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Cool and confident hotel concierge Saleha Al Wazzan has become the first-ever Bahraini woman to claim a coveted international recognition highlighting her hospitality sector prowess and hopes her success will inspire other local young people to embrace the occupation.
Saleha, a former Al Noor International School pupil, started to carve a career in the hospitality industry only five years ago, and last week was honoured with Les Clefs d’Or at a recent ceremony organised by the Bahrain Hotels Concierge Group (BHCG).
The Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay is famous for its service with a smile, and the luxury property has added another string to its bow thanks to the ambitious 27-year-old’s achievement. “Hospitality is not easy, make no mistake about that,” she said. “You need patience in abundance, supplemented by hard work and activeness. However, I believe you’ll never find a more rewarding occupation.
“You’ll meet people of all ages, from all walks of life, and get to visit destinations you’d only previously been to in your dreams.”
Les Clefs d’Or (translated as ‘The Golden Keys’) is a professional association of hotel concierges, with approximately 4,000 members working in more than 80 countries and 530 destinations, in every corner of the world.
Easily identified by the golden crossed keys on their lapels, members are an elite fraternity, globally connected, committed to professional development, and driven to setting new standards for guest service perfection.
After showing dedication for her duties during a three-year spell with the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, Saleha, from Juffair, was delighted to be chosen for the award. She said: “I’m incredibly proud to be the very first female from Bahrain to be pinned with Les Clefs d’Or. It was not easy but it was definitely worth it.
“It took me a long time to prepare for this, and I also had to make sure I had the work experience as well. The great thing about this society is that you can’t just earn a place by memorising information or facts to pass a test. That is of course part of it, but it also includes general knowledge of the world around me, the industry as a whole, and most importantly, practical experience of handling guests’ requests and dealing with the day-to-day issues of being a concierge. It’s a practical examination as much as a written one.”
Saleha says she is the first member of her family to choose a career in hospitality and her mum is ‘very proud’ of her achievements.
With roots dating back to 1929, Les Clefs d’Or was officially founded in France in 1952 as a not-for-profit organisation based on two pillars: Service and Friendship. Before earning the right to wear the golden keys, those who aspire to become a member must have several years of experience as a hotel concierge, pass comprehensive testing and prove, beyond doubt, their ability to deliver highest quality of service.
Serving more than 100 million guests every year, Les Clefs d’Or members are the most reliable local experts and ambassadors of their chosen destinations and there are annual international congresses held for members.
Saleha believes that the kingdom’s hospitality sector is booming, and hopes that her golden honour will inspire young girls to spread their wings and follow in her foot-steps. She explained: “I would also like to encourage other concierges who are already pursuing their careers to join LCD, as it is a very good experience and you will get to see and learn new things.
“Just because I’ve obtained my golden keys, it doesn’t mean my work stops here! My goals for the future are to always improve my knowledge and my skills in order to be able to perform my duties to the best of my ability and of course to become a chief concierge.”
The ceremony itself was hosted by the founding president of BHCG and chief concierge of the Four Seasons, Khalil Al Yaman, and was attended by Les Clefs d’Or’s zone director of Arabia & Western Asia, Abbey Sam.
Alongside Saleha, other Bahraini professionals to be honoured with the Clefs d’Or included the concierge at Al Areen Palace & Spa, Mohammed Abdullah Jaber, chief concierge at Wyndham Grand Manama, Saud Abu Hanak, and concierge at Wyndham Grand Manama, Anthony Oketch.
“I would like to congratulate all those awarded with Les Clefs d’Or, which acts as recognition of a concierge’s knowledge as well as meeting world-class standards in attending to the needs of guests and enhancing their overall experience during their stay,” Abbey added: We look forward to recognising outstanding concierges in the future.”
