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0:00:20 > 0:00:24- In this programme, - Riad El Fenn in Morocco...
0:00:24 > 0:00:27- ..which houses - Vanessa Branson's art collection.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32- A Richard Rogers masterpiece - captivates us in Barcelona.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36- First, a unique capsule hotel - in a busy airport.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44- This is Gatwick Airport, - on the outskirts of London.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48- The exterior is a vital - marketing tool for most hotels...
0:00:48 > 0:00:52- ..but that's clearly not true - of that hotel!
0:00:52 > 0:00:55- It's a unique hotel - in a unique location...
0:00:55 > 0:00:57- ..with a unique function.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19- Yotel hotel is in Gatwick Airport.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26- Convenience and luxury within - a tight space is the concept here.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30- It was inspired - by the capsule hotels of Japan.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41- We're in the depths of the airport - and we're almost underground.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45- The purple light adds - to its cave-like feel.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49- When you see Yotel, - you know it's a Japanese concept.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52- Yes, the room feels very novel.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54- It's like being on a spaceship.
0:01:54 > 0:01:55- It's like being on a spaceship.- - Yes.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57- There is no reception desk.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01- You check yourself in - on the machine.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05- You pay for the room by the hour.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09- Your key card comes out - and off you go!
0:02:09 > 0:02:10- So easy!
0:02:10 > 0:02:12- Let's go in!
0:02:20 > 0:02:22- We're in the lobby.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28- If you have a problem, there are - people in the galley to help you.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31- What do you think of the colours?
0:02:31 > 0:02:32- What do you think of the colours?- - Everything is minimal.
0:02:33 > 0:02:34- It feels very futuristic.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38- It's a subdued white - with a hint of pink.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43- You come here to do just one thing - - to sleep or lie down for a while.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47- The funny touches - such as the Ssshhh are great.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54- What do you think of the way - they've framed the windows?
0:02:55 > 0:02:59- The rounded theme runs - from the window frames...
0:03:00 > 0:03:01- ..to the text font...
0:03:02 > 0:03:06- ..and even to the walls, - with their rounded profile.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09- It gives this place a retro feel.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13- You get the feeling - they've thought of everything.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32- Here you have - the more expensive double rooms.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36- The windows here too - have rounded corners.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39- These are the only windows - in the rooms.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44- There is no such thing as a view - of the outside of the building.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46- The windows face inward.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50- Let's take a look - at one of the top rooms.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- This company - believes in providing luxury.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00- How much luxury can you - squeeze into ten square metres?
0:04:02 > 0:04:06- The bed looks like it's designed - for Dopey, Sneezy and Grumpy!
0:04:06 > 0:04:09- The bed is - one of many clever features here.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12- Do you need room to work?
0:04:12 > 0:04:15- Pull out the table and the chair.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20- Plug a computer into the sockets - and connect to the Internet.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24- Listen to the MP3 player - and switch on the light.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28- When you've finished working - and you want to sleep...
0:04:28 > 0:04:32- ..fold down the table, - slot the chair back in the wall...
0:04:32 > 0:04:35- ..switch off the light - and bring on the bed!
0:04:35 > 0:04:37- Yes, it's an extendable bed.
0:04:38 > 0:04:39- Amazing!
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- People come and go past your window - day and night.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47- Pull down the blind - and shut off the world.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- It's amazing how much fun you can - squeeze into such a small space.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07- You can close off the bathroom - by sliding this door closed.
0:05:07 > 0:05:08- It's totally private.
0:05:09 > 0:05:14- Not a single inch of your body - can escape from this monsoon shower.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34- Aled is relaxing in a double capsule - and I'm in a standard capsule.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38- It's much smaller - but it's exquisitely designed.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42- They've maximized - the available space.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48- There's a bed, a desk, storage - and a shower all within one room.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- The television and the shelves - are recessed...
0:05:54 > 0:05:56- ..to create a feeling of space.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02- The rounded corners we saw - in the lobby are present here too.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07- The rounded edges of the pattern - etched onto the glass...
0:06:07 > 0:06:09- ..is echoed in the shower wall.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15- It's a reminder you're in - a small capsule or a cosy cocoon.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- What do you think of it, Leah?
0:06:31 > 0:06:33- It's a very practical hotel.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38- Constant streams of people - come here to shower and to relax.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43- They didn't need to design - something as beautiful as this.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46- They've created something special.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48- Yes, it's compact luxury.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49- It's futuristic.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10- This is Hotel Hesperia Tower...
