Scott Wedekind

Scott Wedekind, chef concierge at the Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria, is hooked on hospitality. As department head for the concierge, bell and door staff, Scott supervises up to 15 employees, and it’s not uncommon to find him acting as the manager on duty for the entire hotel.

Growing up in Calgary, Scott considered three career choices: oil, ranching or tourism. His outgoing nature persuaded him to investigate a career in tourism, and after one summer working as a houseman/bellman at the Kananaskis Lodge in Alberta, he was hooked on helping visitors discover exciting new places.

He started out working in the food and beverage services sector and then decided to complete a two-year Hotel and Restaurant Management Diploma. Scott believes that employers are more interested in you when you have directly related education, as it shows that you are committed to the industry.

Upon graduation, Scott was hired as a concierge at the Skyline Hotel in Calgary. After five years there, he decided to explore his opportunities and moved to Vancouver to work at the Westin Bayshore. A few years later, his wife was offered a position at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, which was too good to pass up. In the meantime, Scott decided to work for a home health-care company in Victoria and take some time to reflect on his hospitality career. Soon he was called by the Swans Suite Hotel in Victoria and offered the position as hotel manager. Shortly after that, the Hotel Grand Pacific was looking for a chef concierge, and he was selected for the position.

Scott thinks that the future of tourism is outstanding and that there are tremendous opportunities around the world. “There are so many options that the only way to ensure success is to research where you want to work, ask people already there, take some post-secondary training, and remember that you must enjoy what you do, because if you don’t, it will show.”

Scott Wedeland is now the Guest Services Manager at Hotel Grand Pacific.