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’d like 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 the hotel butler service concept
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:
- 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 (at some properties it’s limited to certain room categories). 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, and almost find it’s like adding an unnecessary middleman:
- 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 and a good way to efficiently get in touch with the right person at the hotel (like a useful chat feature). 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?
Mostly gimmick now. We loved St Regis before when it was real and not under Marriott.
There was real butler service.
I think the butler is a nice way of saying the service attendant. They basically do the same job but there is some more perks that does not cost the hotel much such as the daily morning coffee delivered. What is unclear often is beyond that what drinks or requests they will charge to do. Some of the services people ask to be done are routinely done by other members of the team.
I find the butler service useful. Imo, better to use that funding/resources for (1) lounge staff (2) texting services (e.g., tell valet I need car ready in 20 mins or please charge my EV) (3) a hotel car that drives you a short radius. Otherwise, I find any reason for an in-person butler totally overreaching.
Husband and I love to use the service to have a chilled bottle of wine waiting for us after a day out. Or to get us reservations at a specific restaurant. Or to stock the room with goodies/products that aren't necessarily in the mini-bar but we don't want to run to a Sainsbury or other convenience store or whatever - for instamce, my deodorant was a solid but still confiscated at the airport so we...
Husband and I love to use the service to have a chilled bottle of wine waiting for us after a day out. Or to get us reservations at a specific restaurant. Or to stock the room with goodies/products that aren't necessarily in the mini-bar but we don't want to run to a Sainsbury or other convenience store or whatever - for instamce, my deodorant was a solid but still confiscated at the airport so we had the butler get some from Boots. Some of the things are generalized concierge-like services, others are more personalized. We've used them at resorts in Mexico and in Europe, and at hotels in London. They're a service. You just need to ask and you'll find out what they are willing to do.
I use the butler service at places I frequent. I'll say that it does take some time to figure out what they really do or don't do.
At the Oriental in Bangkok, there's a butler call button, and it's always been followed by a knock at the door in 60 seconds or less. I love what they can do - I give them a pile of laundry, make a mental note of things that...
I use the butler service at places I frequent. I'll say that it does take some time to figure out what they really do or don't do.
At the Oriental in Bangkok, there's a butler call button, and it's always been followed by a knock at the door in 60 seconds or less. I love what they can do - I give them a pile of laundry, make a mental note of things that need to be treated specially, and they take it, and after they're gone they fill out the form, and I never think about it again until it's returned. I can tell them that I'll need a house car at 10:00 a.m. and they take care of the rest - all I do is show up at the desk and I'm all set. They ensure I get the same driver every time (I even have his direct number on my mobile phone).
It's largely the same for the Raffles in Singapore, though I use a car service when I'm there.
I'll suggest this: If your hotel claims to have butler service, try it. The worse that can happen is that they don't live up to the promise, but it can't hurt to attempt using it, because when it works it can definitely make things run smoother.
The blue collar and inexperienced traveler loves butler service at Sandals resorts. They may feel uncomfortable staying at a true luxury resort, but feel more right at home at a mid-market Sandals where they can wear shorts and a baseball cap to dinner.
Not everyone is as sophisticated and superior as you. Lots of people like Sandals-type resorts because it's a vacation they can afford, and they really enjoy it.
There is nothing worse than the forced hotel room tour some butlers give you. It’s not helpful, it’s not a good use of time, and it doesn’t make me feel welcome or comfortable in my room. I’m not completely incompetent and am capable of finding my way around a hotel room all by myself. Please just give me the keys at check in and let me walk to my room with my own luggage. There is such a thing as too much service.
I've never, ever experienced any forced hotel room tours in my travels, but I appreciated being asked if I've stayed with them before. Either I say yes, I'm all set, or no, and I end up asking a few questions, usually about the thermostat(s).
Many airlines ask this in first class cabins, as some of the product controls are pretty unique/not as logical as one might think. The newer version of the SQ suites comes to mind.
I rather like being asked.
If I've been checking-in and out of numerous hotels during a trip to several countries, I appreciate the room door. I'm usually tired and don't want to spend the mental bandwidth to learn which switches turn on/off which light, where the coffee is located, etc.
