If you stay at luxury hotels with any frequency, odds are that at some point you’ve stayed at a hotel that claims to offer butler service. Sometimes it’s offered for all guests, while other times it’s offered to guests in certain room categories.
In this post I wanted to talk about that in a bit more detail, because I don’t have all the answers, and I’m curious how others approach this kind of service…
In this post:
The basics of hotel butler service
When luxury hotels offer butler service, obviously the intent is to make each guest feel special, and to make them feel like they’re receiving customized service.
In my experience, when you check into a hotel with butler service, someone will introduce themselves as your butler shortly after you arrive in your room. Maybe they give you a tour of the room, and then tell you that if you need anything at all, you can contact them. The thing is, hotels often don’t very clearly define what services you can expect from butler service.
Furthermore, it often seems to me like the features that are offered are things that I’d either never want, or that I’d expect to be done anyway:
- Just take a look at the below promotional video from Hotel Grande Bretagne Athens, where the butler puts on white gloves and then makes sure the bed is perfectly made — isn’t this housekeeping’s job?
- St. Regis likes to promote how the butler can wake you up in the morning and draw your curtains for you; like, I neither need nor want anyone to enter my bedroom and draw my curtains for me, especially since most luxury hotels have electric curtains
- Hotels often promote how you can call the butler service hotline if you need anything, though it’s not clear how that’s any different than your typical general service hotline that virtually every hotel phone has
So let’s take a look at two hotel brands that offer butler service, and what they promote as possible services.
St. Regis butler service
St. Regis is one of the hotel brands that most consistently promotes its butler service. What does St. Regis claim that this service includes?
- Packing services, whereby the butler will unpack your bag upon arrival, and pack it again prior to departure
- Beverage service, whereby a butler will bring you a coffee or tea upon arrival, plus can provide a morning wake-up call and then deliver you your choice of coffee or tea, plus draw your curtains and bring you a newspaper
- Garment pressing, typically for two pieces per day on a complimentary basis
- Butler service desk access, whereby you can reach out to a central point of contact by phone or through messaging
Savoy London butler service
Let’s use the Savoy London as another example, even though Savoy isn’t a huge hotel group. I think this is an interesting one to look at because the hotel has a fascinating infographic about the value that a Savoy butler can add to your stay. This explains the ins-and-outs of butler service, including formal training, common tasks, tips, and strange requests they’ve received over the years.
For example, you’ll notice that the Savoy London butler service promotes how you can have the butler do your personal shopping for you. I mean, in theory that’s kind of cool, but how exactly does that work in practice?
Where I do & don’t see value in hotel butler service
If you’re a socialite and/or Sheikh and are staying in a 5,000 square foot suite at a top hotel in London or New York or Paris and are hosting dinner parties and want someone to do everything for you, then I can totally see the value of butler service. Now, in fairness, these kinds of guests may also travel with their own entourage, with people who are more familiar with their preferences.
But for the rest of us who are just staying in guest rooms or more “standard” suites, I think there’s more limited value to butler service. I’ll take it a step further — if a hotel has good service in general, then I think butler service is a bit redundant. It’s interesting to me how a vast majority of Four Seasons properties don’t offer butler service, but rather just focus on offering good service across the board.
The area where I find butler service to be useful is with the very clearly defined value-add perks that are offered. For example, as someone who loves coffee, I appreciate how St. Regis offers complimentary coffee and tea through butler service. That’s something I always take advantage of. The garment pressing can be useful in other situations as well.
I also see value to this concept at private island resorts. While not explicitly butler service, the Waldorf Astoria Maldives offers each guest a personal concierge, who can make useful recommendations during your stay, and look after you. I think this is quite useful, since it’s not like you need a concierge to provide expert tips on where you should eat or shop.
