June 21, 2025 • 53 mins
The Wishing Well's Terrie Dean discusses this week's travel news and Hot Deals!
Plus, step behind the scenes of five-star getaways in this episode, where we shine a light on the world’s most discreet travel professionals: butlers. We explore the elegance, precision, and heartfelt service that elevate the guest experience in high-end hotels and resorts.
Whether you're a luxury travel aficionado or just love a good story from behind the velvet rope, this episode delivers rich insights and unforgettable tales from the people who make indulgence feel effortless.
Plus, step behind the scenes of five-star getaways in this episode, where we shine a light on the world’s most discreet travel professionals: butlers. We explore the elegance, precision, and heartfelt service that elevate the guest experience in high-end hotels and resorts.
Whether you're a luxury travel aficionado or just love a good story from behind the velvet rope, this episode delivers rich insights and unforgettable tales from the people who make indulgence feel effortless.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a Lifeless Ordinary, the travel show and podcasts
from your friends at the wishing Well two forty three
f Avenue in Harsmert and online at the wishing Well
dot This. The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge,
travel agency and a Lifeless Ordinary is a travel show
and podcast hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Let's bring in Terry Dean.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
And say hello, Hello, Hello, Chris Hardy to see you.
How are you doing, Terry, I'm pretty good. Thank you
for asking. It's good to be back in the studio
with you. Muffree.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I was going to say, we have misschiep. Past couple
of weeks, Harry and I hung out and we you know,
we did guy things while you're yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
And now Harry is off to Spain and Portugal and
Morocco with our group on Celebrity Equinox. So he is
in the lap of luxury right now on a beautiful cruise.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Well, he should be jealous, because we've got a gorgeous
weekend so I know, right, and we didn't have to
pack anything.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I didn't have to back of thing.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
You're right. But next time he does one of those trips,
I want to go with him too.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
I would like to have been there myself, but duty calls.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
So speaking of which, we've got a lot of news
to get caught up with. I know you've got some
hot deals for us too.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I do. I do, actually, and I want to hit
the ground running really with some news. First of all.
And I thought we did have a little fun here, Chris,
because as you well know, we've got a pretty important
holiday coming up here pretty soon, which we call favorably
the fourth of July Independent sty Birthday USA. And as
(01:34):
such a lot of people will often gravitate to theme parks.
They'll go have some fun over the fourth of July.
That's what it's all about. It's all about celebrating. And
so I found five of the highest ranking roller coasters
in the United States, and I thought that would be fun.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Can I guess?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Oh please? By all means.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Okay, something at Cedar Point in Ohio.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
See if that's one of mine.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
It's been so long since I've been You are dinging
ding ding ding, I would say maybe something at Bush
Gardens Dinging Ding Ding Ding And oh you said five,
what any kind of roller coaster? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Five of the most epic, highest ranking roller coasters in
the United States.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Oh boy, I'm going to stop with the two that
I got right and not push my luck.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Okay, well you were great, you were great. Those two
are definitely on my list of five. I want to
start with number one. Okay. The number one highest ranking
roller coaster in the United States can be found at
Universals Epic and Orlando, Florida. This is called the Star
Dust Racers. It's a two track dueling launch coaster with
(02:51):
two powerful launches that replaced lift hills. These coasters alone
would easily rank hound any coaster lover's li but this
coaster is elevated to another stratosphere. So that's our number
one roller coaster in the United States. Number two. Actually,
we are fortunate enough to have right here in the
(03:13):
state of Virginia and King's Dominion. Yeah, and this is
called the Raptira. Okay, are you familiar with it? No,
do you like roller coaster?
Speaker 1 (03:24):
I love roller coasters until I got old, and now
not really old, but I get horrible.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Body part sort after you go on, I get horrible headaches. Yeah, okay,
Well the Rapture this is the world's tallest and longest
launched wing coaster. It arrives as the thirteenth coaster at
King's Dominion, and the high speed ride mimics the flight
of a jungle Hawk, launching the unique side seated train
(03:52):
at speeds of sixty five miles an hour in four seconds.
So there you go at King's Dominion.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Kings Dominion. I don't think it's still there. They had
a roller coaster called the Intimidator.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I don't know it was. See. I'm not a roller
coaster lover. It does not work for me, but I
like all of the hype that goes with it.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
I got to ride that before it was open to
the public. They oh my god, they brought us in
and I have a video of it. You can see
me with my hands up in the air, looking crazy
and everything. And I think it went like sixty sixty
five miles an hour. It was amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yeah. Yeah, Well, our third one is actually exactly at
your the first place that you see the Point Cedar
Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It's called Siren's Curse a very
intimidating name for it. This new tilt coaster is going
to be North America's tallest, fastest, and longest, with a
(04:47):
compact track packed with surprises, and it's unique. As you
dead stop at the top of the lift hill, you
have her about ninety degree drop for seconds, and once
the track sets into place, the gravity takes control and
it sends you barreling down in the track at speeds
(05:08):
that reach fifty eight miles an hour. I'm sure that
probably feels like one hundred and twenty miles an hour.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
So theater Point was the amusement park that I went
to when I was a kid. We would go to
a Cedar Point and then SeaWorld was up there too.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
How about that? And fun memories? Right?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (05:23):
I mean the fact that when you asked, that was
one of the first ones. And a young king's dominion.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
How about that? Okay? Something I didn't know.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Well.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Next on our list is six Flags New England in Massachusetts.
This is the Quantum Accelerator and this summer a new
family launch coaster is going to thrill at six Flags
in Massachusetts. It is the park's first straddle coaster. I
(05:53):
don't know, I don't like the sounds of that. With
train seats resembling a motorcycle, saddle up and you bolt
off with two launches. That sends you soaring up to
forty five miles an hour with eleven airtime minutes. The
tracks many tight twists and turns thrill you from this
(06:13):
unique seat. It is the Quantum Accelerator at six Flags
in Massachusetts, now last on my list. Another one in
the state of Virginia, and also I think your final guess.
This is in Bush Gardens in Williamsburg. It's called the
(06:33):
Big Bad Wolf, The Wolf's Revenge, and this was a
fan favorite that lasted in the park for over twenty
five years before it closed in two thousand and seven.
This year, though, a new generation will delight at the
chance to enjoy an inverted family coaster honorings original predecessor.
(06:55):
Bush Gardens is excellent with its ride theming You'll fly
through a Bavarian village at speeds that reach forty miles
an hour with two lift hill drops of over twenty
five hundred feet of track. No thank you. The ride
is great for kids. I think that's hilarious. Was a
minimum height of forty two inches if accompanied by a
(07:17):
puking companion, I mean a supervising companion who is also
forty eight inches high. So those are our thrill rides
and in the anticipation of our Fourth of July celebration.
Anytime you even say roller coasters, people smile, so you're welcome. Yeah, thanks, Yeah, absolutely.
Next news that hit my desk today is news about
(07:39):
the world's tallest hotel that is coming this year. An
he guesses.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
My first thought was Vegas. I'm going to say in
New York City.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Actually no, it's actually going to be in Dubai.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
I was thinking just in the US, of course.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah. It's going to feature the world's highest hotel and
Infinity Pool, the world's tallest hotel. It's going to be
three hundred and sixty five meters and it will open
this October. Operated by the First Group Hospitality the luxury
five star of course, it is one thousand and four
(08:16):
room property is located in Dubai and spans eighty two floors.
Its design is actually chris inspired by the four elements
of earth, water, fire, and air, with rooms featuring floor
to ceiling panoramic glass windows offering views over the Gulf
and Guests are also going to be able to enjoy
(08:36):
stunning views from the sky high observation deck on the
eighty first floor. Hotels going to offer an intimate event
space for up to fifteen people. While there'll be more
than ten different food and beverage offerings featuring Eastern and
Western culinary experiences. You can also enjoy a state of
the art gym and a spa. There. There's an infinity
(08:58):
pool that's going to be on the seventy sixth floor,
set to be the world's highest such pool. So there
you go. Another great reason to hit the air and
go to Dubai to experience something new and.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Extreme that's almost a quarter a mile high.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
It is, Yeah, and I do it. Yeah, I mean it.
I think the whole concept of travel to Dubai has exploded.
I mean people really want to And we've talked about
this how many times Chris on a Lifeless Ordinary here,
which you know, I love the show because we also
we always talk about things that invite conversations among our travelers.
(09:38):
Dubai is one of those that really spurs a lot
of conversation.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
And it's not the one where they have the island
that looks like a palm tree, yes it is. And
that you get gold out of a vending machine, why not?
I mean, and then go skiing indoors. Yeah, they got
you cover for everything you want.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Absolutely, it's the most unreal place on the planet and.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
It's not really the that expensive, not Exfore.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
You can stay in really five star luxury properties. We've
talked about it here on this show, with all the
luxury you can imagine for the price of what you
would pay for a three star hotel perhaps in Europe.
All right, let's go and direct NonStop flights. Not too shabby.
(10:22):
Other news that hit my desk all the new cruise
ships that are coming in twenty twenty six. Now this
is just an abbreviated list, I can tell you. The
list went on and on and on and on for
all the new cruise ships that are coming. Why do
you think Chris cruise ships are so popular?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
It's all inclusive. I mean, well it's not all inclusive,
but everything you want is floating along with you pretty much.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yeah. But you know what other my customers point to
that are their reasons for wanting to go on a cruise.
It's the convenience factor. Whose you can go to multiple
destinations and how many times do you unpack? No, not
one time. You unpack one time. And for the period
of seven to ten to fourteen to twenty one days,
(11:08):
you are living like in your own little private compartment
on this floating vessel. That is your hotel, that is
your transportation. It's ideal. It's ideal.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
You just said what I was trying to say.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Yeah, And everybody's getting into the business these days. I
mean even top of my list for cruise ships that
are coming in twenty twenty six. Ever heard of four
Seasons before the hotel brand that we know and love.
I absolutely love four Seasons. I think they're great. They
are coming in January of twenty twenty six with a
(11:43):
guest capacity cruise ship of one hundred and ninety people.
Their inaugural sailing is going to be on the twenty
fifth of January. They're going to this lesser Antilles. They're
going to feature Antigua and Saint Lucia. They'll go from
Barbados to Aruba. That maiden voyage is going to be
in the Caribbean. Were the four Seasons hotel properties unbelievable?
