What It's Really Like to Use a Luxury Hotel Concierge

When you walk into a luxury hotel, you’ll often see an enigmatic figure: the concierge. For years, I was intimidated by concierges because I wasn’t exactly sure what they did. Now, as a travel writer, I’ve found that in ultra-luxury hotels, elite concierges are an incredible resource for making sure a bucket list trip is even more epic than you imagined. While concierges at mid-market and business-focused hotels help with standard services like organizing dinner reservations and booking airport transfers, at high-end hotels, concierges are more like magicians.

Ahead, a few of the most extraordinary things luxury concierges around the globe can do for you—and what it's like to experience it firsthand.

Wake You Up for the Northern Lights

Since the Hotel Rangá prides itself on being one of the best places in Iceland to catch the Northern Lights, a dedicated concierge is on hand every night to alert you if the lights make an appearance during the season (generally September through March). I opted in to receive a call, so around 1 a.m. I only needed to answer my phone, stumble out of bed and into a provided snow suit to watch the mindblowing natural light show, hot cocoa in hand. That’s my kind of wake-up call.

Help You Get the Perfect Photo

While most hotel concierges can advise you on photogenic spots in their destination, W Punta de Mita’s Instagram Concierge program takes it a step further. Before I arrived, I emailed a link to my Instagram profile to the IG concierge; when I arrived they had a map ready, marked with the top photo spots based on my profile’s aesthetic. For me, that meant vivid colors and stunning backdrops. As a reward for snapping your vacation pics, show your map at the resort’s Living Room bar post-photo shoot for a comped cocktail.

Take Over a Private Island

For the privileged few who can afford to rent an entire private island in the Maldives, you get a dedicated concierge to manage anything and everything you dream up. During a tour of Ithaafushi The Private Island, the concierge surprised me in advance with a bespoke hand-woven Panama hat to wear on the sun-drenched island. Dinner was an elaborate poolside affair with red rose petals sprinkled in the water, a violinist playing instrumental versions of pop hits, and a dessert set up on the pool table—chocolate balls painstakingly painted to look like 15 pool balls, which we then cracked open by “breaking” with the cue ball to reveal sumptuous fillings.

Fulfil Kids' Wish Lists

The tiny humans at Beaches Negril also get VIP concierge service. The baby butlers at Beaches can craft a custom itinerary based on their interests (and nap times), including a tuck-in turndown service where a child’s favorite Sesame Street character will read them a story, sing a lullaby, and tuck them into bed.

Concierges coordinate with certified nannies to provide parents with adult time and can also help with nurse services 24 hours a day in case anything goes wrong. For my trip, we coordinated with the concierge for baby gates to be added to our three-story villa to make it toddler-friendly. They also booked a private beachside yoga session with Elmo, which was the highlight of our stay.

Live Like Royalty

At Bali’s Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, instead of a concierge, they offer patihs—derived from the Sanskrit word meaning "the king's right-hand man". Since my stay overlapped with the full moon, they were able to arrange a traditional water purification. We headed to Pura Gunung Kawi Sebatu, a century-old temple near Ubud dedicated to Vishnu, the Hindu God of Water. Then, after instructing me on the Melukat ritual of water purification and helping me dress in the appropriate attire for the temple, I submerged in the five springs, honoring the completeness of the full moon.