Deciding to hire a private concierge is the straightforward part. Knowing what to look for, what questions to ask, and what separates a genuinely capable firm from one that only sounds like one — that is where most people get stuck.
This guide is written for people who are past the "what is a private concierge?" question and into the "how do I actually choose one?" stage. It covers what a private concierge does, the signs that you're ready for one, what the evaluation process should look like, what it costs, and what questions to ask before you sign anything.
What Does a Private Concierge Actually Do?
A private concierge is a professional or boutique firm that manages lifestyle logistics on your behalf — working exclusively in your interest, 24/7, with complete discretion.
The distinction from a hotel concierge matters: a hotel concierge serves all guests within the constraints of a single property. A private concierge works only for you, with no competing obligations, and manages far more than travel logistics.
Core service areas for a private concierge typically include:
- Lifestyle management — scheduling, errands, household logistics, appointments, and the ongoing administration of a demanding life
- Travel and experiences — private flight coordination, hotel arrangements, access to exclusive destinations and itineraries unavailable commercially
- Property — sourcing and managing luxury rentals, coordinating pre-arrival preparation, managing ongoing property needs
- Events and entertainment — private event planning, VIP access to sold-out or members-only experiences, curated programming
- Personal and household services — personal shopping, gift curation, household staff coordination, specialized requests of any kind
The key differentiator from a personal assistant is access and scope. A personal assistant manages your calendar and office. A private concierge manages your life — with a network built over years that opens doors unavailable through any other means.
Signs You're Ready to Hire a Private Concierge
Not everyone needs a private concierge. These are the signals that you've reached the point where the value of one is clear:
You're spending more than 10 hours per week on logistics that could be delegated. Scheduling, household management, travel coordination, research, and errands are consuming time that you'd rather spend at a higher level. A concierge absorbs all of it.
You've missed events, opportunities, or personal time because of overload. When life admin starts competing with what actually matters — relationships, performance, health — delegation is no longer a luxury. It's a correction.
You travel frequently and need a capable partner in multiple cities. Managing international travel logistics without local knowledge and relationships is inefficient at best and costly at worst. A private concierge with city-specific depth is a significant operational advantage.
Privacy has become a real concern. Whether due to professional profile, public-facing work, or simply the value you place on discretion, you need a partner whose data handling and confidentiality practices are formal and verifiable.
Your current setup can't keep pace with your life. A personal assistant who covers business hours doesn't solve a 10pm problem on a Friday. A contractor-based lifestyle service that routes requests through a portal doesn't know your preferences. The gap between what you have and what you need has grown large enough to notice.
You're in transition. A new city, a growing business, a major life change. Transitions generate logistical complexity at exactly the moment when bandwidth is lowest. A private concierge provides the infrastructure to navigate the transition without everything else suffering.
What to Look for in a Private Concierge Service
The evaluation process for a private concierge should go deeper than a sales conversation. Here is what to look for.
Boutique vs. large agency. Boutique firms provide dedicated relationships — one contact who knows you, your preferences, and your standards. Large agencies route requests through staff pools and ticketing systems. If you want white glove service, you need a firm small enough to actually deliver it.
A formal discretion infrastructure. Not "we value privacy" language — but a specific answer to the question: "What is your data policy, and can I see your NDA?" A firm that doesn't have a formal discretion process has not built the infrastructure that high-touch client relationships require.
Verifiable network depth. The difference between a concierge who says "we have access to private properties" and one who can name the specific inventory they manage is significant. Ask specifically about their capabilities in the cities and categories that matter to you.
City-specific expertise. A concierge who knows Los Angeles deeply — the right contacts at the right venues, the private inventory that isn't publicly listed, the relationships that produce access — is fundamentally more valuable than a national firm with broad but shallow coverage.
A named, dedicated point of contact. You should know who your person is from day one. If the firm can't answer that question before you sign, the relationship will be impersonal by design.
Availability as a standard, not a tier. 24/7 should mean 24/7 — not "we have an after-hours line." Ask: if I need something arranged at 11pm on a Saturday, who handles it and how fast?
Questions to Ask Before You Hire
Before committing to a private concierge service, ask these questions directly:
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"What is your discretion standard — do you use formal NDAs?" This should be a simple yes, with documentation available. A firm that hesitates here has not built privacy into its operations.
