Photos: Concierge Staff Take Tour Of Bermuda
Forty concierge staff from Bermuda’s hotels and visitor information desks were treated to their very own tour of Bermuda on Concierge Day March 7, 2013.
The special tour formed a major part of the Annual Concierge Day was an initiative of the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce. The day began with a breakfast hosted by the West End Development Corporation at the Bone Fish Restaurant.
The Concierge Tour was provided by members of the Bermuda Minibus Association and began with a tour of the Dock Yard area followed by a full island tour with lunch at the original Swizzle Inn and a tour of the old town of St George, Hosted by Alison Outerbridge.
The key goal of the tour, narrated by Ralph Richardson, David Burgess and Debbie Brown, was designed to demonstrate the experience that clients of the Concierge Staff would enjoy on a Bermuda tour and to share bits of Bermuda information that make our island such a unique and special place.
“This was also and opportunity for them to learn about the services offered by the Minibus Association members and the capability we now have to cater to large groups and families,” a spokesperson said.
Concierge staff learned that groups of between 7 and 30 people can enjoy transportation or a tour of Bermuda in the same vehicle and enjoy the Bermuda Experience together in one of the Association’s minibuses.
The tour ended at the Hamilton Fairmont Hotel where the Concierge group attended a trade fair, designed to enlighten them on the many products and services available in Bermuda.
“The Bermuda Minibus Association would like to thank the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce for the opportunity to assist with the Concierge Day and look forward to working with the Concierge professionals during the 2013 tourist season,” a spokesperson said.
Read More About
Category: All, Community, News, Photos
This is great, they can now pass on first hand knowledge to our visitors.
Good job Chamber Of Commerce and to all involved.Who else to promote Bermuda,than the hotel concierges?We are now seeing good ideas being implemented,as confidence in Bermuda gets restored!
To be honest, the idea is great and good from a moral point of view to get the “mojo” back in wanting to promote Bermuda. However, if you are a concierge, and that is your job that you have been hired for, you are expected to know these things already? That is the point of being hired as a concierge in the first place!!! Not to be treated by Chamber Of Commerce to tour Bermuda and see the sites? We are only a 21 sq mile island with a handle full of attractions that is you have lived here most of your life you know already and if you dont why are you being hired to be a concierge to champion Bermuda’s attractions to our vistors who stay at the hotel where you are emplyed if you do not know? I mean c,mon! This quite frankly is the problem with Bermuda, every one has been babied for so long that there is no effort made to follow through and become “knowledgable” about your job! IMHO it should have been the other way around and the concierges should have been given the task of taking the staff from the Chamber of Commerce on a tour of Bermuda’s attractions, and those that failed, should have been relieved of there duties!
Its good to know what other ambassadors have to offer our guests that come to our island. There are new attractions offered every year. New ideas but off cause what would you know.
Going Downhill you must not be a Concierge Agent because you would realize that theses types of things are essential to our day-to-day operations as there are always new things to learn. Had we not gone out for this tour, we might not have realized that there is now a brand new mini-golf course in Dockyard in back of Snorkel Park which isn’t even open yet. They invite us to these things so that we are knowledgable in the information that we give to our visitors’. Also, there were quite a few new Concierge Agents from various hotels who prbably didn’t know everything that they might have thought. If you were a Concierge Agent you would be able appreciate such occasions because it gives us an opportunity to learn what we didn’t know already in regards to NEW things being introduced for the new season. Also, for me in particular, I never came to this hotel looking to be a Concierge Agent. I needed a job and this is where they put me. Now that I’m here, I have to be knowledgable in the information that I have to give to my guest and I take these events very seriously because they come with a wealth of information. I hope that you can now appreciate what it is that we do when these sort of events come around as we look forward to learning what we can when we can.
Most of the people who work our desks know a lot about the island. However smart people continually upgrade their knowledge. This group apparently did learn a lot from their tour yesterday. I think it is great that the Chamber has encouraged our local professionals to upgrade their skills. We expect a lot for our concierge staff and they are keen to provide first hand knowledge. Well done to all.
Going Downhill, you have chosen an interesting name for yourself. It is refreshing the know that some are trying to raise the bar and improve themselves and are worthy of a name like ‘forward and upward’.
Well done chamber of Commerce and the islands Concierges who went on this tour – they got to see first hand whats out there and got to meet the providers of the tours shows, dive shosp , boats etc that are there – these are the people the guests to the island look to for advice when they come here – this is what our tourism product needs!!
Maybe goingdownhill was a bit too colorful and could have phrased his/her comment with less critique. I for one will not continue with the mudslinging. Let’s bring this all back into perspective.. One of the most valuable assets that a Hotel has is its Concierge, who greets their guest with grace and a smile. There to help make a guest’s stay a happy and a memorable one. Sharing their Knowledge of the island (and yes; they are very knowledgeable) all said; will result in our visitors returning. My reason for replying; I would like to see a Concierge Day; be just that, a Concierge Day by having our Department of Tourism showing direct recognition to the Island’s Hotel Concierge.