0:00:02 > 0:00:08'Claridge's, in the heart of London's Mayfair, is a five-star luxury hotel,
0:00:08 > 0:00:11'favoured by royalty and celebrities.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15'Known by some as the annexe to Buckingham Palace,
0:00:15 > 0:00:21'it opened its doors in 1854 under the watchful eye of Mrs Claridge.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25'Since then, there's always been a Claridge's way of doing things.'
0:00:25 > 0:00:31Certain things are just done in a certain way. Like when you serve a table.
0:00:31 > 0:00:36When you greet a lady, it has to be done in a certain way. When you receive royalty.
0:00:36 > 0:00:42You'd have someone who was employed just to clean the silver, someone employed to wind up the clock.
0:00:42 > 0:00:48'For the first time in its long history, the hotel has allowed cameras inside,
0:00:48 > 0:00:53'and we've spent a year filming upstairs and downstairs with guests and staff,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56'many of whom have been here for decades.'
0:00:56 > 0:01:01I was shoved in very early. Like Moses being left in a basket on the step.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04And I've been out here ever since!
0:01:04 > 0:01:08'All institutions have to adapt to changing times
0:01:08 > 0:01:13'and the hotel is undergoing its biggest facelift in 40 years.'
0:01:13 > 0:01:18A guest was arriving at 3 and they'd just cut a hole in the ceiling at 2.
0:01:18 > 0:01:24'The hotel has to balance an attachment to its past with the demands of the modern traveller.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27'The staff race against the clock in their quest for perfection
0:01:27 > 0:01:31'for which guests shell out between £300 and £7,000 a night.'
0:01:31 > 0:01:36Sitting on the toilet, you see the ends of those valves.
0:01:46 > 0:01:51The group arriving today. Who wants to talk us through this?
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Yeah? Very good.
0:01:53 > 0:01:59We have the Emperor and Empress of Japan arriving at approximately four o'clock today.
0:01:59 > 0:02:05We have 38 rooms in total checking in and we're only waiting for eight of them to check out,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08so we have access to the majority of them.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Now tell us who we've got coming to stay today.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Today is the Emperor from Japan.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21He arrives here between 3.30 to 4 o'clock.
0:02:21 > 0:02:27We have their Imperial Majesties, the Emperor and Empress of Japan, who will be arriving today.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31They stayed with us back in 2007 as well.
0:02:33 > 0:02:40'Preparations for the arrival of the imperial party involve 60 staff across three days.'
0:02:41 > 0:02:46I'm thinking of the edges, the corners. The corners do not look good.
0:02:46 > 0:02:53Just a few bits of etiquette and protocol for anyone who is in the arrival.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57You bow from the waist once they enter your presence.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04We need to do the cards.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07The Emperor...
0:03:08 > 0:03:12- comma. The Emperor... - And Empress of Japan.- OK.
0:03:12 > 0:03:19They are one of only two people who were actually present at the original coronation,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23so it's actually quite significant, the visit.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26No.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Stop, stop.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Western food. Martyn's written a specific menu for them.
0:03:56 > 0:04:03So the idea was that we obviously meet him outside of the main door. Them. It's obviously both of them.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05And then I walk them in.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Right now, the plan is to use the lift. OK?
0:04:09 > 0:04:14If they come out of the lift, I would suggest that we stand on top of the staircase,
0:04:14 > 0:04:19but if they don't use the lift, we maybe line up here on the stairs.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23How many people do we have?
0:04:23 > 0:04:28One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen.
0:04:28 > 0:04:35So if they take the lift, we are too many people. Can we do one per step or is it too close?
0:04:36 > 0:04:38But then you can't bow.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Then we need to halve the group.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45- Do we want to do it boy, girl, boy, girl or...?- Height.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48It should be height? OK.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52So if Oliver, then a little gap, Martin, Sally, Carl...
0:04:52 > 0:04:57The plan has to be very straightforward. Let's hope he uses the staircase.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00If he doesn't, the first eight people...
0:05:00 > 0:05:03'I always wanted to be a general manager.'
0:05:03 > 0:05:10It was always my aim to head up a meaningful hotel in a great city.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14At that time I didn't know this would be Claridge's in London.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16OK.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22You know you need to bow out of the...here, no?
0:05:22 > 0:05:27Your hands are here and you keep a straight upper body and bow.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32- Do you quite like moments like this? - They're very special.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37Like everything in life, you have to appreciate the little moments.
0:05:37 > 0:05:43These are the exceptional situations and, ja, it will be the first time for me
0:05:43 > 0:05:47to greet the Emperor and Empress of Japan.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Would you mind to hold it?
0:05:51 > 0:05:55'Everything has been prepared with military precision,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59'but with moments to go, there's an unexpected glitch.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04'A flag comes loose.'
0:06:06 > 0:06:08What time is he due?
0:06:08 > 0:06:13So we just had another change of time. It's 3.55.
0:06:13 > 0:06:18- And it was...?- 3.45. - And before that it was...?
0:06:18 > 0:06:224.10. We may get back to 4.10.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Sorry.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Is that them?
0:06:42 > 0:06:47'The Emperor and Empress finally step out of the car at 4.15pm.'
0:06:53 > 0:06:55APPLAUSE
0:07:01 > 0:07:03He's going inside.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14I hope you had a pleasant journey. It's wonderful to have you back.
0:07:14 > 0:07:20'The imperial entourage has booked 48 rooms across three days for their accompanying staff.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27'The Emperor and Empress decided to take the lift.'
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- Would you like to live here? - I could live here, yes. Easily.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37I could easily live here. Quite happily.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41I feel very good when I come through the revolving doors.
0:07:41 > 0:07:47Regular guests say, "You sit in the lobby of the grand hotel and people come and people go.
0:07:47 > 0:07:54"People come and people go, people come and people go, people come and people go..."
0:07:56 > 0:08:01If you think of the original grand hotels of London,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05the Connaught, the Berkeley, the Ritz, the Dorchester, the Savoy,
0:08:05 > 0:08:10Claridge's is the one that probably has the most royal connections.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15'Princess Elizabeth, radiant in pink satin, is with the Princess Royal.'
0:08:15 > 0:08:22On the Queen Mother's visits, the musicians would strike up The Teddy Bears' Picnic, every time.
