Luxury Villas with Butler Service
'Cocktails by the pool, anyone?'
...and why not? With your fabulous on-site Butler available to whip up delicious drinks – with or without alcohol – it's just one fantastic facet of a luxury villa with butler service. Read More
An experienced Butler can be one of the high-end accompaniments to a fabulous villa vacation. However, you may find that your Butler doesn't look like he stepped out of Downton Abbey in a formal tailcoat. He might wear a classic monogrammed resort polo shirt and crisp shorts, but the service and support will be five-star.
What is a Butler?
The art of buttling dates back centuries. The word 'butler' evolved from Old French. It's an age-old profession that attracts individuals who have incredible organizational skills. In addition, a person who has an innate ability to create a natural atmosphere of ease finds the role of Butler rewarding. These Hosts, Butlers, or Major-domos offer a divinely discreet presence in your villa, ready to deliver a seamless service and anticipate your needs.
The Role of a Butler
Butler's or Host's roles vary. In all cases, this is the first person you meet when you arrive at your property. After the warmest welcome and light refreshments, your Butler can give you an overview of the property. Some of our ultra-opulent villas come with Butlers who have decades of invaluable experience delivering the highest level of service. Other properties have butlers who have been with the property for a generation. There's nothing they don't know about the villa and its amenities.
Staff Liaison
Usually, with a Butler, you will have the services of a chef, housekeeping, and grounds staff. Your Butler will usually take on the role of liaising with each of these departments during your visit. It's helpful to have one point of contact during your stay so that key requests are understood and actioned.
Local Knowledge
When it comes to local knowledge, we always say, 'ask the Butler'. He is the person with up-to-the-minute information about what's happening at your destination. From insider knowledge about where to go for a fabulous brunch or the best secret beaches, he can guide you.
Your Butler will know of any local festivals that might be happening that you would love to experience. And as for the weather, there isn't a Butler who doesn't know how the day's weather will unfold at breakfast.
Your Butler can guide you to the best boutiques or markets if you like to pick up local arts and crafts. You will soon find there isn't any guidebook or online forum that will match the comprehensive knowledge of your Butler. They have friends and connections in all the right places. If you want seats at a popular restaurant, maybe you would like a private tour with an experienced and trusted driver; your Butler can set this up.
Perhaps you would like some divine spa services delivered at your villa, just let your Butler know, and he can arrange for a local masseuse or facialist to visit you in your villa. Your Butler can usually coordinate most of these services from his magical contact's book.
Day to Day
Do check with us about the scheduled work hours for your Butler at your villa. As a rule, you will often have your Butler serve you breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you have access to a stretch of pristine beach in front of your villa, your Butler might also perform the duties of a beach attendant, setting up your chairs and umbrellas. He might also bring you a gorgeous picnic lunch and some cool drinks throughout the day.
Pre-dinner drinks on the terrace by your pool can be one of the daily highlights. But, of course, there's nothing lovelier than arriving for dinner to a delicious rum punch or champagne cocktail prepared by your Butler. Blended fruit mocktails are a real treat too if you have little ones at your party.
The Butler will also dress your table for your delicious candlelit dinners. Floral centerpieces will charmingly offset sparkling crystal and cutlery. You can rely on your Butler to choose the most suitable wines to accompany your menu choices. The entire evening will have the panache and style of dining out but without having to leave your beautiful home.
After dinner, you can retire to your terrace to unwind and count the stars, your Butler will have your dining room cleared and your kitchen restored to its pristine condition. You will be delighted to find that they will oversee all aspects of household management. From a fully stocked fridge to refreshed towels and bed linen, the ever-watchful eye of your Butler will ensure all the villa staff is working in harmony to create the perfect platform for your dream vacation.
Traveling with Children
All our Butlers have a winning way with children. They understand how to present meals that will tantalize even the trickiest palate. Coming up with fun games, answering lots of questions, and generally being another helpful pair of eyes in the villa, Butlers become a much-beloved part of any vacation for your children.
If your villa has a cinema or game room, your Butler can arrange tasty snacks like buttered popcorn and ice cream while young adults hang out. Your Butler will gauge the needs of your group as a collective or individually to ensure everyone is having a good time.
Special Events
Combining a vacation with an important celebration is one of life's memorable experiences. There's something quite lovely about setting a wedding, anniversary, or milestone birthday in a tropical paradise. If the property or properties you and your party have reserved for this celebratory event have a Butler, this person can add that valuable layer of organization to the proceedings.
If, for instance, it's a wedding, as a bride and groom, you will want to maximize the time you spend with your guests and family members in the days leading up to your nuptials. You may have the services of a wedding planner pulling together the event, everything from flowers to seating to food, but having a butler on your team can be a game changer.
Your Butler can oversee any rehearsal dinners in the villa, coordinate a cocktail party where guests can mingle, and provide a helpful information center for anyone arriving at the celebration.
Birthday Celebrations
Maybe your special event is a milestone birthday. You might want to surprise one of your family with an ultra-special dinner. Your Butler can discreetly coordinate a fabulous surprise dinner or picnic, complete with a cake and candles for your loved one. No matter how big or small the occasion, your Butler is there and ready to make it a memorable reality.
In Conclusion
A friendly face, an easy charm, quiet intelligence, and a perceptive nature combine to make a world-class butler. Once you've enjoyed the service and support of a Butler, you'll understand why having a trusted individual on site to coordinate your day-to-day vacation experience can be one of life's great pleasures.
Some of our clients return to the same villas again and again. 'It's just like going home,' is one of the phrases we repeatedly hear from these clients. Arriving at their villa to be greeted by an old friend who will remember all the small touches that go into delivering their perfect trip is the unique signature of what we do.