A woman reading on the wine-red sofa before the fireplace

The Salon — Experience IV

Relaxation at The Salon

An afternoon where only the turning of pages and the chime of the hall clock can be heard.

Queen's Butler — Definition

About Relaxation at The Salon

Relaxation at The Salon is quiet time spent on the sofa before the fireplace, in the leather chair of the Study, or on a 19th-century French bed. Through an afternoon where only the turning of pages and the hall clock's chime can be heard, and even while you rest, the butler remains in the anteroom. For women guests only.

Settle in

From choosing your place to settling into the quiet, the butler makes five preparations

A butler's white-gloved hands holding a teapot and cup

We ask, in a word, how you feel today

At The Salon, the butler asks one thing about your mood that day: whether you wish to read, to lie down, to gaze at the fire, or simply to be quiet without deciding anything.

Walk the Manor and choose where your heart settles

The butler opens the doors to the Lounge, the Study and the Bedroom. There is no need to go straight to a chair or the bed; you may take in the light and furnishings of each room before deciding.

Your belongings and coat are arranged

Books, papers and spectacles are placed within reach, and your coat is taken.

Choose a blanket, tea and the lighting

On the sofa a blanket; in the Study the lamp at hand; on the bed the linen and bedside are arranged. Where the tea is set is checked too, so you need not rise to reach it.

The butler withdraws to the anteroom

If you would like to keep talking, the butler stays near; if you would rather be quiet, they withdraw to the anteroom. Do tell us what distance feels most comfortable.

Three places

The Lounge, the Study and the Bedroom each hold the body, and carry sound, differently

Lounge

On the sofa before the fire

Sink deep into the wine-red velvet sofa and gaze at the electric flames and the roses. The butler sets down a blanket and tea, and withdraws quietly when the conversation pauses.

A woman reading at an English writing desk in a black leather chair

Study

In the leather chair of the Study

Sit in the 19th-century English captain's chair and open a book or letter on the leather-topped desk. The butler adjusts the floor-standing bronze lamp and keeps footsteps at a distance.

A woman resting on a 19th-century French corbeille bed

Bed

On a 19th-century French bed

Lie down on the corbeille bed — named for a basket of flowers — and rest within your time at the Manor.

Quiet

Quiet does not mean the butler disappears; it means waiting at the right distance

Quiet at Queen's Butler does not mean leaving the Manor unattended. It means the butler withdrawing to a distance where your presence is undisturbed. While you are in the Manor the butler is also in the Manor, waiting in the anteroom until the silver bell rings.

The turning of a page, the chime of the hall clock, the fire, the small sound of a cup returned to its saucer. To protect that day's quiet, the butler changes even how a door is opened, the pace of their walk and where the china is set down.

The moment you wish to talk, the butler comes near at once. When you wish to return to your own time, a single word is enough. The butler brings the conversation to a close, checks the light and your drink, and withdraws.

Why the Manor is never left unattended

The quiet Lounge with roses and the flames of the electric fireplace

Furniture

Each of the three places has furnishings of a different era, for a different posture

A white-gloved hand adjusting the face of the hall clock

Place	Furnishings that set the scene	What the butler arranges
The Lounge	Wine-red velvet sofa; mantelpiece in walnut and marble effect	Blanket, tea, the fire and the chandelier's light, adjusted to how you feel. Depending on whether you choose reading or conversation, the brightness left at your hands changes too
The Study	English 1980s leather-topped twin-pedestal desk; 19th-century English captain's chair in black leather	Space for books and letters, the floor-standing bronze lamp and the angle of the chair. Without intruding on your papers, the butler chooses a placement where drink and paper never meet
The Bedroom	19th-century French corbeille bed; linen in burgundy and gold damask	Shoes, linen and the bedside lamp are arranged, and the butler withdraws to the anteroom while you rest. Should you need help rising, ring the silver bell
The Gallery	A 155 cm pendulum hall clock	The chime can be silenced and is set to the quiet you prefer. Should your mood change midway, the butler arranges for it to fall silent from the next chime
Lighting of the Manor	1920s French chandeliers and bronze lamps	Overhead light is lowered, leaving the brightness needed at your hands and feet

Choosing your place is not a matter of ranking the furnishings, but of deciding which posture you wish to give your body to today. If in doubt, the butler will open each door in turn and show you the rooms.

