Providing a Golden Service with Sarah Gaskin, a Golden Keys Concierge at The Headland

Recognised for providing the highest quality of service, it is no surprise to find Sarah Gaskin, concierge at The Headland, as one of their members. To discover more about what being a Golden Keys Concierge entails and how Sarah maintains The Headland's reputation for outstanding hospitality, we were honoured to sit down with her and ask a few questions.

The Golden Keys (Les Clefs D’Or) is a friendly society of concierges from around the world. Each member must have been a concierge for at least five years and pass an rigorous interview to be accepted into the Society and awarded their Golden Keys.  There are only 322 Golden Keys concierges in the UK and only twelve who are female - so I am extremely proud and honoured to be one of them. Being a member of the Golden Keys means I never have to say 'no' to any request that is asked of me. If I am unable to fulfil a guest’s needs, I can always call upon my fellow concierges in the UK and around the world to obtain anything a guest requires. We will always find a solution; whether it’s a helicopter from London to The Headland, a rare book unobtainable in the guest’s own country, platters of oysters to a room or even a private lamb feeding experience, all dreams can be achieved using my vast concierge network.

It will be 14 years this year - time flies when you’re having fun!

Obviously being awarded my Golden Keys in 2019 was the pinnacle of my hospitality career. A few years later, I was also awarded a Concierge Catey in 2021 which was a true honour. I was in total shock when my name was announced - Mr Armstrong, the owner of The Headland Hotel, had to give me a little shove forward I was so stunned!

I love making the impossible possible. A memory that will stay with me forever is when I organised for a guest with terminal diagnosis to have one last paddle in the sea.  Her family had tried to do this for her in a beach adapted wheelchair but sadly the pain was too severe for her so they came to me to ask for help. I contacted the local beach lifeguards and explained the situation and they were only too happy to assist with this request. Within half an hour, two lifeguard vehicles arrived at The Headland, one for my guest and one for her family.  It was heart-warming to watch from the hotel as she was driven down to the water’s edge. They then stopped for a moment and, assisted by the lifeguard team, she was helped into the water for a paddle. When they returned to The Headland there was not a dry eye to be had, tears of joy that we had all made this happen. A few weeks later, she sadly passed away - but we had made her dream come true.

This year is our 125th year of welcoming guests to our fantastic hotel so there are lots of things to celebrate this amazing milestone.  We have a promotion running until April offering rooms for an amazing £125 a night - a great opportunity to experience our hospitality and the superb Cornish coastline. Also, as part of the celebrations we will be having special history tours, including how The Headland was featured in the Witches film.  There are also numerous seasonal events happening throughout the year to celebrate such as murder mysteries and tea parties.

In the continuous effort to provide guests with the most up to date and modern facilities we are currently undertaking a total refurbishment of our Ballroom and Front Lounge, modernising the colour scheme and using a local company to reupholster the existing furniture.  We are, of course, continuing our ongoing renovation of up to ten bedrooms and three cottages each year - we never stop!