This week, our Uniform Project photographer Sarah Blais had doors opened for her across the city as she visited bellhops (but we’ll call them “bell men”) to find out about their lives inside and outside the hotel.
Have you ever been asked to howl at the moon? Damon, the super-friendly, 46-year-old butler at the Windsor Arms has, and says it’s all in a night’s work. He’s got a full sleeve tattoo (sort of hidden) under his blue Hugo Boss shirt, and likes to wear Adidas hoodies when he’s off duty. But at the Windsor Arms, the uniform code is generally head-to-toe black with a personal choice of tie (encouraged to be of a solid-coloured nature). The bell man’s shoes must be black and polished at all times, because shoe polishing is one of the many services they offer. At the Windsor Arms, guys like Damon offer dog walking, tailoring, and ironing; plus, they recommend restaurants. They are men of many trades.
The Windsor Arms has had celebrities and royals stay with them, but they’re not uptight; they insist on having staff with personality. Damon says that without a pen and a sense of humour in this job, you’d go mad. He has worked with the hotel for five years, and looks forward to staying there longer.
Hotel Le Germain in Maple Leaf Square was started in Quebec City, and the uniforms of the bell men are just as Canadian:
Shawn Hewson of Bustle designed a uniform unique to each of the three Hotel Le Germain locations. In the summer, they wear short sleeve shirts with vests; in the spring and fall, they have brown leather jackets designed by Montreal-based M0581. The uniforms are functional with fabric that breathes, and the pants have a small detail pocket that fits a pen perfectly.
The bell men at Hotel Le Germain do valet parking, hold the doors, and assist with anything else their guests need. Ken, a 29-year-old conservative dresser who shops wherever he can find a good plaid button-up shirt, has worked at hotels in Banff and Australia. Hailing from the west coast, he has been working at Le Germain for a year now. Nick, 24, is a biology grad who’s held similar positions at hotels in Jasper and Australia. He doesn’t shop much for clothes.
Albert, the 25-year-old head bell man at the Thompson Hotel, has been there since they opened. He tells me that his job is very important, as bell men are the first “contact” guests have. Albert likes to look crisp and stylish for these first impressions. The uniforms at the Thompson are just that: a nice black trouser with a woven dress shirt, all designed by Bustle. Their heavy-duty winter coats are by Canada Goose. Each Thompson Hotel has a different personality, and a different uniform to match. At the Thompson in New York City, the bell men wear a white shirt with a skinny black tie, black jeans, and Chucks. At the Thompson in Toronto, the bell men are encouraged to stick with a black dress shoe.
Albert says bell men make sure a guest feels at home, even if that guest is award-winning tennis player Rafael Nadal. During his stay, Rafael gave Albert tickets to the semi-finals match for the Rogers Cup; Albert said it was one of the best tips he’s ever received as a bell man. Yet his most memorable celebrity encounter was with George Clooney, who came up to him on his way into a TIFF party, shook his hand and said, “How you doing, son?”
Previously in the Uniform Project: art gallery assistants.
