Resort Butlers Offer Over-the-Top Services

Aug. 14, 2008— -- In the competitive world of luxury travel, top hotels and resorts are pulling out all the stops to entice and impress guests. It's no longer good enough to just offer a butler service where someone in a snappy suit unpacks your bags or pours you a drink. A new class of butlers is entering the international scene, and these impeccable professionals are creating quite the buzz. This new generation of butlers is giving the term "at your service" a whole new meaning.

This is one "sweet" butler service you don't want to miss. At award-winning Jumby Bay, an all-inclusive private island in the Caribbean, a Sorbet Butler strolls up and down the beach daily at 11 a.m., offering guests homemade sorbet. One morning you can try mango, the next kiwi -- and it's all made from scratch. The sorbet butler even has yummy waffle cones. This refreshing treat is the perfect touch to help cool you down when you're soaking up the sun on this tropical paradise. Insider tip: Also keep an eye out for the fresh-made coconut cookies that come out in the afternoon at the beach bar. For more: www.jumbybayresort.com

Listen up, if you're staying at the ultra chic SKYLOFTS at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, you no longer have to struggle to find decent music for your room. The SKYLOFTS have added a hip Music Butler to its repertoire, and they're on call 24/7. These special butlers will show you how to hook up your iPod to the Loft's high-end Bang & Olufsen sound system. The Music Butlers will even load your iPod with all your favorite songs. Forgot your iPod at home? No problem, these butlers can loan you one. For more: www.skyloftsmgmgrand.com

The bath butler for Halekulani Hotel's Vera Wang Suite in Hawaii knows just what it takes to send you off on a blissful experience. A stay in this stunning designer suite includes a choice of three different signature baths. If you've spent too much time in the sun you can try the "Soothing the Sun" bath. For this, the butler will draw you a milk bath infused with papaya and pineapple enzymes. If you're looking to relax ask for the "Drift into Tranquility" bath that's laced with lavender and orchids. Or you can sample the "Bathe like Royalty" where your butler artfully combines Maile bath salts with green color therapy to help you find peace, harmony and renewal. For more: www.halekulani.com

Catering to the growing trend of discriminating guests traveling with their children, the elegant Le Meurice in Paris, France, now offers a special family butler. It's the family butler's job to make sure even the youngest guests feel at home and that everyone enjoys their stay at this first-class property. At Le Meurice, the butler is full of all kinds of fun surprises that delight children and their parents, including magical games and treasure hunts. The butler can also keep children busy with different activities around the property and can even provide a special dining menu aimed at pleasing even the youngest palates. For more: www.meuricehotel.com

You can find a new level of Beach Butler service at The Tides Zihuatanejo, a luxury resort hidden away on Mexico's Pacific coast. The butlers at this chic property don't just toss you a towel and find you a place to sit, au contraire, the Beach Butlers at Tides go all out. The spoiling starts with the butlers offering you tanning products to help make sure you protect your skin. Then you're offered comfy neck cushions. If you want to tune out the rest of the beach your butler can provide you with a pre-loaded iPod and if you're hungry or thirsty you don't have to move, your Beach Butler will make sure you're taken care of right down to your last umbrella drink! For more: www.tideszihuatanejo.com.

If you're technically challenged but still need to stay connected on your vacation, then you're going to love the new e-butler service at the famed Dorchester Hotel in London. Known as THE place to stay, the Dorchester is ahead of the game with this new service. The highly trained butlers are on call around the clock to help you deal with any technology challenges in your room from the internet to your telephones. Instead of spending precious time trying to figure out how to get your e-mail to work you just need to call your e-butler and everything will be set up for you. There's a reason this hotel is consistently ranked near the top in the world, it thinks about what you need before you even realize you need it! For more: www.thedorchester.com.