This sounds both luxurious and adventurous. By making friends with your butlers, you got to see the community the way the locals experience it, which is what true travel is all about. How exciting!
So nice to get to know the butlers!!! I honeymoon at a Sandals like 35 years ago, pre- cell phones so no butler perks. 😄
I have experienced the whole house staff which was amazing to experience whatever you put in the hamper laundered, dried and neatly folded on your bed everyday. 😊🧺 I could so get used to that!
I always hated having "staff" in villa type settings. Many of them come with help and it makes me uncomfortable lol. That's why I always tried to make it fun!
Another fun article, Kristi! The villa in Portland near the Blue Lagoon...that whole area is so beautiful. I have never had the opportunity (yet!) to stay in one of those villas, but I was booked for a private yoga class for a bridal party at one of those villas and it was really lovely. On my very first trip to Jamaica in 2015, I met a lovely human on Tinder who happened to work as a landscaper at Sandals. He offered to get me a free day pass but he wasn't able to join me because he had to work. I told him that I would absolutely not take that offer if he couldn't join me and he told me that he and his friends would still benefit for me to be there as a guest because I could get them all free food and drinks for the day. With that said, I agreed and we all had a great time! Everyone ate, I served them, and we all got a good ride for the day on the Sandals tab. I remember when I first arrived and ate breakfast, I picked up all of my dishes to put them away and 2 staff members immediately ran over to me telling me that I was not allowed to clear my own dishes. This was totally foreign to me and I tried to insist but to no avail. They even had to walk me to the restroom when I asked where it was...the whole idea of a private butler and service in that way is so alien to me! I would definitely handle it the way you did by making friends with them and giving everyone the chance to fully enjoy the experience. 🙏🤗🪷💜
Deanna, I was hoping you'd pipe in here because ypu seem like the type who understands it the same way I do. No matter where I was in Jamaica, it was the people who made it amazing for me and I just could not let them "serve" me the way they're supposed to!!
PS: With this butler in Portland, we took the little villa boat all along the waterline in the San San area and all those villas are just stunning seeing them from the water. Beautiful area!!
We had a Sri Lankan housekeeper in Abu Dhabi to meet our younger son at school and walk home with him while we were at work. She made the best curries! She worked very hard with 3 different families each day to save money to send her daughter to university and build 3 homes in Sri Lanka. One for herself and one for 2 other siblings. I loved hearing her stories. She has long since retured to Sri Lanka and our older son visited her there.
She told me she much preferred working for westerners as they paid better and treated her like a person. We loved her.
Oh Marlee, I LOVED hearing this!!! I understand that house help is very common in that side of the world and often they become like part of the family. How wonderful that your son went to visit her long after the fact. That makes me happy!
I absolutely adore how you came to an understanding that you weren't like other guests and your staff hung out with you like friends. I wouldn't expect anything different from you, and I would probably do the same thing.
When I traveled to teach yoga, I was often put up in rich people's guest houses. I stayed in a 5 bedroom Naples FL beach house. Evidently the guest who stayed there before me was a very famous yoga teacher who came with an entourage and trashed the place. I was there by myself with my dog...and the owner said I was the quietest mouse she's ever hosted and I could come back anytime (even if I wasn't working). She was the daughter of JFK's personal doctor.
I think you and I lived similar but different parallel lifestyles for about a decade...and still going that way. huh?
Wow, I can't believe the nerve of some people. But actually, I guess I can because it happens all the damn time lol.
Having a background in the service and hotel industry as an employee also made me hyper-aware of how some guests treat service staff because I've been on the receiving end of assholery at times.
I remember when I stayed at a Hilton in New Orleans, we invited our concierge guy out for a night on the town. He was about 24 years old and didn't mind at all hanging out with two old broads at the bars. He was super special and took us places we'd have never found on our own!
please run don't walk to the nearest library or bookstore and get the entire collection of Jeeves stories by P.G. Wodehouse! We will sic Aunt Agatha on you otherwise.
Owning a hotel and living there, yes, I've had the blessed privilege of having staff that did everything for us. While it was absolutely great to have someone do your laundry and cook for you, I'm not the kind of person that is comfortable with it. I want to participate/help! It took awhile to be 'somewhat' comfortable with it.
