What Exactly Does a Hotel Butler Do?

Several popular hotel groups are well-known for their butler services and it's a major selling point for upscale brands. Though there's nothing quite as luxurious as a dedicated staff member whose entire job is to provide professional and personal service to a hotel guest, the whole idea of a modern day butler can be a bit intimidating and confusing. These days, butlers rely on text messages and technology to communicate with guests before and during their stay. They can offer simple services like shirt pressing or go above and beyond to secure last-minute theater tickets or spa appointments. But what exactly does a hotel butler do? In a word: depends. We asked the experts and broke down butler service by brand to help make you feel more comfortable if you're lucky enough to come face-to-face with one of these dedicated staff members at your next hotel stay.

Butler service at the St. Regis has been a signature for the iconic luxury brand for over 100 years. Their butlers act like trusted personal assistants. St. Regis New York Butler Finnelis Aleman has worked as a butler for over three years. When asked what his favorite part of the job is, she shared, "My favorite part is greeting the guest upon arrival. Our butler team plays a huge part in the guest's arrival experience and I always want to make sure their first impression of our hotel is memorable. I welcome the guest and show them all aspects of their room. I always enjoy speaking to the guest about their visit to find opportunities to make their stay memorable. I love finding ways to connect with each and every guest to showcase our personalized service."
The main difference between a concierge staff member and a butler is that concierges generally handle requests for things outside of the room, such as restaurant reservations or shopping assistance, while butlers tend to guests' needs inside the room, such as packing and beverage service. However, the lines aren't clearly drawn. For instance, Shawn DaCosta, Chief Operations Officer of Sandals Resorts International, told us, "Sandals' butlers do many things for its guests, offering to unpack luggage, complimentary pressing of clothes, providing a private resort tour, handling check-in comfortably, making all dinner reservations, arranging tour bookings, serving lunch on the beach or pool, and ensuring the suite is turned down."
Many hotels offer pre-arrival butler forms for guests to fill out, ensuring that the butler is prepared for any special requests such as dietary restrictions, babysitting needs, or special occasions. At Sandals, butlers pack coolers of snacks and drinks for guests to take on excursions and pre-decorate dining tables for anniversary or birthday celebrations.
It's also common for butlers to provide a cell phone or an app on the in-room tablet so that guests can communicate on-the-go or with privacy. Oyster editor, Kyle Valenta, recounts his positive experience with the butler at One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos. "The butler appeared as if on call to ask if I needed anything, possibly unpacking service. I told him I had a dinner reservation and he suggested pressing my clothes. He took down the brands and descriptions of the clothes I wanted serviced, and when I returned to my room some hours later, the butler had snacks waiting, my clothes perfectly pressed and hung, and a text message on my resort-provided cell phone to let me know that I could contact him 24-hours a day for anything. He even had my breakfast prepared to order and got it to arrive at my room the following morning, despite my messaging him well after midnight the night before."
Of course, some of this extra service comes with a cost. At St. Regis, all rooms come with complimentary butler services. (One butler may serve an entire floor, but the response for assistance is remarkably swift.) Other hotels provide butler service only with certain rooms or at an extra cost. Tipping is discretionary and whether butlers will accept gratuities varies by hotel. And what about training? Sandals' butlers go through the prestigious Guild of Professional English Butlers program before earning their titles. St. Regis butlers come from a variety of backgrounds and the exact requirements for the job varies between properties. Prior hospitality experience is often a prerequisite and having multi-cultural experience is an important factor. Butlers at St. Regis undertake the two-day St. Regis Butler Certification Training, which is based on English tradition. They receive special training on packing to assure that guests' clothing emerges wrinkle-free on arrival to their destination. Butler education continues during two weeks of training on the floor. They work in different areas within the hotel, such as with the concierge, wine sommelier, and guest services to ensure complete understanding of how the hotel operates.
In short, most hotel butlers are highly trained and professional staff members who pride themselves on providing the best service to their guests. For those that are still hesitant, Aleman says, "Butlers are here to make you feel comfortable and like you are at home. We want to take away any worries or stress that can come with traveling and make your stay relaxing. Try to talk to your butler to get to know them so they feel like a member of your family. Don’t hesitate to contact your butler whenever you need anything at all. No request is too large or too small for our team."
We can definitely get on board with butler service. In fact, we're not sure how we ever stayed at a hotel without it.

