The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

The new-age genie
From hot fluffy idlis to Christian Louboutin pumps, from a Tiffany's ring to a Michelin-starred chef, today concierge services will get you anything that you can pay for
Surekha Kadapa-Bose

You may have the moolah but do you know how to source a bottle of Moët et Chandon Dom Perignon which you plan to offer your guests on your 25th wedding anniversary celebrations?
Or want to gift your girlfriend a ring from the Tiffany's?
Or you want to flaunt matching red pumps from Christian Louboutin for your friend's wedding?
Special custom-made holidays are one of the most common asked for services by concierge companies

Special custom-made holidays are one of the most common asked for services by concierge companies

Do's and don'ts of hiring concierge services

Centrespread
Toying with technology
Even as traditional toys become archaic, technology-driven playthings are taking over the world of kids
Sonali Seth
All play and no work makes jack a dull dork! This revised clich`E9 is more fervently understood in today’s technology-laden world where children are scrambling out of their prams and on to their iPods and tablets faster than they are outgrowing their pyjamas. For many kids around the world, playtime is going hi-tech.

Bling it on
Objects of desire

From arranging for a vintage champagne (top) to designer shoes (centre) to your personal shopping, concierge services can get you anything

A home-cooked meal by a chef from a five-star hotel is now possible, courtesy these concierge services

You may have the moolah but do you know how to source a bottle of Moët et Chandon Dom Perignon which you plan to offer your guests on your 25th wedding anniversary celebrations?

Or want to gift your girlfriend a ring from the Tiffany's?

Or you want to flaunt matching red pumps from Christian Louboutin for your friend's wedding?

"You name it and we will deliver," is the mantra of the personalised services on offer, which has caught the fancy of Indian millionaires. These concierge services will get anything and everything for you, at a price of course. "But we never do anything illegal. All the demands should be law-binding and available in white market. Nothing will be procured from black market or by evading custom duty," claimed all concierge service providers.

Concierge services, till recently, were available only to guests in luxury hotels. That's hotel staff offering help on local sightseeing, getting transportation around the town, shopping, providing information on authentic local cuisines etc. Beside the front desk personnel, the room-service staff would help guests find what they wanted. Now these services have attained a new avatar extending beyond hotel premises.

In fact, it's not a new phenomenon. Concierge services have been around since long. The word is of French origin and came into being from the Kingdom of France. In 18thcentury a concierge was a high official of the kingdom, appointed by the king himself to maintain order among police and criminals. By the turn of the century, Paris started innovation of housing structures, and trends in cluster apartments came into existence requiring a person to keep tab on the visitors. So in came a security officer, and with added knowledge and duties he became a concierge.

Today, the term concierge and the duties have taken a complete new turn, thanks to paradigm change in the lifestyle among the rich and famous. Those with affluence are short in time and lack patience when it comes to finding what they want and thus prefer to outsource their 'wishes'.

New Delhi-based Vikram Kumar, of Concierge Alliaance Global, a three-year-old concierge service with partners in Les Clef D'Or affiliated management team, says, "Having started my own carrier in hotel industry, I realised people, especially those with money, are so busy in their day-to-day chores that they don't have much time to find things they want. They need people like us to help plan their personal requirements such as travel or holidays, or even getting their lifestyle accessories".

Expressing similar sentiments, Gurgaon-based Sonia Deskmukh of Quintessentially Lifestyle (India) says, " We can procure anything — be it is tickets to top sporting events, VIP access to the hottest gig in town, or a last-minute table at the top-end restaurant."

Headquartered in London, Quintessentially Lifestyle is a private members' club with a 24-hour luxury lifestyle concierge service and has a global presence. Sonia recalls an incident when a foreigner couple touring India wanted to have Murugan idlis (a famous shop in Chennai) for breakfast, as they heard so much about these. The concierge delivered fluffy hot idlis on fresh green plantain leaf at the five-star hotel where they were staying. Another client in Amritsar wanted to have a chef cook poori and aloo bhaji at their home. A chef reached the client's home and the family enjoyed a sumptuous meal.

Concierge services help in celebration of special occasions in a special way. A Mumbai-based businessman short on time wanted to celebrate Valentine's Day with his girlfriend in a special way. He availed the services of a concierge service that hired a yacht; readied it with best wine, flowers, choicest delicacies and all other trappings needed to make it special. Of course, his purse was lighter by a couple of lakh rupees.

These services are not available to everybody. To avail these services one has to become a member of one of these or other clubs or organisations. Membership fees differ from organisation to organisation. "In India middle class families still hesitate to pay for information. Many feel that they can Google and get the info but what they don't understand is that concierge offers a true personalised help and experience. If you reach a new city with a different language, Google information isn't enough to give you everything," says Mumbai-based Chaitanya Sinh, director, A La Concierge Services.