Compare

Choose your place by whether you wish to read, to talk or to rest

I wish to read	The leather chair in the Study suits sitting at a desk; the sofa by the fire suits a book on the lap. The butler arranges your reading and the light at hand.
I wish to talk with the butler	In the Lounge, with tea between you, the butler listens. They never hurry you as you search for words, and answer what you ask.
I wish to lie down and rest	Rest on the corbeille bed within your time at the Manor. The butler arranges your shoes and the linen, and waits in the anteroom until the silver bell rings.
We are two and wish to be quiet	Choose the sofa by the fire or the chairs in the Study; the butler withdraws to a distance that does not intrude on your conversation, quietly checking only drinks and the room's warmth. If you read separate books, each of you is given the light and space you need.
A rainy day spent indoors	Without going out, you may move between the Lounge, the Study and the Bedroom to change the character of the hours. Wet things are taken by the butler at the door. The lighting is tended as ever, and your reading and small belongings are carried to where they will stay dry.
I wish to forget the time	The butler asks whether to keep or silence the hall clock's chime. On days you would rather not watch the clock, the butler gives a quiet word well before the end of your time so you may prepare to leave at ease.

What the butler arranges

Guidance to that day's place: the sofa by the fire, the leather chair in the Study or the bed
A blanket, tea, somewhere to set your book, and light at your hands and feet
While you rest in the Manor the butler is also in the Manor, withdrawing to the anteroom as needed
Laundry may be discussed with the butler within your time at the Manor.
Books, letters, papers, spectacles, gloves and small keepsakes for a photograph — bring them, and the butler arranges the space around you

Please note in advance

The Manor is never let unattended, and no keys are handed over
The bed is for resting within your booked time
Requests beyond the scope of a butler's duties, or that compromise a butler's dignity, are not accepted
Please ask the butler to move furniture or adjust the lighting

Butler's view

Even in hours when nothing happens, the butler watches for small changes

Preparing for relaxation is not a matter of bringing one thing after another; it includes the judgement that, for now, nothing more should be added. The butler reads your breathing, your posture and the pace at which you turn the pages, and considers whether to speak.

If your shoulders shift on the sofa, they offer a blanket; if your gaze draws closer to the page in the Study, they check the lamp; if you lie down on the bed, they withdraw to the anteroom beyond earshot. Until the silver bell rings, the quiet is not disturbed.

Queen's Butler is operated by the Japan Butler Association. The butlers who serve at the Manor protect your time and the Manor's furnishings alike. So that no strain falls on the old furniture, chairs and desks are moved by the butler, who comes to the right distance when you rise.

See Laundry

Tea and a soft light arranged by the butler at the bedside

QMay I lie down on the bed?

Yes. At Queen's Butler the bed may be used for resting within your time at the Manor. The butler arranges your shoes and the linen, and withdraws to the anteroom as you wish.

QCan I spend the time quietly on my own?

Yes, visits alone are most welcome. The butler remains in the Manor but withdraws to the anteroom until the silver bell rings, keeping your quiet intact.

QIs the butler needed even when I am doing nothing?

While you are in the Manor, the butler is also in the Manor. To add nothing, and to come only when needed, is itself part of a butler's service.

QMay I bring books or work papers?

Yes, they may be used at the desk in the Study or on the sofa by the fire. The butler arranges the light at hand and space for your papers.

QCan I spend the time quietly with a friend?

Yes. With two or more guests, the butler withdraws to a distance that does not intrude on your conversation. For up to six guests, the arrangement of seats in the same room and the distance at which the butler waits can be discussed to suit your party.

QIs there a dress code?

There is no set dress code. Please come in clothing that is comfortable for sitting on the sofa or in a chair and for moving about the Manor.