If you thought requesting extra pillows or room service from a hotel was indulgent, think again.
A Gold Coast hotel was asked to buy alpacas for a Middle Eastern family and another was asked to arrange a sight-seeing trip to Sydney, Melbourne, Alice Springs and the Great Barrier Reef all in one day.
These are some of the strangest requests of five-star hotels in a list compiled by Gold Coast Tourism.
Many of the requests were able to be filled – including booking rooms on one floor for a guest's wife and on a different floor for his mistress.
On another occasion, a guest asked a concierge to sell his luxury sports car when he had to unexpectedly leave the country.
Many requests would require a Herculean effort to arrange such as being given six hours' notice to organise a private jet to fly the Argentine polo team from the Gold Coast to Malaysia.
Others would be a joy to fulfil such as two staff members asked to be bridesmaid and best man for an elderly couple renewing their wedding vows in the hotel chapel.
If you can't get in to use your hotel gym, chances are there is a celebrity present who's demanded exclusive use.
But it shows the measures luxury hotels will take to ensure guests leave satisfied including arranging a helicopter flight to Table Mountain for dinner where guests were met by a personal chef, waiter and Spanish guitarist.
Other more common requests of Gold Coast hotels include: unpacking suitcases and hanging clothes; running bubble baths; cooking dinner in the room; arranging high-protein menus for athletes; birthday cakes; and flowers for wives/girlfriends (or both).
One of the luxury hotels to field strange requests was the Hilton Surfers Paradise, but Marketing and Communications Manager Chelsea Steber said confidentiality clauses prevented her from specifying which ones.
“We go over and above to deliver the best possible service that we can, and sometimes that involves weird and wonderful requests,” she said.
“As long as it’s reasonable, within our power and ability, and will keep the guests safe and happy, then we’re always willing to give it a go.”
Gold Coast Top 10 Strangest Hotel Requests In 2012
- Asked to purchase alpacas for a Middle Eastern royal family.
- An overseas visitor asked if he could organise a day trip taking in Sydney, Melbourne, Alice Springs and the Great Barrier Reef.
- Organise a private jet for the Argentine Polo team to fly from Gold Coast to Malaysia with 6-hours' notice.
- Book rooms on different floors for a guest's wife and girlfriend.
- An elderly couple looking to renew their wedding vows at the hotel chapel asked two staff members to be bridesmaid and best man.
- Organised dinner for two on "Table Mountain" in the Gold Coast Hinterland. Guests arrived by helicopter where a personal chef, waiter and Spanish guitarist were waiting.
- A guest left his luxury sports vehicle to be sold by a hotel staffer as he had to unexpectedly leave the country.
- A unique wedding proposal, with a gentleman proposing to his girlfriend as staff from the resort all wearing t-shirts that spelt out MARRY ME.
- Exclusive use of the gym for various celebrities.
- Exclusive use of the Executive Lounge for a wedding proposal.
Source: Gold Coast Tourism.