Quintessentially Lifestyle services offer different levels of membership. It is quite high-end and has celebrities like Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Paris Hilton, JK Rowling, Jemima Khan et al as its members. Naturally the membership fee is steep ranging between Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 3 crore per annum.

A La Concierge services specialise in corporate and individual membership and charge Rs 50,000 onwards. Concierge Alliaance Global also takes monthly payments as Vikram says, "Many members want to use these services only for a couple of months in a year. So it's ok with us."

And what are the most asked for services? Concierges say, it may include demands like a drive in a vintage or luxury car; an elephant ride for a child's birthday bash; a hot-air balloon or a chopper ride; dining with a maharaja at his palace etc.

With more people joining the millionaire club and enjoying a luxury lifestyle there are always people wanting the 'moon'. Now these concierge services can actually arrange a 'visit' for you there.

Do's and don'ts of hiring concierge services

As with everything that you buy, even concierge services come with some do's and don'ts. Be careful to whom you entrust your personal details.

1 When you look up a concierge service provider, check its credentials. On every website, they have column called 'guest speak'; check up and if possible contact some of these guests.

2 Check up the infrastructure they are claiming about. Make sure that they respond quickly after taking into account of different time zones. Insist on meeting one of their personnel in person.

3 Read the fine-print carefully about fees they would be charging . They provide you with list of packages and tailor-made services. Make sure you understand each of them correctly.

4 Few companies have online registration forms. You must fill in all the details so it's easier for the executives to understand your desires.

5 Opt for the individual services or different packages if you don’t need all services a member is offered.

CENTRESPREAD
Toying with technology
Even as traditional toys become archaic, technology-driven playthings are taking over the world of kids
Sonali Seth

All play and no work makes jack a dull dork! This revised clich`E9 is more fervently understood in today’s technology-laden world where children are scrambling out of their prams and on to their iPods and tablets faster than they are outgrowing their pyjamas. For many kids around the world, playtime is going hi-tech. And many Indian parents have joined that weary tribe of technology-troubled citizens who are torn between plonking a Lego set in front of their toddlers or plugging a digital game into their hard drive’s USB.

Toys have ruled children’s hearts since the beginning of the world. A look at the recent popular list includes Monopoly devised in 1933 by an American electric heater salesman Charles Darrow, a brain game created by an unemployed architect Alfred Butt in 1948 called Scrabble. Barbie Doll designed in 1959 by Mattel Toys and the Magic Cube invented in 1977 by Hungarian sculptor and architect, Prof. Erno Rubik.

New-age Toy Story

Today the toy story has a different tale to tell. Even as Monopoly, Scrabble and Rubik’s Cube become as archaic as the Remington typewriter, the new kids on the block are playing a number of different technology-driven games that are fast replacing traditional toys.

Barbie doll, for example, has transformed into a real working video camera and carries a full colour LCD screen on her back. Kids no longer have to go out and buy Dinky cars for their racing thrills. They can design their own hot wheels with the help of a machine that melts a stick of wax into a fully functioning car in a matter of minutes. And Lego is no longer a simple construction toy. In its modern avatar, it gives kids the opportunity to piece together awesome robots that can be controlled by a smart phone via Bluetooth.

Competing for a child’s attention in an increasingly sophisticated industry is not a child’s play any longer. In keeping with the changing trends and tastes, leading toy companies are incorporating robotics and artificial intelligence to give a hi-tech twist to children’s playthings. Many new-age toys are not just toys anymore but have computers ticking inside them to make them more exciting and challenging.

Innovative tablets

Even the ‘educational and constructive’ toy category is undergoing an overhaul. Companies like Samsung, Polaroid, Leapfrog and others have introduced innovative tablets designed specifically for kids. Hasbro’s new version of the age-old Game of Life has space for the iPad, which serves as spinner and money-counter.

It all started back in the 1990s when video games started flashing and zapping the world of children. First as parlour versions and then those that were played on home PCs or on the mobile. With the dawn of the new millennium, online games became the ultimate sport and annihilating invading aliens became a great ecstasy.

But 14 years into the millennium has seen the saturation of video games market which is fast being replaced by hi-tech toys. Instead of children watching animated cartoons on television, parents can buy them an animated toy they can play with at home. Stories have become animated. The Interactive Princess Cinderella, for example, consists of a four-chapter electronic storybook in doll form. All kids have to do is to squeeze Cinderella’s hand for her to narrate the story with realistic facial expressions,

Hi-tech games

Most hi-tech games today are remote controlled. In many cases, smartphones double up as movers and shakers of these games. Technology is taking over in the most wondrous ways. Kids can make robots and spaceships at home with DIY (do-it-yourself) kits. In educational toys, there are computer-assisted pens that help toddlers shape letters and numbers, digital book readers that attach to a book and read out the contents aloud to children.

