The history of words and titles tells us so much about the development of their meaning over time. The word concierge is originally from Old French, with a literal translation to Keeper of the Keys. It was employed for roles where individuals acted as guardians to royalty, the wealthy and the elite, understanding everything that was important to their lives and ensuring it ran suitably smoothly.
A lifestyle concierge in the 21st century fulfils much of the same role in a very different era. This service is elevated well above the tasks and duties of a personal assistant to handle everything across the demands of busy private, social and business lives. Importantly, it relies on being extremely well connected with resourcefulness and local knowledge that knows how to make anything and everything happen and makes sure it gets done correctly.
Who is it for?
Lifestyle concierge services have long been popular amongst the ultra-high net worth communities around the globe that have excessive demands on their time and wish to delegate lifestyle admin duties to increase their own productivity. Elite athletes, tech entrepreneurs and corporate leaders often find that utilising lifestyle concierge services allows the everyday tasks to be completed to their own exacting standards with minimum input and to the highest quality. Working in tandem with this philosophy, there has also been a surge in recent times for specialist concierge services that are dedicated to one particular element. Mummy Concierges are a great example, with assistance for everything from pregnancy to postnatal issues, baby-proofing every property and even arranging curated birth packages for when the time comes.
How it Works
The majority of lifestyle concierge providers work on a strict membership basis with annual or monthly fees, and there are examples of corporate packages, making it a part of talent attraction too. An onboarding process finds the right personal lifestyle manager to connect with, who has a concierge team behind them for full support. A direct connection is fostered between the client and their own team that allows for communication to be fast and simple through direct channels to ensure that every response is swift, with many providers even offering round-the-clock assistance 24/7.
Once fully set up, the concierge network identifies bespoke solutions and handles all logistics from enquiry, through to booking and any follow-up. Sourcing private jets, taking care of any personal errands, securing tickets for sold-out events and making reservations at the very best restaurants and entertainment spots are all common tasks that lifestyle concierges take off one’s desk.
The Benefits
Perhaps the most obvious and important benefit is time saving. Clients of lifestyle concierge services are often time restricted and need to maximise every moment for productivity. The exclusive access that a lifestyle concierge network provides also opens up experiences that can be difficult to gain entry to, with a dedicated team working hard through their own contacts to find tables at the very best restaurants, great seats at theatre shows and help with big ticket purchases such as art collections or cars.
It also works in a proactive way with personalised services that learn your own preferences and lifestyle behaviours, eventually anticipating needs and interests before having to be asked. Ultimately, it becomes a whole list of fewer things to worry about, so clients can concentrate on the things that matter to them the most.
London Providers
The city of London is the perfect place for lifestyle concierge services to demonstrate what they can do and the value they bring. Here is a collection of the finest providers currently available.
Quintessentially Group
With over 20 years’ experience, Quintessentially is one of the most trusted names for luxury lifestyle management. It was originally created by a British entrepreneur and two colleagues to deal with everything from travel planning and event access to real estate, art collection procurement advice and estate management. They now have 60 global offices with 1500 lifestyle managers fluent in over 30 languages. Quintessentially works through a tiered membership of General, Dedicated and Elite or Global Elite that can tailor a service from reactive requests to extensive worldwide support and property management. Crucially, they now also operate independent specialist divisions for travel, dining, real estate and art that plug into a network with a dedicated client manager for exclusive access.
Ten Lifestyle
Ten Lifestyle began life in 1998 as a 20-member group for London-based individuals who wanted a lifestyle concierge service for the city. It has steadily grown into a global enterprise that serves millions through a tech-focused platform for private and corporate partnerships. Their philosophy is for users to live their lives times ten with a focus on travel, dining, shopping and entertainment. A dedicated mobile app streamlines all communications for Ten allowing it to gain insights from client requests and behaviour and tailor future services in a bespoke way. With excellent international coverage across time zones, this is a particular favourite for heads of large banking firms.
Insignia
Insignia markets itself as much more than a luxury lifestyle management service. They are positioned as an exceptional consultancy service for an exceptional few. As a result, they operate strictly by invitation only to serve the most discerning client base of royalty, celebrities and senior executives from the world’s biggest companies and brands. Insignia leans heavily into the art of concierge services, where experiences are suggested and offered without being requested. The Insignia Lifestyle Boutique demonstrates this as a curated channel with restricted access for rare products and limited editions alongside private viewings from fashion houses. Through capped memberships, full international coverage and secure and confidential relationships, Insignia goes far beyond VIP status for the ultimate in lifestyle concierge services.
Lifestyle concierge services can be a transformative tool for individuals who want to free up time in their lives without compromising on the quality of experiences they enjoy. The greatest providers assimilate into the very fabric of their clients' lives to become invaluable in the pursuit of the finer things in life, adding new influences, suggestions and products to try to, in order to keep them firmly ahead of the curve.
