Nadia Azzouzi is the assistant manager of VIP services and a VIP butler for the seven Signature Penthouses at Atlantis The Royal, including the The Royal Mansion. Located on the 18th and 19th floors of the resort’s sky bridge, the penthouse is spread across 1,128-square-metres, with a private in-suite lift, and can accommodate up to nine adults and four children.
Previous guests include Beyonce – who performed at the resort’s opening party – and Jay Z, and here, Azzouzi tells TTG Luxury what she loves about her job and how she tailors stays to each guest.
Tell us more about your job
I oversee a team of 30 elite butlers, and as a butler for the Royal Mansion I stay in the resort along with the guest, usually in a room on the same floor, so I’m available 24 hours a day, as and when they need something. For a Royal Mansion guest, every request is a yes, which can make the job challenging, but also really enjoyable – I get to make guests’ dreams come true.
What do you like most about being a butler?
The best part about being a butler at Atlantis The Royal is the challenges that come with it. How do you run a 795-room resort with ultra-luxury service? This is a complex equation, but one we love to master. Who doesn’t like to make the impossible possible? Personally, I like to set a target every day, and that’s to achieve guest happiness. They have an expectation, and I want to fulfil it. I take my joy from making others happy.
Do you research a guest before they arrive so you know their preferences?
Every stay in the Royal Mansion is completely personalised and bespoke, and this usually begins with me touching base with the guests’ team or assistant prior to arrival to understand their likes and dislikes. For example, what is their favourite smell, what do they like to snack on or drink before bed? We are then provided with a budget, so we can create that personalised experience for the guest. This can look like a range of things, from placing Diptyque candles throughout the suite in their favourite scent, to ensuring a Moroccan tea set is prepared for the guests’ arrival.
Tell us about the welcome amenities
As well as the vast array of experiences and amenities that are included with a stay in the Royal Mansion, we also prepare a very special and bespoke amenity programme for our guests. This essentially involves our chefs and butler team personally preparing a bespoke array of amenities to be delivered to the suite each day based on the guests’ preferences.
For example, if the guest is a tennis fan, we have our pastry team handcraft a tennis-themed welcome cake, or if they like to take a bath before bed, we will ensure one is drawn featuring their favourite scents. A stay in the Royal Mansion is all about us providing exactly what the guest wants, before they even knew that they wanted it.
Have you received any extraordinary requests from guests staying in the Royal Mansion?
Nothing that cannot be done. I recently worked with Technogym, to set up a state-of-the-art gym in one of the bedrooms, and I recently had a guest from Russia who really loved a particular beverage from Spain. I managed to find a colleague coming over from Spain to bring it over to us especially.
Who is the typical guest in the Royal Mansion?
It really can be anyone from couples to the entire family, but most guests stay for at least four nights. As the suite is perfect for those seeking a very private stay and experience, most guests do not really leave the confines of the suite and like to stay and enjoy their exclusive and unique experience of staying in one of the world’s most luxurious hotel suites.
How long does it take to clean the Royal Mansion?
As one of the largest hotel suites in the world, it’s no small task to ensure perfection. Our housekeeping team actually have a special team of colleagues who only look after and clean the Signature Penthouses, including the Royal Mansion. This takes each colleague two weeks of intensive training and onboarding before they are permitted to work on the suites. It takes a team of about six highly skilled housekeeping staff one hour to turn the suite.
