The Itinerary Standard
Five steps for planning a guest’s day or week out. A good plan leaves room: a guest who runs from one booking to the next remembers the rush, not the places.
- Who
- Concierges, checked by the head concierge
- When
- Any request to plan a full day or more, before or during the stay
- You need
- Guest profile, the local shortlist, partner availability, the forecast
- Measured by
- Draft sent within 24 hours of the request
- One free hour each morning and afternoon
- Every booking on the plan confirmed
5 steps
01
Ask the brief
Ask five things before planning: who is travelling and their ages, what they enjoyed on past trips, how early they like to start, how they want to get around, and what they want to avoid.
Say this
“What was the favourite day of your last holiday, Mrs Tanaka? It tells me more than a list of sights.”
Common mistake Planning from the guidebook’s top ten. The family who can’t stand queues gets four of the longest in the city.
02
Draft
Build each day with no more than two fixed bookings, travel time between stops, and one free hour each morning and afternoon. Put lunch near the morning stop. Send the draft within 24 hours.
Say this
“Day 2: 09:30 Uffizi (booked). 12:30 lunch near the river, 8 min walk. 14:00 to 15:00 free. 16:00 boat (booked).”
Common mistake Filling every hour because the guest asked for a plan. It looks generous on paper and feels exhausting by three o’clock.
03
Agree first
Wait for the guest’s yes before making any booking with a deposit or a fee. Show each cost and each cancellation deadline on the draft, so the guest decides with everything in front of them.
Say this
“Here is a first draft for Tuesday. The boat needs a €50 deposit, refundable until 48 hours before. Shall I book it?”
Common mistake Booking everything up front to look quick. The guest changes one day and the hotel pays three cancellation fees.
04
Hand it over
Give the final plan on one page per day, on paper and by message: times, addresses, booking names, dress codes and the desk’s number. Walk the guest through it in person in 5 minutes.
Say this
“Each day is on its own page. The bookings are in your name, and the desk’s number is at the foot of every page.”
Common mistake Sending a six-page email at midnight. The guest reads page one and arrives at the wrong museum.
05
Adjust daily
Each evening, check the next day against the weather forecast and any closures, and send a message if something moves. After the stay, keep the final plan in the profile for the next visit.
Say this
“Mr and Mrs Tanaka, rain tomorrow from 11:00. I’ve moved the garden walk to Thursday and kept the museum.”
Common mistake Handing over the plan and never opening it again. The storm arrives, and the guest finds out at the boat dock.
Before the Plan Goes Out
Twelve checks on every itinerary before the guest sees it. The head concierge signs it off, so the guest is never the one who finds the mistake.
- Ages of everyone travelling, children included
- No more than two fixed bookings a day
- One free hour each morning and afternoon
- Travel time written between every stop
- Lunch planned near the morning stop
- Opening days checked for every place
- Every cost written next to its booking
- Every cancellation deadline written down
- Dress code for places of worship and restaurants
- A rain option for every outdoor stop
- Booking names match the guest’s names
- The desk’s number on every page
For one week the head concierge checks every itinerary against this card before it is sent and returns it with the missed lines circled. Brief the two lines missed most at Friday’s briefing.
The Standards Library.
No. 34 · Concierge
The Parcel Standard
Five steps for parcels arriving for guests and shipments going home. Once the desk signs for a parcel, it is the hotel’s responsibility, not the courier’s.
No. 35 · Concierge
The Doctor on Call Standard
Five steps for when a guest feels unwell. The desk’s job is to reach the right help quickly, never to diagnose, and to keep the guest’s health private.