If you've got a room, alpaca my bags
Who doesn't need an alpaca on holiday? Photo: Justin McManus
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 sightseeing trip to Sydney, Melbourne, Alice Springs and the Great Barrier Reef - all in one day.
These are some of the strangest requests at five-star hotels in a list compiled by Gold Coast Tourism.
Many of the requests were met - 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, such as being given six hours' notice to organise a private jet to fly the Argentinian polo team from the Gold Coast to Malaysia.
Others would be a joy to fulfil, such as when two staff members were asked to be bridesmaid and best man for an elderly couple renewing their wedding vows in the hotel chapel.
If you cannot get into your hotel gym, chances are there is a celebrity present who has 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, a waiter and a Spanish guitarist.
Other more common requests 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.''