October 5, 2024, 5:33 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
The dream of having your own butler – for many vacationers, this dream comes true. Provided they have booked a luxury hotel where a personal butler is already included in the price. But what is it like to be constantly served on vacation? And is it just us Germans who aren’t immediately accustomed to this? Or do other nations, too?
Having your own butler who can read every wish from your lips – who doesn’t dream of that now and then? Well, at least on vacation, this dream can come true because many luxury hotels include a butler in the package.
But is it really so wonderful to always have a servant around? After all, there’s one thing you want above all else on vacation – peace and quiet. And isn’t it somewhat uncomfortable to be served, particularly when the butler is of a different skin color, evoking times long past that we certainly don’t wish to revisit? Is that even politically acceptable?
For Thomas Schatz, a self-employed individual from Starnberg who has been a guest twice at the prestigious Heritage Le Telfair in Mauritius, “communication on equal terms” and “respectful interaction” was thus very important. However, butler Savilen Iyadawmy also made it very easy for the 46-year-old in the hotel – with his discreet and pleasant manner. Sometimes, they just sat together casually and told each other stories.
But practically speaking, what does a hotel vacation day with a butler look like? “In the morning, the butler talks to the guests about their plans for the day, finds out what he can organize, prepare, or take care of, and makes notes of the things he needs to do,” explains Schatz.
If, for example, an excursion is planned, the butler service calls a cab. Or, if a game is to be played on the hotel’s own golf course, the butler reserves tea time at the golf club and ensures that the golf equipment is brought to the clubhouse. If you wish to dine at a restaurant in the evening, the butler will handle the table reservations.
“The butler does everything in his power,” says Schatz. And sometimes he takes care of work before the guest even notices it as such: “While on vacation, one of my bathing sandals broke. Savilen immediately took care of the repair, even without being asked.”
But would Germans even have mentioned the broken sandal? After all, in our culture, compared to others, it is not necessarily customary to ask for help around the house if it is not really necessary. It is, therefore, interesting to see how guests from other countries react to the butler’s service and what they expect. The butlers at Heritage Le Telfair have certainly noticed differences and summarized them for TRAVELBOOK:
English: “They like to be pampered and like our butler service.”
French: “They like to be served and use the butler service very often.”
Germans: “Sometimes they have to get used to the butler service because they hadn’t experienced it before. After the vacation, however, they always found it to be a good experience.”
South Africans: “They like the butler service and are very demanding.”
Russians: “They use the butler service very often and are very demanding.”
The original version of this article was published in 2015.