According to child-development experts, high-tech toys add an extra dimension to play and open up a whole new realm for play and creative thinking.

Thus even as the computer replaces the humble carom and snakes & ladder as the preferred game/toy/information/entertainment tool, toy makers are making a big push to connect their products with computers and the internet. So, while technology and tradition compete, it’s fitting to declare children of the arise to the dawn of hi-tech toys`85 after all, you have nothing to lose except a few sleeping hours.

Stuffed surprise
Ubooly puts a fresh spin on plush toys by having an iPhone or iPod zip into the body of a stuffed toy. Once activated with the Ubooly app the toy starts listening and responding to the child. The educational device can be updated with new stories, jokes, games, songs and information to keep kids engaged.
Price: Rs 3,600

the wonder PEN
The wonder Leapreader Electronic Pen helps kids of ages between four and eight to learn to read and write. It instructs via a built-in speaker as kids trace out letters in the provided workbook and motivates them with encouraging words, flashing lights and sounds and helps them in letter formation.
Price: Rs 3,000

Educational kit
As the name suggests, the 14-in-1 Educational Solar Robot Kit lets kids build 14 different robotic creatures that run on solar power. Young children can try their hands at building a turtle, beetle, dog and even a floating boat while older kids can undertake more advanced projects take a walking crab and a real robot.
Price: Rs 1,920

BARBIegoes hi-tech
Barbie doll has gone futuristic with a video camera in her necklace and a viewing screen on her back. Kids can take videos and watch them instantly on the LCD screen on her back or upload them to a computer. They can also add music, graphics, and special effects with a software that is inclusive of the cost.
Price: Rs 3,000

awesome robots
With 594 bricks and a variety of sensors, motors and components, the Lego Mindstorms EV3 offers a robotic programming playground that's extremely addictive. It gives older kids the opportunity to piece together awesome robots that can be controlled by a remote or from your smart phone via bluetooth.
Price: Rs 21,000

TABlets for kids
Now kids between the ages of three and seven can have their own tablet. The VTech InnoTab 3S can do all sorts of big boy activities. It can be used to play games, takes photos and videos with the rotating camera, has an MP3 player for music, downloads ebooks and can even send text messages to a smartphone.
Price: Rs 6,000

intelligent cars
The US consumer robotics company Anki has launched the innovative Anki Drive that are operated via bluetooth through a smartphone. Unlike other racing games, the cars here have artificial intelligence that allows players on opposite sides to manage how fast they will go and fire virtual pulse shots at each other.
Price: Rs 12,000

COMPUTER playkit
A superb play kit for older boys, Kano is like a hi-tech Lego. It can be used to make a functional computer. It comes with a picture-based instructional booklet that tells you how to assemble a basic computer that can be attached to a monitor, keyboard and speakers. Connect it to a power socket and work away.
Price: Rs 6,000

fun in air
The Nano Falcon is the world’s smallest remote-controlled helicopter and one of online retailer Amazon’s best selling toys of all time. It can hover, rotate, execute turns and fly about with a range of five metres and a flying time of five minutes, this toy will provide kids above the age of six years hours of fun.
Price: Rs 3,000

MAGICAL book reader
This is for parents whose kids enjoy stories being read out to them. The Spark Up Magical Book Reader attaches to a book and reads out the contents aloud to children. It captures the audio for each page which kids can playback later. It promotes reading and builds a strong connection between kids and books.
Price: Rs 3,600

Get these gOGGLES
The Jakks Pacific Spy Net Ultra Vision Goggles are functional infrared glasses that will thrill boys over the age of eight. The goggles with five distinct vision modes let you see up to 50 feet in complete darkness and day time. The glasses record everything on video with a built-in camera that also takes still pictures.
Price: Rs 4,800

customised ROBOt
The latest fusion of personality and technology, RoboMe is a completely customisable robot that works in sync with a smartphone. It is packed with technology, such as voice command recognition, remote video control and facial tracking. It can move through a room and perform elementary functions.
Price: Rs 7,800

Bling it on
Objects of desire

LONDON ON A YACHT
Move over London Eye and Big Ben, the city has a new attraction—a luxury hotel on a yacht. The 394-feet five-story yacht Sunborn Superyacht has been permanently moored in London’s Royal Victoria Dock offering state-of-the-art hospitality services. It has 138 rooms, a spa, fine-dine restaurants and terraces with views. Its unique selling proposition is that it gives you the experience of being on a superyacht and also holidaying in London at the same time. Talk about two birds and one superyacht!
Prices: Rooms start at Rs 18,000 per night ($300)

