JOHN LOBB | Experience Butler Service at The Connaught, London
JOHN LOBB
First-Class Service at a Premier Hotel
Experiencing the Shoeshine Service at The Connaught, London
For JapaneseJohn LobbFans will be familiar with the shoeshine (shoe polishing) service at hotels like The Peninsula Tokyo and Mandarin Oriental Tokyo. The first hotel in the world to introduce this service by John Lobb was The Connaught in London. This time, we experienced the shoeshine service firsthand from Martin Binks, a butler specially trained at the John Lobb factory in Northampton.
Text by KAJII Makoto (OPENERS)Photographs by ARAKI Ryuji
An Interview with John Lobb's Dedicated Butler, Martin Binks
The Connaught opened in 1897 and was initially named the "Coburg Hotel" after Prince Albert Coburg, husband of Queen Victoria. It was later renamed "The Connaught" in 1917, after Prince Arthur of Connaught, the third son of Queen Victoria. As a side note, Ralph Lauren is said to be a regular guest whenever he visits London.
The Connaught is also famous for the fountain sculpture "Silence" created by Tadao Ando, the master architect of Japan, in the plaza in front of the hotel, and it attracts many Japanese guests during London Fashion Week.
Martin Binks, the butler (senior servant) in charge of John Lobb's shoeshine service, reportedly still visits the John Lobb factory in Northampton regularly to undergo training in the John Lobb method.
"We were approached by John Lobb about a shoeshine service in 2007. We then began the service in guest rooms in 2008, and introduced this shoeshine chair in 2010," says Martin.
Complimentary John Lobb Home Slippers for Guests in Top Suites
The John Lobb shoeshine chair, exclusively made for polishing shoes, was designed by RDAI (Rena Dumas Architecture Intérieure), founded by interior designer Rena Dumas. It is a luxurious piece with a wooden base, buffalo leather used also by Hermès, and a copper footrest. This shoeshine chair, of which only four exist worldwide, has been introduced at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong in Asia.
"The shoeshine service is £30 for approximately 30 minutes per session. Guests staying in top suites receive it complimentary and are gifted a pair of Connaught's original John Lobb home slippers. Of course, guests not staying at the hotel can also use the service," says Martin. Gift cards for six sessions at £150 are also reportedly popular.
Home slippers bearing the "JOHN LOBB for CONNAUGHT" logo
When asked for tips on shoe polishing, he replied, "Polishing shoes is a luxurious way for a man to spend his time. For example, you can enjoy it while watching TV or listening to music."
Martin notes that when shining John Lobb shoes, "the color of the John Lobb-exclusive cream is wonderful." He also mentions that he can sometimes identify John Lobb shoes by the texture of the leather he is polishing.
John Lobb's butler service is offered not only in London, Paris, and Tokyo, but also at The Mark, a luxury residential hotel in New York (http://www.themarkhotel.com/). It's worth utilizing when visiting New York.
The Connaught
Carlos Place, Mayfair, London W1K 2AL
Tel. 44-(0)20-7499-7070
http://www.the-connaught.co.uk
John Lobb Japan
Tel. 03-6267-6010
http://www.johnlobb.com/jp