0:07:10 > 0:07:14- ..half way between the airport - and Barcelona city centre.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18- It's a masculine, - uncompromising design.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21- It's proud to show its structure - to the world...
0:07:21 > 0:07:24- ..like a matador confronting a bull.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31- The solid skeleton is typical - of the work of Sir Richard Rogers.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35- Every skeleton needs some flesh.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41- The designers, Josep Juanpere and - Maria Vives from GCA Arquitectes...
0:07:42 > 0:07:46- ..cleverly put the flesh inside, - not outside, the skeleton.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51- Somehow, you feel - it's a busy hotel before entering.
0:07:51 > 0:07:52- It's visually bustling.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- The external structure - is so powerful...
0:07:56 > 0:08:00- ..one expects - the interior to be exciting.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05- This open space feels as if it - belongs to the convention centre...
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- ..which is tied to the hotel, - at the rear.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13- If you seek assurances - that this hotel won't crumble...
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- ..look no further.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20- You can see the structure clearly - in this huge space...
0:08:20 > 0:08:23- ..which is open to the sixth floor.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28- It's a riotous place which gets - more exciting as night draws in.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49- Richard Rogers designed this.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53- He designed the Pompidou Centre, - the Millennium Dome...
0:08:54 > 0:08:56- ..and the Senedd in Cardiff.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01- The internal design - grabs your attention at night.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- It's a sexy atmosphere.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08- The light looks as if it was drawn - by someone holding a sparkler.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11- What makes this - a good example of Rogers's work?
0:09:11 > 0:09:15- He's famous - for displaying the structure...
0:09:15 > 0:09:17- ..and having the inside outside.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- He often uses primary colours.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25- The red posts and the horizontal - lines criss-cross.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29- The stairs and the lift shaft - are on the outside...
0:09:30 > 0:09:33- ..giving - the interior designer freedom.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37- Rogers used the same ideas - in the Pompidou Centre.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- What a shock!
0:10:08 > 0:10:10- Yes, you expect to see your bed...
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- ..but instead, - you enter a shiny, black cube.
0:10:14 > 0:10:15- It's confusing.
0:10:16 > 0:10:17- I'm disorientated.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22- There are mirrors everywhere and you - reach for what are just reflections!
0:10:23 > 0:10:25- There are three doors in here.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27- You seem to walk into yourself.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33- This is the bathroom which I think - doubles up as a dressing room.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36- In that respect, it makes sense.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40- The final thing you do - before you leave your room...
0:10:40 > 0:10:43- ..is get dressed and preen yourself.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45- You don't lack mirrors for that!
0:10:46 > 0:10:49- Yes, after taking a final check, - it's time to go.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39- Having a restaurant on the top floor - of a tall building is nothing new...
0:11:40 > 0:11:43- ..but this is - a totally new experience for me.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47- Yes, we're in a glass dome - which wraps itself around us.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52- It's an amazing experience to be able - to look out across Barcelona.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58- To me, this has more to do - with the genius of Richard Rogers...
0:11:58 > 0:12:02- ..than with the work - of the internal designers.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05- Yes, the structure he created - is respected here.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11- The design is futuristic - and the interior reflects that fact.
0:12:13 > 0:12:14- What a view!
0:12:14 > 0:12:19- I like many features of this hotel - but this is what makes it work.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22- It's the crowning glory.
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0:13:16 > 0:13:20- We're walking through the streets - of Marrakech, Morocco...
0:13:21 > 0:13:23- ..towards Riad el Fenn hotel.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27- Traditionally, - a riad was a merchant's house.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30- A riad is a house - built around a central garden.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40- I often stand outside buildings...
0:13:41 > 0:13:45- ..and say the exteriors reveal - little about the interiors.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48- It's never been more true - than in this case!
0:13:48 > 0:13:53- Behind this ordinary exterior - there lies extraordinary splendour.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57- If I didn't know Riad El Fenn - was behind this door...
0:13:57 > 0:14:00- ..I'd have walked straight past it.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29- Step inside and the hurly-burly - of the medina is forgotten.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33- Temperatures out there - can reach 50 degrees Celsius...
0:14:34 > 0:14:37- ..so it's a pleasure to enter - this cool, dark, red room.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41- It's almost - an ecclesiastical experience.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46- The glorious red and blue light - looks like a church lantern.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52- The window high above my head makes - it feel even more like a church.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55- It throws light across the floor.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58- It's mysterious - and it's very alluring.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14- The hallway has many rooms - and winds its way into the building.
0:15:14 > 0:15:19- We can marvel at the visual concepts - encountered along the way.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23- Over there, colourful slippers - have been laid out...