Seeing many, many hotel guests stay at our luxury hotel, I can say that there are people that are NOT mindful of the staff and some can treat people very rudely. Most of our guests were not like that but there were those that thought 'that's their job to wait on me hand and foot' which it is, and it's their luxury vacation so great, but it doesn't give anyone an excuse to not be respectful to people at all times.
We had one guest that was so 'distraught' at the humidity, dampness and rain, that in front of me (the owner) and our concierge (a Costa Rican) said "How do THESE people live like this?!" (meaning of course, the locals). I wanted to jump across the desk and strangle her. haha. but of course as the owner, the customer is 'right' and our concierge just simply said, "oh, it's a lot rainier where I live". haha.
Marlo, I concur with everything you've said. It's difficult to watch the uppities treat locals as less than just because they're "the help." It angered me as well, which is why I ALWAYS tried to make it fun and leveled out as I could. I adored the culture and people and how seriously they took their jobs but I just couldn't let them be serious while I was around lol.
Can we be besties? I love how you get to know people who “work” for you. I always want to chat with the doorman at the hotel. I feel honored if he reveals something personal to me.
It's the only way I know how!! I'm just so interested in the human stories! Did you ever see that movie, The Help? Friggin fantastic movie and that would totally have been me.
What’s a female butler called? We had one of those in Dominica last year. We hung out with her for hours, talking about everything and eating the world’s best and biggest avocados. I felt weird about the whole butler thing at first and then realized that it was an awesome opportunity to make a new friend and really get to understand life on the island.
I love this article. It just goes to show you that humanity goes along way.
If more tourists had this reaction, then perhaps they wouldn't be branded as bad thing.
Yes, there will still be snobbery, but sometimes a simple conversation can go a long way!
Amen to that! I have always been so open to locals wherever I go. They are what makes travel incredible!
This sounds both luxurious and adventurous. By making friends with your butlers, you got to see the community the way the locals experience it, which is what true travel is all about. How exciting!
Thanks Joy.
That's how I always did Jamaica...off the beaten path, local life. You haven't experienced a destination until you've done it like a local 😊
Wonderful piece!
So nice to get to know the butlers!!! I honeymoon at a Sandals like 35 years ago, pre- cell phones so no butler perks. 😄
I have experienced the whole house staff which was amazing to experience whatever you put in the hamper laundered, dried and neatly folded on your bed everyday. 😊🧺 I could so get used to that!
Hahaha for me, it was the food! I can do my own laundry but having someone cook for me every day? That was a fantasy life!!
Wow, what fun connections! I started reading thinking I would absolutely hate having a butler around, but I love the way you engaged with them!
I always hated having "staff" in villa type settings. Many of them come with help and it makes me uncomfortable lol. That's why I always tried to make it fun!
Sounds like you succeeded!
I’ve always gone the cheap route so thanks for letting me look into another world.
Yup, anytime I've actually paid for accommodation I always look for super cheap. It's was only these reviews that always seemed to come with "staff"
It's an odd experience in my opinion.
Another fun article, Kristi! The villa in Portland near the Blue Lagoon...that whole area is so beautiful. I have never had the opportunity (yet!) to stay in one of those villas, but I was booked for a private yoga class for a bridal party at one of those villas and it was really lovely. On my very first trip to Jamaica in 2015, I met a lovely human on Tinder who happened to work as a landscaper at Sandals. He offered to get me a free day pass but he wasn't able to join me because he had to work. I told him that I would absolutely not take that offer if he couldn't join me and he told me that he and his friends would still benefit for me to be there as a guest because I could get them all free food and drinks for the day. With that said, I agreed and we all had a great time! Everyone ate, I served them, and we all got a good ride for the day on the Sandals tab. I remember when I first arrived and ate breakfast, I picked up all of my dishes to put them away and 2 staff members immediately ran over to me telling me that I was not allowed to clear my own dishes. This was totally foreign to me and I tried to insist but to no avail. They even had to walk me to the restroom when I asked where it was...the whole idea of a private butler and service in that way is so alien to me! I would definitely handle it the way you did by making friends with them and giving everyone the chance to fully enjoy the experience. 🙏🤗🪷💜
Deanna, I was hoping you'd pipe in here because ypu seem like the type who understands it the same way I do. No matter where I was in Jamaica, it was the people who made it amazing for me and I just could not let them "serve" me the way they're supposed to!!
PS: With this butler in Portland, we took the little villa boat all along the waterline in the San San area and all those villas are just stunning seeing them from the water. Beautiful area!!