(12:03):
It's going to be one to check out for sure,
Norwegian is coming out with another one. She's got the
Norwegian Luna coming out April of twenty twenty six. This
is a big girl. She's half the size though of
the Oasis of the Seas and Anthem of the Season
some of them. She's only thirty five hundred guests as
opposed to six thousand with some of these other big girls.
(12:26):
The actual inaugural date is not set yet, but there
are going to be thirty five different categories of cabins
on that cruise ship. Next on my list is Royal Caribbean.
Not to be outdone by Norwegian, of course not. They're
coming out with the Legend of the Seas. That's going
to happen my birthday month, July twenty twenty six. Guest
capacity there, she's a big girl, fifty six hundred passengers
(12:50):
and she's going to make her maiden voyage in the
summer in the Mediterranean, followed by year round Western and
Southern Caribbean itineraries. I mentioned four seasons before. They have
a second four season yacht they're coming out with in
twenty twenty six, only one hundred and ninety people. Not
much to be announced yet about that. They're not revealing
(13:12):
their inaugural sailing or where they're going to be yet,
but look for that in twenty twenty six. Viking, a
cruise line that we talk about a lot here on
a Lifeless Ordinary, coming out in twenty twenty six with
the Viking Mirror. They have a guest capacity of nine
hundred and ninety eight. Now that's a little different for
them because many of their ships don't have that many
(13:34):
on board. Their inaugural sailing is going to be June
fifth of next year. They're going to sail the Western Mediterranean.
Now this is not the Viking River Cruise, this is
the Viking Ocean Line, So this is their newest ocean liner.
Their maiden season is going to include the Mediterranean and
Northern Europe. Last on the list is another one that
(13:56):
we talk about quite frequently, and that's Regent seven Seas.
They are coming out with the Seven Seas Prestige, eight
hundred and fifty guest capacity on there and no other
announcements about their maiden voyage yet. But let me tell
you that's a thimbleful of the information of brand new
ships that are hailing out starting in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
So I know there's been the news recently some of
the countries are sort of fighting back against the megaturism craze.
Does having all these additional cruise ships alleviate some of.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
That, No, I don't think it does. I mean, I
think there are some European towns that are still feeling
the results of over tourism. I don't see that slacking
off anytime soon. And proof of that is the build
of all of these brand new cruise ships. What is
great about this build out of these ships is you've
(14:54):
heard the whole supply and demand kind of result in pricing,
and what that's going to do is it's going to
drive is lower, we hope in the cruise market and
is going to allow even more people to travel. So
I'm not sure about the over tourism factor that that's
going to see any kind of relief from that. In
some of these cities like Barcelona and Lisbon and other
(15:16):
places that are complaining about it right now, they want
to see that curtailed some I'm just not sure how
you go about doing that when people want to see
the world. Yeah, and so many great ways to do it.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
And be careful what you wish for. Amen, you don't
want everybody to stop.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Coming, isn't that the truth? We want them to go.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Yeah, and if you're looking to go, we've got some
hot deals for you.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I do actually, And speaking of cruise lines, Carnival Cruise
just came out with a fabulous deal. You can upgrade
your fun with Carnival right now with a three category
upgrade and up to one hundred dollars on board credit.
This offer is good now through June the thirtieth of
this year. So if you're interested in a Carnival cruise,
(15:58):
give us a call at the Wishing Well. We are
happy to make your dreams come true on Carnival Cruise Line.
Next on my list is an offer by Holland America.
They are offering forty percent off plus free prepaid crew appreciation. Folks.
Translation of that is your tips are paid for you,
(16:18):
So forty percent off of faars and more prepaid gratuities,
free fairs for kids on some of their sailings, and
fifty percent reduced rates. That offer is good until July
of this next month. So those deals are good. And
then three other great great deals that I just have
to mention real quickly before we get into a really
(16:41):
special episode of a Lifeless Ordinary today and we are
talking more luxury. But the last three deals on my list.
One is a non day fully escorted Nova, Scotia, Prince
Edward Island and New Brunswick. This is for the departure
date of August the twenty sixth. It includes two nights Halifax,
(17:02):
two nights Battock, two nights in Charlottetown, two nights in
Saint John, New Brunswick. Your total price inclusive of airfare
seventeen forty nine. That is a deal in any way
you slice and dice that. That's at least a forty
percent savings over what it prices at normally. Thirteen days
(17:22):
in Greece. If you've ever wanted to go to Greece,
now's the time to go. Two nights in Thessalonike, two
nights in Corfu. We've got other knights in Olympia, Napoleon
and Athens. August to twenty six is also the departure
date for this one. Thirty eight hundred and forty three
dollars including airfare for thirteen days. And many of these
(17:45):
that I'm talking about right now include meals like breakfast
and dinner every day or most days, so even your
meals are included. You've got an escort god throughout the trip.
It's fabulous. This one really got my atte September. The
third is the departure date, a five day Canadian Rocky
Express tour. You've got one night in Calgary, three nights
(18:09):
in bamp Again, your air included, and your escort a
guided tour throughout all of this. Nine hundred and fifty
one dollars a person, not bad, including air. That's a deal,
my friend, that's a deal.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
So we love talking luxury travel, we really do. But
it doesn't just magically happen. There's a lot of people
in the background that are doing a lot of hard
work so that you can enjoy your luxury experience.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
That's so true. It takes a village.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
And that's what our show is about today. Yes it is.
Our show is called Unsung Heroes of Luxury Travel. We'll
get into it next here on a life less ordinary.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Who would think of driving off to a new destination
without guidance from Google or Syria's not the Wishing World
Guide your next travel experience, travel the world that you
enjoy the very best destinations and all they.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Offer at the prices.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Our mobile travel app keeps your vacation on track and
keeps you connected with our team of experts for help.
If you need it, call us at five four zero
nine zero eight two three three three stop buy two
forty three nef Avenue or visit us at the Wishingwell
dot biz.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Hey, welcome back to a Lifeless Ordinary. This is the
travel show and podcast from your friends at the wishing Well.
They're located on nep Avenue in Harrisonburg. Also online at
the Wishingwell dot biz, or give 'em a call at
five four oh nineh eight twenty three thirty three. One
of those friends is here this weekend. I'm talking about
(19:37):
Terry Dean. She's one of the big wigs over at
the wishing Well. Terry, where before I went to break
I mentioned all the unsung heroes of luxury travel, and
we're talking about one category of service within luxury travel.
Bring us up to speed. What are we talking about, yeap?
Speaker 2 (19:52):
So before I tell you exactly who that service provision
individual is or individual Jewels are, I want to tell
you why I chose to do this show today, Chris,
and that's because when I was at Nemacolin not very
long ago, I had the most incredible experience, and that
(20:12):
experience for me has been blazoned indelibly on my brain
as probably one of the most luxurious experiences I have
ever had, bar none, in the last forty five years
of my career. It really was that impactful. And what
made that such an impactful moment for me an experience
(20:35):
for me was not just the service, which was five
star all the way round. The culinary experience was outstanding.
The experiences themselves while on property were outstanding, But there
was what I like to call an unsung hero of
(20:55):
that entire perspective and experience that I had, and that
was my butler. And I wanted to have a show
actually just dedicated today to talk to people about butler service,
because it's really interesting to me when people come into
the wishing Well, Chris, they have no concept of what
(21:15):
it is to have a butler. What are they, what
do they do, what are they supposed to do? What
is their function? Why is it important to many top
tier hotel heres anymore in our industry, in the travel industry,
to even possess them, have them, offer them, and make
(21:36):
them available to their customer base. It is quite important
and it is a keystone for a lot of these
companies that we work with, and I wanted to make
sure that people understood exactly what the role of these
individuals are for them when they travel.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
I've got questions.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Okay, excellent.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
My first thing is I think, mister Belvetere, oh, yeah,
that when you said butler's that thinking about or one
of those movies that's in Vegas where they have a butler?
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Oh exactly?
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Is the butler in your room?
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Not necessarily the butler is sort of I would say,
sleuth like if they're doing their job. Well, they're really
more sleuth like, like an invisible in the level of
luxury that they provide. So the best ones, in my opinion,
like the one that I had at NEMA Colon, was
(22:29):
there when I needed them, but invisible otherwise.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
What's the difference between a butler and a concierge?
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Yeah, so that's a great question. A butler is really
someone like I had at NEMA Colan and one that
we're going to focus our show on today. A concierge,
just to give a quick analysis of that, is someone
with whom you can make dinner reservations, you can ask
for specific transportation requests, referrals, that kind of thing. They
(23:01):
may be assigned to an entire floor as opposed to
just you personally. Okay, yeah, so a butler really is
a curated type of experienced individual who deals with you
on an individual basis, not the floor or the hotel
as a whole. Oh wow, so it's very different.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
All right, that's all my questions for now, because I
don't want to take too much away from what you've
got to talk about, because I know you have a
lot of information.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
I really do, and I want to start by saying,
you know, a great hotel butler is is They're more
than just a service provider. They're actually a key part
of that guest experience and they have to be able
to and I love this word because it fits so well,
anticipate and fulfill the needs of every guest to ensure
(23:47):
that they have a seamless and unforgettable stay. So let's
talk about that a little bit. A great butler anticipate
guests needs before they even ask. I can tell you
that at NEMA Colin, there were some things that I
think my butler watched, must have watched my activities in
(24:07):
my room after I had left the room for the day. Oh,
she used to wash claus as opposed to just one.
It looks like she used one for her makeup. Looks
like she used another one for cleansing. So what he
did for me was he brought a supply of makeup
removers for me, instead of me having to use a
(24:30):
wash cloth for one thing and then another. I mean
he anticipated that without me having to say a word.
He just watched how I lived in my room. They
also they pay meticulous attention to every detail. They usually
have a great memory, and they're wonderful at adapting to
individual preferences, like you know, the kind of snacks that
(24:52):
you like and your room temperature. That was key for
me because my idea, I may have talked to you
about this or maybe even on the air before. My
ideal room temperature in a hotel room in the daytime
is seventy seven, oh my gosh. But at night it's
sixty five. And I usually make that switch, you know,
(25:15):
because I love to sleep with nice, warm, cozy blankets
on me at night, and I like to get down
under the covers. I don't like to have to throw
them off, and sixty five is great for me at night,
but in the day when I'm in my room, especially
if I'm having to do any work in there, seventy
seven is perfect for me in my room.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
I don't think I could handle that.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Yeah, it's great, but and your butler knows that. And
my butler knew that at Nimicolin. So guess what, my
room was perfectly programmed so that it was seventy seven
in the daytime and sixty five at night.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Do you do like a preference sheet when you arrived?