However, I see less value in virtually all other parts of the butler service experience, assuming a hotel otherwise offers good service:
- If I need help with a dining reservation or something outside the hotel, I’d rather just reach out directly to the concierge, rather than someone who will essentially just play messenger
- The whole concept of having a phone number to call or text for butler service seems redundant when a hotel also has a general service hotline, plus an app through which you can chat
- The lack of clearly defined parameters also makes me a bit uncomfortable in making some requests; butlers will often say “I’m here for anything at all that you may need,” but clearly different hotels have different limits (for example, it seems Savoy offers to send butlers shopping for you, while I don’t think St. Regis does that)
- I think the biggest issue with butler service is that some hotels don’t do a good job managing expectations; some guests expect that having butler service will be a life-changing experience, and then they’re surprised when they don’t hear from their butler after the first interaction
Bottom line
Butler service is a perk frequently offered at luxury hotels. Maybe I’m in the minority in feeling this way, but the whole concept often just confuses me. There’s so much variability in terms of the execution of this at various hotels, and there’s also no consistency when it comes to the services offered.
At many hotels, it seems like butler service shouldn’t even be needed, assuming the hotel otherwise offers decent service. In the case of St. Regis, I do love the coffee and tea, though…
What’s your take on hotel butler service? When and how do you use it?
If travelling on leisure, I believe a butler service can add great value to a stay. Let me take the host service at One&Only resorts, which is extended to every single guest, regardless of what room they booked.
The hosts are the ones that welcome you at arrival and check you in, they immediately create a WhatsApp group with the other 1 or 2 hosts that will be looking after you during your entire stay....
If travelling on leisure, I believe a butler service can add great value to a stay. Let me take the host service at One&Only resorts, which is extended to every single guest, regardless of what room they booked.
The hosts are the ones that welcome you at arrival and check you in, they immediately create a WhatsApp group with the other 1 or 2 hosts that will be looking after you during your entire stay. They act as a concierge, they are activities curators, checking-in with you (not too little and not too much) to put together a daily plan for you, whether you want to be passive, active or a bit of both. They become your key point of contact during your entire stay and they are the ones that bid the guests farewell.
Many hotel brands offer a butler service of sorts but most really just go half way and have a number of exclusions that they need to state to guests prior to arrival.
I had one in Thailand at the Sofitel in Sukumvit, it was included with my room rate. She was great, would check in with me at breakfast and ask if I was going to need anything giving me examples of how she might help. The room had a little issue and she made sure it got taken care of right away, asked if I wanted to be bothered with the turndown service or if I’d...
I had one in Thailand at the Sofitel in Sukumvit, it was included with my room rate. She was great, would check in with me at breakfast and ask if I was going to need anything giving me examples of how she might help. The room had a little issue and she made sure it got taken care of right away, asked if I wanted to be bothered with the turndown service or if I’d prefer she just put the turndown chocolates in the room when I was out. The day before checkout she found me at breakfast and asked about my checkout plans. She got the car set up, came by to pick up my bags and get them loaded into the car, sat me down in the lounge with a beverage and told me when the car was loaded with my bags. She walked me down to the car to say goodbye. It was a lovely experience. I didn’t need her much, but just felt incredibly well cared for and it made planning and dealing with small issues easier.
At the St Regis Bora Bora, our butler popped up at least twice a day at some location at the resort to check on us. It was quite clear that, even with the relatively large size of the resort, the staff always knew, generally, where guests were as our butler had no problem finding us to check in. So... slightly creepy at that level. But she was totally charming.
I have a pile of shirts to be pressed
Wish I had a butler at the moment.
Ok for real even at a medium resort in Mexico I was assigned a butler.
Truthfully was nice to be proactively helped with dinner reservation ,some beverage requests etc with out having to deal with restaurant lines or other personal who may have been able to or not able to get the reservations etc...
I would even disagree with you on the coffee and tea point. There are espresso makers and tea (sometimes the full tea set sometimes bags) in the room, so is really offering that so special. The other issue with the butler is that it is unclear what is charged and what is not. For example, the coffee and tea is not charged but after the welcome drink other drinks are charged. In many ways I...
