Comité des Sages

President UICH Les Clefs d'Or 1991 - 1993 

At the end of the 38^th congress of UIPGH in Goteborg, Jan. 1991, I succeeded our great friend A. DAMONTE as International President. But let me start with a general view of this time.

Due to the war in the Gulf, business in general and in the hotel industry in particular, was very difficult. In some hotels the concierge departments were closed to reduce costs. 

This among other aspects was the main concern of our discussion in our meetings at the International Congress in Spain in Nov. 1991. The result of this discussion was mainly.

1 - The concierge department has to be much more involved in sales – and marketing activities of the hotels.2 - Our know-how and experience had also to be better used in PR promotions to show the excellent service level of the hotels.

Beside these worries we had also very encouraging events. Amexco had contacted our office in Paris offering a close partnership and sponsoring with Clefs d’Or worldwide. In a very short time a newsletter was printed and distributed to our colleagues worldwide.

Mr. Marco, GM and vice-president of the Ritz Carlton Company, assured that the concierge department will always be part of the service philosophy of the company and is considered irreplaceable. He also offered a job in the concierge department of the RITZ CARLTON HOTEL in Boston for one of the students of ICI.

We noticed that many worldwide operating companies, mainly airlines approached Clefs d’Or for a close partnership at this time (probably because of the recession in this time).

This meant, the opportunities were there, we just had to use them.

As I was still National President at this time we had the great joy, that after the reunification of Germany, first contacts were established to the best hotels of the former DDR to create there also concierge departments with a very successful end.

My first travel as International President was to my friend Andras GUNST in Budapest where I had the honor to present the diplomas to the students of the ICI Seminar with Jean GILLET, Professor Jean MEIMON and Adolf SCHNEIDER.

To my great delight I could welcome 21 National Presidents on our Board of Directors Meeting in Dublin. There we got the confirmation for the next 39^th International Congress in Spain 1991 followed by the 40^th in November 1992 in Marrakech. Morocco will take place beside the still remaining recession.

The cooperation with AMEXCO turned out to our entire satisfaction and the ICI which had managed their difficulties, was on a good road again.

The 39^th Int. Congress on the COSTA DEL SOL as well as the Board of Directors Meeting in GRANADA was a great success for our Spanish friends.

Once again we all met for the 40^th Int. Congress in Nov. in MOROCCO. There again we had to notice that the hotelier was still suffering from the recession the war in the Gulf has caused and the prospects for the years to come unfavourable.

Nevertheless the congress turned out to be very successful and was organized in a way that gave us also the opportunity to see the country and meet the friendly people of Morocco. At the end of this congress my time as Int. President was finished.

But I cannot end this report without some personal remarks. Due to the generous sponsoring of American Airline, who had offered me two tickets for free, first class, on their routing worldwide, I took advantage during my Int. presidency for a journey around the world.

On this trip I visited the colleagues of Clefs D’or in SAN FRANCISCO, where my wife and myself got a great welcome Party at the SHERATON HOTEL. After a stopover on the Islands of HAWAI we proceeded to Sydney, where we were staying at the SHERATON WENTWORTH, the home of our close friend TONY FACCIOLO and where we were treated like Royals.  Next stop was Bangkok, where we stayed at the ORIENTAL HOTEL as guests of G.M. K.WACHVEITL, with whom I have worked many years ago at the HOTEL DES TROIS LOURONNES in VEVEY (Switzerland). The concierge there arranged a dinner party with the colleagues of the major hotels there and I informed them about Clefs D’or. From there I went to SINGAPORE to see my friend JERRY SOH at the ORIENTAL and stayed there as well. There again we had a great Chinese dinner party at the port with all the colleagues of Clefs D’or there. Finally we returned home again after 5 wonderful weeks. My wife and myself will never forget the attention courtesy and friendship which we experienced wherever we went and met colleagues of Clefs D’or. Service through friendship is our slogan but it is also the philosophy of Clefs D’or.

In friendship

Walter