The Society of the Crossed Keys is Real???!!!

​Anyone who has seen Wes Anderson’s 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel is sure to recall the somewhat secretive and close-knit network of hotel concierges known as The Society of the Crossed Keys.  Among the members of this illustrious and influential organization is the suave Monsieur Gustav H. — concierge of an exclusive mountainside resort known as The Grand Budapest Hotel — who boasts of his uncanny ability to secure virtually anything his guests desire all at a moment’s notice.

​In the clip below, Gustav H. calls upon his front dest brothers-in-uniform to help him escape from a bind.  Well, it turns out that there is a Society of the Crossed Keys in real life as well: 

The Les Clefs d’Or is the professional union of concierges. They have more than 4,000 members in 80 countries and 530 places in the world. The roots of the organisation date back to 1929. However, the institution was officially founded only in 1952 in France. It is a nonprofit organisation resting on two pillars: service and friendship.

See their logo below. Note the crossed keys! Fittingly enough, a concierge in Budapest (the city, not the Grand Hotel) has just been awarded the "golden keys":

Réka Tóth will represent Hungary in the international organisation Tóth got the Golden Key since she has years of concierge experience, completed several tests and proved that she can provide the highest quality service imaginable in every situation.

As a result, she can pin the key on her uniform, which guests can easily recognise. The applications are evaluated by the relevant committee of the Les Clefs d’Or. That is followed by an interview. Afterwards, the committee decides who to give the key to.

​Réka Tóth graduated from Budapest’s Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) and Budapest Business University (BGE). During her career, she strengthened the realm of the InterContinental and Sofitel. I'm sure Ms. Tóth will be more than happy to put her vast networking skills to use should you ever require front row aisle seats for a first night at the Opera Toscana on one day's notice or a corner table at Chez Dominique on a Thursday.