The Courtyard Historic District is proud to announce that it is only the third hotel in the Charleston area and only the fifth hotel in South Carolina to have a concierge inducted into the prestigious, international organization of the world's best concierges, Les Clefs d'Or.
Les Clefs d'Or (pronounced "lay clay door") is the international association of professional hotel concierges. It has approximately 520 members in the United States and only 3,500 members in the world.
Our chief concierge, Kevin McQuade, was certified and inducted into the worldwide roster of Les Clefs d'Or in June of 2005. He is one of only two concierges in downtown Charleston to achieve this honor.
Mr. McQuade's induction is testimony to the high standard of service for which the Courtyard Historic District is known. Les Clefs d'Or (which means "The Golden Keys' in French) is a worldwide organization open only to hotel lobby concierges who are able to pass a rigorous certification process.
To become a member, candidates must have at least five years experience in the hotel industry (at least three of them working as a full-time concierge in the lobby of a hotel), and be sponsored by two other members of Les Clefs d'Or. Mr. McQuade's two sponsors were Rick Burton or Charleston Place Hotel and Julie Saunders, who traveled from the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington D.C. so she could observe Kevin interacting with guests in order to decide whether or not he was worthy of membership.
You can recognize Mr. McQuade's achievement by the crossed gold keys that he wears on the lapels of his suit jacket. The crossed gold keys are the international symbol of Les Clefs d'Or. But they are more than just the symbol of the organization - they are recognized around the world by discerning travelers as a symbol of excellence and of guaranteed, quality service. The keys are meant to assure travelers that they are dealing with a seasoned professional, a professionally trained concierge who has built up the skills and contacts to open doors for you throughout the city and indeed the world.
(South West Airlines)