A JUNK FOOD COLLECTION
What would be your first reaction if you saw someone carrying this handbag? In all probability you’d say, “I’m loving it!” Italian luxury house Moschino’s new accessories collection has been inspired by American fast food giant McDonald’s. The collection is resplendent in red and yellow and takes a cue from McDonald’s tasty treats including a ladies’ handbag shaped like a Happy Meal, a “French Fries” iPhone case and a T-shirt dress with the iconic M followed by the slogan, “Moschino--Over a Billion Served”. Needless to say the delicious collection has left fashion enthusiasts craving for more!
Prices: Rs 4,680 for “French Fries” iPhone case, Rs 75,900 for leather handbag and Rs 21,000 for T-shirt dress ($78; $1,265; & $350)

NINETY & GOING STRONG
It was first launched in 1924 and ever since then Montblanc’s Meisterstück pen has achieved iconic status. The German luxury writing instrument’s company has launched a series of collectibles to celebrate 90 years of the spirit of the Meisterstück. The limited edition collection features sensual leather goods, meticulously crafted timepieces, refined jewellery and a new writing instrument collection with each piece artfully crafted in precious black resin with red gold-plated fittings which will just take your breath away.
Prices: Pen collection--from Rs 23,400 to Rs 92,100 ($390 to $1,535) & leather goods from Rs 9,900 to Rs 74,100 ($165 to $1,235)

BE SEATED ON A VOLCANO
One look at the sofa and you know this is a hot design—in more ways than one! Peugeot Design Lab’s Onyx sofa is made of Volvic volcanic rock which is a solidified state of lava that once flowed out of a volcano in the Auvergne region of France. The 10 feet long sofa which took 70 days to complete was presented for the first time at the 2014 Milan Design Week. It unites high-tech manmade materials--like carbon fibre which originated in the aeronautical industry--with a raw, natural material like a volcanic rock.
Prices: Rs 1.114 crores ($185,585)

CYCLING GOES HI-TECH
This curious looking bike has become one of the biggest attention grabbers of Europe ever since it was introduced recently. Made in Barcelona, the Oto Cycle is said to be one of the most trustworthy e-bikes. It feature numerous classic designs and different colours and is pure speed and style. But don’t be fooled by the petrol tank. It does not contain petrol but houses a Samsung LiNiCoMn 10.4Amp battery pack which can propel it to speeds of up to 50kmph and a range of around 60 kilometres to a full charge. Ideal for city drives it relieves you of parking stress besides giving you the lightness of a bicycle and speed of a car. Well, almost!
Prices: Starting at Rs 2.22 lakhs ($3,700)

TIMELESS ELEGANCE
How does the world’s most creative watch company celebrate an important anniversary? Simple, by producing a stunning range of watches. Swiss watch maker Girard-Perregaux is commemorating the tenth anniversary of its Cat’s Eye collection by releasing a couple of very special limited edition timepieces. Available in two versions (black dial with white diamonds and white dial with red sapphires), the watches are made of white gold and have the words “10th Anniversary” engraved on the back. The alligator strap is clasped by a white gold folding buckle that curls ergonomically around the wrist encapsulating timeless elegance and fine design details.
Prices: Upon request

DECORATING A SHOEHORN
We all know that a shoehorn is a device to ease your foot into a shoe. It is a practical everyday tool and not an ornament by any stretch of imagination. But this everyday tool has been given an amazing style bump-up by Danish company Menu. It has given it such a touch of artistic elegance that it deserves a place on the wall! Made of polished steel it comes with a discreet magnetic mount to turn it into a decoration piece. The company guarantees that this special shoehorn will be the most attractive thing ever to touch your feet!
Prices: Rs 7,500 ($125)

GUERLAIN BLUSHES
It is one of the oldest French perfume houses with a product line aimed at the young and the young at heart. Guerlain’s seven new blushing additions to the Rouge G lipstick collection have been inspired by the opulence of gold bars and come encased in a new metallic body that is sensuously curvaceous. These include two limited edition pieces that have sumptuously lacquered exteriors and look as feminine as they are modern. The lipsticks are a perfect addition to a lady’s delicate evening clutch.
Price in India: Between Rs 2,083 & Rs 2,988 per lipstick

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
Summer’s upon us and it is time to look for coolers that will keep the glare away. Fendi’s 2014 Spring/Summer Eyewear collection called Iridia not just does that but also adds personality and flair to any outfit---casual or dressy. The edgy women’s sunglasses have distinctive shapes and stylish detailing and the Italian luxury label’s monogram stands out distinctly. The highlight of the collection is the cat-eyed, retro-inspired frame highlighted by soft and round lines with pyramidal oversize crystals around the lenses smacking of elegance, style and sophistication.
Prices: Rs 33,000 ($550)

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