When Special Becomes Standard

It wasn’t that long ago that hotel websites were proudly crowing about their first-class amenities, enticing guests with such exclusive in-room extras as an iPod Docking station, Bang & Olufsen stereo, flat-screen TV or – gasp! – a cordless telephone! But what was once exceptional is now expected.

As the luxury hospitality market becomes more competitive, hotels are upping the ante to distinguish themselves from other brands by offering their discerning guests one-of-a-kind experiences and elite services.

Regent Hotels & Resorts, for example, initiated a butler training program to provide around-the-clock bespoke services to VIP guests. At Regent Taipei, tech-troubled guests have access to twelve IT Butlers while visitors to Regent Berlin can quiz the Jogging Concierge about the city’s best jogging paths and parks.

Regent Berlin has also collaborated with fashion brand Hugo Boss to create a free ‘Mobile Boutique’ service, ensuring guests are always suitably attired for all occasions. When Tom Cruise and his family took up residence at Regent Berlin while filming Valkyrie, two full floors were reserved for him and three dedicated butlers were on call 24/7 to answer every request. The butlers modified the guest rooms into a dressing room, a gym, a mirrored dance studio, a children’s playroom and an office, and decorated the spaces with Cruise’s own furniture.

The iconic hotels of the Dorchester Collection equate true luxury with bespoke experiences. The Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan, for example, offers behind-the-scenes access to the city’s La Scala opera house, giving customers entry to areas normally closed to the public. Likewise, guests at Le Meurice, Paris are chauffeur driven in a 1951 Bentley to a private yacht on The Seine. While seeing the City of Lights, guests are treated to champagne and a gourmet dinner.

It’s no longer enough for guest stays to be merely comfortable. Hotels are now redefining luxury, offering personalized services that range from the charming and quirky to the indulgent and intimate.

Jenny Lo