Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby
Stream six seasons of Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby with BBC Select and go behind the scenes of the world’s most impressive hotels. With access to every inch of these stunning locales, our hosts work alongside hotel staff and rub shoulders with guests to see what it takes to run such unique places and offer unforgettable experiences and unfathomable luxury. There are sumptuous suites, exquisite cuisine and scenery that money can’t buy.
Watch Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby and more acclaimed documentaries on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*.
Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby on BBC Select
In Season 5 of the luxury travel documentary, Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder check-in and experience these opulent resorts as guests, before working alongside the dedicated staff at every level. Discover what it takes to make some of the most incredible hotels on the planet run and the hidden ‘everyday miracles’ that makes them a unique and memorable home for their demanding guests.
Ep 1: Kasbah Tamadot, Morocco
Monica and Rob become staff for Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson at his Moroccan hotel.
Genuine Berber hospitality and spectacular views of the breathtaking landscape make to Kasbah Tamadot in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco unique. And as Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder discover in this opulent travel documentary, they also have Sir Richard Branson as their boss! Monica helps the chef source local produce while Rob mucks out the hotel stables and guides guests on a mountain trek.
Ep 2: Joali, Maldives
Monica and Rob learn the secrets of running a hotel on a remote island in the Maldives.
Joali offers guests a luxury experience despite its remote location, but how does the Maldivian resort manage it? Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder travel by seaplane to find out in this fascinating travel documentary. Rob discovers hidden workers in the island’s center, while Monica uncovers how food is supplied to the chefs. They realize that delivering paradise is like a giant theatre production.
Ep 3: Nusfjord Arctic Resort, Norway
Monica and Rob experience luxury Arctic life in a 200-year-old preserved fishing village.
Nusfjord Arctic Resort is a 200-year-old cod fishing village in the Lofoten Islands of Norway. Working alongside the dedicated team, Monica and Rob learn to appreciate the difficulties of running a high-end resort in such an extreme environment in this revealing travel documentary. Battling snowy paths, facing huge waves on fishing boats and chasing the Northern Lights is all in a day’s work.
Ep 4: Ceylon Tea Trails, Sri Lanka
Monica and Rob travel to the highlands of Sri Lanka and discover Ceylon Tea Trails.
The highlands of central Sri Lanka are a forbidding landscape, but guests can still get a luxury experience. In this charming travel documentary, Monica and Rob learn about the Ceylon Tea Trails; a series of bungalows that have been renovated by a local family. Monica works with the tea pickers and learns the importance of the industry, while Rob tracks leopards in the surrounding plantations.
Ep 5: Phinda Game Reserve, South Africa
Monica and Rob work behind the scenes of a wildlife reserve hotel in the African bush.
At Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa, the hotel is open to wild animals while delivering high luxury, so both wonder and danger are around every corner. Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder join forces with the hotel staff to learn how to deliver a memorable safari experience. Rob is put to work tracking cheetahs while Monica wields a machete and takes some excited guests on a game drive.
Ep 6: Borgo Egnazia, Italy
Monica and Rob work behind the scenes of a luxury hotel that resembles an Italian village.
How you deliver a genuine version of Italy in a carefully designed replica? Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder go behind the scenes of Borgo Egnazia, a hotel modelled on Puglia’s historical local villages in this travel documentary. Monica makes focaccia for the cherry festival with chef Rocco, while Rob meets the decoration team who work hard to deliver an experience that blends reality with theatre.
Ep 7: Glenapp Castle, Scotland
Monica and Rob are in Scotland at Glenapp Castle, where guests enjoy wilderness in luxury.
At Glenapp Castle, guests are treated to a magical stay that is rugged, luxurious and thoroughly Scottish. In this glorious travel documentary, Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder are put to work collecting home- grown veg for the kitchens and giving eagle demonstrations in the castle grounds, before joining forces to deliver an intrepid sea safari and a glamping trip to the Hebridean Isle of Jura.
Ep 8: Hotel Hubertus, Italy
Rob and Monica are on a high as they visit the extraordinary, mountainous Hotel Hubertus.
In the Alpine Tyrol region of Northern Italy lies Hotel Hubertus, a family run resort which offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains thanks to its extraordinary architecture. In this festive travel documentary, Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti discover the unique Heaven and Hell spa, enjoy local ski experiences and are welcomed into the family that runs the resort.
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