Confessions Of A Hotel Doorman

Whether it’s holding open the limo door for an a-lister or running errands for royals,working on the door of a five-star hotel is never dull. Cosmopolitan south africa gets the lowdown on life in the most luxe lobbies on earth.

- Aoife Stuart-madge

As we know, celebrities are delicate creatures (bless them), and they need serious pampering whenever and wherever they travel. Thankfully, South Africa’s world-class hotels are more than ready to cater for even the most demanding A-lister. Take Cape Town’s Cape Grace which has reportedly seen the likes of Matt Damon and Oprah Winfrey caress the hand-painted fabrics in the penthouse; or the One&Only resort where Mariah Carey, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Naomi Campbell like to hang when they’re in Cape Town. And how about Jo’burg’s Saxon, which has played host to Mick Jagger and Bill Clinton; or The Oyster Box in Durban which is a hot favourite among Brit royals such as Princes Harry and William?

The thing that keeps these celebs coming back to the same luxe resorts each time is the impeccable five-star service. And the secret to that service is all about reading the guests, anticipating their preferences and bending over backwards to make sure even their most out there request is met.

Step forward the hotel doorman: the omnipresent figure who sees and hears everything from the moment a guest checks in to when he summons a valet to get their car at check-out. Whether it’s shielding a celeb from the paparazzi bulbs on the walk from limo to lobby or making a last-minute reservation for an A-lister at a restaurant with a six-month waiting list,the doorman is a multitasker with so many tricks up his sleeve that many in the trade refer to him as a ‘human Swiss Army knife’. Need directions, tips for the best steak in town or a taxi in an instant? He’s your guy.

Of course, a top prerequisite of the job is discretion – and while the current doormen at South Africa’s five-star haunts are far too professional to blab the secrets of their famous guests (spoilsports!), we tracked down former doormen who were more than prepared to spill on their A-list guests.