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If the term "butler" conjures up images of Downton Abbey's stone-faced Mr. Carson, think again: hotels today are trading in stuffy formality for targeted services that are personalized, useful, and unexpected—and often downright quirky.
"The travel industry has moved away from the traditional definition of luxury," says Erina Pindar, Managing Director of upscale travel planning agency SmartFlyer. "The high-end experiences sought after these days are experiential in nature, individually crafted to the client, and hyper-local, and the growing interest in specialized butler services is a natural progression of these trends." Themed butler services, adds Pindar, are also "a way for the properties to differentiate themselves, and create a ‘surprise and delight’ experience for the client."
From Fragrance Butlers who spritz you with perfume to a Barbecue Butler who will teach you how to grill the perfect cut, this list of dedicated butlers has a mix of services designed to wow the guest—including several you probably never knew you needed.
Bonfire Butler
Located on a surfer-favorite stretch of sand, the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach offers the services of a Bonfire Butler, who will help guests scout out a prime beach location, set up chairs and blankets, and build a roaring fire over which they can roast s'mores. Guests will also learn tips on how to build a proper bonfire, in case they've got a strip of sand close by back home.
Hydrotherapy Butler
Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun'ssleek, 40,000 square-foot Coral Beach Gem Spa features a 90-minute, 10-step hydrotherapy ritual that guests can enjoy before their services. Personal Hydrotherapy Butlers are on hand to guide each guest through the spa process, from the locker room and relaxation area through the use of the hydrotherapy circuit, which includes scented steam rooms, an ice room, hot and cold plunge pools, and a water walkway lined with massaging pebbles.
Tartan Butler
One of the perks of Edinburgh hotel The Balmoral, a Rocco Forte Hotel, is that a Tartan Butler, Andy Fraser, helps guests with ancestral ties to Scotland trace their heritage. Before arriving at the hotel, guests can tell Fraser the names of any known Scottish ancestors; he will then establish a connection to one of the thousands of recognized traditional tartans patterns, using the Scottish Register of Tartans. Once the family tartan has been found, Fraser can set up a trip to the city’s most established kilt shop, Kinloch Anderson, for a personal fitting, and can also arrange a visit to the Scotland’s People Centre (the country's largest family history center) for guests to explore their own genealogy (and print a record of their family tree.) For those who want to further follow in their ancestral footsteps, Fraser will create a bespoke tour based on where the forefather was born or spent his life.
Ambience Butler
Got a vision for how you want your vacation to look or feel? The Ambience Butler is on it. Guests of the Nicaraguan Mukul Beach, Golf & Spa resort will be contacted before their visit by one of these ethereally-named staffers, who will walk you through choices on aromatherapy, ambient music, healthy treats, reinvigorating elixirs, and more. The Ambiance Butler will then set the mood and stock the room accordingly in advance of the guest's arrival. Once you're at the resort, the “aura architect” can also coordinate activities ranging from a forest bathing excursion to a private surf lesson with your own personal photographer—anything to help tailor-make your trip.
Amphibious Butler
You're in the infinity pool, sun on your back, looking out over the sand and surf—why would you ever want to move? Thanks to the Amphibious Butler at the Four Seasons Punta Mita, you don't have to. Dressed in a logoed wetsuit, the Butler wades around the pool taking drink orders, collecting glasses, and offering cold towels and spritzes of Evian, helping guests maximize their in-water time, and making sure they're never without a cold beverage in hand.
Broadway Butler
As befits its location, the New York Hilton Midtown offers a Broadway Butler to provide insight on the best Broadway shows and musicals, get info on show times and ticket availability, and suggest restaurants to try before or after the show. No word on whether the Butler can score Hamilton tickets, though...
Energizer Butler
You'll never lose power mid-Instagram again thanks to the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino resort's Energizer Butler, who will deliver extra juice to your mobile devices, whether you're on or off hotel grounds. The Butler is armed with Fidus Power Bank wireless chargers, which work with iPhones, Androids, tablets, and music players. The service is complimentary; if you've forgotten your own charger at home, you can continue to use the hotel's while staying there to make sure you stay at powered up at all times.
