_Crown Resort’s concierge shares his wealth of knowledge
Introducing Preston Forsyth, one of Australia’s most sought-after concierges, who has worked at the prestigious Crown Towers hotel in Melbourne for the past three years.
Crown Towers Melbourne has just been awarded a Forbes 5 star rating for the second year in a row; the only hotel in Melbourne to achieve this award.
Mr Forsyth is responsible for training the new concierges at One Barangaroo, which will be Australia’s first hospitality branded residences, where all the residents will have privileged access to 6 star hotel services including housekeeping, room service and access to hotel-style concierge.
Mr Forsyth shares his know-how when it comes to ensuring that both guests and residents have the best of experiences.
How did you start your career in hospitality?
I started at the Hyatt Regency Coolum resort on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast before heading to the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel in Canada. After a stint working in London, I returned to Australia and the luxury hotel industry.
What is the role of a concierge?
It is a concierge’s role to seamlessly organise anything a guest requires to make their stay more comfortable and enjoyable. Requirements can vary from luxury transfers to and from the hotel to off-site visits to wineries, via vehicle, boat or helicopter.
What makes a good concierge?
There are two keys things that an excellent concierge must have, in-depth knowledge, of their guest, hotel and city, as well as city wide connections.
We spend a long time getting to know our guests prior to their arrival, via telephone calls, emails and messages, and during their stay, to better understand their requirements and expectations. A concierge must take their extensive city knowledge and combine it with what the hotel has to offer to create a bespoke experience.
Excellent connections with the best hotels, restaurants and venues in the city enable a concierge to get their guests the best table or seat in the house.
What requests do you receive for special occasions?
Our job is to exceed expectations. We organise and set up rooms for all occasions, such as proposals, wedding anniversaries or birthdays. Organising every detail from champagne and roses to filling the room with a thousand balloons, we do the lot.€
Can you give an example of where you have gone above and beyond?
A guest had a favourite pair of cashmere socks that he had purchased from a little boutique in Paris and wanted another pair. None of us spoke French so we connected with colleagues in the hotel industry in France, who kindly went to the store on our behalf, purchased a pair and sent them to us. The guest received them within days. Again, it is all about who you know.
Are there any requests that you have struggled to meet?
One guest loved native Australian wildlife and requested a reptile exhibit set up in their room. Unfortunately we could not accommodate this, but we did organise a personal zoo tour. They even got to handle some of the non-venomous reptiles.
What personalities make a good concierge?
An outgoing personality is a must for someone in this line of work. You are speaking with guests all day so you have to be a people person.
It is vital they meet all requests with grace, care and discretion, show exceptional attention to detail and have a passion to deliver the very highest levels of service.
What is so unique about One Barangaroo?
The passion and people behind the project, the film gives a small taste of how we feel to be working on such an iconic residential development.
For more information on One Barangaroo please contact Erin van Tuil, Director, One Barangaroo +61 409 325 700.
Please find the original article here, written by Alexis Carey for News.com.au.