0:15:23 > 0:15:28- ..and you see their reflection in a - huge mirror which hangs behind them.
0:15:28 > 0:15:34- That, in turn, is reflected in this - abstract painting by Bridget Riley.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39- It's clear that art is high - on the priority list in this riad.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43- The art displayed here...
0:15:44 > 0:15:48- ..is part of Vanessa Branson's - personal collection.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52- She owns Riad El Fenn - and she's Richard Branson's sister.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56- It was designed by her - business partner, Fredric Scholl.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16- What are your first impressions, - Leah?
0:16:17 > 0:16:21- El Fenn means "art" in Arabic - and "hip" in local slang.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25- The name makes perfect sense - when you look around.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30- There's art everywhere, - teamed with all sorts of archways.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37- Traditional Moroccan slippers - are laid out on the floor...
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- ..with modern baseball boots - among them.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42- It's very playful.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44- The colours are amazing too.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47- The vibrant red - contrasts with the street outside.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50- On reaching the end - of the dark corridor...
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- ..one steps out into the light.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56- Yes, it's stunning.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59- This looks - as if it's always been here.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03- What have they added - to the original riad...
0:17:04 > 0:17:05- ..to turn it into a hotel?
0:17:06 > 0:17:09- When they were - restoring the building...
0:17:09 > 0:17:14- ..they went to great trouble - to remain true to the original riad.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17- They also - created contemporary elements...
0:17:17 > 0:17:21- ..by hanging interesting objects - on every surface.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24- There's an element of surprise here.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31- Step out of the central courtyard - back into the main building...
0:17:31 > 0:17:35- ..and the temperature dips - and the darkness hits you.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38- The riad is an ingenious design...
0:17:38 > 0:17:41- ..because it lets you - escape from the hot sun.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- We're standing - in a dark, red tunnel.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49- These black and white pictures are - stunning against that background.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52- The collection is cleverly lit - and utterly wonderful.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22- Walk this way - towards another garden.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27- At the far end is one of several - swimming pools in the hotel.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58- This is one of the best suites - in this hotel.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04- There are several rooms within which - makes it a real home from home.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- Yes, there's a relaxation area - over there.
0:19:07 > 0:19:13- There's a traditional, - deep Moroccan sofa in that room.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14- This bedroom is huge...
0:19:15 > 0:19:19- ..and there's a free-standing bath - in the corner.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22- It looks like polished plaster.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28- It's called Tadlekt - - smoothed and polished lime plaster.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31- The walls will change over time.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34- The details around the room - look like studs...
0:19:35 > 0:19:39- ..but, in fact, - they're handmade glass beads.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- Those beads are inlaid in the wall.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48- This is a contemporary twist - on a traditional pattern.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52- It looks like studs - which bond two pieces of leather.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55- Actually, - the walls look like leather.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59- The floor tiles are made - of hand-stitched camel leather.
0:20:00 > 0:20:01- Isn't that great?
0:20:02 > 0:20:07- Yes. There's a curious collection - of furniture here too.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- That 1950s table, - with its angular legs...
0:20:11 > 0:20:13- ..and this 1920s dressing table.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16- They work together well.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20- This handmade bedspread - is also wonderful.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23- Everything is skilfully made.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33- The bonus - about the best room in the hotel...
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- ..is the rooftop pool, - at the top of the red staircase.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43- There's a private terrace - and a plunge pool.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46- It's a glass-bottomed pool...
0:20:47 > 0:20:50- ..which allows you - to see into the room!
0:20:53 > 0:20:56- Yes, it lets natural light - enter the room.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58- It's a really quirky place.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37- CALL TO PRAYER
0:22:31 > 0:22:33- This ceiling is remarkable.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38- Yes, the designers weren't afraid - to experiment with materials.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42- This mirrored ceiling - is evocative of traditional beams.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44- This is a fantastic design.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48- It looks like an art deco mirror.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50- It looks like an art deco mirror.- - Yes, it does.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56- The bar looks like - something from a different world.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00- It's lit in such a way - the bottles really stand out.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05- They seem to wink at you and call, - "Come to the bar! Come to the bar!"
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- What have you enjoyed most - about this hotel?
0:23:31 > 0:23:35- I enjoyed all the different ideas - within this boutique hotel.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37- It's a showcase of various crafts.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40- The designer has endless ideas.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44- Yes, this is both contemporary - and retro...
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- ..and it has - a touch of Moroccan magic.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49- It's a real triumph.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23- S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones
0:24:23 > 0:24:24- .