Hello from Sunny Brighton! I’m Ken and I’ve been the head concierge at Thistle Brighton for the last 13 years. I am also honored to be a member of the Society of the Golden Keys, a knowledge-sharing network of concierges.

What I enjoy most about my job is meeting many different people from all over the world, and being able to provide them with a service that’s friendlier, more knowledgeable and efficient than many expect. Though I now have over ten years of experience as a concierge, Thistle Brighton’s General Manager likes to throw me a new challenge every now and then just to keep me on my toes, but I always find that even the most difficult task can be broken down and dealt with thanks to knowledge, planning and teamwork.

Quick fire Q&A

What are your hobbies?
I live on a wooden sailing yacht that’s nearly as old as me.  Most of my spare time is spent on her maintenance, renovation and repair.

Do you have any anecdotal stories from your job?
A few years ago both Coronation Street and EastEnders recorded ‘Brighton Specials’, on consecutive weeks. All the cast members were staying at Thistle Brighton and consequently the hotel was full of famous people.

What’s your favourite TV programme?
NCIS

If you were offered the opportunity to be a concierge anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?
Thistle Brighton, of course!  We have a fine modern hotel with the best location of any of Brighton’s hotels and it’s such fun working here.

My top tips for deciding where the best places are to suit your needs and budget when visiting a new city:

• Nothing beats a personal recommendation from someone that you know and trust
• Following that, Fodor’s is an old favourite while sites such as TripAdvisor show visitor reviews that are ‘snapshots’ of a hotel during one particular visit