THE SOCIETY OF THE GOLDEN KEYS

The French concierge Ferdinand Gillet, who worked at The Scribe Hotel in Paris, felt there was a need for the concierges and head porters of Paris to get to know each other to be able to better serve their respective guests. His initiative saw the foundation of the French Association of Les Clefs d'Or in 1929.

This French society developed and matured and had the foresight to realise that by extending the concept of a friendly society of concierges beyond the borders of France more concierges (and consequently more hotel guests) would be able to benefit from the professional development being a member of Les Clefs d'Or brings.

Ferdinand Gillet and his French associates expanded their society by forming a European Association in Cannes in 1952. In 1953 at the San Remo Congress, the emblem of the crossed golden keys, to be worn on the member concierge's lapels, was adopted to identify members and to symbolise the opening of doors for travellers. This European Association eventually became the International Association in 1972 at the 20th Congress in Palma, Majorca.

The creation of Les Clefs d'Or established a group of professionals whose role is recognised by national and international travellers alike, there are now 40 member countries worldwide with over 3500 members.

Jean Gillet (the son of Ferdinand) established the International Concierge Institute (ICI) in Paris in 1982. The ICI was subsequently expanded to Budapest and Montreal following the success of the Paris Institute, Montreal continues to provide a training facility for young concierges embarking on their careers. ICI graduates are highly regarded and eagerly sought by hotels worldwide.