Requests from clients range from eccentric to mundane
By JAN HOGAN
VIEW STAFF WRITER
Photos by marlene karas/ViewTop, JW Marriott concierge Kara Meseguer shows guests a list of shows that have tickets available for the weekend, April 25. Below, concierge Diana Biel of the JW Marriott speaks with a client.
Photos by marlene karas/ViewTop, JW Marriott concierge Kara Meseguer shows guests a list of shows that have tickets available for the weekend, April 25. Below, concierge Diana Biel of the JW Marriott speaks with a client.
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Perhaps the last thing that resort guests want to do is flip through the Yellow Pages, looking for a good restaurant. Enter the concierge, a free service provided by such facilities.
In Summerlin, those resorts are the Red Rock Resort, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., and the JW Marriott, 221 N. Rampart Blvd.
At the JW Marriott, Kara Meseguer has nine years' experience. She said with all the new restaurants and shows opening in town, her job is never boring.
"We never say 'no' to any request," she said. "If I'm not sure, I'll say, 'Let me look into that for you.' "
Red Rock Resort's Judy Phillipi holds the title of chef concierge.
"People ask me if I misspelled it, if it isn't supposed to say 'chief,' " she said. "But 'chef' is French for 'manager.' "
Repeat guests at Red Rock likely will find special requests filled before they even turn their room key. For those allergic to feather pillows, the concierge desk sees to it that housekeeping already has replaced it.
One guest Phillipi cited finds his room has chocolate-covered potato chips awaiting his arrival. Another gets an apple martini delivered to him the moment he's seated for dinner.
At the JW Marriott, one repeat guest always has dinner at the Carmel Room, which he enjoys with a specific bottle of wine, one that the maitre 'd makes sure to have in stock. That particular guest also gets in-room massages for he and his wife, something the concierge staff knows to schedule.
The job title means one must multi-task and be able to think fast.
One time, a family called down to the desk, saying they wanted gifts for their little girl to open on Christmas morning.
"And this request came on Christmas Eve," Meseguer said. "So, off to the stores I went and purchased some fun kid bath bubbles, in-line skates and a few other odds and ends for her to open the next morning."
She wrapped them, to boot.
Another time, a guest called while en route to Las Vegas. She'd forgotten to pack herself tanning lotion and needed the exact same brand and shade by the time she landed. Meseguer found a store that carried it, had the store hold the item so it wouldn't be sold, and advised a limo driver to stop there after picking up his charge at McCarran International Airport
At the Red Rock Resort, the Goo Goo Dolls needed fluff and fold service for their laundry. The trouble was, the request came in after hours, with only four hours until it had to be accomplished.
Phillipi used her own car to haul the pop rock group's six large duffle bags to the laundromat. She spent three hours there, still in a business suit and pumps, running the machines.
"I had to keep all the clothing separate ... and pinned a tag on each one," she said.
She also had to come up with a fast solution when another group requested a West Highland white terrier for a Liz Claiborne conference -- dyed pink. The task was accomplished with pink hair dye from a costume shop, sidewalk chalk and a dog trainer. Hotel guests did double takes when the colorful pooch was paraded through the lobby, Phillipi said.
There are times when concierges will use their own resources to help a guest. One time, a female conventioneer was going to a 1970s disco-theme event and she wanted white platform boots, but couldn't find them anywhere.
"I just happened to have a pair at home that would fit her," Meseguer said. "So I loaned them to her."
One of the concierge team members at Red Rock Resort made a quick trip to Target, on his own time, after a guest wanted a football for a visiting NFL star to sign.
Perks that come with the jobs include eating at high-end restaurants, getting gifts, such as boxes of chocolate, being sent fashions, and a roll of hundred dollar bills pressed into one's hand.
"I have a drawer at home with everything from gift certificates to guest cards to places up and down the Strip," Meseguer said. "One of our favorites is the buffet at the Wynn."
Carmen Rubino Jr., director of sales and marketing for JW Marriott, said that the seasoned traveler expects to have an expert recommend a restaurant and guide them "to see the other side of Las Vegas."
Rubino himself worked as a concierge at the Anaheim Marriott. His most memorable group was 25 executives for Phillip Morris International. He had to find a jet to charter to bring them to Las Vegas, then arrange to rent a gym, on one day's notice, because they wanted to play basketball.
He said a concierge doesn't just need to know the city, but must be able to handle mundane tasks, then switch gears to go above and beyond.
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