BBC - Inside Claridge's (2012) Part 1
Inside Claridge’s
Claridge's, in the heart of London's Mayfair, is a five star luxury hotel favoured by royalty and celebrities. For the first time in its long history, this famously discreet institution has opened its doors to documentary cameras. Director Jane Treays has spent a year behind the scenes, upstairs and downstairs, following staff and their guests, some of whom are prepared to pay the price of a small family car for one night's stay. Opened in 1854, Claridge's is famed for its Art Deco interiors and traditional service. Many staff, such as Roman the doorman, have worked there for over 30 years, giving guests continuity and the sense they might be living in different century.
Part 1:
In the first part of the series, we’re with the chambermaids and housekeepers as they spend days transforming the entire third floor into a palace for foreign royalty who could cancel at a moment's notice. We observe the annual two week stay of the Melchors from California who have been coming for over 40 years, re-kindling their relationship with personal butler Michael Lynch; and we follow the energetic general manager Thomas Kochs as he travels to New York to drum up new business from the top US travel agents.