Speaker 3 (25:51):
No?
Speaker 2 (25:51):
I didn't, which was amazing, all the more reason why
I found this behavior of my butler to be so amazing.
I filled out nothing. They also, butler's proactively address potential issues,
and they find solutions to those challenges before you even
know you have them. I love that they manage, they
(26:14):
coordinate various aspects of your stay. They act as a
single point of contact if you want dining reservations and
transportation arrangements and SPA appointments. They do what a concierge
does on that level, but so so much more. They
demonstrate a commitment to excellence in every one of their tasks,
(26:35):
from unpacking your luggage to maybe setting up some romantic dinners.
They're always polished, and I noted that about my butler.
He was a young guy, probably in his I would
say early twenties maybe, but meticulously groomed. His hair was
every hair was in place. He had his hands. I
(26:59):
noticed his hands when he was showing me around the room,
where various things were perfectly manicured hands. I mean, just
everything in place. They're discreet, and they respect the guests
privacy and confidentiality, and you know, they have to because
they deal with a lot of high profile people who
(27:20):
definitely want some sensitive information protected. You know when I
say that, really, what flashes in my mind is that
movie Pretty Woman. You know what I'm talking about, how
the butler had to be so discreet at the hotel
for Richard Gear because he had a call girl in
the room. I mean that did require a certain amount
(27:41):
of discretion on the butler's part to be able to
handle that without being too loose lipped. If I live.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
I love how we've all accepted that movie as just normal.
I know, right, it's nothing normal about that and shouldn't
embrace that, but.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Okay, yeah, they demonstrate self respect and they have leadership
qualities that I think are inspiring, and they inspire trust
and confidence in the guests that they have and even
among their colleagues. I noticed that at Nimicolin that the
guys that were butler's or the gals that were Butler's
at Nimicicolan, they were revered by the other peers that
(28:19):
they worked with because they were.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
So polished in what they did.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
They possess these exceptional communication and interpersonal skills. They do
that and that helps them to build this rapport with
the guests and the staff at the hotel. They're able
to interact with guests from a lot of diverse backgrounds
because there are some people, even I've dealt with them
(28:46):
in my level in the industry who are your type
A personalities who want to be in control of many
many things, and a butler's in interference for sometimes those
folks where you have other people who are completely disorganized
and they're not even a type B person. They're way
down into the alphabet, you know, and they need all
(29:08):
the help they can get. So these butlers really have
to be able to deal with a lot of these
diverse backgrounds with people that they serve. They're resourceful in
fulfilling every guest request and they can quickly resolve these
challenges for people. So that's kind of the what they
(29:28):
have to be. That's sort of the stereotypical definition of
what butlers are. If that helps bring that into some
focus for you. What I want to talk about now
is when you stay at a hotel, what are some
things that they actually can do? What are some action
items that they take? So I kind of took a
(29:49):
look at some of the grandames I would like to
say hotels as they're known. Guests who book suites, recognized
as valued guests, they return and they're welcomed by one
of the most coveted amenities, which is a personal butler.
And actually I've watched some great documentary shows on TV
(30:10):
about this very thing, interestingly enough, at some of the
hotels in New York that do this, but also in London,
and I wanted to focus on some of those. But
beyond logistics, Chris, these professionals that we're talking about, these butlers,
they're a fountain of local knowledge.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
They have to be.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
They're ready with recommendations, as I said, for restaurants, even
outside of the hotel. I mean, they're not going to
tell you just what to order off the menu in
the hotel that they serve. They're so well versed they
can tell you where a great little place might be
to eat that's not very expensive at all. By the
same token, they can tell you where the closest Michelin
(30:49):
Star restaurant. This is what their diversity allows you as
a guest to experience and you get the best of
both worlds that way. So they can tell you about
nearby festivals, any kind of sporting events that are taking place.
But Butler service is a hallmark of top tier hotels
across Europe London, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, Milan, Zurich, Geneva, Istanbul,
(31:16):
and that extends to the most prestigious properties even in Asia.
Now in Asia, you've got legendary names in the hotel
industry like the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, the Peninsula in Kowloon,
Hong Kong, and the Emperl in Tokyo. Those are all
renowned for their exceptional service, which by the way, I
(31:36):
toured the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo when I was there.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
This is like not of this world.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
That was an incredible, incredible experience. We talked about the
hotel earlier in Dubai. The Imperial Hotel is a really
close second to any of those in Dubai, but they
are just renowned for their exceptional service, with butlers attending
to gests in all of their top suites. Interestingly enough,
(32:04):
while a lot of European luxury hotels maintain a staff
to guest ratio of about one to four, those premiere
Asian hotels I told you about those boast ratios as
high as three staff members per one guest. Oh my gosh,
that is unbelievable. You know, that's great service. When three
(32:25):
people are waiting on you at once. That's really high
tier's luxury. That's luxury. Yeah. And high end cruise lines,
you know, let's talk about those, you and a World
River cruises, which I've got some people who are traveling
on them actually right now that are over in Europe
and they're enjoying that butler service. Kinnard also offers butler
(32:47):
service in some of those their most exclusive state rooms.
But what exactly does a butler's role entail? And I'm
going to give you some examples of that. The butler's
role is to make sure that all those services and
amenities that you hear about that they tell you about
when you check in, whether it's associated with your status
in the suite or that you're occupying, are provided seamlessly
(33:12):
and in a timely manner. That's their role is to
make sure they get it done, you know, and do
it seamlessly, like I said, Sluice. Like you know, back
in the nine eighties and nineties, the leading hotels of
the world kind of broke ground with butler service. I
remember when this happened in more than two dozen of
(33:34):
their top properties across Europe, Asia, North America and South America.
Those memories in my mind still to this day are
vivid because I thought, you've arrived, man, if you've got
a butler. I mean, it was all the thing. You know,
if you were able to go on a vacation and
you had a butler, hah, that was it. That was
(33:54):
the whole shebang, you know, that was the whole nine yards.
And at the Peninsula in Hong Kong, your sweets butler
would actually present you with an assortment of aromatic designer
soaps on a silver platter, as it should be, as
it should be exactly. At the Clarage in London, another
(34:17):
great hotel property, you could return to your suite after
a hard day if you were working in London, find
a tray of savory appetizers and chilled champagne delivered to
your suite within seconds of your arrival. Why because the
butler knew your every movement, they knew, they anticipated your return.
(34:41):
They knew when you walked in the front door and boom,
those savor retreats and that champagne were there for you.
And if you remember again, harkened back to the pretty Woman.
Didn't it seem like Richard Gear got all of that
with just a simple request, Like just instantly, everything happened
(35:01):
for him. Everything that's what people want. And at the
Hotel de la Prey in Geneva, your butler unpacks your bags,
has your suit and shirt pressed so you can speak
at your conference within minutes that same morning. I mean,
no twenty four hour notice. It's like I need this,
How soon can I get it? Hou's five minutes.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
At the Hotel Durne, after an overnight flight from New York,
in four hours of meetings, you can wake up to
find fresh cut fruit, pastries, hot coffee, and shoes polished
to a high gloss. Courtesy of the floor's butler, immediately
small luxuries with lasting impression. Well at the Hyde Park
(35:46):
in London, you can expect to find a plate of
miniature pastries waiting at your desk every afternoon, with a
bowl of ripe fruit upon arrival. Then espresso pods in
your suite. Standard in a lot of European luxury hotels
are replenished daily, fresh bottles of water always on hand
with your coffee maker, and at both the Oriental and
(36:08):
The Regent in Bangkok, the butler will greet you with
bilingual business cards and personalized stationary featuring your own name
and the hotel's address. And at Reed's Hotel in Mandeira,
after casually mentioning your fondness for chocolate, you would return
every evening to find a silver tray with a generous
(36:30):
chocolate bar waiting for you. Another thoughtful touch from the butt.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
Let me casually say I love chocolate.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Then, oh no kidding? I mean that to me is
that's just high detail attention, you know, And I can
tell you I've stayed in several Ritz Carltons they're like that.
I mean, I can remember very clearly when I checked
in at the Tyson's Ritz Carlton for an event that
I was staying there for. I also mentioned to them
(37:00):
I'm like they had. They had a little box of
chocolates there at the desk, and they give you a
little box of chocolates when you check it, and I go,
oh my gosh. I love chocolates and I absolutely love truffles.
So I got into a conversation at check in with
the lady at the counter, what do you think. Before
I went to bed that night, I had an entire
(37:21):
box of designer truffles in my room, delivered courtesy of
the Ritz Carlton Tyson's Corner.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
I like it.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
I was a happy girl.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
Not a problem.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
Even luxury properties not affiliated though with those leading hotels
of the world, they extend those elevated services too, like
the Stanley and the Livingston Hotel near Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe,
and the Bristol and Geneva, officially rated only four star hotels,
by the way, they still managed to deliver that five
(37:54):
star experience, how through their butler service.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
That they have.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
So when you try I have abroad, really nothing nothing
Chris compares to the feeling of being genuinely pampered and
thought of and looked after at these five star hotels,
A dedicated butler might not be the flashiest amenity, but
it's one of the most personal, memorable, and it's a
real hallmark of luxury at these places.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
I'm going to tell you, if you get to come
back and tell people that you had a butler on vacation,
that's flashy.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
No kidding, Yeah, no, I mean, And I can tell
you I've had them, you know, I had one just
at Nima Colan. I will say that was another level
though at Nema Colan. The butler services that I have
had before are usually at Caribbean hotels, and they say
they're butlers, they really act more like a concierge of sorts,
(38:48):
if you will. But to be a true butler at
a high end five star or even as I mentioned
these four star hotels, that's a whole other level of caring.
Speaker 1 (38:59):
I'm enjoying this converse. We need to take a quick break.
When we come back, we'll continue discussing unsung heroes of
luxury travel. We're talking about butlers on a life less ordinary.
Speaker 3 (39:08):
Who would think of driving off to a new destination
without guidance from Google or Syria not The wishing Well
guide your next travel experience. Travel the world as you
enjoy the very best destinations and all they offer at
the best prices. Our mobile travel app keeps your vacation
on track and keeps you connected with our team of experts.