I would even disagree with you on the coffee and tea point. There are espresso makers and tea (sometimes the full tea set sometimes bags) in the room, so is really offering that so special. The other issue with the butler is that it is unclear what is charged and what is not. For example, the coffee and tea is not charged but after the welcome drink other drinks are charged. In many ways I consider them an extension of the housekeeping. Consider if you take a cruise there is a different term used for the housekeeper who has a greater role than just cleaning your room...
True but those machines don't allow for specific water temperature depending on the type of tea or grind of coffee.. ☕☕
While I would love to wake up to coffee, pastries, and fresh flowers, having a stranger come into my room to deliver them is terribly intrusive. I would also be pretty uncomfortable with a stranger unpacking my luggage.
I find the services as described to be redundant, intrusive, and unnecessary. If a hotel really wants to please me, high quality linens, comfy bed and pillows (pillow menu is a win), spotless room and bath,...
While I would love to wake up to coffee, pastries, and fresh flowers, having a stranger come into my room to deliver them is terribly intrusive. I would also be pretty uncomfortable with a stranger unpacking my luggage.
I find the services as described to be redundant, intrusive, and unnecessary. If a hotel really wants to please me, high quality linens, comfy bed and pillows (pillow menu is a win), spotless room and bath, flowers, a bottle of champagne or cava. Maybe some fruit. Housekeeping should be invisible and impeccable, front desk staff attentive and capable.
I've told Mom to stop that...
Well let's face it if you had a personal butler they would already be familiar with your clothes and inner workings of your life.
These temporary helpers titled butlers or more guy Fridays perhaps.
All in the marketing..
St. Regis Maldives butler wouldn't service us coffee or tea. They told us it would be cold by the time it arrives, so you are better off using the Nespresso maker in the room. Same with tea in the evenings, they made excuses. Butler IMO is just a gimmick, and a marketing ploy. No value at all.
I agree that the butler service can sometimes be more annoying than helpful. At the St. Regis Maldives, you have to use the butler to make your dinner reservations....you cannot make them by yourself. And the butler then picked us up in a golf cart and took us to dinner every night, even though we easily could have walked. I really wish the butler service had been an option, which we would have refused, if given the choice.
Last May, my wife snd I stayed at the Hotel Grande Bretagne Athens, which provided with Butler service. Having never had a use for such services, we didn't think much of it. As we unpacked, We noticed we had forgotten an important prescription medication. We called the butler describing our delema and he quickly arranged for a doctor to come to our room, who wrote a prescription and the butler then went to the pharmacy...
Last May, my wife snd I stayed at the Hotel Grande Bretagne Athens, which provided with Butler service. Having never had a use for such services, we didn't think much of it. As we unpacked, We noticed we had forgotten an important prescription medication. We called the butler describing our delema and he quickly arranged for a doctor to come to our room, who wrote a prescription and the butler then went to the pharmacy to pick it up and bring it back to our room. Unbelievable seamless service.
The next day we did a day tour to Meterora. Unbeknownst to me my wife bought and paid fo a case of wine to be shipped back to the states even though the clerk couldn't tell her what the shipping costs would be. The next day I determined shipping would be three times the cost of the wine but I was not able to cancel the order given lour language barrier.
So I called the butler who with a simple phone call made my problem disappear. An incredible butler at one of the best hotels we've ever stayed at.
Calling them Butlers is a gimmick in reality they are at best Stewards of Stewardess’s. Prober Butlers take time to anticipate the primary’s needs and direct other staff to deliver what’s needed to satisfy.
I love getting clothes that are wrinkled pressed by butlers. No ironing or steaming for me!
When my husband was sick at the Spectator Hotel in Charleston our butler became part of the family - bringing various types of aspirin, an array of teas and snacks, pressing my wrinkled scarves, and guiding us where we should go when we ha to cut out a day of sightseeing.
I draw the line at having...
I love getting clothes that are wrinkled pressed by butlers. No ironing or steaming for me!
