And it is due to his ability to satisfy every whim of guests at the Grand Jersey – which over his 35-year career has included royals and famous musicians – that Hugo de Castro has been named the best concierge in the British Isles.
Mr de Castro was awarded the prize in this year’s Boutique Hotelier Awards, which celebrate the crème da le crème of the hospitality industry by recognising hard-working staff members.
Mr de Castro said: ‘I feel like I got a three in one. For Jersey, the Grand and myself. It’s a great accolade to get, especially as we are such a small island. It puts us on the map.
‘As a concierge, your work is never really finished. You have to be thinking ahead on what a guest might want all of the time. It’s my job to know what our regulars like when they stay here. Favourite white wine, brandy, do they prefer vodka, what food allergies do they have etc. It’s endless.’
In his time at the Grand, Mr de Castro says he has plenty of memories.
‘Having the Queen and Prince Phillip staying would be one of my most memorable moments, as they are royalty. McFly’s [the UK boy band] visit five years ago was also memorable – but for very different reasons.’
Mr de Castro recalled an evening where the raucous band members were ‘jumping from balcony to balcony whilst drinking champagne’.
‘Times like these can be challenging, but you just have to be a supervisor at times like that,’ he said, laughing.
And Mr de Castro has the ability to fulfil what may seemingly be impossible requests, as he is the only holder of a coveted Society of the Golden Keys pin in the Island.
He received the qualification following training in Paris after he was nominated in 2000 by a regular guest to become a member of the society – an elite network of well-connected top concierges.
His membership of this exclusive group is beneficial for guests. ‘If you want to go to a sold-out Madonna concert, with a few calls, I can make it happen. If you’re willing to pay a lot of money to get a ticket I can find the people to make it happen,’ Mr de Castro said.
And with just four calls – the first being to a ‘Crossed Keys’ concierge – Mr de Castro secured a ticket to the sold-out finals of the FA cup for a guest.
Meanwhile, some guests just want the hassle of going on holiday left to someone else, and that is why some ask Mr de Castro to pick them up from Gatwick Airport.
‘Some people don’t want to have to worry about anything,’ he said. ‘That’s why they ask me to come. It’s never too much.’
Speaking about what had changed the most in the hotel industry over the years, he said that customer care was much greater and guests’ expectations were also much higher. ‘People really want value for money and they expect a lot,’ he said.
And his dedication doesn’t stop after the guest has left.
‘I often try to give guests with a long journey home ahead of them a small packed lunch and a small bottle of milk so they can have a cup of tea when they go home,’ he said.