For help, if you need it, call us at five
four zero nine zero eight two three three three, stop,
(39:32):
buy two forty three, nap Avenue, or visit us at
the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
And welcome back to a Lifeless Ordinary, your travel show
and podcasts from your friends at the wishing Well. We
sit down every Saturday morning with Terry and Harry and
we talk about travel. We talk about luxury travel, we
talk about once in a lifetime experiences. And today we
are talking about the unsung heroes of luxury travel. We're
(39:57):
talking about butlers. And before we get into the I
want to tell you how you can get in touch
with the wishing Well. You can call them five four
oh nine oh eight twenty three point thirty three. You
can stop, buy and see them in person, that's always nice.
They're on f Avenue in Harrisonburg, or visit them online
at the Wishingwell dot biz. So, Terry, you've been talked
about all these experiences at Nima Colin at the Ritz
(40:18):
where you've got your own personal butler. How do you
get assigned a butler? Do you go in and do
you have to ask for a butler? Does everybody in
the hotel get one?
Speaker 2 (40:28):
That is such a great question. So at many properties,
butler service is not assigned until you get to certain
suite levels or you have a prestige level that you've
earned with hotel properties that allows you that. However, if
you're staying at a Saint Regis hotel anywhere in the world,
(40:50):
in any sort of entry level room, every single room
at Saint Regis hotels across the globe come with a
personal butler. That really makes Saint Regis, in my opinion,
a real sales technique. I mean, I mean, that's one
of the biggest marketing tools I think that they have.
(41:12):
But it doesn't come all the time with every entry
level room, with every other hotel. Sometimes you have to
be in a certain level or book a certain level
hotel to receive that, or be a frequent guest at
that particular hotel a number of times in order to
get that. But let me tell you, it is so
so worth it.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
So I have more questions about butler's You talked about
the discretion that a butler has to have. They've got
to have this great memory and attention to detail. Yeah,
what's it like being a butler.
Speaker 2 (41:45):
That's a great question too, Chris. And actually I spent
a little time preparing for today's show, and I thought,
I want to know what that's like. I want to
get inside the head of one of these butlers or
their experiences and just figure out a little bit about
what they've had to deal with. Well, here's what I
found out. Life for a butler ain't easy.
Speaker 1 (42:07):
It really is not.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
And I actually looked inside at one of the butlers
at The Savoy in London, fellow by the name of
Sean Devorian, and he's one of their head butlers. The
Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, which manages the Savoy, recently released
an infograph on what it takes to be a butler
(42:30):
at their luxury hotel, complete with quotes from this guy.
And by the sound of things, you better be committed
and really ready for anything if you aim to meet
the expectations at that esteemed property. The Savoy is iconic
in London as the place to stay, and it is
(42:51):
one of those places where as a frequent guest you
would be entitled to this butler service, and quite frankly,
it could even be mister Devorian. But sure, there are
the common tasks that a butler performs. We talked about that, packing,
unpacking luggage, dining reservations, personal shopping, facilitation and management of
(43:11):
dinner parties, running your bath, arranging entertainment, booking some travel experiences.
That's the usual stuff. But even some of those common
tasks include a bit more work than you might think.
One guest there regularly leaves one hundred and fifty suits
(43:32):
and two hundred shirts for Devorian to take care of.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
Can you believe that? How long are they staying?
Speaker 2 (43:39):
Yeah, and that's not including the countless odd and rather
demanding other guests that he gets now. Over the course
of his service at the Savoy, Devorian has been asked to,
just name a few, take a trip to Wales to
get authentic welch, goat milk for a guest's bath. He's
(43:59):
been asked to find a new ball gown within hours
of the ten thousand euro a ticket Prince Trust ball
for a guest who had lost their luggage on a
trip from Australia and wash and dry a satin wedding
dress for hours after the bride spilled coffee on it.
(44:20):
Of course, Devorian also played psychologist to calm the bride down.
Can you imagine? I mean what stories? Devorian not alone either.
Other butlers around the world have had to do a
lot of things like supply twenty pounds of ice for
a guest's penguins, yes they're penguins they brought with them,
(44:42):
and find a backup monkey for a film shoot. Apparently
monkeys aren't very good about arriving on Tome, and he
had to provide three red eminems, not packages, just single
eminem's complete with a picture of bas on the bed.
I love pictures of bacon, I guess said. Okay, as
(45:06):
you can imagine, one has to have the right attitude
and training to deal with all of these things.
Speaker 1 (45:14):
It tells something like the people who are staying in
these rooms need a butler to be able to handle
their lives.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
They not only that, but they need a butler with
a great temperament. Because there are folks who would not
fall into the category as good candidates for this type
of position, like me, so as you're listening to us
today here in our life less ordinary, one of the
things that I want to point out is the value
of these individuals that they provide, because their tolerance level
(45:45):
is far and above what any of us could probably
even just imagine in a regular day, let alone days
when they have to provide monkeys and wash out a
broad's wedding gown. I mean, you've got to have the
right attitude. And the Savoy actually has its own butler academy.
Speaker 1 (46:05):
I was going to ask about how this is they
get trained.
Speaker 2 (46:07):
Where butlers in training have to complete at least eight
units to get their diploma, including units on maintaining a
safe and secure environment, customers, guests, care procedures, maintaining effective
working relationship. I'd imagine this is a point of emphasis
right here. Really housekeeping procedures, food service operations, valating duties, wines,
(46:33):
spirits and cigars, and be an officionado at all of
those things. You cannot be just a one faceted individual.
I mean sometimes I think, you know, I impress myself
with my own talents in the travel industry, and I
won't lie about that. Forty five years has taught me
a great deal. But I am not this caliber. I'm
(46:55):
just not. I mean, this is a whole other level.
This is one to be revered, I think. And these
people really are valuable and it's why we called our
show today the Unsung Heroes of the Luxury travel industry
because you need them. They're valuable and they are remarkable
in what they do. And according to Devorian, the proper
(47:18):
butler has an eye for attention and detail, has a
detailed knowledge of current affairs. Because these people want to
talk to you too. In many cases, sometimes they don't,
they'll dismiss you very easily, but sometimes you're there as
a listening ear and a conversationalist as well. So you
have to be well versed in current affairs, current events, politics, finances.
(47:41):
Because they want your opinion, they ask for it, and
they don't want to know that they're dealing with someone
who's inept. They want someone who's polished, and you just
have to be You need to have an eye for
attention and always watch out for cues. You never take
anything for granted, as preferences might change, so you always
(48:03):
have to be on guard for things that might arise.
Now that's a direct quote from Dorian Devorian. You deal
with challenging people by truly listening to them, make eye contact,
listen properly, potentially even take notes on what their exact
problem is, and then come back with a good reply
(48:24):
that shows that you listened and understood their problem. Sometimes
people just want somebody to properly listen to them, he says.
The infographic also acts as a butler, providing some handy
tips for travelers. Tips include keep one sumeter of space
between clothes in the wardrobe to reduce body odors and
(48:48):
wrinkles in your clothing. Now, see, I didn't know that,
so I jam all close together in my closet, sometimes
as tight as they'll get. I need to go back
home and make sure I have at least a centimeter
between them. I'm probably wrecking my entire wardrobe.
Speaker 1 (49:02):
We all have too many clothes and not enough place.
The story.
Speaker 2 (49:06):
No kidding, no kidding. You have to roll up your
belt and put it inside the neck of your collared
shirts to keep them stiff when you're traveling, and avoid
busy times of the day at tourist attractions. These are
all things that your butler's gonna amply point out to
you and I love all of this. I think these
(49:29):
are crucial issues. Is Butler service right for every hotel? Well,
it represents a sophisticated offering in the luxury hospitality sector,
but it is the effort to manage it carefully and
avoid the pitfalls of under delivery for a lot of hotels.
I mean, it's one thing to have Butler service, Chris,
(49:51):
but it's another thing to deliver that poorly at its best.
This Butler service that you are marketing to your fellow
travelers and customers that are going to come into your property,
it has to be something, as I said before, to
be revered. Your customers have to like that. As much
(50:13):
as they like their meal, as much as they like
that front desk person, as much as they actually like
their actual suite or the accommodations they're staying in, the
beds they're sleeping on. That butler is going to make
or break that experience. And that is why today I
wanted to focus one hundred percent of our attention on
(50:35):
these unsung heroes, is because I think they're so valuable
in so many ways. You know, Chris, even Tiffany's I mean,
that's a hallmark name brand in luxury products. They have
an entire HR department that is dedicated to developing butlers
within their brand market. Not only do those experts in
(50:59):
etiquette needs to lead a household, but they also have
to plan evets and be greeterers as well. Two of
the most important and natural qualities to look for in
a butler are their professionalism and attentiveness and emotional intelligence
and excellent interpersonal skills. Tiffany says the butler skills of
(51:19):
a butler has to go beyond serving clientele. They have
to be able to discern the emotional temperature of a
room according to body language, and a butler should have
confidence in their ability to carry out their duties and
be relied on time and time and time again. As well.
The ability to adapt to changing circumstances to be crucial,
(51:42):
especially in terms of upgrading their skills. So if Tiffany's
finds that to be a hallmark trait of the service
they provide, I think we can certainly say that it's
a necessary component in the travel industry as well.
Speaker 1 (51:57):
I mean, I would like to have a Tiffany's.
Speaker 2 (51:59):
B Oh no, kidd, would you not? I mean, and
I think that's where we are in the world. People
really do want, but more importantly, they appreciate the good
treatment that that affords them. You know, we tend to
be unkind to each other. Sometimes it's wonderful when you
(52:19):
go in and you can actually pay for the ability
for someone to be extra cond to you.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
Man, I need to do a better job on going
on vacations because I need to have a butler on
the next one. Man, cheer. This has been fun and
you know, and I love this kind of detail, the
behind the scenes things that are happening. And as you
were talking, I was thinking about different shows and things
that I've seen, trying to make sense sort of the
Downton Abbey what they're doing downstairs to make sure that
(52:50):
the family upstairs, you know, has a great experience. If
you can do it, have a butler on your next face.
Speaker 2 (53:00):
Absolutely, you know, find yourself at a Saint Regis sometime
soon and enjoy that butler service. You will not be disappointed.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
So how do we get in touch with you if
we want to book our next luxury butler served vacation.
Speaker 2 (53:14):
I am easy to find, Chris. You can find us
at the Wishing Well. We're located at two forty three
nef Avenue in Harsenburg. You can call us at five
four oh nine oh eight two three three three or
look us up on the web. We are at the
Wishingwell dot bus.