When my husband was sick at the Spectator Hotel in Charleston our butler became part of the family - bringing various types of aspirin, an array of teas and snacks, pressing my wrinkled scarves, and guiding us where we should go when we ha to cut out a day of sightseeing.
I draw the line at having a stranger (no matter how nice) packing or unpacking my clothing, though I readily admit he/she might do an enter job.
I also had great experiences with the butlers at the Spectator.
I bough a gift while on a trip and asked the butler to wrap it for me. Was very helpful as the store didn't have wrapping paper
I stayed at two properties in the Maldives earlier this year - Kudadoo and COMO Cocoa. Kudadoo's entire concept is Anything, Anytime, Anywhere. Our butler was phenomenal (as was the entire staff), picking up on cues like my wife not eating shellfish and making replacements themselves. Same with drinks/snacks in the villa. We had our butler's WhatsApp number and could send him messages about anything. They very much encouraged us to use the staff, but...
I stayed at two properties in the Maldives earlier this year - Kudadoo and COMO Cocoa. Kudadoo's entire concept is Anything, Anytime, Anywhere. Our butler was phenomenal (as was the entire staff), picking up on cues like my wife not eating shellfish and making replacements themselves. Same with drinks/snacks in the villa. We had our butler's WhatsApp number and could send him messages about anything. They very much encouraged us to use the staff, but we're pretty independent, so we probably used it far less than most do. COMO Cocoa also had a butler, but it was more invisible - he would serve us at most meal times in the restaurant though.
As others have said, coming from the US, there are not many properties that feature this. Both of the above resorts are very expensive, so the level of service at least matches the price. I would go back to Kudadoo in a heartbeat. COMO Cocoa had a very nice lagoon, but didn't hold a candle in terms of experience.
Others also mentioned tipping. It was specifically said that no tips were required, but we did wind up tipping a small number of staff at Kudadoo, our butler included. He really did go above and beyond.
If you are traveling solo, you can ask them to find someone to accompany you to dinner and activities afterward. Male or female. Young or old. All races. You can get very creative with requests depending on the location of your stay.
Um...WTF?!
Didn't she get called the mayflower madam??
The butler service, along with so many other aspects, at the St Regis Atlanta is a joke! I asked for a few pieces to be pressed and they came back looking like it was done by a drunk blind person. Our coffee never arrived or arrived after we had left for the day. They never responded to texts.
Stay away from this property!
We never use butler service. If there are any specific room requirements (no flowers, lots of Coke Zero in the mini-bar, memory-foam pillows) or concierge requests they are advised before we arrive. I don't require someone to unpack for me, nor do I require a pot of "welcome tea", etc. I appreciate that the staff are a call or button-press away at all times, but we don't need proactive services.
How about a welcome martini then if not tea??
On the rare occasion when I stay at a luxury property, I avoid contact with the special service people. I find it awkward at best and highly annoying at worst. Frankly, the idea of having some strange dude unpacking my bags and going through my personal items is creepy.
Agree, I would pay more NOT to have someone creepily doing things for me.
Plus they always have their hand out.
I'm already extremely annoyed when doormen insist on taking my luggage to my room (any ideas how to politely tell them to piss off?). It only delays me and of course they expect a tip for saving me the trouble of carrying my wheeled suitcase for another 100 meters after I've dragged it all around the continent for the entire day. It reached the point when I avoid luxury brands.
Butlers sound like a pure hell to me.
"Oh, thank you so much, I'll manage" is usually enough, and if it isn't, a firm "Thanks, I carried it this far so I'll be just fine and I'm in a bit of a hurry. Don't worry about it" will do the trick. I hate to get to my room just to be waiting for my bag, so I always decline and carry it myself.
I also never understood this. I assumed the way it SHOULD work is I give my luggage to the doorman, and while I'm checking in, the hotel informs him what room I am in and my luggage is there when I arrive or shortly thereafter.