0:08:22 > 0:08:28And nobody had to say anything. As she arrived, everybody just stood.
0:08:28 > 0:08:34And the hairs on my arm used to stand up every time. I'd always be hiding behind a pillar somewhere
0:08:34 > 0:08:39so I could see her coming in. But amazing, absolutely amazing.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44People would just watch her as she would walk through, then everybody would sit back down.
0:08:44 > 0:08:50People would call the telephone operators here and say, "Can I speak to the King?"
0:08:50 > 0:08:53The operator would say, "Which one?"
0:08:54 > 0:08:58- Good afternoon. This is Timothy. - Can I have the concierge, please?
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Yes, let me connect you. Thank you, sir.
0:09:01 > 0:09:08- What do you think of Claridge's now you know it well? - It's...a grand old lady.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12I don't know. Can I say that? Can I genderise Claridge's?
0:09:12 > 0:09:18Yeah, I think Claridge's is a grand old lady who has got a nice funky side to her.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Miss Collins, good to see you again.
0:09:29 > 0:09:35Joan Collins married her fifth husband, Percy, at the hotel ten years ago.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40- Nice to see you again. You haven't changed a bit.- Neither have you!
0:09:40 > 0:09:43'I look for total luxury.'
0:09:43 > 0:09:48If you're going to be in a place where you're waited on hand and foot
0:09:48 > 0:09:52and if you're paying a lot of money, which one does,
0:09:52 > 0:09:58'one should be catered to. I think one should have everything given to you
0:09:58 > 0:10:04'the way you would really like to have it in your home.' A little bit more?
0:10:04 > 0:10:08- That's fine, thank you. - Bon appetit. I'll see you later.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12It's very spoiling and a lot of people say, "How shocking!"
0:10:12 > 0:10:19but that's the way it should be with a hotel, unless you're staying in a motel where you just muck in.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24- To...good times and lots of work.- Hear, hear.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Goodness. I'll have a moustache.
0:10:26 > 0:10:33- How much should luxury cost? Is there a price where it becomes ludicrous?- It's already ludicrous.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38It's already totally ludicrous. I think everything is far too expensive, including luxury.
0:10:38 > 0:10:43'Joan is lunching with her long-standing agent, Peter Charlesworth,
0:10:43 > 0:10:49- 'who first came to the hotel when he was a teenager.' - How old were you?- Fourteen.- Wow.
0:10:50 > 0:10:55- And this is... You were working here?- Yes.- As a bell boy?- Yes.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- How long for?- 14 months.- Wow!
0:10:57 > 0:10:59- Cute.- 14 years old.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06No comments, please! Most of it was, "Would you post these letters?
0:11:06 > 0:11:12"Will you take this parcel and get it registered for me?" And so on.
0:11:12 > 0:11:18- Did you have to knock on the doors? - Yes.- Did you ever walk in on anyone in compromising situations?
0:11:18 > 0:11:24I think I caught Alfred Hitchcock in a compromising situation with a very large blonde!
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Yes, he liked blondes. I thought he liked them petite.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36TIMOTHY: Good afternoon. Claridge's. How may I help you?
0:11:36 > 0:11:40JOAN: There's a feeling of history here.
0:11:40 > 0:11:45I think there is a wonderful feeling of grandeur, which is very exciting.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49There's a feeling you're not quite in the 21st century.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52It's so pristine and wonderful
0:11:52 > 0:11:56that it's not as though it's today.
0:11:56 > 0:12:02- Do you think a hotel like this should change at all? - No! Definitely not.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Good afternoon. How are you?
0:12:11 > 0:12:14'It's a week of royal arrivals.'
0:12:14 > 0:12:18It's a great place. How are you? Good afternoon. Thank you so much.
0:12:18 > 0:12:24'His Royal Highness Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia, returns once or twice a year.'
0:12:24 > 0:12:29- So here we are. 212. - 212. Exactly.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31- After you, please.- Looks good.
0:12:31 > 0:12:36'The prince's connection to the hotel began at birth.'
0:12:40 > 0:12:47'A tragic dynasty meets a new disaster. King Peter of Yugoslavia, seen here at his wedding in 1944,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49'has been deprived of his throne...'
0:12:49 > 0:12:53My father was King Peter II of Yugoslavia.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56And my mother was Queen Alexandra,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58daughter of King Alexander of Greece.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02They actually met in London during the war
0:13:02 > 0:13:07and they got married in 1944 in a bit of a subdued royal wedding.
0:13:07 > 0:13:13- There was a reception here, I think, too.- At Claridge's? - At Claridge's, yes.
0:13:13 > 0:13:19'Another royal occasion, the christening in Westminster Abbey of the infant son of King Peter...'
0:13:19 > 0:13:22This is the bedroom where I was born.
0:13:24 > 0:13:30I'm not too sure which side of the bed, but it all happened in this very nice room.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34I don't think this room has changed too much, I'm certain.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37It looks really good. It's a nice room.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41Sir Winston Churchill, of course, was the Prime Minister
0:13:41 > 0:13:45and he very kindly allowed the Home Office then
0:13:45 > 0:13:51to cede this suite as Yugoslav territory for the time of my birth.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56And they brought some earth from Yugoslavia -
0:13:56 > 0:14:03I think it must have been a little bit - and put it under the bed. Very symbolic, which was very nice.
0:14:03 > 0:14:09'The royal family were exiled in the hotel for 18 months after Alexander's birth.'
0:14:11 > 0:14:17I have a picture in Belgrade of my parents in front of this fireplace
0:14:17 > 0:14:23and the fireplace hasn't changed. Same marble, very nice. It hasn't changed at all.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42My parents, sadly, never went back. My father was very homesick.
0:14:43 > 0:14:50He lived not only here in the United Kingdom, but he lived in France and Switzerland, Italy and America.
0:14:50 > 0:14:56But I think this is really what killed him - the sadness that you could not go home.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01Oh, thank you very much. Thank you.
0:15:01 > 0:15:08'Claridge's is a home away from home. When we come here, my wife and I and the boys,'
0:15:08 > 0:15:14they say, "Welcome home," which is really nice. It's a good feeling to come home.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26- Morning, John.- Morning, Mr Parker. - How you going? Winning?
0:15:26 > 0:15:28- Yeah.- That's good. Thank you.
