Les Clefs D'Or
Les Clefs D'Or

Awards

The Les Clefs d’Or Award was first established at the 55th Les Clefs d’Or International Congress in Denmark, in 2008, as the “Andy Pongco Award” to honour the memory Andy Pongco. The award aims to recognise and encourage young members to become active participants in our worldwide society. This year's award was in honour of Denis TC O'Brien.

The prize for the recipient of the Award is an invitation to the next Les Clefs d’Or International Congress (registration and airfare included). All countries are encouraged to nominate a young member.

Nomination Guidelines:

  • A “Clefs d’Or” member

  • Under 36 years of age

  • Participating at his/her very first international congress

  • Nominated by his/her member section

  • Fluent in English

  • Must have the title “Concierge”

  • The application must include a scanned copy of the candidate’s business card. Candidates will also be required to present a business card at the personal interview.

The candidates will complete an open book written exam on the history of Les Clefs d’Or, geography and general hotel knowledge to assess the skills they use everyday while working at their Concierge Desk and assisting guests. They will write an essays on their interest in the profession and their aspirations. At the congress, the candidate will have an interview with members of the Award Committee. The candidates' personal presentation will play a major part in the final outcome of this friendly contest.

We look forward celebrating future nominees and winners and recognising the elite's of tomorrow’s Les Clefs d’Or Concierge.

2023 Winner
Magali Brandariz
Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dear beloved colleagues,

It is difficult to express in a few words the tremendous impact this award has represented in my professional life.

From the very first moment I jumped into this wonderful journey, I was told to enjoy every step of it, and I am happy to say I did it. The 15 amazing talents I have shared this nomination with, have become not only extraordinary colleagues but 15 new friends around the globe. The rigorous process our Award Committee has prepared for us has challenged my knowledge and skills during two long months and their support and kindness throughout this experience have motivated me to believe that nothing is impossible.

Having won Les Clefs d´Or Young Leaders Award 2023 has inspired me to keep making Les Clefs d’Or stronger by strengthening our bond with new generations, always in service through friendship. A big thank you to the whole Les Clefs d’Or family and Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt Buenos Aires for having always believed in me.

Biography:

Magalí Brandariz was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and got her degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management in 2014. She has experienced different fields from the Tourism industry until she fell in love with Hospitality in 2016.

She has always been passionate about being a Hotelier and a Tourist Guide until one day she was introduced to the Les Clefs d’Or world and knew she was born to be a Concierge. Her first Concierge experience was in 2017 at Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires where a talented team taught her not only the technical side of the profession but, most importantly, the human values that defined them. After 5 years of unforgettable teamwork, she was offered the position of Chief Concierge at Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt Buenos Aires in January 2022 where she accepted the challenge to rebuild the Concierge and Butler teams. She is proud to be part of this company which considers her family since then and continuously works to develop a motivated and passionate team.

 

Magali, who has always been supported and encouraged by her mentors, also has an active role at her local LCD Association as Secretary and is always eager to participate in LCD International Committees to keep contributing to this Federation which she consideres to be part of her life.

2023 Nominees
Evan BAKER
Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, USA
Aron BOKROS
Matild Palace, Hungary
Thanaphon BUNDUSIT
Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, Thailand
Julien GENTLE
Hotel de Rome, Germany
Marie-France GREGOIRE
La Reserve Paris, France
Justyna KAMINSKA
Mandarin Oriental Ritz Madrid, Spain
Michael LOMBARDI
Nottawasaga Inn Resort, Canada
Josephat OSIEGO
Mandarin Oriental Jumeira Dubai, UAE
Guilia ROMANGNANI
Anantara Palazzo. Naiadi, Italy
Magnus SIMONSEN
The Nimb, Denmark
Sahil SURI
The Berkeley, Great Britain
Pierre-Felipe VALLADERES
Mandarin Oriental Geneva, Switzerland
Fabienne VAN DEN BERGH
Sofitel Legend the Grand Amsterdam, Netherlands
Sabuhi YAVUZER
Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul Sultanahmet, Turkey
Bomi YOON
JW Marriott Seoul, Korea
2023 Sponsor
2022 Winner
Angelica Miozza
Wynn Las Vegas, USA

Dear Friends,

Words cannot express how special this award is to me. I am grateful to be your 2020 Clefs d’Or Award recipient honoring Tony Facciolo.

