2nd International Vice President
Chief Concierge
Next Hotel Melbourne
103 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
+61 3 9118 3333
Email

About James…

I began my hotel career with an apprenticeship at the Holiday Inn Harbourside in Vancouver, Canada. I then continued on to take a Diploma of Hospitality Management at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and at the same time began working in the front office for the prestigious Hotel Vancouver, now part of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.

 After a few years of service I took up another front office position with one of Canada’s best hotel’s, the Sutton Place Vancouver which held the distinction of being one of only three hotels in Canada to achieve the highest recognition for hotel excellence, the CAA/AAA Five Diamond Award. After several years of service, I accepted a position at the prestigious Sutton Place Hotel Toronto as the Assistant Chef (Chief) Concierge.

I was then offered a position in the telecommunications industry at Bell Canada and I decided to try something new. I held a variety of positions with varying accountabilities such as training assessment and design, process management and implementation, call centre management, product management as well as a role in the Office of the Vice President championing customer complaint resolution.

 Shortly after moving to Australia I decided to return to the hotel industry and accepted a position as a Duty Manager at the Melbourne Marriott hotel.

 In 2005 I was commenced my role as Chief Concierge of The Hotel Windsor.  I held this role for three years and will always have fond memories of working at “The Duchess of Spring Street”.

 In 2008 I was offered the role of Chief Concierge at the prestigious InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto.  InterContinental is the concierge’s choice for international hotel chains as it’s marketing and service strategies are driven by concierge services.  I opened the hotel in 2008 and now lead a team of service professionals.  I am very proud that our concierge team consistently rate in the top hotels for guest service satisfaction for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts worldwide.

 In 2008 I was given the honour of becoming a member of the prestigious international hotel concierge society Les Clefs d’Or.   In 2010 I was elected to the role of Victorian State Delegate for Les Clefs d’Or Australia and then in 2011 I was elected to the role of National Secretary.

 I am fortunate to work with two other members of Les Clefs d’Or Australia, Mr James Spielvogel and Mr Jacob Detering. Together we strive to provide our guest with the most comprehensive and personalised concierge services in Melbourne.   Our team continually strives to provide our guests service that rivals that of the best hotels in the world.

 In 2011 I was asked to participate in the reworking of InterContinental’s concierge program “In the Know”.  The project which was called Best in Class was a collaboration of Concierges, Directors of Sales & Marketing, Regional Marketing Managers and General Managers.  The team was headed by our Global Vice President for Marketing.  The goal was to standardise and improve InterContinental concierge services around the globe.  I was responsible for writing and creating the majority of the standard operating procedures for InterContinental concierge services including the key arrival and departure experiences for our global hotels.

 In 2011 I was awarded the prestigious Australian Hotel Association of Victoria’s Front Office Employee of the Year.

 In 2012 Business Review Australia placed me at the top of the concierge list for the top 10 concierges and guides in Australia and New Zealand.

 In 2013 I was very pleased to be asked to join the InterContinental Concierge Advisory Board which is a group of nine InterContinental concierges who assist in driving the “In the Know” concierge program which is a key marketing and brand initiative for InterContinental Hotels and Resorts worldwide.

 In 2014 I was honoured to be elected to the Executive Committee of Les Clefs d’Or International as the Assistant General Secretary.   I continue to serve in this role and assist the General Secretary with the societies communications, operations, congresses and meetings.

 I am pleased to be able to partner with American Express Platinum and Centurion lifestyle concierges with detailed information on Melbourne as well as tailored local travel solutions for their card members.  I also have consulted with Destination Melbourne on their marketing and strategic plans for championing Melbourne as a tourist destination.

 I continue to work with government, industry and individuals as well as to use social media to promote Melbourne as one of the great cities of the world.

You can keep in touch with me via my Melbourne website ‘Your Concierge Guide to Melbourne’ at   You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ConciergeAUS