A butler opening the double doors to welcome a guest

The Salon — Experience I

Butler Hospitality

At the door, a butler awaits you.

Queen's Butler — Definition

About Butler Hospitality

Butler hospitality is the foundation of every hour spent at the Salon. A butler greets you at the door, takes your belongings and coat and shows you to your seat; thereafter he remains at hand throughout your stay, coming quietly whenever the silver bell on the table is rung. The Salon is for women only.

Arrival

From the opening of the door to your seat, the butler welcomes you in five movements

The Dining Room, with its yew table and chairs beneath the chandelier

Before the hour of your reservation

At the Queen's Butler Salon, we set the lights, the temperature and the chairs before you arrive, and wait just inside the door.

The door opens, and the butler bows

On seeing you, the butler opens the door, confirms your name and bows.

Your belongings and coat are taken

We ask after your bag, coat and umbrella, and carry them to the Wardrobe.

From the corridor to the day's seat

The butler opens the doors of the Dining Room, the Fireplace Room, the Study and the Bedroom. If you have not yet decided, take a short turn of the Manor and begin wherever your heart first rests.

The first cup is brought to your hand

The butler brews tea and sets the cup down without a sound.

Welcome

A welcome is the act of taking your everyday life into keeping outside the door

A welcome at Queen's Butler is more than a greeting: it is your preparation for passing into the time of the Manor. The butler keeps the angle of the door, his stance and the depth of his bow the same each time, and invites you in without haste. Once your belongings are taken, he walks half a step ahead of your pace.

Beyond the great double doors of French oak, the Manor's formal hours begin. As you pass the hall clock in the corridor, the attire in the Wardrobe and the double doors leading to the Dining Room, the butler shows you to the room you will use that day.

For one guest, the butler lowers his voice; for friends, he does not interrupt the conversation; for a party of up to six, he confirms that everyone is present before opening the door. Whatever the number, no one is left behind: that is the butler's first rule.

See the rooms of the Manor

A butler greeting an arriving guest at the entrance to the corridor

Distance

The butler adjusts the distance at which he waits to suit your mood

The fireplace and Rococo sofa of the Fireplace Room

Your mood	The butler's judgement	How he attends
When you wish to talk	Waits within earshot	Listens while pouring tea, never taking over the subject, and answers what is asked. While you search for a word, he does not pile on another topic, but waits until your gaze returns
When two of you wish to talk	Withdraws to the edge of view or to the anteroom	Once the light and drinks are set, he does not interrupt until the silver bell rings. He also checks that your cups and belongings do not hinder the movement of your hands
When you are absorbed in a book or letter	Withdraws to where footsteps do not carry	Checks only the level of your cup and the temperature of the room, completing any preparation in silence
When you wish to tour the Manor	Stands half a step ahead and opens the doors	Explains the handling and provenance of the collection at a length that does not stall your walk. If a piece holds your eye, he sets the light there as well
When you are unsure	Reads your gaze and your hands	Without a stream of words, indicates the next thing to use, and if needed, quietly explains the order

For a butler to be at your side does not mean to speak to you constantly. Waiting near, or keeping the silence: the butler chooses whichever suits your hour.

First request

Your first wish may be tea, light or a place to settle: any will do

A female butler pouring tea in white gloves

Tea

First, a cup of tea

Watch the porcelain from the cabinet and the white-gloved hands of the butler as tea is poured. As the colour and scent fall into the cup, let yourself pass slowly into the time of the Manor.

A wine-red sofa with roses and the glow of the fireplace

Light

Lower the lights a little

We dim the chandelier so that the flame of the hearth and the candlesticks come into view. When you open something to read, we leave the light you need at your hands.

Table

Show me to the table

We show you to the Dining Room, where silver cutlery and porcelain are laid. Should you hesitate, the butler reads your hands and offers a discreet glance.

