Assistant Chief Concierge
Shangri-La Hotel Sydney
176 Cumberland Street, Sydney
Ph: +61 2 9250 6018
Email

About Phil…

Whilst still in high school in Sydney in the late '80s, a high school friend asked if I would like to join him in applying for a position as a casual bellman at the Intercontinental, Sydney. On commencement of my hospitality career there, I immediately enjoyed the sense of teamwork, professionalism & camaraderie that flourishes in such an environment, & as such stayed on for around 3 years.

After university & stints in Sydney CBD based hotels as a full time bellman including the pre- opening team of the (now renamed) Royal Garden hotel, I changed career paths considerably to become a Sydney bicycle courier which provided around a decade of blood, sweat & tears, not to mention being (at the time) a far more financially lucrative proposition than hotel work. The advent of the internet & email communication led me to return to my first true passion of hotel work & in 2000 I commenced a 4 year stint at Crowne Plaza Coogee Beach, followed in 2004 by 3 years at the CBD based Grace Hotel, Sydney as a full time Bellman under Chief Concierge Hidetaka Tanaka, where I progressed to the position of Concierge team leader. In mid 2007 I was advised that the first opening in around a decade for a full time Concierge at the Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney under Chief Concierge & now President Les Clefs d'Or International Colin Toomey had become available, & I somewhat optimistically applied for the position of Assistant Concierge. I felt extremely privileged to be subsequently chosen for that position, & in May 2012 I was promoted to the role of Assistant Chief Concierge. I was a finalist in the AHA NSW division Concierge of the year awards in 2012, & received the Concierge Rising Star & the Tony Facciolo Ambassador awards in 2014.

The beauty of being a concierge is that no two days are ever the same, both in terms of the guests you meet & the requests that you diligently attempt to fulfil. Sydney is a wonderful global city that I have lived in my entire life, & I thoroughly enjoy promoting it to visitors & residents alike. Wearing the Gold Keys of Les Clefs d'Or serves to remind me daily not just of the responsibilities & obligations that come with membership, but also the long term friendships that I have gained along the way in doing so. I would highly encourage any aspiring potential members who are considering a career as a concierge to take the initial steps towards doing so, as it is an extremely enjoyable profession that becomes increasingly so with every passing day.