In 2020, 14 extraordinary young leaders eagerly awaited the opportunity to meet each other in our first International Congress. We were preparing our travel arrangements when the pandemic changed our lives for the next two years.

In 2022, our dreams of meeting together finally came true with a unique invitation to join the Board of Directors Meeting in Morocco. I am eternally grateful for this experience because it showed me what future leadership would look like through the eyes of the Section Presidents. It may have been smaller than congress attendance but the passion emitting from these leaders spoke with tremendous volume. Simply put, it was inspiring. I absolutely look forward to meeting all of our members in our upcoming congresses and will continue to be involved as a growing leader for the future Les Clefs d’Or.

Biography:

Angelica Miozza was born in California and moved to Las Vegas to pursue her Business Degree.

During college, she received an opportunity to work at Wynn Las Vegas in 2008 as her first hotel job and never looked back. She began as a Reservationist and after she learned about every possible service within her hotel she decided that she wanted to learn about the rest of the city and was introduced to Concierge.

Angelica rose amongst the ranks in leadership, first pioneering the Concierge Lead program to being promoted to Concierge Supervisor, and finally to Assistant Chef Concierge as her role today.

Angelica has always and continues to be an active member of her Concierge Community participating on a Local, National, and International level. She attributes her success to her Mentors and Sponsors who guided her every step of her journey.

2022 Nominees
Rachita BHARGAVA
Raffles Udaipur, India
Sinan BENZONANA
Çirağan Palace Hotel Kempinski, Turkey
Matthew DU
Crown Towers Melbourne, Australia
Fruzsina FEKETE
Ritz-Carlton Budapest, Hungary
Rick KARSTEN
The Grand by SkyCity, New Zealand
Sinjaporn LIMAPHAN
St Regis Bangkok, Thailand
Edurne MAYOZ
Maria Cristina San Sebastian, Spain
Ksenia NIKITINA
Four Seasons Moscow, Russia
Muhendra REDDY
The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi, Malaysia
Cosimo SOLETO
Jumeirah Frankfurt, Germany
Michael SORGATO
San Clemente Palace Kempinski, Italy
Maël TALIBART
Kimpton Saint Honoré Paris, France
Judith VAN DER HEIJDEN
The Rosewood London, Great Britain
2022 Sponsor
2019 Winner
Raphaëlle Grandgirard
Hotel Mandarin Oriental Genève, Switzerland

Dear Friends,

What a joy to be awarded with the Clefs D’Or Award 2019 in honour of Mr. Pierre Quentin, our Clefs d’Or founder, in our 66th International congress in Cannes !

I shared this amazing journey to the award with 15 other concierges from around the world that I can call now FRIENDS.

The values of our association are dear to me: we share and we care for each other when we exchange our opinions but always with friendship.

Before I had my Clefs d’Or, I saw them as an achievement. The first day I arrived at the concierge desk wearing them, I understood I was wrong: it was only the beginning.

I am grateful and thankful to the concierges I have encountered, and who have inspired me. I hope that I can do the same for the future members. I am completely respectful of our heritage and wish to make it last by encouraging young members to become even more active within our worldwide association.

In Service through friendship,

Raphaëlle

 

Biography – Raphaëlle Grandgirard

Raphaëlle was born in France.

She was lucky to get her very first position into a concierge team as a page girl in London in 2006. Step by step, she became a concierge. After a few years in London and the South of France, she arrived in Switzerland in 2014 to work at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Geneva and have been a proud member of Les Clefs d’Or since 2016.

