Crown Towers hotel butler reveals extravagant requests from guests

CONFIDENTIALITY is key when you’re a butler to presidents and celebrities - but some tales are so gobsmacking they demand to be told.

Crown Towers Villas — where the rich and famous stay in Melbourne.

KEEPING a wombat from eating a $10,000 couch?

Sourcing medieval thrones for a celebrity’s party?

Organising a serve of abalone to be flown across the country by private plane?

Check, check and check.

It’s all in a day’s work for Crispin Hannibelsz, who works as a butler at Crown Towers’ exclusive Villas, looking after some of the most powerful people in the world.

Celebrities are regular visitors at the Melbourne five-star hotel, where a night at the Chairman’s Villa is priced at $25,000.

AUSTRALIA’S MOST EXPENSIVE HOTEL SUITES

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INSIDE THE HOLIDAYS OF THE FILTHY RICH

STRANGE REQUESTS FROM LUXURY HOTEL GUESTS

Bill Gates, Beyonce and Jay Z, George Clooney and Elton John have been among guests Hannibelsz has served.

But former President Bill Clinton tops the list as his favourite — he even received a personalised letter from President Clinton thanking him for his service.

“He was a lovely, down to earth man,” recalls the butler, who’s been with Crown Towers since it opened 20 years ago.

But not all the guests he’s worked with have been quite so relaxed - dealing with diva demands and rock star requests is Hannibelsz’s specialty.

Crown Towers Chairman's Villa butler Crispin Hannibelsz.

And while confidentiality tops the list when it comes to a butler’s skill-set, Hannibelsz agreed to let us in on a few of his stories ...

1. The one with the abalone

“Once I had a guest that required a specific abalone from Perth. So we had to get a private plane to go and pick it up to be delivered ASAP.”

The one with the rogue wombat

“A family requested to see Australian wildlife during their stay but wouldn’t leave their room.

We contacted a registered wildlife handler and arranged to have a wombat and koala

brought into the hotel. Trying to keep the wombat from eating the $10,000 couch was an interesting task.”

3. The one with the in-room shopping mall

“A celebrity band requested we arrange an in-room shopping experience from a wide selection of luxury retailers. We had to contact each retailer separately and convince them to bring a rack of their latest lines into Crown and be shown in a room full of their competitors. This wasn’t easy however managed to get over 15 retailers into a Crown Villa together and the guests completed their shopping without having to leave their hotel floor.”

Crown Towers Chairman's Villa dining room.

4. The one with the medieval thrones

“During the stay of a well-known celebrity couple we were requested to arrange a surprise medieval-themed birthday party. We had to go with them to costume shops, try on costumes for the guests and staff, sourced thrones for guests to sit at, medieval themed cutlery and goblets ... the whole lot.”

5. The one with the surprise over-size private jet

“A guest requested to land his private jet — an Airbus A380 — at Essendon Airport. Due to the

size of the aircraft, the runway at Essendon was too small. With little notice to arrange an alternative, we contacted Melbourne Airport and negotiated to rent a private hangar for the landing and sought special permission from airport security to allow his driver to meet the plane.”

6. The one with the outsourced marriage proposal

“A guest requested an Amazing Race style proposal all around Melbourne, finishing in a

hotel room with a diamond ring on the bed. The guest gave us some places that were special to them as a couple and why, then we had to think up some clues and contact each venue to place envelopes in appropriate locations; the guest delivered the ring to our team and we placed it on the bed and kept the last clue with us. When the woman made it to us we escorted her up to find the ring before her partner came in to surprise her.”

At $25,000 a night, Crown Towers Chairman’s Villa is one of Australia’s most expensive suites.

What does a day in the life of a butler involve?

• Briefing on the guest — who they are, what they require (eg gluten free, specific wines etc)

• Source any products that are required

• Final check of villa for any last minute things (eg all amenities are there, fruit is fresh)

• Upon arrival we meet the guest, some of them travel under an alias so I don’t know who they are until I open the door for them

• Generally chat with the guest

• Go through any security procedures required and show them around the villa (eg the safe and how to use, best entry/exit for the hotel)

• Offer to unpack if they require

• If they are a business guest, we immediately get their shoes polished and suits pressed for their first meeting

• Show the guest the butler button and assure them we are available 24/7

What types of guests stay at the Villas?

“The most important and influential people in the world. Celebrities, presidents, sheikhs, business owners ... all sorts of people!”

What’s the secret of a good butler?

“You have to have a lot of patience and it’s also very important to have a good knowledge of Melbourne and Australia. Confidentiality is also very very important.”

What’s the best part of your job?

“Every day I come to work it is different. I don’t know what to expect and everyone has different requests. I also love when the guests invite me to sit and eat with them. When people stay for a longer amount of time, we end up spending a lot of time together. It’s nice to sit and have a meal at the end of their stay.”

And the worst?

“Sometimes it is hard being on call 24/7, but I love a challenge. That’s why I have been here for 20 years!”

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