IN PERSON
The St. Peter’ s Suite is a loft-like retreat with a view of Peterskirche, one of Vienna’ s most celebrated Baroque landmarks.
The Hofburg Suite looks out onto the historic Hofburg Palace. are always interesting. Do you have an example where you had to go above and beyond to deliver for a guest( s)? Köck: The classic restaurant and sold-out opera story are part of the daily business. One builds connections within the city and knows whom to call: It is all about the network. One“ above-and-beyond” example includes the Vienna Opera Ball, the society event of the year that attracts hundreds of VIPs to the city. At last year’ s, I had the pleasure of being on duty in the evening, handing out tickets, explaining the program, etc. In between the buzz and some restaurant reservations( one can imagine that the best addresses are all booked out), I had a chat with a guest in the elevator whose language I could not understand— I only understood cavallo and thought he might mean horse carriages. Out of this conversation, we organized a carriage on short notice, picking the couple up within 30 minutes to bring them straight to the red carpet. Fifteen minutes later, a gentleman approached me because the vest of his tuxedo broke— mind you, all the shops were closed. I phoned a store manager and within 15 minutes we had a new vest in his wardrobe while the gentleman was enjoying a pre-ball dinner in our restaurant. These are the evenings that are most fun and are filled with stories!
HOTELS: The traditional concierge is someone with vast knowledge of a location and with many connections. How has the profession changed or remained the same in the face of technology and the advent of AI? Köck: It hasn’ t changed. As noted, [ the human touch ] remains the key to what we do. But our tasks have become more manifold, and luxury has become more individual, with more generations joining us. One minute you are talking with a guest on the phone, while another guest is already sitting at the desk, and simultaneously you must reply to a WhatsApp message.
64 hotelsmag. com July / August 2026