Courtesy of Marina Bay Sands
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tan Hong Kai, senior butler for Marina Bay Sands Hotel. It has been edited for length and clarity
My first memory of Marina Bay Sands is standing with the crowds around Marina Bay and watching the New Year's Eve fireworks. Now, I'm proud to say I work in this iconic Singaporean hotel.
I left school at 18 and got a job with the Singapore Tourism Board. After the pandemic, they had a scheme called the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers to promote local tourism. I taught Singaporeans how to use the vouchers and suggest places they might visit. When my contract was coming to an end, I saw a position for a butler at Marina Bay Sands on a local job site.
I read through the job description and was hooked. I loved the idea that the job could change from day to day, so I decided to apply. I passed the interview, and I joined the hotel as a butler in October 2021. The starting wage for a junior butler is SGD3,000 a month, around $2,237.
My training period lasted for three months. I learned basic butler skills, trained with other departments such as housekeeping, and shadowed my mentor, a senior butler.
What surprised me most during my training was how much a butler is encouraged to go that extra mile for a guest, like getting a cake for their birthday or arranging a light meal if they have an early flight.
The hotel has 160 butlers, 10 of which look after the VVIP suites, which are called the Paiza Royal Collection. The VVIP suites are located on the highest floors of the hotel and frequented by celebrity guests.
This is where I started working in February 2022. I'm assigned to specific guests rather than the suite, so I work across the VIP and VVIP suites depending upon which room they choose.
My mentor had a lot of experience working with celebrities and taught me tips like if they're going to the restaurant, I need to try to get a private room or a corner table and I should highlight a discreet path they can use to get there.
Two of the suites in the Paiza Royal Collection are invite-only suites. The 630 square meter Chairman Suite has four bedrooms, a private gym, a grand piano, a karaoke room, and a spa.
You can book The Presidential Suite online which costs SGD$35,000, around $26,101, a night. It comes in various configurations, and can include a state-of-the-art golf simulator or karaoke room.
I was promoted to a senior butler in September 2023. I plan to stay on the frontline meeting guests and making their stays memorable. I'm uniquely trained to manage celebrities and I'd like to mentor our junior butlers.
We offer a 24-hour butler service, so we are split into three shifts. If I'm working the morning shift, I will start at 7:35 a.m. We will serve the guests breakfast if they've requested it in their suite, collect the laundry, and make sure their mini-bar is replenished.
We create a preference sheet for all our guests, which we leave in our pantry so that all butlers are aware of the guests' likes and dislikes. We will ask the guests if they enjoy nature, adventure, or food and create an itinerary for them.
During the afternoon, the butlers are sometimes invited to the restaurants and the Marina Bay Sands Mall to find out what the latest menus or events are so we can share this with our guests.
If I'm working in the evening, I'll do the turndown service. We will prepare a tea and draw the guest a bath. There are times when our guests want to hold a party so we help them organize drinks, food and decor.
My favorite part of my job is when the guest compliments my work. I had the privilege of taking care of the two Ferrari Formula 1 drivers. They were staying at the hotel during the Singapore Grand Prix in 2023 and 2024. We are usually assigned the same guests when they stay with us again as rapport has already been built.
They were following European time, so they'd wake up late. I'd try to make everything seamless for them, such as keeping the buffet open. During an interview, the drivers said they enjoyed their stay in Singapore because of me. I was really pleased to hear that.
I get a lot of last-minute requests. I've had a guest text me to say they're in the adjacent mall and have shopping they'd like us to collect. I've also had a guest say they've got lost in the mall and ask me to come and find them.
One of my most challenging moments as a butler was when a guest messaged me at 9 p.m. to say their family wanted to go for a bike ride that night. The rental shops had closed, so I managed to find a sports store that was still open where I could buy five bikes. We now have them in storage if another family wants to use them.
We try not to say no to any of our guests' requests. If we can't fulfil a particular request, we always offer alternatives. There are requests that are easy to manage and others that are more challenging, but at the end of the day the butler's role is to ensure our guests have the best experience possible.
The only time I have to say no is when someone wants to purchase medication. That's for safety reasons, but I will arrange for a car to take them to the pharmacy.
I work five days a week. During my downtime I like to just chill out. I may also enjoy a meal with friends, watch Korean dramas or play with my nephews.
I feel really privileged to be working at Marina Bay Sands. Watching the fireworks on New Year's Eve is still one of my favorite times of the year. As the butlers have access to all the floors, we can watch the fireworks from floor 54, the highest floor in the hotel. It's a big perk.