0:15:28 > 0:15:34'Not every regular visitor has such an illustrious past.'
0:15:36 > 0:15:40You all right, my friend? Morning, sweetheart.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45- Morning, Martin.- Morning, Mr Parker. - How're you going?- Your papers.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Morning, darling.
0:15:47 > 0:15:54'Now 85, Gerry Parker grew up in the East End, knowing the Krays, and later became a successful bookie.'
0:15:54 > 0:15:59- Morning, my lovely. How are you?- I'm good, thank you.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02- Decaf for me, sweetheart.- Yes. - Thanks. Nice and hot.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07How long have you been coming to Claridge's to have your breakfast?
0:16:08 > 0:16:12My wife, Shirley, had a business in Hampstead. Fashion.
0:16:12 > 0:16:18And in 1971 she opened a shop here in Brook Street, number 31, just down the road from here.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21I started to come in to Claridge's, about 40 years ago.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25You've been coming for breakfast every day for 40 years?
0:16:25 > 0:16:27More or less.
0:16:27 > 0:16:28Why?
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Well... Excuse me.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33First of all,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36I love the hotel
0:16:36 > 0:16:42because actually it's steeped in history, going back to Queen Victoria.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45And the Queen Mother loved this hotel.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48And I feel very comfortable in here.
0:16:49 > 0:16:55I've been to other hotels. It doesn't compare with this. Something about this place is a bit special.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59- Do you always order the same breakfast?- No.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04Yesterday I had the fruit plate, which was lovely - pineapple and papaya. Lovely.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07The day before that, muesli.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11And then sometimes toast and banana, which I enjoy.
0:17:11 > 0:17:17It comes from the East End of London. That was your dinner. It was lovely!
0:17:18 > 0:17:23'For Gerry, it hasn't always been breakfast at Claridge's.'
0:17:23 > 0:17:25What were you down for?
0:17:25 > 0:17:30Being in possession of a sawn-off shotgun and a Jaguar that didn't belong to me.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32A stolen car.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37They put me in Wormwood Scrubs, which was not delightful.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41- It was an awful bloody place.- I see why you like Claridge's!- Exactly.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46I go back to the 1930s in the East End where we had a dustman every day.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51We had the postman three times a day - morning, lunchtime, teatime.
0:17:51 > 0:17:57Where's it all gone now with all the technology we've got? I hate the 21st century. I hate it.
0:17:57 > 0:18:03- Where do you post your letters now? - Here. I give them to... Whoever is the concierge, they post them.
0:18:03 > 0:18:10If I want to send a fax, they send it for me. When they get the return, they bring it in to me.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14- Do you use Claridge's as an office? - This is my office. Best in London.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19This one?
0:18:19 > 0:18:26'21st-century technology might not be for everyone, but the management has to be up-to-date with gadgets.'
0:18:26 > 0:18:30- The cherry wood one on the left is quite nice.- It's a nice colour.
0:18:30 > 0:18:37'Something apparently as innocuous as a new alarm clock requires a committee of four to pore over it
0:18:37 > 0:18:39'in minute detail.'
0:18:39 > 0:18:42How often do you change the alarm clocks?
0:18:42 > 0:18:46I cannot remember when we have last even looked at alarm clocks.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51We had a walkabout the other day and we noticed we don't really love what we have
0:18:51 > 0:18:56and we should have something a little bit better. A hotel is busy
0:18:56 > 0:19:01and little details like an alarm clock can very easily be overlooked.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05- I think simplicity will probably win in this case.- Yep.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Em, you know, there are 100 alarm clocks on the market.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14We're seeing 20 or something, which is great. Thank you. But...
0:19:14 > 0:19:19This is trying to do something that it probably isn't, really.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21It's pretty, but...
0:19:23 > 0:19:27- The style's not quite right. - Is this real silver?- No, it's not.
0:19:27 > 0:19:34If we had something like this, it should probably be real silver, antique or a renowned maker.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Does Equi or Christofle... Do they do things like that?
0:19:39 > 0:19:45Can we hear them? Can we hear what alarm they make? It can be very frightening in the morning.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49- Batteries.- You don't have batteries? Let's get a battery.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- CLOCK BEEPS - Stop.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57- Stop! Ah. It's voice-controlled. - I didn't realise it did that.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02- We need to think of... - Short-sighted people.- Yes, we do.
0:20:02 > 0:20:08- Wouldn't we need to have a look of the numbers are lighted at night? - If they are lit at night, yes.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Let's turn off the light.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Well...the handles are lit.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Yeah, let's put the light on again.
0:20:20 > 0:20:27'Having narrowed the choices down from 20 to 3, the final test is to see the new clocks in position.'
0:20:27 > 0:20:30- One by one. - I think so.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33It's interesting to see it in a different context.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38Now you don't see it next to 20 others. It's just one.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42- It's very natural. - It almost disappears now.
0:20:43 > 0:20:49There you have the old, green digital lightweight alarm clock
0:20:49 > 0:20:52and then this looks much nicer, doesn't it?
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Well done, good.
0:20:56 > 0:21:02- Lovely. Thank you.- 'Thomas chooses the least complicated alarm clock, costing £20,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04'for all 203 rooms.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11- 'This hotel can easily show its age.'- Tony speaking. Hi.
0:21:11 > 0:21:17'It's Tony the painter's job to roam the corridors, touching up everyday stains, scuffs, leaks
0:21:17 > 0:21:23'and rips before the pampered guests have a chance to spot that anything is less than perfect.'
0:21:23 > 0:21:27Are any still damaged or are they all done now?
0:21:27 > 0:21:34- So, Tony, how many rooms are there in the hotel?- 202, I think. I'm not sure exactly.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37And how many need to be painted
0:21:37 > 0:21:39or touched up or repaired every day?
0:21:39 > 0:21:46Well, I would say a guest could go into a room, knock his suitcase... Every room can have a black mark.
0:21:46 > 0:21:51It's just how bad they get. Housekeepers keep on top of all of that.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57How did that happen?!
0:21:57 > 0:22:03We're not sure exactly how it happened, but what we were looking at this morning was...
0:22:03 > 0:22:09that the ceiling, probably, is ready to come down at some point.
