I’ve stayed at some of the top resorts in the world for this job, places in Cabo where the pool seems to meet the sea, the Four Seasons Whistler, the ex-Four seasons and even better service now Island Hotel in super wallet trendy Newport Beach. I’ve spent a day at Trump National LA when The Donald himself wanted his staff to convince me that the place was a Top 10 California course (close, but still not Top 10).

Yet through all this luxury service, I’ve never been treated quite as well as I was at a recent stay at Crown Island Resort, a Vancouver Island pure golf retreat an easy two-and-a-half-hour drive from Victoria.

That’s because Crown Isle has Andrew MacMillan, a guest relations/concierge specialist who would put movie concierges (that guy from Pretty Woman has nothing on him) and old English butlers to shame. MacMillan’s meeting you as you check in, making sure your group has everything it could possibly need - and several things you probably never even thought of. He’ll give you suggestions and hand drawn maps of his favored short cuts (no cop-out easy Mapquest directions here). He’ll even give the non-golfing spouses in your group calls to make sure they have something to do for the day.

Now, I’m not naive enough to miss the truth that MacMillan might have done a little extra for someone he knew was a golf writer. But the regular guests I talked at the resort raved about him just as much as I did.

The funny thing is that many of them assume that MacMillan actually is a former English butler or assistant to royalty too. He never booked the Queen’s days though. His accent’s actually South African.

The important thing is he brings a real love for making people enjoy their vacations to the job, proving that one man can elevate an entire resort. And Crown Isle’s already a must-visit escape, a spot where golf rules, the king Jacuzzi suites will blow you away and a man can be a man, puffing Cubans (no embargo in Canada) in a cigar room.

The super concierge ensures you’ll be raving about Crown Isle’s service for long after the smoke’s lifted though.

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