Speaker 1 (53:30):
This has been a life Less Ordinary the travel show
from your friends at the wishing Well at two forty
three nef Avenue in Harrisonburg. If you have any questions
on topics discussed today, please reach out to the wishing
Well online at the wishing Well dop biz or five
four oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Eight
Past episodes are available on the iHeartRadio app. And we'll
see again next Saturday morning at ten for a life
(53:52):
Less Ordinary from the wishing Well
This is a Lifeless Ordinary, the travel show and podcasts
from your friends at the wishing Well two forty three
f Avenue in Harsmert and online at the wishing Well
dot This. The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge,
travel agency and a Lifeless Ordinary is a travel show
and podcast hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Let's bring in Terry Dean.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
And say hello, Hello, Hello, Chris Hardy to see you.
How are you doing, Terry, I'm pretty good. Thank you
for asking. It's good to be back in the studio
with you. Muffree.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I was going to say, we have misschiep. Past couple
of weeks, Harry and I hung out and we you know,
we did guy things while you're yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
And now Harry is off to Spain and Portugal and
Morocco with our group on Celebrity Equinox. So he is
in the lap of luxury right now on a beautiful cruise.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Well, he should be jealous, because we've got a gorgeous
weekend so I know, right, and we didn't have to
pack anything.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I didn't have to back of thing.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
You're right. But next time he does one of those trips,
I want to go with him too.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
I would like to have been there myself, but duty calls.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
So speaking of which, we've got a lot of news
to get caught up with. I know you've got some
hot deals for us too.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I do. I do, actually, and I want to hit
the ground running really with some news. First of all.
And I thought we did have a little fun here, Chris,
because as you well know, we've got a pretty important
holiday coming up here pretty soon, which we call favorably
the fourth of July Independent sty Birthday USA. And as
(01:34):
such a lot of people will often gravitate to theme parks.
They'll go have some fun over the fourth of July.
That's what it's all about. It's all about celebrating. And
so I found five of the highest ranking roller coasters
in the United States, and I thought that would be fun.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Can I guess?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Oh please? By all means.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Okay, something at Cedar Point in Ohio.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
See if that's one of mine.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
It's been so long since I've been You are dinging
ding ding ding, I would say maybe something at Bush
Gardens Dinging Ding Ding Ding And oh you said five,
what any kind of roller coaster? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Five of the most epic, highest ranking roller coasters in
the United States.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Oh boy, I'm going to stop with the two that
I got right and not push my luck.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Okay, well you were great, you were great. Those two
are definitely on my list of five. I want to
start with number one. Okay. The number one highest ranking
roller coaster in the United States can be found at
Universals Epic and Orlando, Florida. This is called the Star
Dust Racers. It's a two track dueling launch coaster with
(02:51):
two powerful launches that replaced lift hills. These coasters alone
would easily rank hound any coaster lover's li but this
coaster is elevated to another stratosphere. So that's our number
one roller coaster in the United States. Number two. Actually,
we are fortunate enough to have right here in the
(03:13):
state of Virginia and King's Dominion. Yeah, and this is
called the Raptira. Okay, are you familiar with it? No,
do you like roller coaster?
Speaker 1 (03:24):
I love roller coasters until I got old, and now
not really old, but I get horrible.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Body part sort after you go on, I get horrible headaches. Yeah, okay,
Well the Rapture this is the world's tallest and longest
launched wing coaster. It arrives as the thirteenth coaster at
King's Dominion, and the high speed ride mimics the flight
of a jungle Hawk, launching the unique side seated train
(03:52):
at speeds of sixty five miles an hour in four seconds.
So there you go at King's Dominion.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Kings Dominion. I don't think it's still there. They had
a roller coaster called the Intimidator.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I don't know it was. See. I'm not a roller
coaster lover. It does not work for me, but I
like all of the hype that goes with it.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
I got to ride that before it was open to
the public. They oh my god, they brought us in
and I have a video of it. You can see
me with my hands up in the air, looking crazy
and everything. And I think it went like sixty sixty
five miles an hour. It was amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yeah. Yeah, Well, our third one is actually exactly at
your the first place that you see the Point Cedar
Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It's called Siren's Curse a very
intimidating name for it. This new tilt coaster is going
to be North America's tallest, fastest, and longest, with a
(04:47):
compact track packed with surprises, and it's unique. As you
dead stop at the top of the lift hill, you
have her about ninety degree drop for seconds, and once
the track sets into place, the gravity takes control and
it sends you barreling down in the track at speeds
(05:08):
that reach fifty eight miles an hour. I'm sure that
probably feels like one hundred and twenty miles an hour.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
So theater Point was the amusement park that I went
to when I was a kid. We would go to
a Cedar Point and then SeaWorld was up there too.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
How about that? And fun memories? Right?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (05:23):
I mean the fact that when you asked, that was
one of the first ones. And a young king's dominion.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
How about that? Okay? Something I didn't know.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Well.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Next on our list is six Flags New England in Massachusetts.
This is the Quantum Accelerator and this summer a new
family launch coaster is going to thrill at six Flags
in Massachusetts. It is the park's first straddle coaster. I
(05:53):
don't know, I don't like the sounds of that. With
train seats resembling a motorcycle, saddle up and you bolt
off with two launches. That sends you soaring up to
forty five miles an hour with eleven airtime minutes. The
tracks many tight twists and turns thrill you from this
(06:13):
unique seat. It is the Quantum Accelerator at six Flags
in Massachusetts, now last on my list. Another one in
the state of Virginia, and also I think your final guess.
This is in Bush Gardens in Williamsburg. It's called the
(06:33):
Big Bad Wolf, The Wolf's Revenge, and this was a
fan favorite that lasted in the park for over twenty
five years before it closed in two thousand and seven.
This year, though, a new generation will delight at the
chance to enjoy an inverted family coaster honorings original predecessor.
(06:55):
Bush Gardens is excellent with its ride theming You'll fly
through a Bavarian village at speeds that reach forty miles
an hour with two lift hill drops of over twenty
five hundred feet of track. No thank you. The ride
is great for kids. I think that's hilarious. Was a
minimum height of forty two inches if accompanied by a
(07:17):
puking companion, I mean a supervising companion who is also
forty eight inches high. So those are our thrill rides
and in the anticipation of our Fourth of July celebration.
Anytime you even say roller coasters, people smile, so you're welcome. Yeah, thanks, Yeah, absolutely.
Next news that hit my desk today is news about
(07:39):
the world's tallest hotel that is coming this year. An
he guesses.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
My first thought was Vegas. I'm going to say in
New York City.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Actually no, it's actually going to be in Dubai.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
I was thinking just in the US, of course.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah. It's going to feature the world's highest hotel and
Infinity Pool, the world's tallest hotel. It's going to be
three hundred and sixty five meters and it will open
this October. Operated by the First Group Hospitality the luxury
five star of course, it is one thousand and four
(08:16):
room property is located in Dubai and spans eighty two floors.
Its design is actually chris inspired by the four elements
of earth, water, fire, and air, with rooms featuring floor
to ceiling panoramic glass windows offering views over the Gulf
and Guests are also going to be able to enjoy
(08:36):
stunning views from the sky high observation deck on the
eighty first floor. Hotels going to offer an intimate event
space for up to fifteen people. While there'll be more
than ten different food and beverage offerings featuring Eastern and
Western culinary experiences. You can also enjoy a state of
the art gym and a spa. There. There's an infinity
(08:58):
pool that's going to be on the seventy sixth floor,
set to be the world's highest such pool. So there
you go. Another great reason to hit the air and
go to Dubai to experience something new and.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Extreme that's almost a quarter a mile high.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
It is, Yeah, and I do it. Yeah, I mean it.
I think the whole concept of travel to Dubai has exploded.
I mean people really want to And we've talked about
this how many times Chris on a Lifeless Ordinary here,
which you know, I love the show because we also
we always talk about things that invite conversations among our travelers.
(09:38):
Dubai is one of those that really spurs a lot
of conversation.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
And it's not the one where they have the island
that looks like a palm tree, yes it is. And
that you get gold out of a vending machine, why not?
I mean, and then go skiing indoors. Yeah, they got
you cover for everything you want.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Absolutely, it's the most unreal place on the planet and.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
It's not really the that expensive, not Exfore.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
You can stay in really five star luxury properties. We've
talked about it here on this show, with all the
luxury you can imagine for the price of what you
would pay for a three star hotel perhaps in Europe.
All right, let's go and direct NonStop flights. Not too shabby.
(10:22):
Other news that hit my desk all the new cruise
ships that are coming in twenty twenty six. Now this
is just an abbreviated list, I can tell you. The
list went on and on and on and on for
all the new cruise ships that are coming. Why do
you think Chris cruise ships are so popular?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
It's all inclusive. I mean, well it's not all inclusive,
but everything you want is floating along with you pretty much.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yeah. But you know what other my customers point to
that are their reasons for wanting to go on a cruise.
It's the convenience factor. Whose you can go to multiple
destinations and how many times do you unpack? No, not
one time. You unpack one time. And for the period
of seven to ten to fourteen to twenty one days,
(11:08):
you are living like in your own little private compartment
on this floating vessel. That is your hotel, that is
your transportation. It's ideal. It's ideal.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
You just said what I was trying to say.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Yeah, And everybody's getting into the business these days. I
mean even top of my list for cruise ships that
are coming in twenty twenty six. Ever heard of four
Seasons before the hotel brand that we know and love.
I absolutely love four Seasons. I think they're great. They
are coming in January of twenty twenty six with a
(11:43):
guest capacity cruise ship of one hundred and ninety people.
Their inaugural sailing is going to be on the twenty
fifth of January. They're going to this lesser Antilles. They're
going to feature Antigua and Saint Lucia. They'll go from
Barbados to Aruba. That maiden voyage is going to be
in the Caribbean. Were the four Seasons hotel properties unbelievable?
(12:03):
It's going to be one to check out for sure,
Norwegian is coming out with another one. She's got the
Norwegian Luna coming out April of twenty twenty six. This
is a big girl. She's half the size though of
the Oasis of the Seas and Anthem of the Season
some of them. She's only thirty five hundred guests as
opposed to six thousand with some of these other big girls.
(12:26):
The actual inaugural date is not set yet, but there
are going to be thirty five different categories of cabins
on that cruise ship. Next on my list is Royal Caribbean.
