For Jeffrey Dela Cruz, the job is all about providing service with a smile – no matter what he’s asked to do (or find). The polite and always-smiling Filipino is one of the nine butlers that are an essential part of the Fairmont Gold experience at the Fairmont Bab al Bahr; this exclusive ‘hotel within a hotel’ offers a ‘warm and personalised service’ with 82 luxurious guestrooms and amenities including a private check-in area, an exclusive lounge and complimentary internet to meet the needs of the most discerning guest.
Jeffrey’s very happy here and feels right at home with his day-to-day duties and surroundings. “I’m very thankful and very lucky to be doing what I do for a living – a typical day for me is always full of challenges, fun, and making friends”.

4.00am: Jeffrey is up and ready to start his day. “People are surprised that I get up so early, but I hate rushing around and I like to make sure I’m fully prepared and looking my best for the guests. After all, personal presentation is very important as a butler.”

6.00am: After making sure he’s not forgotten anything, Jeffrey leaves his accommodation in Mussafah and heads for the bus. “I take my guest notes with me to read on the journey – I’m already prepping for my day before I arrive at the Fairmont Bab al Bahr.”

6.30am: At the hotel half an hour early, time enough to change into his crisp white uniform before heading to the cafeteria for a quick breakfast.

7.30am: Jeffrey arrives on the Fairmont Gold Club Lounge floor. The huge 3,000 sq ft room is filled with plush seating areas, computer stations and a full culinary set up for the complimentary daily buffet breakfasts and evening hors d’oeuvres and drinks.

“My first task of the day is checking the guest list. I will see who arrived in the night and if there is anything to be taken care of immediately. We give all new arrivals a tour of the facilities, so it’s important to make sure we cover everyone.
I will then do a walkthrough to check everything is in its right place – cushions plump and everything tidy before doing any handovers with colleagues who might be coming off a night shift.”

The rest of Jeffrey’s morning is spent checking in new arrivals and making sure that all of the guests are happy. “There’s always something to sort out or fix – it calls for thinking outside of the box quite often!” he smiles. “Sometimes we expect a party of two – but then four will turn up together and we have to try and accommodate!”

Jeffrey says his job is a little like detective work – making sure he knows the guest before they even arrive. “When greeting new arrivals, the butlers have to know who we are greeting, so we normally have a picture of them or a licence plate number so we can recognise them instantly.

“The Fairmont Gold is also about customising the customer’s experience from the moment they walk through the doors to the moment they leave – and we need to know the person inside and out. For example, we know if the client is left- or right-handed from observing their behaviour; the next time we serve a coffee we can make sure it’s put down on the right side of the table for them,” he explains.

12.00pm: “We always make time for lunch, so I’ll head down to the cafeteria for a quick bite to eat.”

1.00pm: Afternoons are a little quieter for Jeffrey, but there’s still plenty to do. “Guests are either out doing business or relaxing by the pool, but our boss will still make sure we’re doing something useful. If we’re not busy, we have time to check out the habits of the guest and make sure everything is ready for when they return.”
Before the day is out he will normally deal with a lot of last-minute requests, everything from laptop chargers to Armani suits. “I once had a guest asking to buy a camel!”

5.00pm: End of the working day and back to his Mussafah home where “I like to surf the internet and watch movies – especially action and adventure films. I’m really happy to have a nice kitchen – and my housemate likes to cook! I’m not so good at cooking, but I do like to eat!” he laughs.

Final thoughts: “I love the fact that no two days on Fairmont Gold are the same. I’ve had the chance to meet everyone from royal members to celebrities, so I’m very fortunate. But if I could be a butler to anyone I would like to serve George Bush,” smiles Jeffrey. “I think he’d be really interesting to meet.”

Charlie Kennedy