TAKE CARE

Christi Nortier chats to Kishan Gokul, head concierge of Durban's iconic Oyster Box hotel, about his insights on expert recommendations with a personal touch – as well as his most extraordinary guest request to date.

- Christi Nortier

By the time guests take their seats at the luxe breakfast buffet, the Oyster Box hotel has been up and running for hours to make their day a seamless one. The iconic red and white umbrellas have been unfurled. The loungers are angled just right to maximise the Indian ocean view. The high-tea cake domes are glistening and fluffy towels wait on spa beds in the ‘secret garden’. But perhaps no one is more prepared than Kishan Gokul, the hotel's decorated head concierge.

Built up over 11 years of incredible dedication and care, Kishan’s “little black book” is likely not so little anymore. In 2019, he was recognised by his peers when he was awarded the coveted Clef d'Or (The Golden Keys) from Les Clef D’Or Society of Golden Keys — one of only nine concierges in the country to receive such. For the young man who started as the hotel's switchboard operator, then guest liaison at reception, then assistant concierge and now leading the team, it was an achievement of a lifetime.

No two days at the Oyster Box are the same, especially for Kishan and his team. He begins early with a team briefing, highlighting any VIP guests checking in or special requirements received by the night shift. Then he takes a walk through the Ocean Terrace, chatting to guests to see how they're stay is going. If a guest is at a loss as to how to spend a day in sprawling Durban, they've got the right man: he'll sit down, hear what you'd like out of the day and curate an experience that you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else. “Those tiny noticeable touches – we call them TNTs - is what we're all about,” says Kishan. “We curate experiences according to guest preferences so that it becomes something they take with them for the rest of their lives.”

What did receiving your Clef d'Or mean to you?