Sandals and Beaches launches butler service

NEGRIL, Jamaica -- Her name is Felecia Allen from the town of Mandeville in the parish of Manchester on Jamaicas northeastern coast.

Shes younger than my youngest daughter; she wore white gloves when she greeted me at Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa; she was my butler.

I was more nervous than she:  She gave no indication of being ruffled at all. I was testing Sandals butler service before it launched this month at 12 Sandals and Beaches resorts. Chairman Gordon Butch Stewart described the program as another example of the somersaults we do to exceed guests expectations. Our year-round butler service is the height of beck-and-call luxury.

Felecia escorted me to my suite, offered to unpack my bag, iron my clothes, draw a bath, make a spa appointment and order a cheese platter and a cold drink while I settled in.

I politely declined all the offers. I was a bit intimidated, but I had three more days to get used to such pampering.

Brian Roper, Sandals operations director, said that Americans arent used to butlers. They dont know what to expect or what is expected of them.

In a departure from its no-tipping policy, Sandals and Beaches will permit its butlers to accept, but not solicit, tips, and will provide tipping guidelines for guests who ask.

Before arrival, guests list preferences, ranging from their favorite breakfast juice to CD selections, spa services, liquor brands and late-night treats.

A guest can call upon the butler at any time; butlers are assigned in pairs and handle a maximum of six suites on a 24-hour basis, so there is never any lag time, even in the wee hours. Being a butler is a full-time job.

Felecia helped me with a TV remote control that I couldnt figure out, supplied me with additional coffee packets for the in-room coffeemaker and got me Band-Aids for heel blisters.

I casually asked her one morning if Sandals had discontinued the mint-on-the-pillow evening treat, since I had found none the night before.

By way of answer, sinfully delicious Godiva chocolates appeared the next two evenings.  

Impetus for the butler service came, of course, from Stewart, who contracted last fall with Robert Watson, director of training for the London-based Guild of Professional English Butlers, to train staff at Sandals and Beaches.

The guild has trained butlers for service in five-star hotels, royal palaces and embassies.

Sandals and Beaches has an exclusive agreement with the guild as the only all-inclusive Caribbean resort company to become guild members.

Roper said that an intensive, one-month training period took place at Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island in Nassau.

Watson conducted the training, a critical part of his contributions to this program, Roper said. Additional training at each resort will continue when needed or every six months.

Watson did not give his stamp of approval until butlers had completed their training to his satisfaction. And, if butlers do not live up to Watsons standards, they are removed from the job.

Felecia, by the way, graduated at the top of the butler class.

Guest satisfaction is monitored by comments made to general managers, questionnaires mailed to the head office once guests return home and feedback from agents.

Agents and operators will sample the service this year.

Of the 100 butlers who entered service on Jan. 1, 34% are female. The average age is 25.

Roper explained that general managers personally selected butler applicants from their existing staff.

Requirements included impeccable grooming and the ability to be further trained in customer service skills, Roper said.

Resort employees also had the option of letting their managers know they were interested in joining the program.

Butler service is available for guests booking at least six nights in the top category of rooms (a total of 345) in 12 of Sandals and Beaches resorts.

Butler duties include inspecting a suite before the guest arrives. Detailed presentations were held on how a suite should look when guests walk through the door.

Other duties include offering to unpack and pack, shining shoes, pressing clothes and acting as a safety net for all resort services, such as dining reservations, tour bookings and recommendations for on-island sightseeing, Roper said.

The butlers must know how to serve food and wine and subtly observe guests preferences, Roper said.

I did wonder about the white gloves.

Felecia said that she wears them for dinner services, other formal occasions and when a guest requests it.

Each butler has three pairs of white gloves and a standard uniform of black pants for men, black skirt or pants for women, white shirt, black tie, a black and gold vest for day and a black jacket in the evening.

The uniform is the same at all the resorts, Roper said.

By the time I checked out, I was very comfortable with Felecia. She knew many of my secrets, but I knew they were completely safe with her.

To contact reporter Gay Nagle Myers, send e-mail to [email protected].