In practice, I find myself wanting to go to the pool but instead waiting in my room for 20-30 minutes for my bag with my swim attire to arrive.
Expectation of tipping makes it awkward so I decline.
Now do an article on hotel turndown service. I still have no idea what exactly that entails and panic decline every time the front desk asks if I want it.
Hi Super, happy to shed some light on that. IMO it's not really an essential service. Basically around bedtime a large man comes into your hotel room, turns you upside down and shakes you until all the loose change falls out of your pockets. He gets to keep whatever falls out. Hope this helped!
Hahahah you made my day
Does the large man expect a tip for this service? Or is it only in the US?
I was never asked and just came back to find it done. Better hotels just make your bed ready for sleeping (remove day blanket, ornamental pillows), close your blinds, and most importantly place a chocolate on your pillow.
I don't need someone to make my bed, but I definitely need the chocolate.
Sofitel went through a phase of leaving a small spray bottle of aromatherapy sleeping potion on the pillow instead of chocolate, which I always liked.
I appreciate coming back from dinner to a turned-down bed, dimmed lights, drawn drapes, and a refreshed bathroom.
"how does personal shopping work here?"
I'll guess that a lot of the requests will be for mundane items: batteries, pantyhose, a birthday card, a particular brand of shaving cream - anything the guest has forgotten to pack/run out of/has broken.
Good hotels stock quite a few of these, but cannot stock everything.
The item may cost only USD20, but plenty of guests don't want to have to explore local shops (especially...
"how does personal shopping work here?"
I'll guess that a lot of the requests will be for mundane items: batteries, pantyhose, a birthday card, a particular brand of shaving cream - anything the guest has forgotten to pack/run out of/has broken.
Good hotels stock quite a few of these, but cannot stock everything.
The item may cost only USD20, but plenty of guests don't want to have to explore local shops (especially if not in the centre of a walkable city) or are on a tight schedule, or it's outside shopping hours.
Of course you don't get the best deal, but in that situation those guests don't care that a "USD20 item" costs them USD50.
I can also imagine plenty of dealing with requests from friends or family: "You're going to X - that's where one gets the best Y - please bring me some"
"A professional film crew asked for a professional, camera-trained monkey..."
I guess if you're a butler, you can never get away with saying, "not my monkey, not my circus."
When I stay with St Regis, I follow your same path, with morning coffee and pressed clothes (if I need them pressed). When my partner first stayed in one with me, she was like 'they unpack our bags???'. I told her all was optional, so she had something pressed to see that benefit. Other than that, I pretty much don't use butlers for anything.
We had a "butler" at the JW Marriott Maldives. He basically coordinated all of our needs while we were staying there. He also picked us up from the restaurants and drove us back to our room if we didn't want to walk. He knew we wanted ice for our drinks, so when we got back from breakfast, there was always a bucket of ice waiting for us. He coordinated a special treat for Mother's Day...
We had a "butler" at the JW Marriott Maldives. He basically coordinated all of our needs while we were staying there. He also picked us up from the restaurants and drove us back to our room if we didn't want to walk. He knew we wanted ice for our drinks, so when we got back from breakfast, there was always a bucket of ice waiting for us. He coordinated a special treat for Mother's Day for my wife of her favorite pistachio macaroons. Coffee in the morning, etc. We didn't think we'd use him as often as we did, but turned out good in the end.
In some hotels you can WhatsApp your butler, which is nice in situations you don’t want to call to get something done
Butler service at the St. Regis New York is excellent. I love having a single point of contact for everything. They coordinate housekeeping for when you're away; arrange for the house car; tea/coffee....and the BEST service is packing and unpacking.
I wonder whether from the hotel's point of view, it is a way of reducing the risk of disastrous stays.
Most horror stories one experiences or hears are about where satisfying a guest falls between the gaps.
By having a layer of staff specifically responsible for the contentment of ?8 keys, any complaint will go to a specific person who has the time to get it resolved.
