The head of the concierge service at the Grand Harbour Hotel has scooped an honour which places him among the elite of his profession.

Graham Mitchell has been granted membership of the Society of the Golden Keys in recognition of his skills and professionalism as an experienced concierge.

The accolade means that the Grand Harbour joins a small group of prestigious hotels who all employ a recognised member of the society. Others include Browns, The Ritz, The Berkeley, The Savoy and Hampshire's Tylney Hall.

Graham has been the concierge manager for 18 months at the De Vere Grand Harbour, Southampton's only five-star hotel. Previously he worked at the Grand Hotel in Brighton for six years as deputy head concierge. He was previously an area manager for a clothing retailer, and decided to become a concierge after living in Spain for six months.

To obtain membership of the Society of the Golden Keys, a concierge must have worked in a five-star hotel for more than five years and be successful in an appraisal after being nominated by their general manager.

Mr Mitchell said: "I was very excited to receive Golden Keys membership as it is the culmination of years of dedication and learning. It means a lot to me.

"There is a close professional bond between all the concierge professionals who have received membership. It means that I can continue to learn from other skilled people in the society."