Fragrance Butler
Between checked baggage fees and TSA regulations limiting liquids of a certain size in carry-ons, traveling with one’s personal scents can be challenging. Enter the Rosewood Hotels & Resorts' dedicated, 24-hour Fragrance Butler, who will appear at a guest's door with a silver tray laden with 10 fragrance choices; the guest can mist themselves with the scent of their choosing, then ring the butler whenever they need another spritz. Each Rosewood property stocks a different variety of designer perfumes and colognes, designed to reflect their individual locations: for example, New York City's The Carlyle can mist you in Hermes Eau des Mervailles, Givenchy Gentlemen, or Tom Ford Black Orchid.
Dog Butler
At the Five-Diamond resort Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Mexico, four-legged guests are given the VIP treatment from a team of dedicated Dog Butlers, a service that launched when the resort re-opened in mid-2015. The Butlers can take pups on daily walks along the beach (including early in the morning or late at night), create tailor-made menus, give them special dog massages, and even treat them to "doga" classes—all while the human guest is enjoying his or her own indulgences.
Sunglasses Butler
Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in California has teamed up with Oliver Peoples eyewear to provide complimentary poolside service from a Sunglass Butler, who is on hand to clean and tighten guests' glasses. In addition, a poolside pop-up offers a curated collection of signature frames and new styles from Oliver Peoples and the Oliver Peoples WEST lines. Both services are set exclusively at the resort’s new adult Indigo Pool & Bar.
Bud-ler
As part of the St. Regis Monarch Beach's new “Power of the Flower” floral donation initiative, a St. Regis Bud-ler—a playful nod to the brand's signature classic Butler Service—will work with event planners to help deliver floral arrangements from guest weddings and events to local care facilities, including hospitals and nursing homes, via a tax-deductible charitable donation partnership with the Forget Me Not Foundation.
Ski Butler
By booking a Wyndham vacation rental property, not only can you spread out in an apartment-style accommodation, but you can travel light, too: at select locations, their Ski Butlers will come to your place to size and outfit everyone in all the pieces needed to hit the slopes, so you don't have to travel with all your gear, and can skip the lines at the local shops. The in-room service is available at Wyndham rentals in Aspen, Breckenridge, Steamboat, Sun Valley and Park City.
Barbecue Butler
The accommodations at the Georgia Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation retreat include Lakeside Cottage and a Lake House, each of which is equipped with a private barbecue. Families and groups can enjoy this perk with the services of the Ritz-Carlton brand's only BBQ Butler, who will help set up and man the grill, offer tips on crafting the perfect barbecue, and serve a meal full of Southern flavors. You can select sides, sauces, and more from three pre-set BBQ Butler menus.
15. Knoxville, Tennessee
Picnic Butler
The bucolic picnic service is currently offered exclusively by Scotland-based Forest Holidays at two of its woodland locations: Ardgartan in Argyll, and Strathyre in Perthshire. The so-called Picnic Butler is actually an experienced forest ranger who will offer guidance on foraging, making fires, spotting wildlife and outdoor survival—all topped off with a locally-sourced picnic lunch, served on (what else?) a tartan tablecloth. Guests can choose from a range of Picnic Butler experiences, including ones tailored toward couples or families.
Serenity Butler
The Finger Lakes' Inns of Aurora hotel recently appointed Serenity Butler, Laura Coburn, is dedicated to bringing physical, mental and spiritual wellness to her guests, whether it’s providing one-on-one yoga instruction to a business traveler following a day of meetings, or meditation tips to a bride looking to calm her nerves before the big day. Coburn can also create curated relaxation playlists and customized aromatherapy (including ones that help with sleep issues, for example), and set-up in-room yoga sessions.
Oyster Butler (and Crawfish Concierge)
Food is at the heart of every New Orleans experience, and the expert foodies of the Ritz-Carlton are on hand to help you savor every bite while in town. For $12 per serving, guests can get expert seafood tutorials from the hotel's Oyster Butler—who'll offer tips on shucking, saucing, and serving—while the Crawfish Concierge will teach you how to peel, cook, and eat a crawfish, Louisiana-style. Both services are offered on Saturdays in the hotel's shaded courtyard.