Butler service at the

St. Regis

has been a signature for the iconic luxury brand for over 100 years. Their butlers act like trusted personal assistants. St. Regis New York Butler Finnelis Aleman has worked as a butler for over three years. When asked what his favorite part of the job is, she shared, "My favorite part is greeting the guest upon arrival. Our butler team plays a huge part in the guest's arrival experience and I always want to make sure their first impression of our hotel is memorable. I welcome the guest and show them all aspects of their room. I always enjoy speaking to the guest about their visit to find opportunities to make their stay memorable. I love finding ways to connect with each and every guest to showcase our personalized service."



The main difference between a concierge staff member and a butler is that concierges generally handle requests for things outside of the room, such as restaurant reservations or shopping assistance, while butlers tend to guests' needs inside the room, such as packing and beverage service. However, the lines aren't clearly drawn. For instance, Shawn DaCosta, Chief Operations Officer of Sandals Resorts International, told us, "

Sandals

' butlers do many things for its guests, offering to unpack luggage, complimentary pressing of clothes, providing a private resort tour, handling check-in comfortably, making all dinner reservations, arranging tour bookings, serving lunch on the beach or pool, and ensuring the suite is turned down."



Many hotels offer pre-arrival butler forms for guests to fill out, ensuring that the butler is prepared for any special requests such as dietary restrictions, babysitting needs, or special occasions. At Sandals, butlers pack coolers of snacks and drinks for guests to take on excursions and pre-decorate dining tables for anniversary or birthday celebrations.

It's also common for butlers to provide a cell phone or an app on the in-room tablet so that guests can communicate on-the-go or with privacy. Oyster editor, Kyle Valenta, recounts his positive experience with the butler at

One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos

. "The butler appeared as if on call to ask if I needed anything, possibly unpacking service. I told him I had a dinner reservation and he suggested pressing my clothes. He took down the brands and descriptions of the clothes I wanted serviced, and when I returned to my room some hours later, the butler had snacks waiting, my clothes perfectly pressed and hung, and a text message on my resort-provided cell phone to let me know that I could contact him 24-hours a day for anything. He even had my breakfast prepared to order and got it to arrive at my room the following morning, despite my messaging him well after midnight the night before."



Of course, some of this extra service comes with a cost. At St. Regis, all rooms come with complimentary butler services. (One butler may serve an entire floor, but the response for assistance is remarkably swift.) Other hotels provide butler service only with certain rooms or at an extra cost. Tipping is discretionary and whether butlers will accept gratuities varies by hotel. And what about training? Sandals' butlers go through the prestigious Guild of Professional English Butlers program before earning their titles. St. Regis butlers come from a variety of backgrounds and the exact requirements for the job varies between properties. Prior hospitality experience is often a prerequisite and having multi-cultural experience is an important factor. Butlers at St. Regis undertake the two-day St. Regis Butler Certification Training, which is based on English tradition. They receive special training on packing to assure that guests' clothing emerges wrinkle-free on arrival to their destination. Butler education continues during two weeks of training on the floor. They work in different areas within the hotel, such as with the concierge, wine sommelier, and guest services to ensure complete understanding of how the hotel operates.

In short, most hotel butlers are highly trained and professional staff members who pride themselves on providing the best service to their guests. For those that are still hesitant, Aleman says, "Butlers are here to make you feel comfortable and like you are at home. We want to take away any worries or stress that can come with traveling and make your stay relaxing. Try to talk to your butler to get to know them so they feel like a member of your family. Don’t hesitate to contact your butler whenever you need anything at all. No request is too large or too small for our team."

We can definitely get on board with butler service. In fact, we're not sure how we ever stayed at a hotel without it.