So your resort room comes with its very own butler. If you’re not Fran Fine, Bruce Wayne or the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, chances are this is an employee encounter you haven’t had before. So what’s the appropriate protocol here?
Many 5-star hotels and resorts offer butler services for guests staying in the most luxurious rooms or suites as a bespoke or personalised service during the duration of your stay. While it’s certainly a luxurious touch to have one-on-one service from a dedicated individual, the actual concept of using a butler can be quite daunting; especially if you are not sure of what services they will provide.
butler.jpg
Simply put, hotel butlers look after the needs of guests within their rooms, such as unpacking luggage and ironing clothing, while a concierge is responsible for any guest requirements outside the room, generally restaurant reservations and booking shows or tickets. However the actual duties depend on the particular resort or hotel.
Outrigger Beach Resort, Fiji
At Outrigger Beach Resort Fiji, the Talai butler services are available to guests staying in traditional bure, deluxe ocean-view rooms and suites. Butlers have trained with the Australian Butler School, and some of the services they provide include unpacking luggage; ironing clothing; delivering late-afternoon Champagne and canapés to your room; organising restaurant, spa and hairdressing reservations; and they can also help with booking tours and activities.
Outrigger Fiji Beach.jpg
New York Hilton, Midtown New York
The butler service at New York Hilton Midtown also blends traditional concierge know-how with its Broadway Butler service. As the property is located right in the heart of the famed theatre district, the Broadway Butler is there to provide insider knowledge about current Broadway shows, exclusive theatre experiences and can also recommend the best places to dine pre- or post-show.
The Ritz London
The classic hotel butler can be experienced at The Ritz London. The Ritz butlers work around the clock to service guests’ needs. Clad in the signature three-piece suit and tails, these highly trained professionals offer a seamless service for those staying in the Signature Suites (butler services are also available for other rooms for an additional fee). Duties range from hanging clothes in your walk-in wardrobe to organising a private party.
The Ritz London Butlers.jpg
Luxury Cruise Lines
And it’s not just hotel suites that will offer you the sweet life. Luxury cruise lines also offer personal butler services as part of your hotel on water. Scenic has International Butler Academy-trained staff available to guests 24/7 in all room categories. Your personal butler is on hand to draw you a bath, deliver wine to your balcony, and also handle onshore reservations.
UW Cruise.jpg
Etihad Airways
An Etihad Airways butler, trained by the exclusive Savoy Academy, is available for guests flying in The Residence, the luxury three-room apartment in the sky. Your Etihad Airways butler is there to cater to your every whim – in the air and on the ground. Duties include a full valet service to pre-booking restaurants on arrival.
Conrad Maldives Rangali
Taking the butler tradition into 2017, the world’s first Instagram Butler is now in residence at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. To ensure you capture the ideal images for your social media feed, the Instagram Butler will take guests to the most photogenic locations, and advise on the best times and angles to use to capture the perfect poses in paradise. It’s all part and parcel of the evolving role of a butler providing personalised services for their VIP clients.
Images courtesy of Getty
