Awards

Dear beloved colleagues,

It is difficult to express in a few words the tremendous impact this award has represented in my professional life.

From the very first moment I jumped into this wonderful journey, I was told to enjoy every step of it, and I am happy to say I did it. The 15 amazing talents I have shared this nomination with, have become not only extraordinary colleagues but 15 new friends around the globe. The rigorous process our Award Committee has prepared for us has challenged my knowledge and skills during two long months and their support and kindness throughout this experience have motivated me to believe that nothing is impossible.

Having won Les Clefs d´Or Young Leaders Award 2023 has inspired me to keep making Les Clefs d’Or stronger by strengthening our bond with new generations, always in service through friendship. A big thank you to the whole Les Clefs d’Or family and Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt Buenos Aires for having always believed in me.

Biography:

Magalí Brandariz was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and got her degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management in 2014. She has experienced different fields from the Tourism industry until she fell in love with Hospitality in 2016.

She has always been passionate about being a Hotelier and a Tourist Guide until one day she was introduced to the Les Clefs d’Or world and knew she was born to be a Concierge. Her first Concierge experience was in 2017 at Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires where a talented team taught her not only the technical side of the profession but, most importantly, the human values that defined them. After 5 years of unforgettable teamwork, she was offered the position of Chief Concierge at Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt Buenos Aires in January 2022 where she accepted the challenge to rebuild the Concierge and Butler teams. She is proud to be part of this company which considers her family since then and continuously works to develop a motivated and passionate team.

Magali, who has always been supported and encouraged by her mentors, also has an active role at her local LCD Association as Secretary and is always eager to participate in LCD International Committees to keep contributing to this Federation which she consideres to be part of her life.

Dear Friends,

Words cannot express how special this award is to me. I am grateful to be your 2020 Clefs d’Or Award recipient honoring Tony Facciolo.

In 2020, 14 extraordinary young leaders eagerly awaited the opportunity to meet each other in our first International Congress. We were preparing our travel arrangements when the pandemic changed our lives for the next two years.

In 2022, our dreams of meeting together finally came true with a unique invitation to join the Board of Directors Meeting in Morocco. I am eternally grateful for this experience because it showed me what future leadership would look like through the eyes of the Section Presidents. It may have been smaller than congress attendance but the passion emitting from these leaders spoke with tremendous volume. Simply put, it was inspiring. I absolutely look forward to meeting all of our members in our upcoming congresses and will continue to be involved as a growing leader for the future Les Clefs d’Or.

Biography:

Angelica Miozza was born in California and moved to Las Vegas to pursue her Business Degree.

During college, she received an opportunity to work at Wynn Las Vegas in 2008 as her first hotel job and never looked back. She began as a Reservationist and after she learned about every possible service within her hotel she decided that she wanted to learn about the rest of the city and was introduced to Concierge.

Angelica rose amongst the ranks in leadership, first pioneering the Concierge Lead program to being promoted to Concierge Supervisor, and finally to Assistant Chef Concierge as her role today.

Angelica has always and continues to be an active member of her Concierge Community participating on a Local, National, and International level. She attributes her success to her Mentors and Sponsors who guided her every step of her journey.

Dear Friends,

What a joy to be awarded with the Clefs D’Or Award 2019 in honour of Mr. Pierre Quentin, our Clefs d’Or founder, in our 66th International congress in Cannes !

I shared this amazing journey to the award with 15 other concierges from around the world that I can call now FRIENDS.

The values of our association are dear to me: we share and we care for each other when we exchange our opinions but always with friendship.

Before I had my Clefs d’Or, I saw them as an achievement. The first day I arrived at the concierge desk wearing them, I understood I was wrong: it was only the beginning.

I am grateful and thankful to the concierges I have encountered, and who have inspired me. I hope that I can do the same for the future members. I am completely respectful of our heritage and wish to make it last by encouraging young members to become even more active within our worldwide association.

In Service through friendship,

Raphaëlle

Biography – Raphaëlle Grandgirard

Raphaëlle was born in France.

She was lucky to get her very first position into a concierge team as a page girl in London in 2006. Step by step, she became a concierge. After a few years in London and the South of France, she arrived in Switzerland in 2014 to work at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Geneva and have been a proud member of Les Clefs d’Or since 2016.

For Raphaëlle, being a concierge is not only a job but a way of life and she consider herself as a very fortunate person. She loves helping and surprising guests by guessing what they really need.

Dear Friends,

I am sincerely humbled to be named the winner of the 2018 Les Clefs d’Or Young Leader Award in honor of Andre Damonte. Mr. Damonte’s kindness and integrity was known to all and I strive to live up to his legacy each and every day with my guests, friends, family and strangers that are not yet friends. This highly revered award is a true statement to the dedication and passion that I share for Les Clefs d’Or and our Concierge profession.

I am honored to be among this talented group of unique, smart and dedicated young concierge nominees and thankful that I returned home from the congress in Seoul with 15 new friendships from around the world. This is what the award and ultimately Les Clefs d’Or is all about: In Service Through Friendship. I look forward to representing Les Clefs d’Or USA and all of our International members in the years to come and being an ambassador for our respected association.