For Raphaëlle, being a concierge is not only a job but a way of life and she consider herself as a very fortunate person. She loves helping and surprising guests by guessing what they really need.

2019 Nominees
Josh Blake
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, Australia
Marie Voyer
Auberge Saint-Antoine Québec City, Canada
Sébastien Clemente
Château Saint-Martin Vence,France
Anne Hollaender
The Charles Hotel Munich, Germany
Zaneta Kalinaite
InterContinental Park Lane London, Great Britain
Estelle Btaiche
Phoenicia InterContinental Beirut, Lebanon (representing Hellas)
David Turcsik
Sofitel Budapest, Hungary
Mauro Contino
Hotel Le Sirenuse Positano, Italy
Daniel Kamaku
The St Regis Doha, Qatar
Evgenia Zhikhareva
The Ritz-Carlton Moscow, Russia
Claudio Heldt Alonso
Hotel Mandarin Oriental Barcelona, Spain
Erik Montoya
Hotel Upper House Göteborg, Sweden
Suebyos Suwanahong
Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok, Thailand
Sahan Rubasinghe
Raffles Hotel Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Zachary Serrano
Hotel Beverly Hills Los Angeles, United States of America
2019 Sponsor
2018 Winner
Jennifer Brody
Peninsula Chicago

Dear Friends,

I am sincerely humbled to be named the winner of the 2018 Les Clefs d’Or Young Leader Award in honor of Andre Damonte. Mr. Damonte’s kindness and integrity was known to all and I strive to live up to his legacy each and every day with my guests, friends, family and strangers that are not yet friends. This highly revered award is a true statement to the dedication and passion that I share for Les Clefs d’Or and our Concierge profession.

I am honored to be among this talented group of unique, smart and dedicated young concierge nominees and thankful that I returned home from the congress in Seoul with 15 new friendships from around the world. This is what the award and ultimately Les Clefs d’Or is all about: In Service Through Friendship. I look forward to representing Les Clefs d’Or USA and all of our International members in the years to come and being an ambassador for our respected association.

Long Live Les Clefs d’Or

Jenny

Biography

Jennifer boasts 14 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including 8 glorious years and counting as her true calling as Concierge. Originally from South Florida, Jennifer moved to Chicago in late 2014. Jennifer loves meeting guests from all over the world and helping them feel at home while creating life-long memories when visiting Chicago. Jennifer achieved one of her most ambitious career goals in March 2017 by earning her Les Clefs d’Or golden keys. Playing a crucial role in her local Concierge association as co-chair for their charitable endeavors committee, Jennifer hopes to expand and broaden these philanthropic efforts to the national and international level, uniting her fellow Concierges and their communities all over the world.

 

2018 Nominees
Jose Maria Arias Rojas
Gran Hotel Miramar Malaga, Spain
Daryl Bismanos
St. Regis Saadiyat Island, UAE
Constantin Bock
InterContinental Frankfurt, Germany
Simon Cletienne
Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
Flemming Gruner
Nimb Hotel Copenhagen, Denmark
Anne-Marie Gauthier
Ritz-Carlton Montréal, Canada
Jonathan Jongebloed
Grand Sofitel Legend Amsterdam, Netherlands
Gustavo Lopez
Hotel Matilda San Miguel de All., Mexico
Teodora Elisabeta Moncea
Hotel d'Inghilterra Starhotels Collezione Roma, Italy
Didzis Neimanis
Amba Charing Cross London, U.K.
Supang Ruksanit
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Bangkok, Thailand
Artiom Sichkov
Four Seasons Hotel Moscow, Russia
Damanpreet Singh
Hotel ITC Maurya New Delhi, India
Hugo Vaysse
Hôtel Regina Paris, France
Phoenix Wong
Grand Hyatt Macau City of Dreams, Macau
2018 Sponsor
2017 Winner
Jessica Gorman,
St. Regis Bal Harbour, Miami