0:22:09 > 0:22:15It's not going to fall down, but we would be better off to take it down and patch it.
0:22:15 > 0:22:21What Jim will do today is just reinforce it and paint the bed so we can get it back this evening.
0:22:21 > 0:22:27- Is someone staying here tonight? - I think so, yeah. Then we'll put it in the book to be chopped out,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31which is a big job, to take the ceiling down.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37'Tony's younger brother, Jim, is also his deputy.'
0:22:37 > 0:22:43Another one ticked up, cracked up for the painting department, getting everyone out of trouble.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48Is that the bottom line? It's for the room to be sold.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53Yeah, pretty much. If the room needs to be sold, then we do everything we can
0:22:53 > 0:22:57to get the room ship-shape and Bristol fashion, ready.
0:22:57 > 0:23:03- Do you think it's funny that the guests don't know what goes on? - Yeah, sometimes the guests turn up
0:23:03 > 0:23:07and we could have been in there 20 minutes before them, like this.
0:23:07 > 0:23:15- Yeah.- And then, before they know it, it's all spanking new again and they come in and think, "That's lovely!"
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Hello?
0:23:19 > 0:23:24- How's it going?- You all right? - Yeah. Are you winning? Winning?
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Em... Yeah, I think so.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- Hello!- Hello.
0:23:30 > 0:23:37- What do people say when you say you work at Claridge's?- I don't tell many people.- Why not?- It's work.
0:23:37 > 0:23:43I don't suppose half the people I know would know what I was talking about. I say I work in a hotel.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48I went to the hospital yesterday. Doctor asked me where I worked. I just said a hotel.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53It's a bit flash if you throw Claridge's around. I keep it modest.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59I've just noticed that we've got some water damage in a new room.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03- Water, water everywhere. - It is, yeah.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06It is. It finds its way down, don't it?
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Feeds my family, this water damage.
0:24:11 > 0:24:17I don't know what it is about luxury hotels, but people tend to leave the baths running.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22There was a leak here in the plaster so we had to do various inspections.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27'There's been a hotel on this site for over 200 years.
0:24:27 > 0:24:34'It's creaking under the weight of history and as a listed building requires expert care and attention.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41'It's currently undergoing the biggest restoration in 40 years.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45'£6 million is to be spent restoring the facade alone.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50'Each brick is hand-crafted, exactly as it was in the 19th century.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58'Thomas knows the hotel can't just be a museum piece
0:24:58 > 0:25:02'and his five-star guests will demand the latest innovations.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07'Twenty rooms have been shut off to be renovated over four months.
0:25:07 > 0:25:13'And it's all work that needs to be carried out without disrupting the paying guests.'
0:25:13 > 0:25:17When you have an iconic hotel like Claridge's
0:25:17 > 0:25:24and a building that is from 1811, basically, in essence, when it was first a hotel,
0:25:24 > 0:25:29there comes a lot of responsibility. We very much regard ourselves as custodians of this
0:25:29 > 0:25:35and our responsibility is not only to sell these rooms and to make money and host guests,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39but also to restore and to keep this property. That is what you see here.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44So, you know, it is an old building, but it's the right thing to do for Claridge's
0:25:44 > 0:25:49and the right thing to pass it on to the next generations and ensure everything is perfect.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55So this is the bathroom.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59I've seen the plan. It will be amazing.
0:25:59 > 0:26:05And it will, of course, make reference to the original marble bathrooms that we are so proud of.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10How much does a project like this cost? How much do you have to build this into your business plan?
0:26:10 > 0:26:16You're looking at money. You're probably looking at just under £200,000 per room.
0:26:17 > 0:26:23'Thomas is constantly treading a careful line between the past and the future.'
0:26:25 > 0:26:30You know, today's luxury traveller is not only looking for tradition,
0:26:30 > 0:26:35but also a new product, technology that works, speedy service.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38That's just really, really important.
0:26:38 > 0:26:44What is a tradition? It's an invention that, at the time, you know, was new.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48And it was just so good that it was kept and it became a tradition.
0:26:52 > 0:26:58'The renovation extends to the roof, where there are plans to add another two floors -
0:26:58 > 0:27:00'more rooms bring more business.'
0:27:00 > 0:27:03This is the way out.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Do come out.
0:27:06 > 0:27:12Mind the steps, mind the gantry. You haven't got heels on, have you? No one's got heels on, OK?
0:27:13 > 0:27:19'It's currently a world of water tanks, air conditioning vents and waste pipes.'
0:27:19 > 0:27:22- How old are those chimneys? - Original.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27Some of the things haven't been removed. For instance, these ledges,
0:27:27 > 0:27:31which were originally designed for the chimney sweep to sweep from.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35This is basically as it was. All this lead work is original.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Nothing's been done to them in 100 or so years.
0:27:38 > 0:27:44- Mark, do you ever think about the people who built this building? - Oh, definitely.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Obviously, they're all dead now, but they've left their mark on London.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Mind the steps. There's all different levels.
0:27:54 > 0:27:55London!
0:28:00 > 0:28:06Sometimes in the morning you can come up here and there's always a seagull on there. Very strange.
0:28:08 > 0:28:13Been coming for years. When it's rough at sea, he stays at Claridge's.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18There's other lesser seagulls that go to the Dorchester. They've got to know where to come.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23- Where are we going, Anne? - We're going to the Linen Room.
0:28:23 > 0:28:30'Above stairs and below, there's 404 staff working away to satisfy every whim of the demanding guests.'
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Good afternoon, gentlemen. Hi.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36So this is where it all happens.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39We've got, em...
0:28:39 > 0:28:43four washing machines that are always in use,
0:28:43 > 0:28:47in use from 7 o'clock in the morning until about 10 o'clock at night.
0:28:47 > 0:28:52You've got all the pillow cases, bedside mats, chamber towels,
0:28:52 > 0:28:56hand towels, bath towels, all happening in these machines.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00- How many towels do you wash a day? - About 1,500 a day.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03- Seven days a week. - Seven days a week.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17In the end, anybody will tell you who has experienced any time in these sorts of places
0:29:17 > 0:29:23that it's not actually the architecture or interior decoration or anything like that.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27In the end, what you're really paying for is the payroll.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31It's for the fact that there are so many, you know,
0:29:31 > 0:29:35men in striped trousers and swallowtail coats and chambermaids,
0:29:35 > 0:29:39all of whom are exquisitely well trained.