Welcoming you at the door, taking your belongings and coat, showing you to your seat, seeing you off
Brewing tea, carrying the three-tier stand, showing you the handling of silver and porcelain
Lowering the lights, bringing a blanket or a book, introducing the rooms and the collection
Listening, waiting quietly, answering the silver bell to learn your wishes
Taking commemorative photographs, attending to your attire, checking for forgotten items before you leave

What we cannot accept

Meals are not served by the Manor. You are welcome to bring your own food and drink
The Manor is never let unattended: while you are inside, the butler is too
Requests beyond the scope of a butler's duties, or that compromise the butler's dignity, are not accepted
Please refrain from moving the collection, silver or porcelain without the butler's guidance

A butler carrying a silver tea set in the Fireplace Room

Silver bell

The silver bell carries your wishes to the butler

When to ring	Another cup of tea, a blanket, a book, the light, a change of room: the smaller the wish, the more freely you should let us know.
How to ring	Ring the bell on the table and tell us what you would like. When the butler is waiting nearby, a glance or a word will do just as well.
The butler's response	He comes from the anteroom, bows at your side and asks your wish. If you have not yet found the words, begin with what you feel: too cold, a little too bright, a wish to move elsewhere.
When you wish for quiet	Spend your time without the bell. The butler keeps his checks to a minimum and reads your mood before speaking. You may also ask in advance that he withdraw to the anteroom.
When you wish to move	Name the next room. The butler sets the light and the seat first, then opens the door and shows you through. Books, small items and drinks are carried by the butler if needed, and your pace is never hurried.

Butlers

Male and female butlers welcome you to the Manor that day

What it is to be a butler is not fixed by sex or age; it shows in the conduct that guards your time. Male and female butlers are in service, and open the door, receive belongings and keep their distance in the same manner. Should you have a preference as to the butler's sex, please tell us before you book.

Before booking, let us know whether you wish to centre the day on quiet or on conversation with the butler. If you will bring food and drink, props for photographs or a change of clothes, or if rain, travel or room temperature call for consideration, please tell us in advance as well.

Even once we have heard your wishes, no particular butler is promised. We check availability and introduce the butler who will welcome you to the Manor that day.

The Dining Room table with candlesticks and red curtains

Professional care

The Manor's operator and its butlers protect the collection and your time together

A butler's judgement in the moment lies in choosing a distance that neither anticipates too much nor keeps you waiting. Preparation begins before you enter the Manor, and once you are seated, the butler reads not only your words but your gaze, your step and your hand reaching for the cup to consider what comes next.

Queen's Butler is run by the Japan Butler Association. The butlers who serve the Manor handle silver and porcelain correctly and attend safely to every door, chair and light. Where the collection may be touched, we do more than tell its provenance: you may watch the butler's hands as he handles it.

The Manor is by appointment only, reserved for one party at a time, and welcomes up to six guests. Even when reserved, the butler remains in the Manor while you are inside, and keys are never handed over. We keep both the reassurance of a butler at your side and the quiet of one withdrawn to the anteroom.

Salon etiquette Q&A

A butler standing straight and bowing in the corridor of the Manor

QHow should I address the butler?

At Queen's Butler, please simply call us "butler". If you would like to use a name, the butler will introduce himself when he greets you. You may call by the silver bell or by a glance.

QI find it unsettling to have someone at my side the whole time.

The butler can withdraw to the anteroom. Tell us once that you wish for quiet, and he will refrain from speaking and wait until the bell rings.

QI am new to this and unsure of the etiquette. Is that all right?

Yes. There is nothing to learn in advance. The butler guides you from the door to your seat, and only when you hesitate does he offer a quiet word or glance.

QMay I request a female butler?

Male and female butlers are in service. Please tell us your preference before booking, and we will confirm availability before introducing your butler.

QWill a butler attend me even if I come alone?

Yes. Even for a single guest, the butler remains in the Manor while you are inside. If you would like to divide the time between conversation and quiet, please say so freely.

QWhen I come with friends, will everyone be looked after?

We welcome up to six guests, and the butler watches over everyone's hands and movements. If your wishes differ, we propose preparations and an order that let you share the same room.