempinski Mall of the Emirates yesterday.
“We have been given a draught of what happens next as we are still under a one year probationary period,” Santos explained.
| Advertisement |
“We are still putting things into place internally such as electing members of the executive committee to assess new applicants. We will also be forming a website that will link to the international site.”
It will take two weeks to set up the committee, but Santos said there would be targets to achieve every month to assure the chapter was fully set up by the end of 2010.
While the base for the UAE chapter is Dubai, Santos explained the chapter would be searching the entire UAE for members.
“We will be looking for those who have worked for ages as concierges and for those who have the necessary qualifications,” Santos said.
“More people from the GCC are requesting the link on our chapter, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia - they have to come to us and we guide them accordingly, but the first challenge is to form the UAE chapter to be followed by neighbouring GCC countries.”
‘Golden Key’ members are identified by the badge they wear on the lapel of their uniforms and are meant to act in accordance with the highest level of standards based on the history of Les Clefs d’Or.
Santos said it was this reason that created tourism opportunities for member countries as the more than 3500 members of the organisation worldwide recommended good hotels on the basis of the concierge.
“The members have full confidence in passing guests information about where they are traveling – through networking we can create opportunities that come back to the hotels we work for,” he added.
The next meeting of Les Clef d’Or UAE will take place on February 27 where they will be electing the executive committee, the venue is to be confirmed.
Santos will be on the committee, but will be charged with the responsibility of informing the organisation about the progress of the UAE chapter.
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