0:29:41 > 0:29:47Altogether now it's about 36 years. A long, long time. I never, ever thought I'd be here that long.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55I first joined Claridge's in October, 1980.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01I never knew what a hotel was.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07My life sentence at Claridge's began June 10th, 1977.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13I think in November it's 25 years.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16Sad, but true.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21Apparently, it is 25 years this year.
0:30:23 > 0:30:2528 years.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28On October 15. I start 1983.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33I've been here for...23 years.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38- That means I love the job. - 'It's a home.'
0:30:38 > 0:30:42It's a family. It's a family thing. It's always been that way.
0:30:43 > 0:30:50'Long-standing members of staff become part of the character of the hotel, but they all start somewhere.
0:30:50 > 0:30:55'Luca is 21 years old and it's his first job in London.
0:30:55 > 0:31:00'He has just been appointed as a trainee waiter.' Are you nervous?
0:31:00 > 0:31:03A bit. I think it's normal.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06What does Claridge's mean to you?
0:31:06 > 0:31:08For me, it means, like, perfection.
0:31:08 > 0:31:13- 'I can take many things, I can learn many things. - Good morning, Luca.
0:31:13 > 0:31:19- Good morning.- My name's Dean. How are you?- Very well. And you? - Good. Would you like to follow me?
0:31:19 > 0:31:25'Dean, the Deputy Restaurant Manager, will enforce the hotel's exacting way of doing things.'
0:31:25 > 0:31:29I'll just give you a very brief tour of the back of house areas.
0:31:29 > 0:31:34This is our main patisserie. OK? It goes right through to the back.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37All the scones are baked in-house, some bread.
0:31:37 > 0:31:42Just on your right-hand side, they're right in the middle of breakfast.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46My first memory of the building was a smell. I didn't know what it was.
0:31:46 > 0:31:51'It was the smell of asparagus. I'd never tasted asparagus before.'
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Champagnes, wines, water in the bottom.
0:31:54 > 0:31:59'I was a 14-year-old boy from a very small village,'
0:31:59 > 0:32:05so I was overwhelmed with the amount of people, the business, the organised chaos that it was.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09- OK, Luca, so we go through into the main restaurant.- Yes.
0:32:09 > 0:32:16'Luca's training will last for three weeks and only then will he be let loose on a guest.'
0:32:16 > 0:32:19First of all, we need a tablecloth.
0:32:20 > 0:32:25What I'll do for you is show you how we do it, then you can have a go.
0:32:25 > 0:32:26So...
0:32:26 > 0:32:32Is there a Claridge's way of laying a table or is there a way of laying a table?
0:32:32 > 0:32:34Open the cloth.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38And then we sort of fold it out...
0:32:38 > 0:32:41There is a way of laying a table
0:32:41 > 0:32:46and I think Claridge's needs to do it the way it is done.
0:32:46 > 0:32:52The chairs then just touching the table cloth. OK?
0:32:52 > 0:32:54And how is it done?
0:32:54 > 0:32:58Well, fork is on the left, the knife is on the right.
0:33:01 > 0:33:06OK, now we're looking for one inch, OK? From the edge of the table.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10OK? And again, just off of the napkin.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14The main course glass has to be in line with the main course knife.
0:33:14 > 0:33:22If you have something opposite, the guest who sits opposite you, his knife is in line with your fork.
0:33:22 > 0:33:27Again, one inch from the edge of the table. And just off of the napkin.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31'That's a craft, that's a skill. You should be proud to know that.'
0:33:31 > 0:33:37And proud to execute it like that. Just imagine if those things wouldn't matter any more.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42Is there a right place for the salt and pepper to go on a table?
0:33:42 > 0:33:47'No, but the salt and pepper is always removed after main course.'
0:33:47 > 0:33:51So that is, for example, a rule around salt and pepper.
0:33:51 > 0:33:57If you ever find salt and pepper on your table whilst you're enjoying your dessert, you know it's wrong.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59And what about...
0:34:00 > 0:34:06I've just brought Sarah in now. You'll be spending the rest of today and this week with her.
0:34:06 > 0:34:12- I brought her in for a little bit of role-playing.- Good morning, Miss Cameron. How are you today?
0:34:12 > 0:34:16- Good morning. - So you...choose already something?
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Er, yes.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24It's very important to engage in a very light conversation. "Good morning. How are you today?"
0:34:24 > 0:34:28We know that she's a resident. "Are you enjoying your stay?"
0:34:28 > 0:34:33- How was the opera yesterday? - Excellent. Very good.- Perfect.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36- Maybe if I just start, OK? You just watch what I do.- Yeah.
0:34:36 > 0:34:41- Good morning, Miss Cameron. You slept well last night?- Very well.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45- Your husband will join us?- Not this morning.- I'll have that removed.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49There's always little things that you can read from the guest. That is key.
0:34:49 > 0:34:54Can I offer you some more juice or maybe some water?
0:34:54 > 0:35:00- Could I get tea, actually? - Yes, of course. Would you like a green tea or...?- Perfect.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05- Darjeeling is all right? - Er...a little bit lighter.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07Lighter. OK.
0:35:07 > 0:35:14- Whatever you have.- We'll come back to the tea making a little bit later, OK? That's very harsh.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17Do you remember your induction?
0:35:17 > 0:35:19Yes. Very well.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22It was...
0:35:22 > 0:35:25hard at first. It's a lot to remember.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29And what were your first impressions of Claridge's when you joined?
0:35:29 > 0:35:32That room is very impressive.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34The size of it and the decor.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38It's quite...intimidating at first, until you get used to it.
0:35:38 > 0:35:45'Luca, like every other member of staff, will be measured for his own personal uniform,
0:35:45 > 0:35:50- 'so he's dressed in the Claridge's way.'- Hello, Comfort.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53- How are you?- Hi.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57Do you mind taking off your blazer? Thank you.
0:35:57 > 0:36:03- What advice would you give to Luca, then?- Well, just to, you know, keep his head down at first.
0:36:03 > 0:36:08Duck the bullets. It's not a smooth ride. It's a hard ride.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13He's obviously got accommodation, his parents aren't here.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17He's a young man. Italians love their mamma.