We stayed at the St Regis Maldives, and I found the butler concept annoying. He was nice, but we didn't feel the need to use any of the services, for example he always wanted to give us a ride at dinner time and of course expected a tip (which I totally get), but we like to walk and I prefer to avoid the awkward small talk.
A bit of a misunderstanding. There is no expectations of tipping in the Maldives, and certainly not for the being driven in the buggys around the resort.
Did you notice the hefty service charge on every folio you signed? That is already your tip, it is split amongst the staff.
We were never once driven for dinner at the St Regis Maldives, we used the bikes.
Does every St. Regis have this? I have an upcoming booking at one and the idea that they will unpack my stuff sounds extremely fun.
@ GroeneMichel -- All St. Regis properties do offer it, though in my experience some only offer it to suite guests (or guests in certain room categories), while others offer it to all guests.
North American (US, Canada) travellers, even very frequent travellers, rarely have experience with personal servants. It's hard to adjust to the presence of people at intimate moments. But in our DIY world, I found the butler service at St Regis Bangkok wonderfully luxurious. When we booked, we were very well informed what we could ask, in an email and again in a handout upon checkin. We were given a phone number and an email address...
North American (US, Canada) travellers, even very frequent travellers, rarely have experience with personal servants. It's hard to adjust to the presence of people at intimate moments. But in our DIY world, I found the butler service at St Regis Bangkok wonderfully luxurious. When we booked, we were very well informed what we could ask, in an email and again in a handout upon checkin. We were given a phone number and an email address direct to the butler, which we could contact while out shopping/dining. The garment service was launder and press, not just press. The butler ran my bath with luxe bath salts while I was enroute to the hotel. The butler brought a tray of coffee and tea at any time I asked, including 04:30am daily. The butler unpacked my bag (beautifully). The key to enjoying this service is to imagine one is in Downton Abbey and one respects the servants' pride in their work. Also learn to trust and abandon one's hygiene obsession. I almost got lost in the experience and bellowed "fuel the jet!".
It sounds exhausting. I'm sure it's helpful if you live in Downton Abbey in 1923 and you need help getting dressed for dinner, but I think I can open the curtains in my hotel room and run a bath without assistance. I don't need rose petals either.
if you think it's about "needing help" fly longhaul economy and get back to me.
People are people, so not all Butlers are created equal. With that said, a good Butler will show you the room and how everything works, and outline their services to you and get/reconfirm your personal preferences on a variety of things.
For 99% of people, the bottom line is they are a more efficient/attentive and personal Concierge (compared to the general hotel Concierge downstairs). More and more they will give you a WhatsApp to...
People are people, so not all Butlers are created equal. With that said, a good Butler will show you the room and how everything works, and outline their services to you and get/reconfirm your personal preferences on a variety of things.
For 99% of people, the bottom line is they are a more efficient/attentive and personal Concierge (compared to the general hotel Concierge downstairs). More and more they will give you a WhatsApp to communicate directly during the stay too, which makes requests easier. If it's something they can't personally handle, they'll at least make sure the right person or team gets the request.
Nothing to over think here; I believe most people are just a bit thrown off by it if they've never experienced it before.
Recommendations on tipping butlers?
$5 to $50 depending on how much time it takes to do. $5 for a simple laundry task / beverage, up to $50 for something time consuming like packing or running an errand.
Imagine paying someone $5 to open the curtains while you lay in bed?
Yeah I personally wouldn't request that but would definitely request a flat white or french press coffee to be delivered and for me a $5 tip would be well worth it, but I place high importance on a great coffee first thing in the morning.
I love the unpacking / packing aspect of butler service. It's annoying to do and nice to have everything organised while you make the most of your visit to the city / area you have just arrived in.
Ha, it's actually the one thing I always decline. I can't stand trying to find where they put things in the closet/wardrobe and bathroom. I know where it all is in my bag and I don't bring many things that need hanging, and I pack light in general anyway. To each their own.
If they had only separated my boxers from my briefs....