An Interview with “The Best Concierge in the World”

By: Andrea Cannistraci

As a hotel so intent on offering the finest in guest service, The Stafford London is exceptionally proud to have Frank Laino on its team. Frank has been voted ‘Best Concierge in the World’ for more than five years and ensures that the personal requests of all hotel guests are met, and more often than not, exceeded.

And that is just what Frank did for journeyPod.com. Not only did he sit down over a coffee at the Stafford’s “American Bar” with us, he managed to get us a reservation at London’s hottest restaurant, Dinner, for the same night! Let’s hear the inside scoop on London from the World’s Best Concierge:

If you only have 48 hours in London, what do you see?

West Minister Abbey and The Tower of London. I highly recommend you take the Big Bus Tour for a great overview of the city. Right now, you have the rare opportunity to see the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace. They are only opened during August and September when the Queen is away on holiday in Scotland.

What’s the hottest restaurant in London right now?

Definitely Heston Blumenthal’s “Dinner.” Heston has taken traditional English dishes (such as “Flesh & Rice) and updated them for modern tastes. The menu provides a tour of England’s culinary past. Each dish is dated approximate to its origins. So there’s meat fruit (c1500), spiced pigeon (c1780).

Frank, where do you like to go on your nights off?

I love the SoHo area. Polpo, Polpetto, and Spuntino are a few of my favorites. There is a great speakeasy, Experimental Cocktail Club. It is a genuinely hidden drinking den. The fact it’s on the tourist strip of Gerrard Street makes it even more interesting. Check it out after dinner.

What are the hottest clubs in London right now?

The Arts Club is hot right now. It’s an invitation-only club that Gwyneth Paltrow is an advisor. The Box is a hot (extreme) cabaret-type club. And Bucci, the club owned by Prince William’s friend is a place to be seen late night.

What’s the best advice you can give your guests?

Use your concierge! Plan ahead. Don’t try to do too much.

For more information on The Stafford London, please listen to our luxury podcast with GM, Leon Baum.