0:36:17 > 0:36:22'He's obviously got, you know, to just keep down and work very hard,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25'but he seems that type anyway.'
0:36:25 > 0:36:29Can I just ask how the uniform would be...?
0:36:29 > 0:36:36For a waiter, you're wearing a three-button white blazer. White shirt, logo tie, black trousers.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38This is the uniform.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44- Like it?- It's really nice, yes. I do.- Very nice.
0:36:44 > 0:36:49- Is the white a big change? - It is quite a big change, absolutely.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53- It's lovely on, though. - Is that a brave colour for a waiter?
0:36:53 > 0:36:58I think it's... It's Claridge's. You want to make a statement.
0:37:04 > 0:37:09Roman, what does it feel like when you put your uniform on?
0:37:10 > 0:37:13Oh...I like it, actually.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16I love the uniform. I think it's good style.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19'You probably see that yourself.'
0:37:20 > 0:37:22'Roman is from Poland.
0:37:22 > 0:37:28'He heads a team of six doormen and works outdoors in all weathers.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30'The pavement is his stage.'
0:37:31 > 0:37:33Why are you getting wet?
0:37:33 > 0:37:40I've got heavy, thick-soled shoes on. They're keeping me totally dry. I don't feel that wet, actually.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Have a lovely evening.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46Have a good evening.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Good evening, sir.
0:37:48 > 0:37:49Cabbie!
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Have a lovely evening. ..Cabbie!
0:37:52 > 0:37:57Everybody has a different way of calling a taxi.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00Some whistle. I don't like whistling.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Cab!
0:38:02 > 0:38:04They can hear me.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08Cabbie! ..It's a hectic night.
0:38:09 > 0:38:15- I wouldn't change the job for anything, seriously.- What do you like about it?- Meeting people.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18In general. Looking after people.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22And the pleasure you get from taking care of people when they're happy.
0:38:22 > 0:38:30I think the official name is link man. Link man between the outside and the hotel itself.
0:38:34 > 0:38:41'In 1958, when he was 12 years old, Roman was sent to the UK by a refugee charity
0:38:41 > 0:38:43'in order to improve his education.'
0:38:46 > 0:38:49My mum was a refugee, basically,
0:38:49 > 0:38:51from the Second World War.
0:38:51 > 0:38:56And that makes me a bit sad when I remember all of that. Yeah.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00It's a bit difficult to talk about that, yeah.
0:39:00 > 0:39:06And I've seen a lot of... if you like, unhappiness. And, you know.
0:39:06 > 0:39:12When we arrived, the first dinner we had there... Five of us came from the continent.
0:39:12 > 0:39:17They brought us over and we went to eat, the tables were set
0:39:17 > 0:39:21and they had knives and forks on the tables. This was quite incredible.
0:39:21 > 0:39:27And I started laughing. I'll never forget this. I said, "These English are strange people.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30"How can you eat soup with forks?"
0:39:30 > 0:39:36Because you see, where we came from, it was always soup.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39That's what we used to eat.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42And do you have a family?
0:39:42 > 0:39:48- I have one son, yeah. - And what does he do?- Talking about my mum is always a bit upsetting.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50He's at university, Oxford.
0:39:50 > 0:39:56He's got into Oxford, which is brilliant. I'm so happy about that. Over the moon.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59Extremely proud of him.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03I get emotional. It's terrible I'm so emotional.
0:40:03 > 0:40:08But I love my son to bits and I'm working on because I'm having to pay for him.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11I hope he appreciates it one day!
0:40:11 > 0:40:16- How old is he now?- He's 20. - And you are...?- I'm 66 in June.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18How are you?
0:40:18 > 0:40:20It's been many, many years.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24How long have you been here?
0:40:24 > 0:40:28I was just saying, 36 years. How long have you been coming here?
0:40:28 > 0:40:34- Even more than that. - Yeah, I think so.- Yeah, yeah. - 'What kind of person works here?'
0:40:34 > 0:40:36- For a long time.- Hard-working!
0:40:39 > 0:40:45'There's a lot of people, like Roman on the door, you know, they're part of it.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48'Roman's like the face of Claridge's now.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51'You go upstairs and it's Michael Lynch.'
0:40:51 > 0:40:55And down on this floor it's me. I know the majority of people.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00- And what room number are you? - 211.- 211? We've sent it up.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04- Have you ever thought of leaving? - Many times.- Why haven't you?
0:41:04 > 0:41:08Well, because you obviously... It's a fun place, it's exciting.
0:41:08 > 0:41:13You're always meeting someone different and they're nice to you. You don't have a grumpy day.
0:41:13 > 0:41:20'You know, it's been raining for the last month, but you just have to carry on.'
0:41:27 > 0:41:32'The builders have now been in for 14 weeks, renovating the suites.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36'Thomas does his weekly inspection to keep an eye on the works.'
0:41:36 > 0:41:43This was a public corridor before, which we have now incorporated into this suite.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45So it became a two-bedroom suite.
0:41:48 > 0:41:53As I said before, this may all look days and days away from finishing,
0:41:53 > 0:41:57but in actual fact I think the team is more advanced than it looks like.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01I was here yesterday or a day ago.
0:42:01 > 0:42:06The way it progresses and the speed and pace is just really fascinating.
0:42:06 > 0:42:12There comes a point in every project when it takes ages and ages and then suddenly it all happens.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14I like that point.
0:42:27 > 0:42:34- And do you know how much this will be charged out at now? - The two will be £4,500 per night.
0:42:38 > 0:42:43'Above the renovated rooms sits the hotel's most expensive suite.'
0:42:43 > 0:42:45And please come in.
0:42:49 > 0:42:55Immediately, you have a feeling of entering a special place. You don't just walk into a bedroom
0:42:55 > 0:43:01and there's a bedside table and a mini bar. You look at beautiful original fireplaces, antiques,
0:43:01 > 0:43:05look at this clock, the desk, the chairs...
0:43:05 > 0:43:08And then you enter the bedroom
0:43:08 > 0:43:12and, you know, I just think that four-poster beds are...
0:43:12 > 0:43:15They're just so wonderfully romantic.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21When you lie in bed, you look at heaven.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26'The Davis Penthouse used to have permanent guests living here
0:43:26 > 0:43:30'and you can still savour its old school glamour for the night
0:43:30 > 0:43:34'by paying the price of a small family car.'
