On November 9, 2015, Lowertown resident and concierge of The Westin Ottawa, Andrew Van Der Hoeven, was chosen to represent Canada at the 2016 UICH 63rd Annual Les Clefs d’Or Congress in Dubai, UAE, to compete for the Andy Pongco Award.

Union Internationale des Concierges d’Hôtels (UICH) is also known as Les Clefs d’Or, the society of golden keyed concierges. Recently brought to spotlight by the hit film The Grand Budapest Hotel, the golden keys are a symbol of not just the worldwide organization of concierges, but of guaranteed, quality service. Concierge Clefs d’Or services run the gamut from the mundane to the extraordinary.
Andrew became a member of the elite concierge association that includes 44 countries and over 3,700 members more than 2 years ago by demonstrating unsurpassed knowledge of his community and completing several rigorous examinations.
The award honours the memory of Andy Pongco (an international honorary president), by recognizing and encouraging young members to become active participants in the global network. Andrew is currently the only Les Clefs d’Or member in the city of Ottawa; he has been working hard with other local concierges to recruit members for the Capital Region to have a chapter of its own. In his words, “this is the nation’s capital; we should have our own chapter of this esteemed group of concierges to showcase all of the amazing events and attractions the area has to offer!”
Lowertown concierge Andrew Van Der Hoeven
On November 9, 2015, Lowertown resident and concierge of The Westin Ottawa, Andrew Van Der Hoeven, was chosen to represent Canada at the 2016 UICH 63rd Annual Les Clefs d’Or Congress in Dubai, UAE, to compete for the Andy Pongco Award.
Union Internationale des Concierges d’Hôtels (UICH) is also known as Les Clefs d’Or, the society of golden keyed concierges. Recently brought to spotlight by the hit film The Grand Budapest Hotel, the golden keys are a symbol of not just the worldwide organization of concierges, but of guaranteed, quality service. Concierge Clefs d’Or services run the gamut from the mundane to the extraordinary.
Andrew became a member of the elite concierge association that includes 44 countries and over 3,700 members more than 2 years ago by demonstrating unsurpassed knowledge of his community and completing several rigorous examinations.
The award honours the memory of Andy Pongco (an international honorary president), by recognizing and encouraging young members to become active participants in the global network. Andrew is currently the only Les Clefs d’Or member in the city of Ottawa; he has been working hard with other local concierges to recruit members for the Capital Region to have a chapter of its own. In his words, “this is the nation’s capital; we should have our own chapter of this esteemed group of concierges to showcase all of the amazing events and attractions the area has to offer!”
