The Pierre Previews Attaché Service to Protravel International

New York City’s iconic The Pierre hotel is receiving an additional dose of luxury this Friday, June 15, when it debuts its signature “Taj Royal Attaché” service in North America.

Luxury Travel Advisor was on hand at Protravel International’s New York offices last Thursday, June 7, where a full team from The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, New York, including members from the Taj U.S. corporate office, previewed the new program to Protravel’s advisors and Priscilla Alexander, president of Protravel. The ceremony included a display of the many services that the Taj Royal Attaché will provide, from packing services to indulging guests in the luxurious Royal Bath menu. Advisors and executives from The Pierre toasted the preview with a signature welcome cocktail and were able to mingle with one another to learn more about the program.

 

The Pierre Team and Kathleen Shea, Vice President of Sales and Marketing - The Americas for Taj welcome Protravel.


 
“Taj has created a butler service that is a rarity in New York. When you have the elegance of a place like The Pierre hotel, it fits very nicely. Taj really thought a lot about the program, instead of just buying a pair of white gloves,” said Alexander when addressing her team about the Taj Royal Attaché program.
 

The Pierre’s General Manager showcases elements of the program to Protravel’s President Priscilla Alexander.


 
“Protravel is one of the top producing agencies for the Taj brand, and they have one of the largest luxury networks of agents in the United States,” says Kathleen Shea, Vice President of Sales and Marketing - the Americas for Taj. “Priscilla Alexander was one of the industry leaders who was very hand selected from top agencies to attend the Travel Agency Owners Roundtable hosted at The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, New York. We sought feedback on how to best introduce the [Taj Royal Attaché] concept. We wanted the agencies to experience the fruits of our efforts and the impact of their input.”
 
Taj has also previewed the program for Fischer Travel and will meet with other agency owners that participated in the roundtable, as well. “We gained a great deal of learning from the roundtable. I can’t say enough about the agency community’s impact,” Shea says.

 

The Pierre’s General Manager Heiko Kuenstle and Taj’s Kathleen Shea celebrate with Protravel’s President Priscilla Alexander and Chief Financial Officer Tova Fink.


 
The concept of Taj’s high-end butler service in North America was born out of senior executive strategic meetings in Mumbai, at Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces headquarters. “We were talking about how we could leverage the brand pillars and capitalize on the heritage of the Taj brand in the United States,” recalls Shea. “Our brand is young in the United States, but in India Taj Hotel Resorts and Palaces has a long 110 year history, introducing palace inspired butler services to our American hotels allows us to showcase Taj’s celebrated Indian hospitality in a very tangible way.”

 

The Pierre’s Taj Royal Attaché Anupam Guha delights Protravel guests with a signature welcome.

Bringing this level of luxury to the United States comes from creating authentic and long-lasting experiences that guests can take away with them, which is how it started for Shea. “I had my own memorable experience with the butler concept at the Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai,” she says. “I was also wowed by the exotic bath menu which offered a Cleopatra Bath prepared with fresh milk, lavender, honey and oatmeal.”
 
It was Shea’s time spent at the Taj palaces in India, coupled with strategic vision that has served as the inspiration and blueprint for creating a unique and luxurious experience for Taj guests in North America. From thousands of highly skilled Taj Royal Attaches, The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, New York carefully selected and invited three Taj Royal Attaches from India to Manhattan. With extensive butler training in the Taj palaces and experience serving royalty and heads of state, the Taj Royal Attaches are ready to begin fulfilling the needs of Taj’s North American guests with a thoughtful blend of intuition and charm. For the time being, this Taj Royal Attaché service will be available only for guests staying in one of The Pierre’s 11 distinct Grand Suites.
 

Guests staying in The Pierre’s Tata Grand Suite will enjoy the services of a dedicated Taj Royal Attaché.


 
The Taj Royal Attaché service in North America will begin at The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, New York, with roll out plans in Taj Boston and Taj Campton Place in San Francisco by the end of the year. “The execution of this brand pillar in the United States is really going to elevate and distinguish our guest experience. One stay and it’ll be Taj Forever,” Shea concluded.