Not to be outdone by Norwegian, of course not. They're
coming out with the Legend of the Seas. That's going
to happen my birthday month, July twenty twenty six. Guest
capacity there, she's a big girl, fifty six hundred passengers
(12:50):
and she's going to make her maiden voyage in the
summer in the Mediterranean, followed by year round Western and
Southern Caribbean itineraries. I mentioned four seasons before. They have
a second four season yacht they're coming out with in
twenty twenty six, only one hundred and ninety people. Not
much to be announced yet about that. They're not revealing
(13:12):
their inaugural sailing or where they're going to be yet,
but look for that in twenty twenty six. Viking, a
cruise line that we talk about a lot here on
a Lifeless Ordinary, coming out in twenty twenty six with
the Viking Mirror. They have a guest capacity of nine
hundred and ninety eight. Now that's a little different for
them because many of their ships don't have that many
(13:34):
on board. Their inaugural sailing is going to be June
fifth of next year. They're going to sail the Western Mediterranean.
Now this is not the Viking River Cruise, this is
the Viking Ocean Line, So this is their newest ocean liner.
Their maiden season is going to include the Mediterranean and
Northern Europe. Last on the list is another one that
(13:56):
we talk about quite frequently, and that's Regent seven Seas.
They are coming out with the Seven Seas Prestige, eight
hundred and fifty guest capacity on there and no other
announcements about their maiden voyage yet. But let me tell
you that's a thimbleful of the information of brand new
ships that are hailing out starting in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
So I know there's been the news recently some of
the countries are sort of fighting back against the megaturism craze.
Does having all these additional cruise ships alleviate some of.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
That, No, I don't think it does. I mean, I
think there are some European towns that are still feeling
the results of over tourism. I don't see that slacking
off anytime soon. And proof of that is the build
of all of these brand new cruise ships. What is
great about this build out of these ships is you've
(14:54):
heard the whole supply and demand kind of result in pricing,
and what that's going to do is it's going to
drive is lower, we hope in the cruise market and
is going to allow even more people to travel. So
I'm not sure about the over tourism factor that that's
going to see any kind of relief from that. In
some of these cities like Barcelona and Lisbon and other
(15:16):
places that are complaining about it right now, they want
to see that curtailed some I'm just not sure how
you go about doing that when people want to see
the world. Yeah, and so many great ways to do it.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
And be careful what you wish for. Amen, you don't
want everybody to stop.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Coming, isn't that the truth? We want them to go.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Yeah, and if you're looking to go, we've got some
hot deals for you.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I do actually, And speaking of cruise lines, Carnival Cruise
just came out with a fabulous deal. You can upgrade
your fun with Carnival right now with a three category
upgrade and up to one hundred dollars on board credit.
This offer is good now through June the thirtieth of
this year. So if you're interested in a Carnival cruise,
(15:58):
give us a call at the Wishing Well. We are
happy to make your dreams come true on Carnival Cruise Line.
Next on my list is an offer by Holland America.
They are offering forty percent off plus free prepaid crew appreciation. Folks.
Translation of that is your tips are paid for you,
(16:18):
So forty percent off of faars and more prepaid gratuities,
free fairs for kids on some of their sailings, and
fifty percent reduced rates. That offer is good until July
of this next month. So those deals are good. And
then three other great great deals that I just have
to mention real quickly before we get into a really
(16:41):
special episode of a Lifeless Ordinary today and we are
talking more luxury. But the last three deals on my list.
One is a non day fully escorted Nova, Scotia, Prince
Edward Island and New Brunswick. This is for the departure
date of August the twenty sixth. It includes two nights Halifax,
(17:02):
two nights Battock, two nights in Charlottetown, two nights in
Saint John, New Brunswick. Your total price inclusive of airfare
seventeen forty nine. That is a deal in any way
you slice and dice that. That's at least a forty
percent savings over what it prices at normally. Thirteen days
(17:22):
in Greece. If you've ever wanted to go to Greece,
now's the time to go. Two nights in Thessalonike, two
nights in Corfu. We've got other knights in Olympia, Napoleon
and Athens. August to twenty six is also the departure
date for this one. Thirty eight hundred and forty three
dollars including airfare for thirteen days. And many of these
(17:45):
that I'm talking about right now include meals like breakfast
and dinner every day or most days, so even your
meals are included. You've got an escort god throughout the trip.
It's fabulous. This one really got my atte September. The
third is the departure date, a five day Canadian Rocky
Express tour. You've got one night in Calgary, three nights
(18:09):
in bamp Again, your air included, and your escort a
guided tour throughout all of this. Nine hundred and fifty
one dollars a person, not bad, including air. That's a deal,
my friend, that's a deal.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
So we love talking luxury travel, we really do. But
it doesn't just magically happen. There's a lot of people
in the background that are doing a lot of hard
work so that you can enjoy your luxury experience.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
That's so true. It takes a village.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
And that's what our show is about today. Yes it is.
Our show is called Unsung Heroes of Luxury Travel. We'll
get into it next here on a life less ordinary.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Who would think of driving off to a new destination
without guidance from Google or Syria's not the Wishing World
Guide your next travel experience, travel the world that you
enjoy the very best destinations and all they.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Offer at the prices.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Our mobile travel app keeps your vacation on track and
keeps you connected with our team of experts for help.
If you need it, call us at five four zero
nine zero eight two three three three stop buy two
forty three nef Avenue or visit us at the Wishingwell
dot biz.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Hey, welcome back to a Lifeless Ordinary. This is the
travel show and podcast from your friends at the wishing Well.
They're located on nep Avenue in Harrisonburg. Also online at
the Wishingwell dot biz, or give 'em a call at
five four oh nineh eight twenty three thirty three. One
of those friends is here this weekend. I'm talking about
(19:37):
Terry Dean. She's one of the big wigs over at
the wishing Well. Terry, where before I went to break
I mentioned all the unsung heroes of luxury travel, and
we're talking about one category of service within luxury travel.
Bring us up to speed. What are we talking about, yeap?
Speaker 2 (19:52):
So before I tell you exactly who that service provision
individual is or individual Jewels are, I want to tell
you why I chose to do this show today, Chris,
and that's because when I was at Nemacolin not very
long ago, I had the most incredible experience, and that
(20:12):
experience for me has been blazoned indelibly on my brain
as probably one of the most luxurious experiences I have
ever had, bar none, in the last forty five years
of my career. It really was that impactful. And what
made that such an impactful moment for me an experience
(20:35):
for me was not just the service, which was five
star all the way round. The culinary experience was outstanding.
The experiences themselves while on property were outstanding, But there
was what I like to call an unsung hero of
(20:55):
that entire perspective and experience that I had, and that
was my butler. And I wanted to have a show
actually just dedicated today to talk to people about butler service,
because it's really interesting to me when people come into
the wishing Well, Chris, they have no concept of what
(21:15):
it is to have a butler. What are they, what
do they do, what are they supposed to do? What
is their function? Why is it important to many top
tier hotel heres anymore in our industry, in the travel industry,
to even possess them, have them, offer them, and make
(21:36):
them available to their customer base. It is quite important
and it is a keystone for a lot of these
companies that we work with, and I wanted to make
sure that people understood exactly what the role of these
individuals are for them when they travel.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
I've got questions.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Okay, excellent.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
My first thing is I think, mister Belvetere, oh, yeah,
that when you said butler's that thinking about or one
of those movies that's in Vegas where they have a butler?
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Oh exactly?
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Is the butler in your room?
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Not necessarily the butler is sort of I would say,
sleuth like if they're doing their job. Well, they're really
more sleuth like, like an invisible in the level of
luxury that they provide. So the best ones, in my opinion,
like the one that I had at NEMA Colon, was
(22:29):
there when I needed them, but invisible otherwise.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
What's the difference between a butler and a concierge?
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Yeah, so that's a great question. A butler is really
someone like I had at NEMA Colan and one that
we're going to focus our show on today. A concierge,
just to give a quick analysis of that, is someone
with whom you can make dinner reservations, you can ask
for specific transportation requests, referrals, that kind of thing. They
(23:01):
may be assigned to an entire floor as opposed to
just you personally. Okay, yeah, so a butler really is
a curated type of experienced individual who deals with you
on an individual basis, not the floor or the hotel
as a whole. Oh wow, so it's very different.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
All right, that's all my questions for now, because I
don't want to take too much away from what you've
got to talk about, because I know you have a
lot of information.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
I really do, and I want to start by saying,
you know, a great hotel butler is is They're more
than just a service provider. They're actually a key part
of that guest experience and they have to be able
to and I love this word because it fits so well,
anticipate and fulfill the needs of every guest to ensure
(23:47):
that they have a seamless and unforgettable stay. So let's
talk about that a little bit. A great butler anticipate
guests needs before they even ask. I can tell you
that at NEMA Colin, there were some things that I
think my butler watched, must have watched my activities in
(24:07):
my room after I had left the room for the day. Oh,
she used to wash claus as opposed to just one.
It looks like she used one for her makeup. Looks
like she used another one for cleansing. So what he
did for me was he brought a supply of makeup
removers for me, instead of me having to use a
(24:30):
wash cloth for one thing and then another. I mean
he anticipated that without me having to say a word.
He just watched how I lived in my room. They
also they pay meticulous attention to every detail. They usually
have a great memory, and they're wonderful at adapting to
individual preferences, like you know, the kind of snacks that
(24:52):
you like and your room temperature. That was key for
me because my idea, I may have talked to you
about this or maybe even on the air before. My
ideal room temperature in a hotel room in the daytime
is seventy seven, oh my gosh. But at night it's
sixty five. And I usually make that switch, you know,
(25:15):
because I love to sleep with nice, warm, cozy blankets
on me at night, and I like to get down
under the covers. I don't like to have to throw
them off, and sixty five is great for me at night,
but in the day when I'm in my room, especially
if I'm having to do any work in there, seventy
seven is perfect for me in my room.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
I don't think I could handle that.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Yeah, it's great, but and your butler knows that. And
my butler knew that at Nimicolin. So guess what, my
room was perfectly programmed so that it was seventy seven
in the daytime and sixty five at night.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Do you do like a preference sheet when you arrived?
Speaker 3 (25:51):
No?
Speaker 2 (25:51):
I didn't, which was amazing, all the more reason why
I found this behavior of my butler to be so amazing.
