Las Vegas ‘place to be’ for concierge, Four Seasons employee says
In more than two years as chief concierge at Four Seasons in Las Vegas, Patrick Rischard has learned to expect the unexpected at work.
“Just driving to work, I see this city is unbelievable,” he said. “Everything is changing and growing. This opens, this closes. From a concierge standpoint, this is the place to be because there is so much to offer.”
He recalled having a maintenance crew open Mandalay Bay Beach early so a guest on his way to a fishing expedition could practice fly-fishing. Recently, Rischard and the other concierge arranged for a guest to throw the first pitch at a Las Vegas Aviators game.
Another time, Rischard recalled, a teenage cellist from Spain was staying at the hotel. The guest had asked where he could find some cello sheet music. The concierge team made several calls to local music stores, searching fruitlessly for sheet music by the composer.
Two calls and three emails later, the team learned of a song by the composer stored in a box in the basement at the University of North Carolina. The team received photos sent in PDF form from a woman at the university.
Rischard said the concierge wrapped the PDFs in a bow for the guest and brought it to his room.
“As long as it is legal, moral and kind, and as long as it isn’t too crazy, we try to ask the question, ‘Why can’t we do it?’” Rischard said.
Rischard has been working as a concierge for over 20 years. He started working in a hotel in Switzerland as an intern and fell in love with the industry. He has been at the Four Seasons for two and a half years; he worked in Switzerland for four, Bellagio for seven and the Atlantis in Reno for six.
Ilse Harley, regional vice president and general manager of Four Seasons, said concierges’ ability to personalize experiences for each guest sets them apart from others.
Harley said Rischard encourages the concierge team at Four Seasons to constantly be exploring Las Vegas.
“Understanding that our skyline and experiences are evolving every day means that only the truly inquisitive professionals will be able to prepare the perfect guest itineraries,” Harley said.
Contact Rachel Spacek at 702-387-2921 or rspacek@reviewjournal.com. Follow @RachelSpacek on Twitter.
Les Clefs d'Or
Patrick Rischard is part of Les Clefs d'Or, or "the keys of gold," association of concierges worldwide. Established in Paris in 1952, the group meets once or twice a month to give information about different properties. Rischard said he tries to attend the monthly meetings.
The 4,000 members of Les Clefs d'Or look out for each other by sharing guest experiences and suggesting popular restaurants.
To become a member of Les Clefs d'Or, Rischard said, a concierge must have several years of hotel concierge experience, be recommended by other members, go through a test phase and be suggested by members throughout the city.
