First Etihad Airways butlers visit The Savoy for Savoy Academy Training (United Kingdom)
The Savoy, a Fairmont Managed Hotel, last week welcomed the first group of Etihad Airways’ unique in-flight Butler trainees for specialist training alongside head butler, Sean Davoren and his team. |
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First Etihad Airways butlers visit The Savoy for Savoy Academy Training (United Kingdom)
The Savoy, a Fairmont Managed Hotel, last week welcomed the first group of Etihad Airways’ unique in-flight Butler trainees for specialist training alongside head butler, Sean Davoren and his team. |
Category: Europe - United Kingdom - Careers
- Career
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2014-10-17
The 13 men and women, all In-Flight Chefs or Food & Beverage Managers, were carefully chosen to fulfil the coveted role of Butler, which combines the skills of both Concierge and Maître d’hôtel to provide superior service to the discerning guests of The Residence by Etihad.
This revolutionary three-room cabin featuring a living room, private shower-room and double bedroom is being introduced on Etihad Airways’ fleet of 10 Airbus A380s, the first of which is due for delivery in December this year. The group spent the first two weeks at the London School of Hospitality and Tourism, at the University of West London, a leading provider of luxury hospitality management education. During their time within the school the Etihad trainee butlers covered a wide range of theoretical and practical butler related topics including, customer care for VIP guests, advising on formal clothing, international etiquette, wine tasting, floral arrangements and much more. Their third week saw the Butler trainees shadow The Savoy’s own world-renowned butlers as they carried out their duties, allowing them unhindered access and exposure to their training.
Patricia Paskins, course leader for Diploma for Butlers at University of West London, said : ‘Training professionals for the Hospitality Industry is something for which we have many years of experience and relevant expertise at London School of Hospitality and Tourism. We are delighted to be involved in this butler training which for the first time has been for a prestigious airline. The standards of excellence in service and the attention to detail required from a butler remain the same wherever it is carried out and this important addition to the ‘butler portfolio’ defines just how versatile this role can be’.The Savoy has long had an ethos of ‘personal service naturally’, says head butler, Sean Davoren, ‘and is the first hotel to establish its own school to train professionals. Our 24-hour Butler service here at The Savoy is designed to exceed all expectations, whether a guest needs to arrange dinner reservations, in-suite dining, secretarial services, personal shopping, theatre tickets, last-minute travel arrangements or administrative support. Kiaran MacDonald, Managing Director of The Savoy, comments, ‘The Savoy has built a 125-year long reputation on exceptional service, and the key to our success is the anticipation of guest needs. With ever-changing expectations, one of the most important skills a butler can have is a keen intuition. All of our Savoy butlers are particularly trained in the art of knowing when it is appropriate to extend the services of a more traditional butler versus acting as personal assistant to our guests. Following successful completion of the program and graduation in Abu Dhabi, the first Butler will assume duty on the airline’s inaugural Airbus A380 flight to London Heathrow on 27 December.
A second group of Butler trainees will start their Savoy Butler Academy training in early 2015.
About The Savoy Butler AcademyThe Savoy Butler Academy, a joint initiative between the London School of Hospitality and Tourism, part of the University of West London, and The Savoy, offers the Diploma for Butlers, which trains a new generation of butlers who combine the discretion and professionalism of a traditional English butler with the efficiency of a 21st century lifestyle manager. The Diploma provides a perfect training ground for those who wish to pursue a career as a professional butler; a role increasingly in demand internationally as well as in the UK. Throughout the world, butlers are employed to provide a wide range of specialist services in private households, palaces, villas and estates, luxury hotels, exclusive clubs, at prestigious corporate and state events, and on cruise ships and yachts.
Perfectly placed in the heart of one of the world’s most vibrant cities and on the banks of the River Thames, The Savoy boasts 268 rooms and suites accompanied by some of the most well-known restaurants and bars in London and magnificent and varied meeting space. Kaspar’s Seafood Bar and Grill offers informal yet luxury all-day dining and great British fixtures include the Savoy Grill and Simpson’s-in-the-Strand. Afternoon Tea continues to this day in the Thames Foyer, while Savoy Tea sells the hotel’s own teas and tea accessories. As day becomes night, the Beaufort Bar provides a theatrical setting for innovative cocktails and cabaret and the American Bar harks back to the golden age of cocktails in the 1920’s. The Savoy is an iconic hotel brilliantly reinvented for the 21st century, where the glamour of 125-years of history sparkles with a new lustre.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts connects guests to the very best of its destinations worldwide, reflecting each locale's energy, culture and history. Passionate travelers choose the luxury hotel brand for its ability to deliver memorable travel experiences, personalized and thoughtful service, and hotels that are one-of-a-kind. Serving as genuine gateways to their destinations, Fairmont hotels offer locally-inspired cuisine and spirited bars and lounges, distinctive design and décor, and a steadfast responsibility to environmental and social priorities. With more than 65 hotels globally, and many more in development, landmark hotels in the Fairmont collection include The Plaza in New York, London’s The Savoy, Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai and Quebec City’s Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. Fairmont is owned by FRHI Hotels & Resorts, a leading global hotel company with over 110 hotels under the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel branded luxury private residence clubs, whole-ownership residences and serviced residences properties. For more information or reservations, please visit fairmont.com. Become a fan of Fairmont. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and EveryonesAnOriginal. For career information and opportunities, please visit fairmontcareers.com.
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