More generally, I don’t understand why someone would want to see this? It’s so tedious.
You get free coffee in room at a Holiday Inn Express. Just saying.
Helpful in cruise ships that have a lot going on and when having a second set of hands is a plus.
Had a funny experience at the St Regis in Florence with my family. Butler knocked our door to introduce herself and insisted to take my shirts to press. Problem was that it was peak of summer and we were on vacation so I had no formal shirts to be pressed, just polos and t-shirts. She seemed disappointed and figured out that there was not much we needed from her. Lastly she gave her WhatsApp number and offered to book us restaurants which actually was very helpful.
@Santastico - missed seeing you on here for a while. Glad you could make it work at the St. Regis. Florence is a great place.
I used Butler Service when a business meeting was running considerably late and I had a flight to catch. The Butler packed all my belongings perfectly organized and protected and had a delivery messenger bring my two bags to my meeting location. I added a well deserved tip to my hotel invoice along with a complimentary note to the Manager about the Butler's service.
One time I was staying at the Venice St Regis and lost my phone charging cord but didn't realize until evening after many stores were closed. The butler service went out to buy one for me and put it in my room while I was at dinner. I appreciate how I didn't have to spend time & energy figuring out how to replace it.
We discovered a butler training resort ( and placing ) in Mexico for wealthy South Americans. In the end we became different people that were better groomed than imagined. And I've said this here before, I think of Victor evertime I draw a bath
Do you mean a resort that acts as a training ground for butler's, or a resort that trains the guest how to be a butler?
I have to say I am a tad curious about this.
If you are a regular at a property, you and butlers get to know each other. That's when interesting things can happen. But, if one doesn't get to this level of relationship, one doesn't understand what is possible. It's like knowing the doormen. All of a sudden, the house car is available in those times when you really need it.
In a broader sense, if you haven't ever had this level of a relationship with a butler, you won't know what is possible with a butler at any property, whether or not you're a regular.
Butler service is a bunch of bs.
Lee, gets it …. Gene, never will because the proletariat never do.
It's useful for people who are rich enough to have staff but not rich enough and/or don't want to travel with that staff. But to know how to make use of them you need to be used to having staff.
Meh, rarely have I needed something pressed upon arrival…but it is nice when needed and included. St. Regis tends to do well with this. “The best address…” Don’t miss the nightly sabering!
Can one assume that you never travel with your DJ the 1990Bot? …. :-)
Well said. I feel exactly the same.
It's a bit of a wank IMO. I've used hotel butlers to press a shirt or steam a jacket, but otherwise I don't call them. Guests who have a butler at home usually travel with an entourage in tow, and do other guests use the packing/unpacking service, particularly when they have to affirm to a customs agent that they packed their bag themselves and are aware of all the contents? Nah, hard pass. I can manage, I'm not travelling with as much luggage as Madonna FFS.
Agood butler should be someone to talk to who has both time and deep local knowledge. So, for example, they won't just tell you which restaurant to go to and book it like a concierge. They'll get under the skin of the kind of person you are and even recommend best dishes, best table to request, and best time to eat. Then they'll base the next day's recommendation on your feedback. Repeat for everything else...
Agood butler should be someone to talk to who has both time and deep local knowledge. So, for example, they won't just tell you which restaurant to go to and book it like a concierge. They'll get under the skin of the kind of person you are and even recommend best dishes, best table to request, and best time to eat. Then they'll base the next day's recommendation on your feedback. Repeat for everything else you might want to do: best running route, where to buy jewellery from a local artisan, etc.
That's my experience, anyway.
Well said. They are almost always redundant and great now I have to tip this guy $50. One time I asked them to get my ibuprofen at a super high end resort and they said no. Like..you’re worse than DoorDash dude .
Lucky,
I once stayed at the St Regis Istanbul - in a suite - and ordered coffee via the butler an hour after check in. They asked me to sign for it though, and I asked, is this not complimentary? they said no.
Upon check out they said coffee and tea is only included upon check in and anytime after check in, they will charge. Since I ordered 1 hour after check in, they said it was chargeable.
Is this correct?
Yes, that is correct.