State Director - NSW/ACT
Chief Concierge
Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour
12 Darling Drive, Sydney
Pyrmont NSW 2009
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About Nathan…

I started my career at the Regent Hotel in 1997, in the role of Office Co-ordinator. Not long after I started I found my passion for service and my calling for my future career. Actually, not only did I find my future career at the Regent - I also found my future wife.

Realizing quickly that having the ability to influence the memorable moments of a guest stay, not only on a Hotel level, but as a general city/country level was one of the best feelings I had experienced, and knowing that on my recommendations a guest could have the most memorable time and take all their joy back to their friends and family back at home, I knew I could not see myself doing anything else.

After one year in the role, the Hotel underwent major renovations which required it to shut down for 8 months. At this point, I was still working in hotels, but in a construction capacity. Once the Hotel reopened, it was re branded as the Four Seasons.

Having experienced the unique opportunity of reopening and re branding a major hotel, I decided to take an opportunity which presented itself to work at the ANA Hotel (now known as the Shangri-La) just prior to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Two years into my career at the ANA I was promoted into the role of Guest Relations, which primarily involved looking after our large Japanese clientele. For some reason my then Front Office Manager seemed to think this would work well, having apparently assumed I spoke Japanese as I have a Korean wife!

With the position of Guest Relations falling under the umbrella of the Concierge Department, this is where I had my first exposure to what a Concierge actually does. I found that my passion and drive for always exceeding a customers’ expectations combined perfectly well with being a Concierge. Seeing the level of care and dedication that the Les Clef’s d’Or Concierge Colin Toomey and Troy Vagg took with every guest, made me realize that is what I wanted to aspire too.

With there being no positions available at the time for me at the Concierge Desk of the Shangri-la, I chose to take my prodigious talents elsewhere, securing a job as Chief Concierge at a boutique hotel, Saville 2 Bond St. A year into my tenure there, I was employed by the Amora Hotel on Jamison St, they recognizing my ability and drive for customer service.

Thinking that I had peaked and knew everything there was to know about being a Concierge, I looked at exploring different positions within hotels, finally choosing to work at the Stamford Grand, as the Senior Assistant Front Office Manager. Working in that role, it did not take long before I realized that fundamentally, I took the most enjoyment out of being able to serve a guests needs, by showing off our glorious city and allowing them to experience everything that made this one of the most spectacular destinations, rather than checking them into their rooms.

Having finally seen the light and using my prior connections within the Concierge Fraternity, I quickly jumped at the role of Assistant Chief Concierge of the Hilton Sydney, relishing the opportunity to work under a highly regarded member of Les Clefs D'Or, Jason Aberin.

Learning and growing at the Hilton, I finally decided with my encouragement by Jason and my general manager to apply for the highly prestigious 'Golden Keys’, which every Concierge strives for. Having successful obtained my keys; I still feel the passion and drive that originally hooked me into this industry.