After working for 15 years in Luxury operations and seeing how many colleagues approach their work, I can tell you art has many forms, and luxury hospitality and service is definitely one of them.
When I started my career, I had the opportunity to work with many good people, one of them was a Butler. But he wasn't just any butler, he was different. I remember that during my first months I had to cross train in many departments, and I had to shadow different people; and while some were ok, doing their work in the right way, few were special. This butler had a different style, he took his job seriously, he understood the impact it had in the guest experience, and he decided to make it excellent. Every single thing he did had a method, not only in functionality but also in aesthetic, he was dedicated and thought all the small details had a huge impact, and because of that he did them with perfection.
If a guest was asking him to polish his shoes, he wasn't just polishing them, he was analyzing the material, finding the right tools needed for the different parts of the shoe, he built a kit for himself that was a huge box with so many items that I couldn't believe you needed all this to polish a shoe. I learned later this wasn't a hotel standard, he decided to learn everything about shoe polishing, and he got all this tools so that he could do it in the best possible way, he even learned how to fix minor damages, I was amazed. And he didn't just do this for the shoes, he did this for the suitcase packing and unpacking, for bubble baths, for room surprises, I mean, he was incredible.
For some people this is just a job, for others this is an art.
For me luxury service and hospitality are an art. You can elevate everything you do, you can study it, you can perfection it, you can make it into an art form.
Inspiring teams to find ways to elevate tasks into an art form is a great way to foster passion, sense of accomplishment, pride and excellence. This will have an impact not only in the team but also in the guest experience. Trust me, when someone really takes their job seriously, when someone shows dedication and passion for the small details, guests show appreciation and feel cared for.
Seeing your job as an art or finding ways to making into one is one of the things why I love luxury. In fact, it reminds me of Episode 6 Season 6 of The Crown where the Queen says that the royal household is not a place of extravagance, but instead a place where precious expertise is nurtured. And elevating tasks into an art form is something we probably learned from royalty, where every single thing the staff does has been beautifully transformed into an art.
A common note to self I keep very close to me, and that I learned throughout my career in luxury is: If you are going to do something do it right, otherwise don't do it at all. And this is not only about perfectionism, but mostly about intention, thoughtfulness and care.
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