Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby – Series 1
Like a serene swan paddling madly under the surface, it takes a lot of hidden choreography to keep a luxury hotel afloat. Food critic Giles Coren and chef Monica Galetti go behind the scenes of the world’s most impressive hotels - from Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, with rooftop gardens longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall, and Nairobi’s Giraffe Manor, where standards are as high as necks are long.
Episodes
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Giles and Monica join the 9,500 staff working at one of the world's largest hotels. As well as viewing some of the facilities on offer they go behind the scenes to see the parts of the hotel guests never see.
Mashpi Lodge, Ecuador
Giles and Monica visit Mashpi Lodge in the Ecuadorian rainforest which features a gondola cable car to transport guests through the forest canopy. The pair learn how eco-tourism is saving endangered species.
Giraffe Manor, Kenya
Giles and Monica discover a unique hotel in Kenya where giraffe, guests and staff all co-exist. They then visit the Sasaab Lodge a 6-acre plot set within 82,000 acres of land owned by the Samburu tribe who receive a fee for each guest.
Royal Mansour, Morocco
Giles and Monica visit and go to work in the luxury hotel in Marrakesh, which was built by royal decree to showcase the region. Monica learns how to pleat the curtains while Giles dons the uniform of a butler.
Fogo Island Inn, Canada
Giles and Monica visit the hotel sited off the northeast coast of Newfoundland. Housekeepers Cynthia and Lori rope Giles into a boat race while Monica learns the secret of growing the perfect potato.
Icehotel, Sweden
Giles and Monica's final stop-off takes them 120 miles north of the Arctic Circle into Swedish Lapland. Giles joins the artists who craft the rooms from huge blocks of ice while Monica meets the hotel's 82-year-old reindeer-meat supplier.