BEIRUT CELEBRATES THREE ADDITIONAL CLEFS D’OR MEMBERS

A pinning ceremony to officially induct two new members from Phoenicia Hotel Beirut - Estelle Btaiche (representing the Levant in Cannes 2019) and Edouard Khoury - as well as Four Seasons Hotel Beirut chief concierge, Roxanne Defersane, to the global Clefs d’or organization took place on Saturday, October 13, at Améthyste Lounge. The event marked an important milestone and saw the Phoenicia Hotel Beirut achieve the accolade of being the first and only hotel in Lebanon to have three members of staff representing the hotel as accredited Clefs d’or. Translating as The Golden Keys, the Clefs d’or is a respected international association of hotel concierges, with approximately 4,000 members working in over 80 countries and 530 destinations, covering every corner of the world. Clefs d’or members are an elite fraternity, globally connected, committed to professional development and driven to setting new standards for guest service perfection. Hospitality News ME had the opportunity to speak to Les Clefs d’or Hellas’ president, Dimitris Liapis, about the organization.

Can you tell us more about the Lebanese delegation attending the annual Congress in Seoul?

In Seoul, Roxanne Defersane was the first and only member attending a congress from Lebanon. I’m happy to see that already, four out of the six members have registered to attend the 65th Union Internationale des Concierges d’hôtels (UICH) congress in Cannes 2019. When attending a congress, members are not chosen; full members worldwide can attend, either with their hotel’s support or as individuals paying for themselves. Lebanon will have a high number of delegates in Cannes, and this shows the importance given to learning more about memorable hospitality.

What is the process that eventually leads to an independent chapter?

Independent National Concierge Associations may apply to join Les Clefs d’or as a National Section and become officially recognized and affiliate sections. As with individual membership, the concierge association must be made up entirely of currently employed hotel concierges, who meet the requirements of the Les Clefs d’or International Statutes, and there must be more than 12 members. The process for application and acceptance as a member section of Les Clefs d’or is definitely extensive.