How to Record a Concierge Video Job Ad

Date modified: 2nd June 2025 | This article explains how you can record a concierge video job ad inside the Pilla App which you can share with external candidates. You can also check out the Job Ads Guide for more info on other roles or check out the docs page for Managing Videos in Pilla.

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Concierge is hospitality's problem-solving role. Guests arrive with requests ranging from restaurant recommendations to sold-out theatre tickets to "I need a helicopter to the Lake District by tomorrow." The best concierges make the impossible seem routine, building networks of contacts and favours that let them deliver what others can't. Your video job ad needs to convey this unique combination of local expertise, resourcefulness, and guest relationship building—because concierge talent is rare and the people who have it know their value.

Step 1: Open with the Opportunity

Experienced concierges evaluate opportunities through a specific lens. Lead with what makes your property worth their attention.

The guest profile: This determines everything. High-net-worth leisure guests with complex itineraries? Business travellers needing efficiency? Tourists wanting insider local knowledge? Each guest type requires different concierge skills. A concierge who excels at luxury experiential travel may find standard business requests unfulfilling.

What are the typical requests? Restaurant bookings and show tickets, or private jet arrangements and personal shopping? The request complexity indicates the role's challenge and interest level.

Local market potential: Your hotel's location shapes the job. Central London offers different opportunities than a country house hotel. City concierges need vast restaurant knowledge and theatre contacts; resort concierges need activity expertise and experience curation.

What relationships already exist with local venues and services? What's yours to build? Inherited networks versus building from scratch are different propositions.

The property's positioning: Concierge expectations vary by hotel tier. A five-star luxury property expects services that three-star business hotels don't offer. Is this a genuine concierge role with broad scope, or more limited guest services? Mismatched expectations create disappointment.

Les Clefs d'Or and professional recognition: For career concierges, professional standing matters. Do you support Les Clefs d'Or membership? Does the role have the scope to qualify? Industry recognition attracts candidates who take the profession seriously.

Step 2: Show Your Concierge Environment

Film the concierge desk and the spaces where guest interaction happens. Candidates need to see the physical context and the service style.

The desk position: Where is the concierge located? Prominent lobby position or separate area? Dedicated desk or shared with reception? The physical setup signals importance and accessibility.

Tools and resources: What systems support the role? Dedicated concierge software or general PMS? Phone setup for external calls. Reference materials and contact resources. The infrastructure that enables the work.

Guest interaction style: Capture how guests approach and interact with the concierge. Formal seated consultations or casual lobby conversations? The service choreography that candidates would step into.

Property context: Show the hotel's character and positioning. The lobby, the aesthetic, the guest areas. Concierges embody and represent the property—they need to see what they'd be representing.

The local context: Brief glimpses of what's nearby—the neighbourhood, local landmarks, the area the concierge needs to know intimately. This sets geographic context for the local knowledge required.

Step 3: Paint a Picture of the Role

Concierge responsibilities vary significantly between properties. Define what yours actually involves.

Core concierge services: Restaurant bookings—including securing hard-to-get reservations. Theatre, events, and entertainment tickets. Transport arrangements—taxis, private cars, airport transfers. Activity and experience recommendations. Local information and directions.

What percentage of requests are routine versus challenging? Daily restaurant bookings versus monthly impossible requests?

Relationship and network building: The concierge's power comes from relationships. Contacts at restaurants, venues, services, tour operators. Building and maintaining these networks. The favour economy—recommending partners who reciprocate with priority access.

How established are existing relationships? Are you inheriting a network or building one?

VIP and repeat guest management: Recognising and anticipating needs for returning guests. Maintaining preference records. Personal touches and surprise elements. Building relationships that bring guests back.

Problem solving: The creative challenge of concierge work. Guest needs something that doesn't exist, or isn't available, or requires lateral thinking. How much scope for resourceful problem-solving?

Administrative elements: Record-keeping and guest history maintenance. Commission tracking if applicable. Supplier relationship management. Reporting on services and utilisation.

Scope boundaries: Where does concierge end and other services begin? Do you handle luggage like a porter? Take reservations like reception? Manage front desk during quiet periods? Role overlap varies by property.

Schedule patterns: Concierge coverage hours—daytime only, or extended? Weekend requirements? The rhythm of busy and quiet periods. How concierge shifts relate to property operations.

Step 4: What Concierge Excellence Requires

The skills that make someone genuinely good at concierge work are distinctive. Technical knowledge matters less than personal qualities.

