James Ridenour
Chief Concierge
James Ridenour is a Chief Concierge and the 3rd Vice President of Les Clefs d'Or International.
James began his hotel career with an apprenticeship at the Holiday Inn Harbourside in Vancouver, Canada. He then completed a Diploma of Hospitality Management at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and at the same time began working in the front office for the prestigious Hotel Vancouver, now part of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.
After a few years of service he took up another front office position with one of Canada’s best hotels, the Sutton Place Vancouver which held the distinction of being one of only three hotels in Canada to achieve the highest recognition for hotel excellence, the CAA/AAA Five Diamond Award.
After working at the Sutton Place Hotel Toronto as the Assistant Chef (Chief) Concierge, James departed the hospitality industry for a few years where he took up a position in telemarketing before leaving Canada for Australia and joining The Hotel Windsor, an Oberoi hotel as Chief Concierge in 2005.
In 2008, James was offered the role of Chief Concierge at the renowned InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto which is known for its concierge-driven marketing and service strategies. Since joining InterContinental Melbourne, James has gone on to lead a team of service professionals who have consistently rated in the top hotels for guest service satisfaction for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts worldwide.
James was also given the honor of becoming a member of the prestigious international hotel concierge society Les Clefs d’Or, which sees members as being recognized as global leaders in luxury service, with unparalleled local knowledge, extensive experience, and unwavering commitment to the profession. In 2010, James was then elected to the role of Victorian State Delegate for Les Clefs d’Or Australia and in 2011 was elected to the role of National Secretary.
James’s concierge expertise has seen him win numerous awards including the prestigious Australian Hotel Association of Victoria’s Front Office Employee of the Year in 2011 and took out top place in the 2012 Business Review Australia concierge list for the top 10 concierges and guides in Australia and New Zealand. He was also awarded Hotel Management Magazine’s Concierge of the Year for Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific in 2014.
In 2015, James was elected to the role of General Secretary for Les Clefs d'Or International before being elected to the role of 3rd Vice President for Les Clefs d'Or International in 2019 which saw him responsible for communications, education, and the Zone Directors. James is currently serving the association in this role.