0:43:34 > 0:43:38Yeah, it's £6,900 per night.
0:43:40 > 0:43:46You know, £6,900, I totally appreciate that it is an awful lot of money to stay for a night,
0:43:46 > 0:43:52but then again in the five-star luxury market, there are prices that we know, we know exactly...
0:43:52 > 0:43:58And that's the same for all other hotels. A certain size of suite costs a certain amount per night.
0:43:58 > 0:44:02And that's, so to speak, the going rate.
0:44:02 > 0:44:08I think it's very special to be in a pinnacle suite of a grand hotel.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11It's...it's a special place.
0:44:25 > 0:44:29Well, it's just a drawer of menus. It's lovely, actually,
0:44:29 > 0:44:34because people come along - it's a bit of a stiff drawer maybe because there's so much in it.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37Turbot, £2.20.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39Sole meuniere, £2.60.
0:44:40 > 0:44:44- Couldn't even buy one for that now. - No, I don't think...
0:44:44 > 0:44:48Dare I say, you don't get anything here for £2.60 any more!
0:44:50 > 0:44:54'Not all guests can afford to stay at the hotel,
0:44:54 > 0:45:01'but you can experience something of the atmosphere by paying £50 for afternoon tea with champagne.'
0:45:01 > 0:45:04Well, where else would you have it?
0:45:04 > 0:45:09It's almost the way you say it. "Let's go for afternoon tea at Claridge's."
0:45:09 > 0:45:16'Dress code - elegant, smart, casual, no sportswear or baseball caps.'
0:45:16 > 0:45:21- Do you like afternoon tea? Are you proud of it in the hotel? - Yes, I am.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24It's very skilful.
0:45:24 > 0:45:30You need to take everything very seriously. You know, it's the skill of sandwich-making.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34It's not just a sandwich.
0:45:34 > 0:45:39It's about the bread and how it's sliced and how thick or thin it is.
0:45:39 > 0:45:46We're not serving the same sandwiches all the time. Bread needs the right texture, temperature.
0:45:46 > 0:45:50It can't be too soft, but needs to be soft. And so on.
0:45:52 > 0:45:57People book a long time in advance. Traditionally, you'd try to get a table 2 or 3 months in advance.
0:46:02 > 0:46:07We're going to Claridge's, which is really for my 70th birthday.
0:46:07 > 0:46:12'And I'm really excited because my dad worked there.'
0:46:12 > 0:46:16- Very nice to see you. - Nice to meet you.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21'Sidney Mitchell worked as a doorman at the hotel between 1944
0:46:21 > 0:46:24- 'and 1976.'- Is that him there?
0:46:24 > 0:46:29- Yeah, that's Granddad. - I remember the guys talking about Sid Mitchell.
0:46:29 > 0:46:35'Very proud man. He would always be very upright, very formal, always in a tie.'
0:46:35 > 0:46:39Even if he was popping to the shops, he would always have a tie on
0:46:39 > 0:46:42and always in a double Windsor.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45The characters that have been here, many have been here a long time.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49- How long ago would this have been? - I don't know.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53- He was very young there.- Yes. - Late '40s or early '50s.
0:46:53 > 0:47:01'Afternoon tea is regarded by many as sacred, having been served at Claridge's since the late 1890s.'
0:47:01 > 0:47:06It really is a one-off experience for us. It really is.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09She's been saving up for years!
0:47:11 > 0:47:17What do you think about luxury hotels, the idea of them still existing?
0:47:17 > 0:47:20I think it's a good thing. Tradition.
0:47:20 > 0:47:26A bit like the regimental system in the military, isn't it? These traditions pass down.
0:47:26 > 0:47:31With youngsters nowadays, unless you bring these traditions up, they have nothing to look back on.
0:47:31 > 0:47:35And what are you expecting to eat and drink?
0:47:35 > 0:47:38Cucumber sandwiches!
0:47:40 > 0:47:41Tea.
0:47:41 > 0:47:47And scones. I've read up on the website about their scones.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50And the jam. It's very special, apparently.
0:47:52 > 0:47:56So what's the most popular jam that's served at Claridge's?
0:47:56 > 0:47:58Strawberry.
0:47:58 > 0:48:03Strawberry, followed by marmalade, and then raspberry.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07'Thomas takes afternoon tea very seriously.
0:48:07 > 0:48:14'He's on a day trip to Yorkshire with head chef Martyn Nail just to sample new pots of jam.'
0:48:14 > 0:48:16Thank you very much.
0:48:16 > 0:48:22'They've arranged to meet Elspeth Biltoft, who makes over 50 types of jam from her farmhouse.'
0:48:27 > 0:48:30'My father was always a little bit...'
0:48:31 > 0:48:38I don't know if disappointed is the right word, but he wondered why I never helped in the garden.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41We had a very big garden at home.
0:48:43 > 0:48:49You know, he enjoyed doing the garden, but I much more enjoyed being in the kitchen with my mother
0:48:49 > 0:48:52watching her cooking or preparing.
0:48:52 > 0:48:58I would much rather peel potatoes than mow the lawn, to be honest.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10'After a six-hour round trip,
0:49:10 > 0:49:17'almond and apricot jam is to be added to the hotel menu for the very first time.'
0:49:17 > 0:49:19Morning, Jade.
0:49:23 > 0:49:28- Morning, Glen. - Are you OK?- Thank you. Good.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31- Thank you very much.- Nice and hot.
0:49:31 > 0:49:36Can you look at your breakfast table and tell me what you like about what you see here?
0:49:36 > 0:49:39Table cloths. Napkin.
0:49:39 > 0:49:45If I go to a place and they serve those paper things, I throw them on the floor.
0:49:45 > 0:49:49In my car, I've got a Claridge's bag with a napkin in it.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53When I go into one of the places that haven't got napkins, I use this.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56I can't use those paper things. I hate them.
0:49:58 > 0:50:00Have you ever stayed here?
0:50:00 > 0:50:07- No.- You've never stayed?- No. When people come from LA or something, I always put them in here.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10- But I have actually never stayed here.- Would you like to?
0:50:10 > 0:50:16I said to Shirley one night, but she said they don't do twin beds. I said they'd probably do for me.