Resourcefulness: The defining trait. When the standard answer is "no," do they find alternative routes? Can they think laterally, use connections creatively, find solutions others wouldn't consider? This can't be taught—it's a disposition.

Local knowledge depth: Not just knowing restaurants exist, but understanding cuisine, chef changes, which tables are best, how to secure bookings. Not just knowing attractions, but understanding what guests actually want from them. Deep, nuanced local expertise takes years to build.

What level of local knowledge do candidates need? Can you develop someone new to the area, or do you need existing expertise?

Relationship building: Concierges succeed through networks. Can they build relationships with suppliers and partners? Maintain contacts over time? Ask for favours and create reciprocity? The interpersonal skills for B2B relationships alongside guest service.

Anticipation: Great concierges anticipate before guests ask. They notice luggage tags suggesting onward travel and ask about arrangements. They remember last visit's preferences without being told. This attentiveness separates good from excellent.

Discretion: Concierges know things about guests—their plans, their companions, their preferences. Absolute discretion is non-negotiable. Especially in luxury properties, confidentiality is fundamental to trust.

Calm under unusual requests: Guests will ask for strange things. Last-minute changes. Impossible timelines. The concierge who remains calm and finds solutions—versus getting flustered or immediately saying no—delivers the experience guests remember.

Languages: For international properties, language capability matters. Which languages matter for your guest mix? What level of fluency is required for concierge-level interaction?

Experience calibration: What background do you need? Previous concierge experience, or developing from reception or guest services? Local knowledge versus industry experience? Be realistic about whether you're hiring ready-made or developing potential.

Step 5: Make the Offer Compelling

Concierge is a specialist role. Compensation should reflect the expertise and the difficulty of finding qualified candidates.

UK compensation context:

  • Concierge (4-star): £26,000-32,000
  • Concierge (5-star luxury): £30,000-40,000
  • Head Concierge: £35,000-50,000

Commission and additional earnings: Many concierge roles include commission on bookings or partnerships. Theatre tickets, tours, restaurant referrals—what commission structures exist? For some concierges, this significantly supplements base salary.

Tip income varies by guest profile and property positioning. Luxury properties with wealthy guests may see meaningful tips; business hotels less so.

Service charge: How is service charge distributed to concierge? Same pool as wider team, or different arrangement?

Professional development: Les Clefs d'Or membership support—dues and time for regional activities. Industry training and networking events. Familiarisation trips to local venues and experiences. Investment in the concierge's professional network and knowledge.

Perks and access: Complimentary experiences at partner venues—restaurants, shows, attractions. This serves professional development (needing to know what you're recommending) and personal benefit.

Hotel benefits: staff rates, F&B discounts, group property access. These matter for hospitality professionals.

Career trajectory: Head Concierge pathway. Front office management. Guest experience direction. What progression exists for concierges who develop and grow?

Schedule and lifestyle: Which shifts? Concierge often works more sociable hours than night-audit reception. Days off patterns. The lifestyle reality of the role.

Step 6: The Application Process

Concierge hiring should assess resourcefulness, local knowledge, and guest-handling excellence.

Application requirements: CV highlighting concierge, guest services, or relevant hospitality experience. A note on local knowledge—how well do they know your area? Languages spoken. Salary expectations.

For senior roles, Les Clefs d'Or membership or equivalent professional standing.

Interview approach: Initial conversation: experience, local knowledge assessment, motivations. Scenario testing: presenting difficult guest requests and evaluating problem-solving approach. Local knowledge deep-dive: discussing restaurants, venues, experiences in detail. Guest interaction observation: either in current role or simulated scenario.

What you're assessing: Resourcefulness: how do they approach problems? Give them an impossible request and watch them think. Local knowledge: can they recommend with confidence and detail, or generically? Guest connection: do they naturally build rapport? Read what guests really want? Network thinking: do they understand relationship building and reciprocity? Professionalism: do they represent the level your property expects?

Reference importance: For concierge hires, reference specifically for resourcefulness and problem-solving. Previous employers can speak to how candidates handled unusual requests. Industry reputation matters—the concierge network is small.

Trial approach: Paid trial shifts shadowing current concierge or handling desk independently. Seeing how candidates interact with real guests and handle actual requests. This reveals more than interviews can.

The right fit: Concierge is a role for people who genuinely enjoy solving problems and delighting guests. Those motivated primarily by money or status won't develop the relationships that make concierges valuable. The best candidates light up when presented with challenging requests—they find the puzzle enjoyable.