As a 13-year hospitality veteran, formerly at The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead and now at the St. Regis Bal Harbour, Jessica is as passionate as ever about her career as a Concierge. She served in five different capacities including sales, special events and the executive office before finding her “dream job” as Concierge. She strives for excellence every day, both in and outside of work. Earning her Les Clefs d’Or keys was a highlight of her concierge career. She enjoys networking with other Les Clefs d’Or members and potential new members, exploring Miami  to provide unique experiences and thinking of outside-the-box ways to create WOW moments for travellers. When she is not at the hotel, she can be found competing in a Flywheel spin class, spending time with her incredible friends and family as well as traveling to expand her knowledge of the world.

As the USA candidate and ultimately the winner of the 2017 Les Clefs d’Or Award in memory of Marjorie Silverman, my experience was most definitely one of friendly competition. When I heard my name announced, it was the penultimate joy and I was only so glad to share it with the other 12 candidates on stage who had become family throughout the competition and Congress in Berlin. Winning the Les Clefs d’Or Award in the year that honoured Marjorie Silverman carries with it an additional amount of pride and joy; as Marjorie was a trailblazer in Les Clefs d’Or and one of our beloved past presidents. I am honoured to carry on her incredible legacy representing Les Clefs d’Or USA and all members around the world.

Vive Les Clefs d’Or!
Jess

2017 Nominees
Mark Anderson - Park Hyatt
Sydney, Australia
Lukas Furst - Park Hyatt
Vienna, Austria
Mark Finn - Fairmont Pacific Rim
Vancouver, Canada
Vaclav Jancarik - Mandarin Oriental
Prague, Czech Republic
Suha Yesilyurt - Arctic Light Hotel
Rovaniemi, Finland
Alexandre Guevel - The Peninsula
Paris France
Malte Masuth - Breidenbacher Hof
Düsseldorf, Germany
William Thomson - Randolph Hotel
Oxford, Great Britain
Jaimy De Graaf - Waldorf Astoria
Amsterdam, Holland
Ciaran O'Hanlon - Grand Millennium
Auckland, New Zealand
Vitaliy Antropov - The Ritz-Carlton
Moscow, Russia
Christian Fons - Fairmont Rey J. Carlos I
Barcelona, Spain
Jessica Gorman - Ritz Carlton Buckhead
Atlanta, United States
2017 Sponsor
2016 Winner
Harold Exbrayat,
Hôtel Peninsula, Paris

Before winning the 2016 Andy Pongco Award, Harold won the “Trophée Pierre Quentin” Les Clefs d’Or France in 2015. The Trophée Pierre Quentin is a four hour event. It focuses on the innate qualities that make a good Concierge, from general knowledge, organisational skills, logic and creativity, reflection and to knowledge of the ” Clefs d’Or.

The winner of the “Trophée Pierre Quentin” Les Clefs d’Or France is invited to attend the next UICH international congress and represent France for the Andy Pongco Award.

Harold is a true professional. Guests, fellow concierge and partners of the association appreciate him very much. Becoming a Concierge was his calling. Harold studied at the Hotel School of Grenoble and took classes at the Concierge School in Toulouse. Harold is an asset for the future of the association.

Harold is extremely proud of becoming the winner of the Les Clefs d’Or”® Award – Andy Pongco 2016.

