In the best traditions of his industry, Zac Johnson has a motto: “The answer is yes. Now, what’s the question?”
Go ahead and try to stump the chief concierge at The Brown Palace Hotel.
Recommendation for gourmet vegetarian cuisine? Bon appetit. Chartered jet on short notice? Buckle up. Super Bowl tickets? Enjoy the game.
There’s a reason that Johnson is the newest Colorado — and currently the only one in Denver — to be granted membership in the prestigious (French for “Keys of Gold”), the professional association of concierges. Nine other members work in Colorado, mostly at hotels in Aspen and Vail.
Johnson, 37, underwent an exhaustive series of written exams, interviews, performance assessments by other concierges and phone calls from anonymous testers to gain membership and the right to wear .
“Having the keys on your lapel distinguishes you as a professional, showing people that this is your career,” said the Glenwood Springs native. “And it’s a distinction for the hotel.”
Victor Rossi, the head concierge at Vail’s Sonnenalp Hotel and who co-sponsored Johnson’s application for Les Clefs d’Or membership, described him as “awesome.”
“It’s not often you see someone like Zac who is so oriented to guest service,” Rossi said.
A typical day at Johnson’s desk in the corner of the Brown Palace lobby involves dozens of routine questions about dining options, tourist attractions and driving directions, mixed in with the occasional oddball request.
A Brazilian guest once asked Johnson where to buy six belly-dancer costumes. The obvious question — why? — is not in Johnson’s lexicon.
“I didn’t ask,” he said. “A distinguishing characteristic of concierges is discretion. We handle any request as long as it’s not illegal or immoral.”
But how to find the dancer outfits? Johnson knows staffers at hundreds of Denver restaurants. He called his contact at Mataam Fez, where belly-dancing is an entertainment staple. The staffer directed Johnson to a local costume store specializing in the genre. The guest got what he wanted.
Since sales of recreational marijuana became legal in Colorado last year, hotel guests occasionally ask how and where to procure it.
“That’s not my bag, so to speak, but we’re happy to direct them,” Johnson said. “Personally, I’d rather deal with a bunch of stoned people than a bunch of drunks.”
Johnson’s colleague, Brown Palace concierge Sharon Domenick, said she once sent a guest to a downtown dispensary. Upon checking out of the hotel the next day, the guest handed Domenick a sack containing some leftover cannabis.
“She said it was my tip,” Domenick said. “I gave it to somebody who could use it.”
As for tipping, concierges won’t stick their palms out upon completion of a task. But as in other service industries, a concierge’s income depends partly on tips.
According to Les Clefs d’Or USA, range from $30,000 to $80,000, depending on hotel location.
Johnson said he once was tipped $100 simply for giving a guest directions to a hotel restroom.
“But then there can be something like getting a guest into Rioja on the last day of Denver Restaurant Week,” he said. “You’ve really moved a mountain for them, but you may not see a penny.”
Steve Raabe: 303-954-1948, sraabe@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/steveraabedp
