Views and amenities are impressive, but stellar service is the mark of a truly great hotel. Here, standout memories from some of our staff’s favorite properties around the world.
Cheers to this: Adare Manor discovered my ballerina past and surprised me with a pint of Guinness displaying my name and a pirouetting ballerina stenciled atop the foam.
My regular dim sum breakfast order at The Peninsula Shanghai followed me to California: When I checked in at The Peninsula Beverly Hills early in the morning, the room service menu in my suite was open to the dim sum page.
At the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, I grabbed some almonds from the minibar, and housekeepers took note. The next day, I returned from being out to find a large bowl of nuts on my desk.
Score one for Kokomo Private Island Fiji: Some sleuth discovered I’m a rugby fan and wrote out the times and the local channel for games on the welcome note in my villa.
Talk about the opposite of wet blanket: Housekeepers at Halekulani picked up our damp swimsuits off the floor and hung them on a makeshift clothesline over the tub to dry.
Palazzo Venart in Venice has pasta pomodoro – my favorite food – on its breakfast menu. I don’t like breakfast foods in general, so I ordered it every day. On the sly, the concierge asked the chef at my next stop, Villa Agrippina Gran Meliá, to make it an off-menu special. When in Rome, I twirled into each new day with delight.
At The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, my butler appeared with a floaty so I could laze in the lagoon – and tied it to the deck so I wouldn’t drift away if I dozed off while sunbathing.
Each day at Montage Big Sky, when it was time to hit the mountain, ski butlers brought my warmed boots to me in the locker room and had already laid out my skis on the snow, ready to click into.
The team at The Shelbourne in Dublin heard I’d had a rough trip, so they scooped me up outside, skipping check-in, and took me straight to my room.
I’ve been greeted by name on the way to breakfast the very first morning at La Mamounia – and at The Merrion, and Aman Rosa Alpina, and too many others to recall!
We heard a knock on our door at Grand Velas Los Cabos and were surprised to find the room host with an armload of balloon animals she’d made herself because she heard our daughter loved balloons.
My birthday often coincides with my kids’ Easter break, several of which we’ve spent at Acqualina in Miami Beach. Though I’ve never told anyone there it’s my birthday, each time we check in, I find our room filled with my favorite flowers, and every staff member I encounter discreetly wishes me a happy birthday throughout the day.
Six Senses Bhutan staff welcomed us back from the long hike to Tiger’s Nest Monastery with foot massages and whisked away our mud-caked boots – which later magically appeared back in our rooms, spotless.
Here’s a favorite tale: I left my book facedown on the bed at the Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires to mark my spot, returning later to find an actual bookmark placed between the pages.
The Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea had all our numbers: They spelled out my then-toddler son’s name in bath sponges in our suite and left him a spotted eagle ray stuffie in his crib. At the pool, attendants cleaned our sunglasses and passed out fresh-fruit snacks.
This originally appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Virtuoso, the Magazine (U.S./Canada edition).