Long Live Les Clefs d’Or

Jenny

Biography

Jennifer boasts 14 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including 8 glorious years and counting as her true calling as Concierge. Originally from South Florida, Jennifer moved to Chicago in late 2014. Jennifer loves meeting guests from all over the world and helping them feel at home while creating life-long memories when visiting Chicago. Jennifer achieved one of her most ambitious career goals in March 2017 by earning her Les Clefs d’Or golden keys. Playing a crucial role in her local Concierge association as co-chair for their charitable endeavors committee, Jennifer hopes to expand and broaden these philanthropic efforts to the national and international level, uniting her fellow Concierges and their communities all over the world.

As a 13-year hospitality veteran, formerly at The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead and now at the St. Regis Bal Harbour, Jessica is as passionate as ever about her career as a Concierge. She served in five different capacities including sales, special events and the executive office before finding her “dream job” as Concierge. She strives for excellence every day, both in and outside of work. Earning her Les Clefs d’Or keys was a highlight of her concierge career. She enjoys networking with other Les Clefs d’Or members and potential new members, exploring Miami  to provide unique experiences and thinking of outside-the-box ways to create WOW moments for travellers. When she is not at the hotel, she can be found competing in a Flywheel spin class, spending time with her incredible friends and family as well as traveling to expand her knowledge of the world.

As the USA candidate and ultimately the winner of the 2017 Les Clefs d’Or Award in memory of Marjorie Silverman, my experience was most definitely one of friendly competition. When I heard my name announced, it was the penultimate joy and I was only so glad to share it with the other 12 candidates on stage who had become family throughout the competition and Congress in Berlin. Winning the Les Clefs d’Or Award in the year that honoured Marjorie Silverman carries with it an additional amount of pride and joy; as Marjorie was a trailblazer in Les Clefs d’Or and one of our beloved past presidents. I am honoured to carry on her incredible legacy representing Les Clefs d’Or USA and all members around the world.

Vive Les Clefs d’Or!
Jess

Before winning the 2016 Andy Pongco Award, Harold won the “Trophée Pierre Quentin” Les Clefs d’Or France in 2015. The Trophée Pierre Quentin is a four hour event. It focuses on the innate qualities that make a good Concierge, from general knowledge, organisational skills, logic and creativity, reflection and to knowledge of the ” Clefs d’Or.

The winner of the “Trophée Pierre Quentin” Les Clefs d’Or France is invited to attend the next UICH international congress and represent France for the Andy Pongco Award.

Harold is a true professional. Guests, fellow concierge and partners of the association appreciate him very much. Becoming a Concierge was his calling. Harold studied at the Hotel School of Grenoble and took classes at the Concierge School in Toulouse. Harold is an asset for the future of the association.

Harold is extremely proud of becoming the winner of the Les Clefs d’Or”® Award – Andy Pongco 2016.

Sarah moved to Los Angeles in 2005. At the suggestion of a wise General Manager, she was offered her first concierge position at the L’ermitage Beverly Hills (then a Raffles property).

A few years later, Sarah moved to the prestigious Peninsula Beverly Hills to continue honing her craft under the guidance and mentorship of several Les Clefs d’Or colleagues. Now she calls the The London West Hollywood Hotel her home. Sarah manages the desk as the Head Concierge. She also serves as the Secretary on the Board of the Los Angeles Concierge Association.

In 2012, combining her passion for the concierge community and her interests in the entertainment industry, Sarah created her own video blog called “Ask A Concierge”. Her goal was to broaden her audience and share travel advice. Since then she has become a true ambassador of Los Angeles and has created a following on various social media platforms. Sarah contributes regularly to travels magazines and continues her video productions showcasing all that Los Angeles has to offer.

James Elliott was born and raised in London, England. He has been in the hospitality industry for over ten years. James began as a private butler. After he was introduced to the concierge profession, he never looked back. James has a degree in geography and has a passion for maps and cartography. His personal mission is to encourage concierges around the world to get more involved in the creation and design of the maps that we use to guide our guests. Maps unites us all. Every year James also runs a full marathon to collect funds for his favourite charity. His future goals are to create relationships with organisations that can help us to introduce the concierge profession to graduates and young people.

James is greatly honoured to receive this prestigious award. He he looks forward to continue to contribute to our great organisation.

Anna started her concierge carrier in the Marriott Aurora where she was led by Past President of Les Clefs d’Or Russia Ekaterina Zhuravleva. Anna was born in Moscow but spent part of her childhood in Berlin and Athens.

Anna has an outgoing personality and is handles the public relations for Les Clefs d’Or Russia. She is honored and inspired by this award, especially to be the first concierge from Eastern Europe to have won. In 2012, Anna started a local hospitality school program. Students are introduced to the concierge profession. Anna will continue to share her passion with the “Flame of the Future” in her heart.

Matthew was born in Singapore and grew up in Vancouver. Having also worked as a resort Concierge in the Canadian Rockies, his favourite pastimes are hiking, board games and travelling. Matthew is honoured to be the first North American and specifically, Canadian, to receive this award. He hopes to leave a legacy as a result.

Anabella Peling, concierge at the Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires, is the fourth Andy Pongco Award winner. Anabella is proud to be the first female concierge to win this recognition.