Just ask anyone that has had Personal Butler Service at Sandals...Once you have experienced vacation with a butler, it is really hard to imagine not having a butler on all your vacations.
Why do butlers make for the best travel experience? It's where luxury meets exceptional hospitality!
Many clients are interested, but may be a little skeptical at first. Some say "I don't need a butler, I'm not high maintenance." While this may be true, none of us really need a butler, but if there is any way I can help elevate my clients experience - the butler service is one that makes them so happy.
I too was apprehensive at first about having a butler. When we first made the decision to have a suite with butler service, I was almost too embarrassed to let Nicola (our first butler) do anything for me. Then I learned what an honor it is for the staff to become a Butler. They sincerely love their jobs and it's almost disrespectful to not them do their jobs. They strive to do any and everything in their power to make your stay as special and as perfect as possible.
When clients contact me about planning their trip, I try to share my experiences with a butler to see if that is something they would enjoy. We determine what they are comfortable spending and if there is any way the budget will allow a butler, I highly recommend it.
Ten years ago we were planning our first visit to Sandals and we had dreamed of visiting St. Lucia for quite a while. However, after looking at what options fit our budget, we opted to visit Jamaica with a butler as opposed to St. Lucia without a butler. As much as I hated not seeing St. Lucia ten years ago, I still think its the best decision we ever made, never before then have I felt so pampered --It's not something most of us experience too many times (until we return to Sandals). While the Sandals website provides a short list of the butler perks, it is only a starting point and just barely scratches the surface. I can never fully explain how awesome the butler service can be, because they take the que from each client. Their goal is to anticipate your every need and then exceed it. As a Sandals specialist, it makes my job so much easier because I feel relieved once my clients are in the hands of the butler, I know everything will be just perfect. Almost every client that has selected a suite with personal butler service comes back from vacation bragging that "their butler was the best ever." In fact I typically hear more about the butler than the excursions. I have also noticed that clients that experienced butler service usually have their friends calling me within days of their return. I think really connecting with the local hospitality through the butlers, and island people fill our souls with gratitude and service.
Curious about how to get the most value of butler service at Sandals? Here are a few important things . . .
Work with a travel professional!
Your travel professional will communicate your preferences the butler prior to your arrival. When you arrive, your travel professional will have already double checked that your suite is confirmed and your butler will have double checked that it is prepared per your preferences: Club Sandals Lounge keys, His and Hers plush robes with bed slippers, 24 hour room service, In-suite bar stocked daily with Mondavi wines, spirits, sodas, juices, water, fine Egyptian cotton linens and pillow menu including feather down pillows, coffeemaker with Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and free wifi in room. Everything just to your liking!
The butler knows your expected time of arrival and will be waiting for you in the lobby with lemongrass-scented hand towels to refresh you from your flight.
Here are just a few ways a butler enhances your arrival:
- Welcome cocktails and culinary treats
- Escorts you to your suite for check-in in the privacy of your suite and coordinates your luggage handling
- Provides you with resort and room orientation
- Reviews your personal preferences communicated through your travel professional
- Supplies a cell phone to reach him during your stay
- Offers to unpack your luggage
- Press your first night's clothes complimentary
During Your Stay
- Butler makes your dinner reservations, cabana rentals, spa treatments and any other activities you have added to your stay.
- Reserves your chair at the beach or pool and serves your favorite drinks while you relax
- Serves your lunch at the beach or pool
- Confirms your room is serviced while you are away and ensures it is kept in perfect order
- Ensures your table is arranged at the restaurants of your choice and escorts you to your table with preferential seating, skipping all lines
- Per your request, arranges a perfect romantic dinner for two in the privacy of your suite or patio. They can order from any resort restaurant menu for dining in-suite.
- Shine/clean shoes for dinner
- Tend to your wardrobe
- Collect and return all laundry
- Leaves amenities in your room between meals (per the preferences provided by your travel professional or things he hears you mention during your stay)
- Ensures your bed is turned down and that you have anything you need for the night.
Before your Departure
- Provides you with check out details
- Offers to pack for your departure
- Ensures your bags are brought to the departure area
- Escorts you to the butler lounge to process check out
- Escorts you to your transportation and bids you farewell (i promise you will want to take them home with you, I know I did)
A few other tips your Sandals specialist can help you decide:
- For the same price as an entry level butler suite at one resort, you can stay in one of the top butler suite at another
- The higher the category of room, the bigger the room and better the view (usually)
- Some rooms have a private plunge pool or tranquility outdoor tub
Loosen Up:
They will make it abundantly clear that they are at your beck and call, but who can wrap their head around that, right? Remember, this is his job and you are depriving him of what he loves to do. Making the most of your butler experience may include asking him for your favorite drink while you are on the beach, or saving your chair at beach or pool or reserving your table at your favorite restaurant, etc. The more you allow him to get to know you and learn about him and his life on the island, the more you will enjoy your stay. Imagine your surprise when you return from dinner to find this? He mentioned that he heard you mention your feet hurt.
What to Expect?
Ask your travel professional what to expect. Think about how much you hate to pack and unpack, take advantage of his offer. I usually recommend that you unpack a few personal items and leave the rest for him to unpack while you are exploring the resort. Or another idea would be to pack your personal items in a carry on which you unpack and ask the butler to unpack the other bags when they arrive. Here's a little hint, my butler unpacked and packed WAY better than I did.
Remember, the only way they know what you want is if you speak up.
Nothing makes you feel more special than a personal note on your pillow from your butlers reminding you "Love is All You Need".
True VIP Travel Experience is anything you want at the press of a button.
It's okay to say no. Butler service is not for everyone and we understand and respect that. For those that are not comfortable with the idea, the concierge service at Club Sandals may be the right fit for you. Club Sandals is a quiet lounge offering snacks and drinks and free wifi, televisions and even kindles to borrow.
As you know Sandals has a strict no tipping rule. However, butlers and spa attendants are the only Sandals employees that are able to accept tips from guests. If your butler does an outstanding job enhancing your stay, consider leaving them a tip to show your gratitude. If you aren't sure how to tip them, ask your travel professional.
So is butler service worth every penny? For me 100% yes, but you are the only one that can decide for yourself. The one thing I tell my clients is if you aren't afraid to use your butler service, it is worth every single penny and much, much more!! In my very humble opinion, once you try the butler service, it is almost impossible to go back!
Email me tammy@viptravelexperience.com, I would love to help you plan the vacation of a lifetime? Together we can create the best vacation experience for YOU. It's a big world out there -- we hope you EXPERIENCE it.