We’ve held aeroplanes back for guests, and hopped on flights at short notice. If you see the Clefs d’Or golden keys on a concierge’s lapel, it means we’ll do anything legally and humanly possible for you. A celebrity staying with us created a hand-written poem for his wife in LA for their anniversary. Courier services were too slow, so we had to deliver it ourselves. After working an eight-hour shift, my colleague went straight to the airport. He was probably up for 50 hours straight.
PHOTOGRAPHS: RICARDA SPIEGEL, JULIA REMEZOVA/SHUTTERSTOCK
When money is no issue, it’s easier to make things happen. One Middle Eastern monarch wanted a Siamese cat with different-coloured eyes. That took a lot of research, as they are a freak of nature. We finally found a breeder. She said no initially, but eventually quoted around €12,000. A colleague at the Hyatt had a guest who wanted to export 120 cows to Qatar. Requests like this are always an adventure.