Get To Know Us

Unique, diverse, smart

Like the people they serve, our highly trained Concierges are unique individuals with varied backgrounds. Allow us to introduce you to a few:

Antoine Alsayah’s “inborn passion” for hospitality has expressed itself in many ways, including guest relations and restaurant management in the United States and Europe, giving him multiple perspectives and making him a natural fit for LesConcierges. While in Europe, Antoine earned a diploma in international hospitality in Switzerland and gained fluency in five languages before moving to the United States in 1999. Currently based in San Francisco, Antoine continues to travel internationally as he seeks ways to apply the lessons of the global market to the domestic industry. Outside of work, he loves to cook Lebanese and French fare, and aspires to be the first Food Network chef with a Middle Eastern cuisine show. He’s on his way, having recently appeared on the PBS show Check, Please!

Lise Angus brings experience in sales, premium customer service, partnership management, marketing, new brand development and coaching to LesConcierges. She has a strong track record in travel and hospitality; Lise launched Aliseo Travel for Stella Travel Services, was general manager of Travel With Kidz, spent six years with Hilton International Hotels (two as international director of sales) and had roles with Westpac Travel and Thomas Cook Travel. Working with Tony Bilson (the godfather of Australian cuisine), Lise launched and promoted Ampersand Restaurant and Bar and The Commissary Kitchen, and was instrumental in growing the profile of Cassegrain Vineyards. Having lived, studied and worked in cities including Tokyo, Hong Kong and London, Lise loves “being a traveler and not a tourist.”

Marc-Olivier Chrétien grew up in Quebec City, where he became enchanted by the concierge profession after reading about the field in a newspaper article in 2001. A dream was born, and he was off to concierge school with the goal of earning his Golden Keys from the Les Clefs d’Or association. After graduating, he moved to Montreal and worked in three different hotels, attaining his Keys in 2007 and wearing them proudly ever since. Outside of his career in guest service, his interests are traveling, rock music, tattoos, discovering new restaurants and seeing movies. Feel free to call him Marco – everybody does, except his mom!

Mohamad Maalbaki was born and raised in Kuwait, and came to Montreal after a lifetime of travel, including residencies in Jordan, Lebanon, Toronto, Vancouver and Florida, along with extended visits to New York. Having grown up in Kuwait’s hot desert climate, he is partial to the summer season, but he’s been cultivating an appreciation of winter since discovering snowboarding. Mohamad loves to cook and his dream is to be a food critic. He has an equally strong interest in tourism planning and experience management, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management and Marketing.

Phoebe Meshreky is already pondering how to provide concierge services to space travelers. Until that vacation frontier is achieved, Phoebe is happy attending to earthly needs like finding live elephants for parties and arranging one-of-a-kind getaways. Raised and educated in Egypt, Phoebe earned degrees in English literature and Arabic/English translation, and is currently learning Spanish. Her avid interest in world cultures has not only inspired visits to Barcelona, Brussels and London, but it also makes her work personally rewarding: Phoebe loves nothing more than figuring out the routes, tours and lodgings that will ensure, in her words, an “out-of-this-world experience.”

Bryan Hair is a self-professed “foodie” who travels the world for LesConcierges in search of the best that gastronomy has to offer. A native Californian, Bryan has a passion for travel and cuisine, and possesses a wealth of knowledge in premier destinations and extraordinary culinary experiences in the United States and Europe. His love of wine and proximity to the Napa Valley also affords him to the opportunity to cultivate relationships with vintners and a deep understanding of fine wine. Bryan passionately follows the latest trends in food, restaurants and culinary techniques, and has built relationships with chefs and restaurateurs around the world. He’s not only LesConcierges’ fine-dining specialist, but also a sought-after industry specialist in San Francisco.

Above and beyond

Our Concierges are trained to go the extra mile when it comes to taking care of customers. In fact, they enjoy this part of their job and often share with others their most thrilling and fulfilling experiences. Here are a couple of headline-worthy examples:

Shelter from the Storm

“When Hurricane Katrina hit, a customer’s sister was trapped – along with three other adults – on the 14th floor of an apartment building. She had a cell phone but couldn’t call out. He contacted us to see if we could help. We spent the day trying to get through to the Red Cross and we were finally able to notify them of the situation. The people were rescued later the same day.”

A Wonderful Tail

“A customer contacted us because his 11-year-old dog was lost. The dog needed medication, so the owner was frantic. We called all the local dog shelters and found his pet for him. He was so thrilled with our help.”

A Beautiful Note

“A customer asked us to create a CD with sentimental songs he had chosen that represented the history of his marriage. It was to be an anniversary gift to his wife. When we found out he had passed away before the anniversary, we contacted his wife and were able to get her the recording. Needless to say, she was moved beyond words.”