One of the most important fixtures in any luxury hotel is the concierge.
After all, a good concierge is more than the person who can make a reservation. They are the hotel's local experts; the person with an "in" to get you a last-minute table at the most coveted restaurant in town; a person who can turn your trip from average hotel stay to memorable experience.
Starwood Hotels' Luxury Collection is celebrating that important resource with a new book called "Certified Indigenous," which features stories and tips from concierges around the world.
Available for $45 at Assouline boutiques and online, the hardcover book reveals how hotel concierges around the world explore their respective locales. It also offers travel and culinary tips and shares secret shops and stories that Starwood says “bring to life the Luxury Collection mantra, ‘Life is a collection of experiences. Let us be your guide.’"
Among the entries, the concierge from Hotel Goldener Hirsh in Austria reveals where to finding the chocolate Salzburger Mozartkugel that has been sold since 1890 in the Alter Markt in Old Town Salzburg.
In Peru, Starwood said, "the concierge from the Tambo del Inka tells of guests participating in an ancient ceremony to summon the gods with the smoke of a sacred fire, while the concierge of Jakarta’s Keraton at the Plaza spills one of the city’s best-kept secrets: a cultural village that preserves the indigenous Betawi culture through dance."
In addition to stories from the Luxury Collection’s chief concierges, the book includes passages from a group of high-profile designers, artists and chefs, who talk about their favorite haunts in their favorite cities around the world.
The book is a third in a series from the Luxury Collection, after "Epicurean Journeys," a collection of original recipes by renowned chefs, and "Hotel Stories," which includes historical accounts and anecdotal tales from Luxury Collection hotels and resorts.