2016 Nominees
Paul Rumpff - InterContinental The Rialto
Melbourne, Australia
Rainer Gruber - Hotel Goldener Hirsch
Salzburg, Austria
Lucas Medeiros - Hotel Fasano
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Andrew van der Hoeven - The Westin
Ottawa, Canada
Dennis Silhberg - Grand Hotel
Stockholm, nominated by Finland
Harold Exbrayat - The Peninsula
Paris, France
Mike Kaemper - Hotel Belle Epoque
Baden Baden, Germany
Riyas Kallan - The Marylebone
London, Great Britain
Maurits Den Dulk - Hotel Pulitzer
Amsterdam, Holland
Debayan Ghosh - Shangri-La Hotel
Bengaluru Bangalore, India
Sung Jin Park - Paradise Hotel
Busan, Korea
Erkin Aliyev - JW Marriott Absheron
Baku, Azerbaidjan, nominated by Russia
Helena Debain - InterContinental
Madrid, Spain
Alexander Piderit - Badrutt’s Palace Hotel
St Moritz, Switzerland
Panisa Ariyasakul - The Okura Prestige
Bangkok, Thailand
Alida Reggio - Four Seasons Hotel Bosphorus
Istanbul, Turkey
Abdul Shahadab Pandihar - Grosvenor House
Dubai, UAE
Justin Sondgeroth - Omni San Diego Hotel
San Diego, USA
2016 Sponsor
2015 Winner
Sarah Dandashy,
The London West Hollywood

Sarah moved to Los Angeles in 2005. At the suggestion of a wise General Manager, she was offered her first concierge position at the L’ermitage Beverly Hills (then a Raffles property).

A few years later, Sarah moved to the prestigious Peninsula Beverly Hills to continue honing her craft under the guidance and mentorship of several Les Clefs d’Or colleagues. Now she calls the The London West Hollywood Hotel her home. Sarah manages the desk as the Head Concierge. She also serves as the Secretary on the Board of the Los Angeles Concierge Association.

In 2012, combining her passion for the concierge community and her interests in the entertainment industry, Sarah created her own video blog called “Ask A Concierge”. Her goal was to broaden her audience and share travel advice. Since then she has become a true ambassador of Los Angeles and has created a following on various social media platforms. Sarah contributes regularly to travels magazines and continues her video productions showcasing all that Los Angeles has to offer.

2015 Nominees
David Luff – Four Seasons Hotel
Sydney, Australia
Johannes Hausberger – Hotel Bristol
Vienna, Austria
Carmen Gonzalez – JW Marriott
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Véronique Bourgeault – Château Champlain
Montréal, Canada
Jasmine Fang-Zu Pai – W
Taipei, Taiwan
Olivier Delmasse – Hermitage
Monte Carlo, Principauté de Monaco
Alexander Hohmann – The Ritz-Carlton
Berlin, Germany
Alixandra Mellor – Charlotte Street Hotel
London, United Kingdom
Priscilla Overdiek – Hotel des Indes
The Hague, The Netherlands
Mohamad Razif Bin Zulkifli – The Andaman Resort
Langkawi, Malaysia
Maria Maksimova – Lotte Hotel
Moscow, Russia
Mohamad Hifni – Intercontinental
Singapore
Alberto Pérez Carrillo – Mandarin Oriental
Barcelona, Spain
Marie Ela Lanzanas – Fairmont
Dubai, UAE
Sarah Dandashy – The London West Hollywood
West Hollywood, USA
2015 Sponsor
2014 Winner
James Elliott,
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, London

James Elliott was born and raised in London, England. He has been in the hospitality industry for over ten years. James began as a private butler. After he was introduced to the concierge profession, he never looked back. James has a degree in geography and has a passion for maps and cartography. His personal mission is to encourage concierges around the world to get more involved in the creation and design of the maps that we use to guide our guests. Maps unites us all. Every year James also runs a full marathon to collect funds for his favourite charity. His future goals are to create relationships with organisations that can help us to introduce the concierge profession to graduates and young people.

James is greatly honoured to receive this prestigious award. He he looks forward to continue to contribute to our great organisation.

2014 Nominees
Pierre Houdet
Denmark
Daisuke Kimura
France
Sandra Boesemueller
Germany
James Elliott
Great Britain
Lesley Klavert
Holland
Noel Sumitra
India
Fred Hooi Wei Lun
Malaysia
Konstantin Pilipenko
Russia
Mohamed Fasle bin Rifaeh
Singapore
Alvaro Canales
Spain
Avnish Masih
UAE
Matthew Ziegler
USA
2014 Sponsor
2013 Winner
Anna Endrihovskaia,
InterContinental Moscow Tverskaya, Moscow

Anna started her concierge carrier in the Marriott Aurora where she was led by Past President of Les Clefs d’Or Russia Ekaterina Zhuravleva. Anna was born in Moscow but spent part of her childhood in Berlin and Athens.

