To stimulate business from nearby hotels, Lunetta, New York, NY, runs a concierge rewards program with a twist: concierges decide who may use the reward (dinner for two) – friends, family, hotel guests, or themselves. “Our maitre d’ is a born networker, so we put her in charge of developing relationships with concierges,” says Sean Hill, gm. “She first delivers a press kit and an invitation for a complimentary dinner for two. At dinner the program is explained: for every 40 covers referred, the concierge receives a gift card for dinner for two. “This initial comp dinner lets the concierges experience Lunetta and gives them confidence that we’ll take great care of their guests,” explains Sean. Like any other program, he says, it needs to be maintained, so the maitre d’ visits the concierges every month, taking them bag lunches, brownies, etc. Sean says they only work with a few hotels so relationships can be well cultivated, and, in the six months since the program was launched, concierges have referred over 160 covers.