Bellhop
A bellhop (North America), or hotel porter (international), is a hotel porter who helps patrons with their luggage while checking in or out. Bellhops often wear a uniform (see bell-boy hat), like certain other page boys or doormen. This occupation is also called bellman and bellboy (pronunciation ) in North America.
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Duties
The name bellhop is derived from a hotel's front-desk clerk ringing a bell to summon a porter, who would hop (jump) to attention at the desk to receive instructions.
The bellhop traditionally is a boy or adolescent male, hence the term bellboy. Today's bellhops need to be quick-witted, good with people, and outgoing. Bellhops meet a variety of people each day and need to have the social skills to deal with them. Duties often include opening the front door, moving luggage, valeting cars, calling cabs, transporting guests, advising directions, performing basic concierge work, and responding to guests' needs. While carrying luggage, they escort guests to their rooms.[1]
In most countries, it is customary to tip a bellhop for his service.
Bellhops in popular culture
- The Belgian comic strip character Spirou was originally a bellboy. For all his albums he wore a red bellhop suit. In later stories this was reduced to him just wearing his bellhop cap.
- In the 1918 comedy short The Bell Boy Roscoe Arbuckle and Buster Keaton play bell boys.
- In the 1955 I Love Lucy episode "Hollywood at Last", Bobby the Bellboy, portrayed by Bob Jellison, makes his first appearance.
- The Bellboy is a 1960 comedy film starring Jerry Lewis, in which he plays the titular character.
- The 1962 film The Bellboy and the Playgirls also features a bellboy.
- The 1973 song Bell Boy by The Who has the character Jimmy discover that someone he looked up to is now a bell boy.
- The 1992 film Blame It on the Bellboy features a hapless bellboy.
- In the 1995 film Four Rooms Tim Roth plays a bellhop who goes through some rough times.
- The 1997 film Tower of Terror. The ghost bellhop "Dewey Todd Jr." is portrayed by John Franklin.
- The 2008 film New York, I Love You The hotel porter Jacob portrayed by Shia LaBeouf
- The 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel The Lobby Boy Zero Moustafa is portrayed by Tony Revolori.
- The 2020 book The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune features a green slime-monster-child named Chauncey whose greatest ambition is to be a bellhop.
See also
References
- "#230 - Bellhop & Baggage Porter". Michigan Department of Career Development. Archived from the original on November 15, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
External links
Media related to Bellhops at Wikimedia Commons