If poetry is about love,

If art is about love,

......

Een denkertje of een in-koppertje? Het blijft, sorry to say so, ‘aanmodderen’ binnen de Nederlandse hospitality. Daar wil ik overigens niets slechts mee zeggen over de fantastische initiatieven van met name het Gastvrijheidsgilde en de vele individuele gastvrijheids prestaties van de parels binnen de Nederlandse hospitality.

Looking around and talking to hoteliers tells me that not all hotels dare to take a firm step beyond the hardware, into the area of personalising service.

Technology is still key nowadays, which is a good development. It certainly adds to the experience and comfort of the nowadays guest. The generation Y is entering the market and they have different needs. They grew up with technology and that’s how they communicate. They keep up, and so should you.

Often I get the question how to implement butler service in China. Is this country fit for this concept, and if so, how does it work?

In my last article I showed you how enhancement of simple practical skills can have a positive effect of the service experience of the guest. But as said, this is not all. The missing link is the interest in the guest.

And here I refer to real interest. As a service provider you want to know who your guest is. I’m sure you do realise that every guest is different.

The key question every hotel has is ‘do my service efforts work’? To get an answer, do you once in a while sit back and observe; do you talk to the guest? Service is just a short and small word, but the impact is huge. Many books have been written about the topic and the many aspects it has. For me the key question behind the above question is whether what I do is appreciated by the guest.

Many hotels pick up the challenge of offering butler service to their guests. I appreciate this as I’m sure that butlers can really enhance the guest experience and comfort. However this sounds easier than done when hiring the butlers and introducing the service as such.

Most important is hiring the right people to offer the service.

Turn down service is one of the creative perks in hospitality, but does it always work? Most hotels spend time and money on delivering their appreciated guests with a surprising turn down in the evening. You might be familiar with for example the closed curtains, opened bed, chocolates, orchid flowers, and towel origami. How many souvenirs have you collected over the year?

Always known for its experiments, red light district, canals, and easy going life style, please note that also new hot hotels are swamping the city of Amsterdam.

In a city centre where not much room is left for big hotels, small boutique hotels can be found in many places. And they are certainly worthwhile to stay. Amsterdam has got it!

As a part-time butler/PA, and international Butler trainer, everywhere I travel, I’m always on the lookout for good butler-service.

Who can tell me where to find it? As the environment is always so great, I also want the guests to be able to enjoy this to the full. A perfect personalised service with eye for detail, should complement a perfect luxurious environment.