We had a Sri Lankan housekeeper in Abu Dhabi to meet our younger son at school and walk home with him while we were at work. She made the best curries! She worked very hard with 3 different families each day to save money to send her daughter to university and build 3 homes in Sri Lanka. One for herself and one for 2 other siblings. I loved hearing her stories. She has long since retured to Sri Lanka and our older son visited her there.
She told me she much preferred working for westerners as they paid better and treated her like a person. We loved her.
Oh Marlee, I LOVED hearing this!!! I understand that house help is very common in that side of the world and often they become like part of the family. How wonderful that your son went to visit her long after the fact. That makes me happy!
This article is a JOURNEY! One I want to return to over and over. ❤️
Eileen, thank you!! My whole 15 years spent all over Jamaica was a journey and a half!! Stay tuned for more of it!
I absolutely adore how you came to an understanding that you weren't like other guests and your staff hung out with you like friends. I wouldn't expect anything different from you, and I would probably do the same thing.
When I traveled to teach yoga, I was often put up in rich people's guest houses. I stayed in a 5 bedroom Naples FL beach house. Evidently the guest who stayed there before me was a very famous yoga teacher who came with an entourage and trashed the place. I was there by myself with my dog...and the owner said I was the quietest mouse she's ever hosted and I could come back anytime (even if I wasn't working). She was the daughter of JFK's personal doctor.
I think you and I lived similar but different parallel lifestyles for about a decade...and still going that way. huh?
Wow, I can't believe the nerve of some people. But actually, I guess I can because it happens all the damn time lol.
Having a background in the service and hotel industry as an employee also made me hyper-aware of how some guests treat service staff because I've been on the receiving end of assholery at times.
I remember when I stayed at a Hilton in New Orleans, we invited our concierge guy out for a night on the town. He was about 24 years old and didn't mind at all hanging out with two old broads at the bars. He was super special and took us places we'd have never found on our own!
Thanks for the holiday ❤️
Mr. Bertram Wooster would definitely challenge the truth about your article title.
I'm not privy to who that is!
He is the employer of said butler named Jeeves...
Ooooooh hahaha!!
please run don't walk to the nearest library or bookstore and get the entire collection of Jeeves stories by P.G. Wodehouse! We will sic Aunt Agatha on you otherwise.
Owning a hotel and living there, yes, I've had the blessed privilege of having staff that did everything for us. While it was absolutely great to have someone do your laundry and cook for you, I'm not the kind of person that is comfortable with it. I want to participate/help! It took awhile to be 'somewhat' comfortable with it.
Seeing many, many hotel guests stay at our luxury hotel, I can say that there are people that are NOT mindful of the staff and some can treat people very rudely. Most of our guests were not like that but there were those that thought 'that's their job to wait on me hand and foot' which it is, and it's their luxury vacation so great, but it doesn't give anyone an excuse to not be respectful to people at all times.
We had one guest that was so 'distraught' at the humidity, dampness and rain, that in front of me (the owner) and our concierge (a Costa Rican) said "How do THESE people live like this?!" (meaning of course, the locals). I wanted to jump across the desk and strangle her. haha. but of course as the owner, the customer is 'right' and our concierge just simply said, "oh, it's a lot rainier where I live". haha.
Marlo, I concur with everything you've said. It's difficult to watch the uppities treat locals as less than just because they're "the help." It angered me as well, which is why I ALWAYS tried to make it fun and leveled out as I could. I adored the culture and people and how seriously they took their jobs but I just couldn't let them be serious while I was around lol.
Thanks for your unique insight into this topic!
A peek into an amazing world I know nothing about...fascinating to experience it through your lens, Kristi!
Can we be besties? I love how you get to know people who “work” for you. I always want to chat with the doorman at the hotel. I feel honored if he reveals something personal to me.
It's the only way I know how!! I'm just so interested in the human stories! Did you ever see that movie, The Help? Friggin fantastic movie and that would totally have been me.
The Help--Great movie and book!
What’s a female butler called? We had one of those in Dominica last year. We hung out with her for hours, talking about everything and eating the world’s best and biggest avocados. I felt weird about the whole butler thing at first and then realized that it was an awesome opportunity to make a new friend and really get to understand life on the island.
Yesss! You get it! I adore learning from locals rather than the watered-down tourist version of things.
As for a female butler...maybe a butlette?? 😂