Anna has an outgoing personality and is handles the public relations for Les Clefs d’Or Russia. She is honored and inspired by this award, especially to be the first concierge from Eastern Europe to have won. In 2012, Anna started a local hospitality school program. Students are introduced to the concierge profession. Anna will continue to share her passion with the “Flame of the Future” in her heart.

2013 Nominees
Valeria Brauer
Argentina
Jacob Detering
Australia
Luís Cesar Rodrigues
Brazil
Samuel David
France
Marco Paule
Germany
Aaron Woodley
Great Britain
Sufian Alariachi
Holland
Gungun Girish
India
Nick Steele
New Zealand
Anna Endrihovskaia
Russia
Abey Sam
UAE
Kalindra Ashleigh
USA
2013 Sponsor
2012 Winner
Matthew Wu,
Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver BC

Matthew was born in Singapore and grew up in Vancouver. Having also worked as a resort Concierge in the Canadian Rockies, his favourite pastimes are hiking, board games and travelling. Matthew is honoured to be the first North American and specifically, Canadian, to receive this award. He hopes to leave a legacy as a result.

2012 Nominees
Gary Lee
Australia
Barroso Caiado
Brazil
Greg Van Bulck
Belgium
Matthew Wu
Canada
Geraldine Carnus
France
Martin Ruschitzka
Germany
Barnabas Kovesdi
Hungary
Sharezal Abdul Wahid
Malaysia
Anna Endrihovskaia
Russia
Jonathan Schmitt
Switzerland
Adam Lieberman
USA
2012 Sponsor
2011 Winner
Anabella Peling
Four Seasons, Buenos Aires

Anabella Peling, concierge at the Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires, is the fourth Andy Pongco Award winner. Anabella is proud to be the first female concierge to win this recognition.

2011 Nominees
Anabella Peling
Argentina
Korey Rorison
Canada
Dagmar Sirova
Czech Republic
Kasper Poulsen
Denmark
F.R. Tronel
France
Sascha Domm
Germany
Roel Smits
Holland
Aron Szucs
Hungary
Dinorizzam Zainal Abidin
Malaysia
Nathan Wise
New Zealand
Kirill Kuleshov
Russia
Kristen Klus
USA
2011 Sponsor
2010 Winner
Ben Malpass,
The Cavendish London
2010 Nominees
Andreas Schofbenker
Austria
Chanel Mongeon
Canada
Carrie Lee
Chinese Taipei
Christian Runge
Denmark
Julien Brunel
France
Jan-Felix Weidenhammer
Germany
Benjamin Malpass
Great Britain
Juliette Roschard
Holland
Maria Otilia Cozarescu
Romania
Veronika Vakhrameeva
Russia
Atiphol Soonthornsingh
Thailand
Nathan Goff
USA
2010 Sponsor
2009 Winner
Christophe Caron,
Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris
2009 Nominees
Maria José IIturralde
Argentina
Annabell Schwarz
Austria
Anders Olsted Ruggiero
Denmark
Christophe Caron
France
Toru Machida
Great Britain
Eef Sparta
Holland
Gabor Sinka
Hungary
Wirachai Chakumrod
Thailand
Naomi Abe
USA
2009 Sponsor
2008 Winner
Tony Chang,
The Sheraton Hsinchu Hotel, Chinese Taipei
2008 Nominees
Francois Pascal leBlanc
Canada
Tony Chang
Chinese Taipei
Anders Ruggerio-Olsted
Denmark
Emilie Garnier
France
André Kleinschmidt
Germany
Dean Madison
Great Britain
Mark Hubert
Hungary
2008 Sponsor