Hotel Concierges

Concierges have been around since the Middle Ages. The word concierge comes from the Latin term conservus, meaning "fellow slave." In the past, trusted slaves were trained to assist their owners, often traveling ahead to make sure accommodations and food were in order. Holding the keys to the castle, these slaves became doorkeepers; they were relied upon to make sure everyone was safely locked in for the night. Throughout the years, as luxury hotels were built across Europe, it was necessary to install concierges to provide the same type of service for their guests. It was not until the mid-1970s that American hotels realized the need for the services of a concierge. Today, most hotels maintain a concierge department relative to the property's size and number of guests.