From Butler Service To Family Rituals: The Magic and Rich History Of The St. Regis Experience

Harpers Bazaar Arabia

30-07-2025

Inspired by the rich hospitality of its Gilded Age founders, St. Regis resorts are the ultimate luxury escape…
I'm sitting in a corner of a terrace on my last night at The St. Regis Mardavall Resort, Mallorca, taking in the twilight and the expanse of darkening Balearic Sea. There's a calm din of conversation around me, as fellow diners at the critically acclaimed Es Fum enjoy their midsummer supper. I've been served a multi-course menu including morsels of Kaluga caviar and beautiful just-pink lamb with a crisp crumb and Japanese potato flour Katakuriko gnocchi, arranged as precisely and artfully as the dots on a Bridget Riley painting.
The executive chef de cuisine Miguel Navarro has brought his experience from around the globe to Mallorca, the homeland of his grandmother; there are flashes of East and South Asian, and South American ingredients cleverly woven through, complementing each other. 'I want to take you on a journey,' Navarro tells me as I navigate the exquisite meal, course by course.
Indeed, my three-day stay at this St. Regis resort has itself been a journey of discovery and delight, qualities that the brand is famous for. As soon as I had arrived, laden with luggage and weary from an early flight, I was greeted with refreshments and a hearty welcome, while my suitcase was whisked away to be unpacked by a dedicated butler. Immediately I felt my shoulders drop, and I began to relax into the holiday. My butler would become a constant companion during my stay. The service is a mainstay of every St. Regis, whether in Abu Dhabi, Mauritius or New York (the original opened in 1904 and became a centre for high society). Anticipation was the name of the game. If I forgot my book by the time I got to the pool, my butler would bring it to me, while also delivering a refreshing iced tea.
My home for the duration was the Astor suite, named after the St. Regis founder, John Jacob Astor. The space was an impressive series of interconnected rooms, its focal point the wraparound private terrace. From here I had panoramic views over the sun-drenched hotel grounds – its many pools, the coiffed lawns, the Mar Sea Club restaurant, the horizon between the sea and sky beyond.
Coming off the main suite were two more rooms which could easily accommodate four to six – ideal for families holidaying with grandparents or cousins. Throughout the suite there were beautiful design touches that nodded to the Mediterranean setting, such as the locally-sourced artworks. I particularly enjoyed the freestanding bath, and the suite's private bar, a wonderful place to perch and chat while nursing a Bloody Mary. (I was delighted to learn that one of my favourite cocktails was perfected at The St. Regis New York's Old King Cole Bar 91 years ago by the barman Fernand Petiot).
Once my butler had unpacked my cases in the walk-in wardrobe, I was ready to see more of the island, and so was thrilled to be invited to a private boat ride on one of the newest additions to the hotel – the sleek Tesoro T50 Speciale.
Jumping aboard from a private jetty, we sped along the coast taking in the Unesco heritage site of the Tramuntana mountains, and then moored and dived off the boat into the crystalline turquoise sea. It was a thrilling way to start the day, and a customary activity for guests – especially with families – who are after a different perspective of their location.
Ravenous post-ride, I returned to shore, ready for lunch at the Mar Sea Club where a feast that included a plump oyster served with a shot of the hotel's signature cocktail, The Mardavall Pepper Snapper (a take on the classic Bloody Mary – every St. Regis has its own twist).
St. Regis is also famous for its 'rituals', which are celebrated daily in each of its resorts. Perhaps my favourite was afternoon tea – beautifully arranged on the lawns, complete with plentiful towers of croquembouches and platters of seasonal fruit cascading with grapes. It was a bucolic scene, in which families gathered and made friends – the children were playing games and kite decorating – while the adults were able to meet and mingle. The occasion of the tea itself is a tribute to the founder's mother Caroline Astor – a formidable matriarch who defined the Gilded Age with her salons and cultural gatherings.
With time between plans, I had a wander around the grounds and decided to retreat to the bar, behind which sits a mural that was painted by the Mallorcan artist Ramon Enrich. The artwork is a nod to The St. Regis New York, whose Old King Cole bar is named after a mural of the same name, painted by the artist Maxfield Parrish in 1932.
Before dinner at Es Fum, I was treated to the hotel's final ritual. To signal the beginning of the evening to come, the ceremony of 'sabrage' – a dramatic opening of a bottle of champagne with a saber – is performed. The ritual takes its cue from Napoleon Bonaparte, who would open champagne thus whether in victory or defeat. While I was offered the opportunity to channel Napoleon too, I thought I would leave the swordplay to the experts, whose deft skills were incredibly impressive.
As I sipped my champagne, I knew it was these thoughtful touches that built up to the full experience of being at a St. Regis resort. The brand's legacy of warm hospitality shines through in every detail, from its beloved rituals to its friendly butler service, creating a feeling of playful, luxurious escapism. I already can't wait to visit another one of its resorts.