I filled out nothing. They also, butler's proactively address potential issues,
and they find solutions to those challenges before you even
know you have them. I love that they manage, they
(26:14):
coordinate various aspects of your stay. They act as a
single point of contact if you want dining reservations and
transportation arrangements and SPA appointments. They do what a concierge
does on that level, but so so much more. They
demonstrate a commitment to excellence in every one of their tasks,
(26:35):
from unpacking your luggage to maybe setting up some romantic dinners.
They're always polished, and I noted that about my butler.
He was a young guy, probably in his I would
say early twenties maybe, but meticulously groomed. His hair was
every hair was in place. He had his hands. I
(26:59):
noticed his hands when he was showing me around the room,
where various things were perfectly manicured hands. I mean, just
everything in place. They're discreet, and they respect the guests
privacy and confidentiality, and you know, they have to because
they deal with a lot of high profile people who
(27:20):
definitely want some sensitive information protected. You know when I
say that, really, what flashes in my mind is that
movie Pretty Woman. You know what I'm talking about, how
the butler had to be so discreet at the hotel
for Richard Gear because he had a call girl in
the room. I mean that did require a certain amount
(27:41):
of discretion on the butler's part to be able to
handle that without being too loose lipped. If I live.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
I love how we've all accepted that movie as just normal.
I know, right, it's nothing normal about that and shouldn't
embrace that, but.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Okay, yeah, they demonstrate self respect and they have leadership
qualities that I think are inspiring, and they inspire trust
and confidence in the guests that they have and even
among their colleagues. I noticed that at Nimicolin that the
guys that were butler's or the gals that were Butler's
at Nimicicolan, they were revered by the other peers that
(28:19):
they worked with because they were.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
So polished in what they did.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
They possess these exceptional communication and interpersonal skills. They do
that and that helps them to build this rapport with
the guests and the staff at the hotel. They're able
to interact with guests from a lot of diverse backgrounds
because there are some people, even I've dealt with them
(28:46):
in my level in the industry who are your type
A personalities who want to be in control of many
many things, and a butler's in interference for sometimes those
folks where you have other people who are completely disorganized
and they're not even a type B person. They're way
down into the alphabet, you know, and they need all
(29:08):
the help they can get. So these butlers really have
to be able to deal with a lot of these
diverse backgrounds with people that they serve. They're resourceful in
fulfilling every guest request and they can quickly resolve these
challenges for people. So that's kind of the what they
(29:28):
have to be. That's sort of the stereotypical definition of
what butlers are. If that helps bring that into some
focus for you. What I want to talk about now
is when you stay at a hotel, what are some
things that they actually can do? What are some action
items that they take? So I kind of took a
(29:49):
look at some of the grandames I would like to
say hotels as they're known. Guests who book suites, recognized
as valued guests, they return and they're welcomed by one
of the most coveted amenities, which is a personal butler.
And actually I've watched some great documentary shows on TV
(30:10):
about this very thing, interestingly enough, at some of the
hotels in New York that do this, but also in London,
and I wanted to focus on some of those. But
beyond logistics, Chris, these professionals that we're talking about, these butlers,
they're a fountain of local knowledge.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
They have to be.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
They're ready with recommendations, as I said, for restaurants, even
outside of the hotel. I mean, they're not going to
tell you just what to order off the menu in
the hotel that they serve. They're so well versed they
can tell you where a great little place might be
to eat that's not very expensive at all. By the
same token, they can tell you where the closest Michelin
(30:49):
Star restaurant. This is what their diversity allows you as
a guest to experience and you get the best of
both worlds that way. So they can tell you about
nearby festivals, any kind of sporting events that are taking place.
But Butler service is a hallmark of top tier hotels
across Europe London, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, Milan, Zurich, Geneva, Istanbul,
(31:16):
and that extends to the most prestigious properties even in Asia.
Now in Asia, you've got legendary names in the hotel
industry like the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, the Peninsula in Kowloon,
Hong Kong, and the Emperl in Tokyo. Those are all
renowned for their exceptional service, which by the way, I
(31:36):
toured the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo when I was there.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
This is like not of this world.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
That was an incredible, incredible experience. We talked about the
hotel earlier in Dubai. The Imperial Hotel is a really
close second to any of those in Dubai, but they
are just renowned for their exceptional service, with butlers attending
to gests in all of their top suites. Interestingly enough,
(32:04):
while a lot of European luxury hotels maintain a staff
to guest ratio of about one to four, those premiere
Asian hotels I told you about those boast ratios as
high as three staff members per one guest. Oh my gosh,
that is unbelievable. You know, that's great service. When three
(32:25):
people are waiting on you at once. That's really high
tier's luxury. That's luxury. Yeah. And high end cruise lines,
you know, let's talk about those, you and a World
River cruises, which I've got some people who are traveling
on them actually right now that are over in Europe
and they're enjoying that butler service. Kinnard also offers butler
(32:47):
service in some of those their most exclusive state rooms.
But what exactly does a butler's role entail? And I'm
going to give you some examples of that. The butler's
role is to make sure that all those services and
amenities that you hear about that they tell you about
when you check in, whether it's associated with your status
in the suite or that you're occupying, are provided seamlessly
(33:12):
and in a timely manner. That's their role is to
make sure they get it done, you know, and do
it seamlessly, like I said, Sluice. Like you know, back
in the nine eighties and nineties, the leading hotels of
the world kind of broke ground with butler service. I
remember when this happened in more than two dozen of
(33:34):
their top properties across Europe, Asia, North America and South America.
Those memories in my mind still to this day are
vivid because I thought, you've arrived, man, if you've got
a butler. I mean, it was all the thing. You know,
if you were able to go on a vacation and
you had a butler, hah, that was it. That was
(33:54):
the whole shebang, you know, that was the whole nine yards.
And at the Peninsula in Hong Kong, your sweets butler
would actually present you with an assortment of aromatic designer
soaps on a silver platter, as it should be, as
it should be exactly. At the Clarage in London, another
(34:17):
great hotel property, you could return to your suite after
a hard day if you were working in London, find
a tray of savory appetizers and chilled champagne delivered to
your suite within seconds of your arrival. Why because the
butler knew your every movement, they knew, they anticipated your return.
(34:41):
They knew when you walked in the front door and boom,
those savor retreats and that champagne were there for you.
And if you remember again, harkened back to the pretty Woman.
Didn't it seem like Richard Gear got all of that
with just a simple request, Like just instantly, everything happened
(35:01):
for him. Everything that's what people want. And at the
Hotel de la Prey in Geneva, your butler unpacks your bags,
has your suit and shirt pressed so you can speak
at your conference within minutes that same morning. I mean,
no twenty four hour notice. It's like I need this,
How soon can I get it? Hou's five minutes.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
At the Hotel Durne, after an overnight flight from New York,
in four hours of meetings, you can wake up to
find fresh cut fruit, pastries, hot coffee, and shoes polished
to a high gloss. Courtesy of the floor's butler, immediately
small luxuries with lasting impression. Well at the Hyde Park
(35:46):
in London, you can expect to find a plate of
miniature pastries waiting at your desk every afternoon, with a
bowl of ripe fruit upon arrival. Then espresso pods in
your suite. Standard in a lot of European luxury hotels
are replenished daily, fresh bottles of water always on hand
with your coffee maker, and at both the Oriental and
(36:08):
The Regent in Bangkok, the butler will greet you with
bilingual business cards and personalized stationary featuring your own name
and the hotel's address. And at Reed's Hotel in Mandeira,
after casually mentioning your fondness for chocolate, you would return
every evening to find a silver tray with a generous
(36:30):
chocolate bar waiting for you. Another thoughtful touch from the butt.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
Let me casually say I love chocolate.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Then, oh no kidding? I mean that to me is
that's just high detail attention, you know, And I can
tell you I've stayed in several Ritz Carltons they're like that.
I mean, I can remember very clearly when I checked
in at the Tyson's Ritz Carlton for an event that
I was staying there for. I also mentioned to them
(37:00):
I'm like they had. They had a little box of
chocolates there at the desk, and they give you a
little box of chocolates when you check it, and I go,
oh my gosh. I love chocolates and I absolutely love truffles.
So I got into a conversation at check in with
the lady at the counter, what do you think. Before
I went to bed that night, I had an entire
(37:21):
box of designer truffles in my room, delivered courtesy of
the Ritz Carlton Tyson's Corner.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
I like it.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
I was a happy girl.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
Not a problem.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
Even luxury properties not affiliated though with those leading hotels
of the world, they extend those elevated services too, like
the Stanley and the Livingston Hotel near Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe,
and the Bristol and Geneva, officially rated only four star hotels,
by the way, they still managed to deliver that five
(37:54):
star experience, how through their butler service.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
That they have.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
So when you try I have abroad, really nothing nothing
Chris compares to the feeling of being genuinely pampered and
thought of and looked after at these five star hotels,
A dedicated butler might not be the flashiest amenity, but
it's one of the most personal, memorable, and it's a
real hallmark of luxury at these places.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
I'm going to tell you, if you get to come
back and tell people that you had a butler on vacation,
that's flashy.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
No kidding, Yeah, no, I mean, And I can tell
you I've had them, you know, I had one just
at Nima Colan. I will say that was another level
though at Nema Colan. The butler services that I have
had before are usually at Caribbean hotels, and they say
they're butlers, they really act more like a concierge of sorts,
(38:48):
if you will. But to be a true butler at
a high end five star or even as I mentioned
these four star hotels, that's a whole other level of caring.
Speaker 1 (38:59):
I'm enjoying this converse. We need to take a quick break.
When we come back, we'll continue discussing unsung heroes of
luxury travel. We're talking about butlers on a life less ordinary.
Speaker 3 (39:08):
Who would think of driving off to a new destination
without guidance from Google or Syria not The wishing Well
guide your next travel experience. Travel the world as you
enjoy the very best destinations and all they offer at
the best prices. Our mobile travel app keeps your vacation
on track and keeps you connected with our team of experts.
For help, if you need it, call us at five
four zero nine zero eight two three three three, stop,
(39:32):
buy two forty three, nap Avenue, or visit us at
the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
And welcome back to a Lifeless Ordinary, your travel show
and podcasts from your friends at the wishing Well. We
sit down every Saturday morning with Terry and Harry and
we talk about travel. We talk about luxury travel, we
talk about once in a lifetime experiences. And today we
are talking about the unsung heroes of luxury travel. We're
(39:57):
talking about butlers. And before we get into the I
want to tell you how you can get in touch
with the wishing Well. You can call them five four
oh nine oh eight twenty three point thirty three. You
can stop, buy and see them in person, that's always nice.
