Aug. 29, 2005 -Kent Simmons has an eye for detail. As private eye and diplomat at one of the most luxurious locations in Miami -- the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Brickell Key -- he uses all available resources to tailor the stays of the biggest VIPs to their exact likings.

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Miami has 327 rooms, ornate restaurants and all the amenities you would expect from a hotel that attracts heads of state from around the world. The hotel boasts 20 levels of VIP status. Simmons' job as head guest relations officer -- the Mandarin's version of an elite butler -- is two-fold: He is a contact point for well-to-do guests, and he holds an administrative position, coordinating and communicating with a staff of 500, which he jokingly refers to as his "team of spies."

As a contact point, Simmons is at the door eager to greet high profile guests and their vast entourages upon arrival. He personally escorts them to their rooms and checks them in discretely and quietly.

But, even before the guests arrive, Simmons is hard at work finding out as much information about these VIPs as possible, reviewing everything from favorite foods and music, to how to they like to be greeted. "Detail is the bread and butter of this position," he said.

He has access to a database full of intimate details about some of the world's most interesting people.

Simmons' sleuthing is never underhanded, however, he is just very attentive and organized. When a guest says hold the onions, the waiter enters that information into a database. Then, whenever that guest stays in any of the Mandarin Orientals worldwide, onions will automatically be held.

The highest profile guests will have Simmons' cellphone number and the ability to reach him 24 hours a day. He also works as a chauffeur for the VIPs.

Simmons enjoys his job immensely but did not start out with ambitions to become the Mandarin's contact point of well-to-do guests. He grew up in Salt Lake City and studied interior design in college. Always fascinated by hotels, he came to Miami during a "happy set of coincidences" to work as a bellman at the Mandarin in 2001. Although he had no prior hotel experience, "The love of hotels is in my blood," he says.

His exuberation and fascination as a bellman allowed him to fit right in among the crowd-pleasing staff at the Mandarin, and when his position, one of four, was created last year, he was selected to be one of those in charge.

He says that there are five criteria for being successful at his job: "Not ever being confrontational, the ability to genuinely smile no matter what, being flexible and adaptive, being a team player and having an eye for detail."

The salary for his position varies between $30,000 and $40,000 a year. But, let's not forget that this is a tipping position, and many of the guests at the Mandarin "can be very generous," Simmons says.

Although Simmons has tended to many celebrities, he could not disclose exact names because "guarding the privacy of guests is top priority," he says. But he adds that it is well known that Luciano Pavarotti and the King and Queen of Spain were among the hotel's first guests and that certain local basketball stars have been known to make an appearance in-and-around the premises. Whatever other juicy information Simmons knows will remain classified.

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