I've been at the hotel for about a year, which is roughly the time it's taken us to install the new system throughout. I'm finishing a four-year course in hotel management at Shannon College in Limerick, and this has been my rather exciting placement. I plan to graduate in November and take up a permanent position at the hotel.
What we had before was 12 or so years old, so rather than update to current technology we have leapfrogged forward, and now have one of the most advanced systems in the UK.
Neosinteractive built us a custom-designed product that contains an entertainment and business device in one. The result is that when you walk into the room it's not the first thing that strikes you, which is in keeping with the hotel's character.
Hidden away
More than a third of our rooms now have 42in plasma screens (the remainder have high-definition TVs), which are hidden away in cabinets but, via a wireless keyboard, allow guests to play music, watch movies or make use of Microsoft Office.
The Dorchester may now be cutting-edge with high-speed internet access in every room, but the management are aware that it's pointless if guests can't connect. We've provided the technology but also the service, which is very much where I come in.
Although it was mad when I started, we now have two other e-butlers on site, which means I get to avoid working too many evenings or weekends. Actually, we're Peter, Paul and John, so I guess that makes us saints.
I share a house in Osterley, Heathrow, so it's about a 40-minute ride into central London on the Underground. I'm used to the passing planes now (you can see them circling above), but Concorde is a different matter. It arrives every day between 5.30pm and 6pm, sounding like thunder.
I'll leave the house at 7am, and once I get up I'm energetic in the morning. First order of the day at work is to check my e-mails and make sure there haven't been any problems reported the night before.
Before 9am we'll have a front office meeting so we're aware of guest arrivals for the day. It's a chance for me to check the profiles and have the in-room system set up as the guest prefers, which might be as small a detail as the side of the desk they like the printer on.
Sometimes I get calls from new arrivals simply to say "hi", and let me know they're back.
We get people with all levels of technology knowledge here, so I strip out the jargon when chatting to them. I might be on call to demonstrate the TV remote, or give an hour-long explanation of what the system can do.
The second e-butler gets in by 9am, so we have a meeting and plan our actions for the day.
We really are asked to do almost anything by the guests. An example was when Howard Shores, composer on Lord of the Rings, and Peter Jackson, the director, stayed. They wanted to review the music for the film's soundtrack in their rooms, so we had to set up a wireless network between them to send music files back and forth.
I'll take lunch in the canteen about 2pm, as this is when the third e-butler comes in, ready to cover the evening shift. The food is free, which is great, and I normally take 30 minutes or so.
In the afternoon I'll go into administration mode and catch up with paperwork. If we have any late arrivals scheduled we'll adjust the roster accordingly, as company CEOs want things done straightaway, not tomorrow.
I usually leave by 4.30pm and head back home, often for some fun on my computer or to watch a DVD.
I like to work hard and play hard, so at the weekend I'm often found out in the West End with friends. The Porterhouse pub in Covent Garden is a favourite because it has 150 types of beer in all, some from a Dublin microbrewery. n
Interview by Chris Druce
JUST A MINUTE...
WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT HOME?
I only really miss my family, and maybe the Guinness. Anyway, I get back every few months.
WHAT CAN'T YOU MISS?
The rugby. Ireland are looking in good form at the moment, so I'm looking forward to the World Cup in October.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND?
I make use of a nearby park and go cycling or running.
FACTFILE
The Dorchester hotel
Park Lane, London, W1A 2HJ
Tel: 020 7629 8888
www.dorchesterhotel.com