They're on f Avenue in Harrisonburg, or visit them online
at the Wishingwell dot biz. So, Terry, you've been talked
about all these experiences at Nima Colin at the Ritz
(40:18):
where you've got your own personal butler. How do you
get assigned a butler? Do you go in and do
you have to ask for a butler? Does everybody in
the hotel get one?
Speaker 2 (40:28):
That is such a great question. So at many properties,
butler service is not assigned until you get to certain
suite levels or you have a prestige level that you've
earned with hotel properties that allows you that. However, if
you're staying at a Saint Regis hotel anywhere in the world,
(40:50):
in any sort of entry level room, every single room
at Saint Regis hotels across the globe come with a
personal butler. That really makes Saint Regis, in my opinion,
a real sales technique. I mean, I mean, that's one
of the biggest marketing tools I think that they have.
(41:12):
But it doesn't come all the time with every entry
level room, with every other hotel. Sometimes you have to
be in a certain level or book a certain level
hotel to receive that, or be a frequent guest at
that particular hotel a number of times in order to
get that. But let me tell you, it is so
so worth it.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
So I have more questions about butler's You talked about
the discretion that a butler has to have. They've got
to have this great memory and attention to detail. Yeah,
what's it like being a butler.
Speaker 2 (41:45):
That's a great question too, Chris. And actually I spent
a little time preparing for today's show, and I thought,
I want to know what that's like. I want to
get inside the head of one of these butlers or
their experiences and just figure out a little bit about
what they've had to deal with. Well, here's what I
found out. Life for a butler ain't easy.
Speaker 1 (42:07):
It really is not.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
And I actually looked inside at one of the butlers
at The Savoy in London, fellow by the name of
Sean Devorian, and he's one of their head butlers. The
Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, which manages the Savoy, recently released
an infograph on what it takes to be a butler
(42:30):
at their luxury hotel, complete with quotes from this guy.
And by the sound of things, you better be committed
and really ready for anything if you aim to meet
the expectations at that esteemed property. The Savoy is iconic
in London as the place to stay, and it is
(42:51):
one of those places where as a frequent guest you
would be entitled to this butler service, and quite frankly,
it could even be mister Devorian. But sure, there are
the common tasks that a butler performs. We talked about that, packing,
unpacking luggage, dining reservations, personal shopping, facilitation and management of
(43:11):
dinner parties, running your bath, arranging entertainment, booking some travel experiences.
That's the usual stuff. But even some of those common
tasks include a bit more work than you might think.
One guest there regularly leaves one hundred and fifty suits
(43:32):
and two hundred shirts for Devorian to take care of.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
Can you believe that? How long are they staying?
Speaker 2 (43:39):
Yeah, and that's not including the countless odd and rather
demanding other guests that he gets now. Over the course
of his service at the Savoy, Devorian has been asked to,
just name a few, take a trip to Wales to
get authentic welch, goat milk for a guest's bath. He's
(43:59):
been asked to find a new ball gown within hours
of the ten thousand euro a ticket Prince Trust ball
for a guest who had lost their luggage on a
trip from Australia and wash and dry a satin wedding
dress for hours after the bride spilled coffee on it.
(44:20):
Of course, Devorian also played psychologist to calm the bride down.
Can you imagine? I mean what stories? Devorian not alone either.
Other butlers around the world have had to do a
lot of things like supply twenty pounds of ice for
a guest's penguins, yes they're penguins they brought with them,
(44:42):
and find a backup monkey for a film shoot. Apparently
monkeys aren't very good about arriving on Tome, and he
had to provide three red eminems, not packages, just single
eminem's complete with a picture of bas on the bed.
I love pictures of bacon, I guess said. Okay, as
(45:06):
you can imagine, one has to have the right attitude
and training to deal with all of these things.
Speaker 1 (45:14):
It tells something like the people who are staying in
these rooms need a butler to be able to handle
their lives.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
They not only that, but they need a butler with
a great temperament. Because there are folks who would not
fall into the category as good candidates for this type
of position, like me, so as you're listening to us
today here in our life less ordinary, one of the
things that I want to point out is the value
of these individuals that they provide, because their tolerance level
(45:45):
is far and above what any of us could probably
even just imagine in a regular day, let alone days
when they have to provide monkeys and wash out a
broad's wedding gown. I mean, you've got to have the
right attitude. And the Savoy actually has its own butler academy.
Speaker 1 (46:05):
I was going to ask about how this is they
get trained.
Speaker 2 (46:07):
Where butlers in training have to complete at least eight
units to get their diploma, including units on maintaining a
safe and secure environment, customers, guests, care procedures, maintaining effective
working relationship. I'd imagine this is a point of emphasis
right here. Really housekeeping procedures, food service operations, valating duties, wines,
(46:33):
spirits and cigars, and be an officionado at all of
those things. You cannot be just a one faceted individual.
I mean sometimes I think, you know, I impress myself
with my own talents in the travel industry, and I
won't lie about that. Forty five years has taught me
a great deal. But I am not this caliber. I'm
(46:55):
just not. I mean, this is a whole other level.
This is one to be revered, I think. And these
people really are valuable and it's why we called our
show today the Unsung Heroes of the Luxury travel industry
because you need them. They're valuable and they are remarkable
in what they do. And according to Devorian, the proper
(47:18):
butler has an eye for attention and detail, has a
detailed knowledge of current affairs. Because these people want to
talk to you too. In many cases, sometimes they don't,
they'll dismiss you very easily, but sometimes you're there as
a listening ear and a conversationalist as well. So you
have to be well versed in current affairs, current events, politics, finances.
(47:41):
Because they want your opinion, they ask for it, and
they don't want to know that they're dealing with someone
who's inept. They want someone who's polished, and you just
have to be You need to have an eye for
attention and always watch out for cues. You never take
anything for granted, as preferences might change, so you always
(48:03):
have to be on guard for things that might arise.
Now that's a direct quote from Dorian Devorian. You deal
with challenging people by truly listening to them, make eye contact,
listen properly, potentially even take notes on what their exact
problem is, and then come back with a good reply
(48:24):
that shows that you listened and understood their problem. Sometimes
people just want somebody to properly listen to them, he says.
The infographic also acts as a butler, providing some handy
tips for travelers. Tips include keep one sumeter of space
between clothes in the wardrobe to reduce body odors and
(48:48):
wrinkles in your clothing. Now, see, I didn't know that,
so I jam all close together in my closet, sometimes
as tight as they'll get. I need to go back
home and make sure I have at least a centimeter
between them. I'm probably wrecking my entire wardrobe.
Speaker 1 (49:02):
We all have too many clothes and not enough place.
The story.
Speaker 2 (49:06):
No kidding, no kidding. You have to roll up your
belt and put it inside the neck of your collared
shirts to keep them stiff when you're traveling, and avoid
busy times of the day at tourist attractions. These are
all things that your butler's gonna amply point out to
you and I love all of this. I think these
(49:29):
are crucial issues. Is Butler service right for every hotel? Well,
it represents a sophisticated offering in the luxury hospitality sector,
but it is the effort to manage it carefully and
avoid the pitfalls of under delivery for a lot of hotels.
I mean, it's one thing to have Butler service, Chris,
(49:51):
but it's another thing to deliver that poorly at its best.
This Butler service that you are marketing to your fellow
travelers and customers that are going to come into your property,
it has to be something, as I said before, to
be revered. Your customers have to like that. As much
(50:13):
as they like their meal, as much as they like
that front desk person, as much as they actually like
their actual suite or the accommodations they're staying in, the
beds they're sleeping on. That butler is going to make
or break that experience. And that is why today I
wanted to focus one hundred percent of our attention on
(50:35):
these unsung heroes, is because I think they're so valuable
in so many ways. You know, Chris, even Tiffany's I mean,
that's a hallmark name brand in luxury products. They have
an entire HR department that is dedicated to developing butlers
within their brand market. Not only do those experts in
(50:59):
etiquette needs to lead a household, but they also have
to plan evets and be greeterers as well. Two of
the most important and natural qualities to look for in
a butler are their professionalism and attentiveness and emotional intelligence
and excellent interpersonal skills. Tiffany says the butler skills of
(51:19):
a butler has to go beyond serving clientele. They have
to be able to discern the emotional temperature of a
room according to body language, and a butler should have
confidence in their ability to carry out their duties and
be relied on time and time and time again. As well.
The ability to adapt to changing circumstances to be crucial,
(51:42):
especially in terms of upgrading their skills. So if Tiffany's
finds that to be a hallmark trait of the service
they provide, I think we can certainly say that it's
a necessary component in the travel industry as well.
Speaker 1 (51:57):
I mean, I would like to have a Tiffany's.
Speaker 2 (51:59):
B Oh no, kidd, would you not? I mean, and
I think that's where we are in the world. People
really do want, but more importantly, they appreciate the good
treatment that that affords them. You know, we tend to
be unkind to each other. Sometimes it's wonderful when you
(52:19):
go in and you can actually pay for the ability
for someone to be extra cond to you.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
Man, I need to do a better job on going
on vacations because I need to have a butler on
the next one. Man, cheer. This has been fun and
you know, and I love this kind of detail, the
behind the scenes things that are happening. And as you
were talking, I was thinking about different shows and things
that I've seen, trying to make sense sort of the
Downton Abbey what they're doing downstairs to make sure that
(52:50):
the family upstairs, you know, has a great experience. If
you can do it, have a butler on your next face.
Speaker 2 (53:00):
Absolutely, you know, find yourself at a Saint Regis sometime
soon and enjoy that butler service. You will not be disappointed.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
So how do we get in touch with you if
we want to book our next luxury butler served vacation.
Speaker 2 (53:14):
I am easy to find, Chris. You can find us
at the Wishing Well. We're located at two forty three
nef Avenue in Harsenburg. You can call us at five
four oh nine oh eight two three three three or
look us up on the web. We are at the
Wishingwell dot bus.
Speaker 1 (53:30):
This has been a life Less Ordinary the travel show
from your friends at the wishing Well at two forty
three nef Avenue in Harrisonburg. If you have any questions
on topics discussed today, please reach out to the wishing
Well online at the wishing Well dop biz or five
four oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Eight
Past episodes are available on the iHeartRadio app. And we'll
see again next Saturday morning at ten for a life
(53:52):
Less Ordinary from the wishing Well
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