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"Who will be my primary contact, and what is their direct availability?" You want a name and a number — not a promise of a "dedicated team."
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"What happens if my request falls outside your standard service categories?" The answer should be "we handle it" — not "let me check with our partners." A private concierge without a flexible, problem-solving orientation is not what the term implies.
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"Can you tell me specifically what access you have in [your city]?" Generic language about networks is not an answer. A capable firm will give you specifics.
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"How is my personal information stored and protected?" Data handling, staff access controls, and the lifetime of client records should be answerable with specifics.
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"What does your onboarding process look like?" A firm that invests time in learning who you are before acting is a firm that will serve you well. A firm that skips this step will serve you generically.
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"What is included in the retainer, and what is billed separately?" This prevents misaligned expectations and friction later. Get it in writing.
How Much Does a Private Concierge Cost?
Pricing in the private concierge market varies significantly based on the scope of service, the size and reputation of the firm, and the city.
Entry-level personal concierge apps and services: $50–$150/month. These operate as on-demand task platforms — lower cost, limited scope, minimal personalization, and no meaningful network access. They handle single requests, not lifestyle management.
Mid-tier lifestyle services: $300–$1,000/month retainer. Broader scope than apps, some personalization, often contractor-based. Coverage is typically business-hours-adjacent. The right choice for lower-complexity needs.
Boutique luxury concierge firms: $1,500–$5,000+/month depending on scope and availability requirements. Dedicated staff, formal discretion infrastructure, genuine network access, and 24/7 availability. This is the range where a private concierge relationship — as described in this guide — actually begins.
Dedicated full-service arrangements: Varies by negotiation and scope. For clients with significant and ongoing complexity across multiple cities and domains, arrangements beyond standard retainers are structured individually.
The reframe that matters: the cost of a private concierge is not the right question. The right question is the value of what it returns — in hours recovered, opportunities accessed, and the compounded benefit of operating with more clarity and less friction every single day.
Private Concierge vs. Personal Assistant — Which Do You Need?
The quick answer:
- If you need organized administrative support for your office and calendar during business hours: personal assistant.
- If you need lifestyle management, 24/7 availability, access, and discretion across every domain of life: private concierge.
- If you need both: many clients use both in parallel, with a PA managing office operations and a concierge managing everything outside the office.
Many clients describe the move from PA to private concierge as the point at which their personal life caught up to the quality of their professional operations. The transition typically happens when the scope of what needs to be managed has grown beyond what any single employed individual can handle at the required level.
For a deeper comparison, see our guide on luxury concierge services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a private concierge?
A private concierge is a professional service that manages your lifestyle logistics — from travel and property to events and personal requests — working exclusively on your behalf, 24/7, with complete discretion. Unlike a hotel concierge or personal assistant, a private concierge has no competing obligations and manages across every domain of life.
Is a private concierge worth it?
For clients who value their time, privacy, and access to exclusive experiences, a private concierge consistently returns more than it costs — in hours recovered, opportunities accessed, and the quality of execution across every domain it manages. The clients who describe it as "not worth it" are typically those who never fully delegated.
How do I find a reputable private concierge in Los Angeles?
Look for boutique firms with verifiable networks, formal NDA processes, and a named point of contact from the start. Cadiz & Lluis Concierge is a boutique luxury firm based in Los Angeles, available 24/7 for clients across LA, Malibu, the Hamptons, and Miami Beach.
What's the difference between a private concierge and a personal assistant?
A personal assistant is typically employed by you and focused on administrative and office tasks during business hours. A private concierge is a retained service with broader lifestyle scope, an established external network, 24/7 availability, and firm-level discretion standards that extend beyond individual employment.
The Right Firm Is a Long-Term Relationship
The best private concierge relationships are not transactional — they are built over time, on trust, and on the accumulated knowledge of exactly how you prefer things done.
Choosing the right firm the first time matters. Ask the right questions, evaluate the discretion infrastructure, and look for city-specific depth rather than broad generic coverage.
Cadiz & Lluis Concierge is a boutique luxury firm serving Los Angeles, Malibu, the Hamptons, and Miami Beach. All consultations are fully confidential.
Ready to hire a private concierge? Contact us at brody@cadizlluis.com or call +1 (818) 642-4050 to start the conversation.