0:50:16 > 0:50:21Our home is twin beds, two bathrooms, two television rooms.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23It's an ideal marriage.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25Ideal.
0:50:25 > 0:50:29- Where are we going now, Anne? - To look at the fourth floor rooms
0:50:29 > 0:50:32that we're...going to put on today.
0:50:36 > 0:50:40And what do you expect to find on the fourth floor?
0:50:40 > 0:50:42Em...a building site!
0:50:42 > 0:50:44At the moment.
0:50:44 > 0:50:48But by the end of the evening it will be transformed.
0:50:48 > 0:50:54'The last two of the renovated suites are reaching the final stages of completion.'
0:50:54 > 0:51:00- Is she there?- 'There's real pressure to sign them off as guests are arriving in a couple of days.'
0:51:13 > 0:51:18We're finishing the last two suites of this refurbishment phase.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22So these are the last two suites to come back.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24Hello.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30Great. It's lovely.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32Organised chaos.
0:51:33 > 0:51:39Well, that looks good. This table's beautiful. This table's beautiful.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42The sofa got in in the end.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45- It did.- How did it get in?
0:51:45 > 0:51:50- They took the doorframe off. - The door off.- Door and doorframe.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53- Oh, right. - And it's all back. In place.
0:51:54 > 0:52:01- Are you all used to a bit of madness?- I think every day has a little bit of madness.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03That's what makes it exciting.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10I think we all have a bit of madness in our lives every day.
0:52:19 > 0:52:24'Before any guests can book a room, it must be stayed in overnight by one of the senior team
0:52:24 > 0:52:31'who check every detail from door handles to room service. They call it snagging.'
0:52:31 > 0:52:35So we're going to head up to the first floor.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37One of the Art Deco suites.
0:52:37 > 0:52:41So this room has already been snagged twice this week.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46So I'm going to do some final snagging,
0:52:46 > 0:52:49see what's still left to do.
0:52:56 > 0:52:57OK.
0:52:58 > 0:53:03So this is a little stiff. There's a little bit of resistance.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07Well, that's not normally like that.
0:53:07 > 0:53:12So... Ah. There's a shelf missing in the mini bar, so...
0:53:14 > 0:53:18Just checking all these call buttons work as well,
0:53:18 > 0:53:20so they all light up.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26'Also on snagging duty tonight, much to his delight,
0:53:26 > 0:53:29'is assistant chief engineer Mark Gilham.'
0:53:29 > 0:53:32First I would check all the windows.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35I would say that...is a bad fit.
0:53:37 > 0:53:43That soft close that they use nowadays everywhere... you can't slam a drawer.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45They've all got soft close.
0:53:45 > 0:53:52- Do you enjoy snagging, Mark? - Em, I'd rather I find the fault than the guests.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56You've got to sit on the chairs. It sounds ridiculous,
0:53:56 > 0:54:01but I can see cables under that cupboard that would look unsightly,
0:54:01 > 0:54:03which you couldn't see standing.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06Now this has got the wrong plug on it.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09- Do you enjoy staying the night? - Oh, yeah!
0:54:09 > 0:54:16Obviously this evening I'll probably have a bath, in the morning a shower, test all of that,
0:54:16 > 0:54:22- make sure the pressure's good, the temperature.- Now that's an unusual loo you've got there.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24Yes, it is.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26Yes. Um...
0:54:27 > 0:54:31So this is a Toto toilet.
0:54:32 > 0:54:36It's kind of a hi-tech toilet.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39Lovely Japanese toilets we've got now.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41There we go.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45I'm sitting on the... Oh, it's warm. It's warm.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48And it's buzzing!
0:54:48 > 0:54:54It's felt the pressure of someone sitting on it, so it's warming up and preparing for whatever it does.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56Don't ask me what it does.
0:54:56 > 0:55:00I've looked at this. It's interesting because...
0:55:02 > 0:55:06- It's a crack! - There's a light crack, yeah.
0:55:12 > 0:55:18This is another part of the snagging, really. Can you read in bed comfortably?
0:55:18 > 0:55:20Personally, that's a bit hard.
0:55:20 > 0:55:24So, yes, the end of a hard day checking the rooms.
0:55:24 > 0:55:30Most people are on trains at this time. What am I doing? Waiting for room service.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37Hello. Hi, Fabio.
0:55:37 > 0:55:38Please.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41OK.
0:55:43 > 0:55:50So it's really important in these new suites that we can get over the threshold of the door
0:55:50 > 0:55:54and there's no issue there. There didn't seem to be, so that's good.
0:55:54 > 0:55:58I'm going to close this at the moment just to see if it fits.
0:56:12 > 0:56:14Lights.
0:56:14 > 0:56:20That's good. That works that light. And then the master light should turn everything off.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40'The hotel continues to evolve.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43'Luca has passed his induction.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49'And the scaffolding has come down.
0:56:49 > 0:56:54'But some things will always stay the same.'
0:56:54 > 0:57:00- Has this always been the manager's office?- I believe so, yes. It has always been the manager's office.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03This is an old desk which we'd never change.
0:57:03 > 0:57:07'We are only here for a certain amount of time.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11'And how long is that time? I don't know.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14'So in a way we are a custodian of this hotel.'
0:57:14 > 0:57:20That's what we are. The people who run this hotel need to understand what Claridge's is about.
0:57:21 > 0:57:28'I can't imagine a time when people will not want to be pampered, to be made a fuss of'
0:57:28 > 0:57:34and to feel special and to feel connected to a golden thread of glamour.
0:57:34 > 0:57:39Just to feel they're a little part of it.
0:57:39 > 0:57:45I sometimes think I will end my days, if I can afford it, in a place like this
0:57:45 > 0:57:49because it's better than an old people's home.
0:57:49 > 0:57:53Do you ever think about the manager who will be here in 100 years' time?
0:57:53 > 0:57:57Yeah, well, now actually just as we spoke,
0:57:57 > 0:57:59I was thinking, "Who will sit here?"
0:57:59 > 0:58:05But what will it be like in 100 years? But you know what - it will probably be a very similar person.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07Don't you think?
0:58:07 > 0:58:09MUSIC: "La Vie En Rose"
0:58:24 > 0:58:27Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd