In this insightful and entertaining programme, Giles and Monica travel to South Africa - where they experience a land of contrasts through working in two very different hotels. The Silo is an industrial-chic, luxury art-themed hotel in the heart of Cape Town. It sits in the former elevator shaft of a 90-year-old, 187-foot grain silo (once dubbed the tallest building in sub-Saharan Africa) and on top of the new Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa - the African equivalent of the Tate Modern - within the same repurposed historic building. The redesign of the silo building was led by British star designer Thomas Heatherwick, who created 96 stunning windows which contain over 5,300 individual panes of glass overall and cost £50,000 each to construct.\n\nGiles and Monica discover that what looks amazing can be challenging to maintain. Giles puts his best window-cleaning skills to use on the angular panes inside the hotel, whilst Monica draws the short straw and gamely abseils from the 11th floor of the building to clean the exterior, using a mixture of citrus peel and alcohol. The choice of waterless cleaning products highlights a huge challenge for the hotel and for the city - during Cape Town's worst drought in a century. Giles works alongside maintenance man Dean as he checks the hotel's water aerators - special devices fitted to taps and shower heads - and finds that so far they have reduced water consumption in the hotel by nearly 60%.\n\nWhilst there is a severe shortage of one liquid, Monica discovers another is very popular in town. She works with Zimbabwean bar manager, Jonas, who offers 14 different types of gin, many distilled in Cape Town and infused with plants that can only be found locally. She cooks with Chef Zyaad, who draws inspiration from his Cape Malay heritage, and is shown the hotel's own bijou art gallery, The Vault, which features the work of emerging artists.
Source: BBC 2
Series 6: 7. Stanglwirt Hotel, Austria
Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti work at Stanglwirt Hotel in the Austrian Alps, owned by one family for 300 years and grown slowly over the years to offer world-class boxing and te ...
30-10-2024
BBC 2
Series 6: 6. Gangtey Lodge, Bhutan
Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti work 3,000m above sea level at Gangtey Lodge, Bhutan, in a remote region that only obtained electricity 11 years ago. This luxury hotel has oxygen ...
23-10-2024
BBC 2
Series 6: 5. Datai Langkawi, Malaysia
Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti travel to the Datai Langkawi in Malaysia. Beneath rainforest canopies, this hotel is so tucked-away that monkeys will break into the room if the do ...
16-10-2024
BBC 2
Series 6: 4. The Hassler, Rome
Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti visit the Hassler Hotel, arguably Rome’s most classic and celebrated hotel, which is undergoing a change in management. Family-run for genera ...
09-10-2024
BBC 2
Series 6: 3. Six Senses Ibiza
Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti work at Six Senses Ibiza on the island’s north coast. They help guests in the hotel’s on-site clinic experience biohacking therapies, f ...
04-10-2024
BBC 2
Series 6: 2. Argos In Cappadocia
Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti travel to Turkey to work at Argos in Cappadocia, a hotel built into a network of ancient caves.\n\nCombining history with modern luxury, Monica fin ...
25-09-2024
BBC 2
Series 6: 1. Shanghai Wonderland
Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti visit the Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland, known as the world’s first 'earthscraper' hotel. Learning about the innovative architectural ...
18-09-2024
BBC 2
Series 5: 7. Glenapp Castle, Scotland
In Scotland, Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder discover Glenapp Castle, where guests are treated to a magical stay made possible by a dedicated team of local staff. \n\nMonica and R ...
17-06-2024
BBC 2
Series 5: 6. Borgo Egnazia, Italy
Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder visit Italy to go behind the scenes of Borgo Egnazia - a hotel modelled on Puglia’s historical local villages. They work with the local staff ...
02-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 5: 5. Phinda Game Reserve, South Africa
At Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa, Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder join forces with the hotel staff to learn how to deliver a luxury safari experience. The hotel is o ...
25-04-2024
BBC 2
Series 4: 3. Grand Park Rovinj, Croatia
Monica and Giles work in an ultra-modern, glass-fronted hotel overlooking the historic Croatian town of Rovinj on the Istrian coastline. This new hotel is seeking to work in har ...
07-05-2023
BBC 2
Christmas Special - St Moritz, Switzerland
In this Christmas special, Giles and Monica travel to Kulm Hotel, St Moritz. This Swiss Alpine hotel was the birthplace of winter tourism more than 150 years ago. The Kulm's own ...
11-12-2022
BBC 2
Series 3: 2. The Torridon, Scotland
Monica Galetti and Giles Coren visit the Scottish Highlands to spend some time working at The Torridon, Britain's most northerly five-star hotel. Its need to balance luxury with ...
15-03-2021
BBC 2
Series 6: 3. Six Senses Ibiza
Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti work at Six Senses Ibiza on the island’s north coast. They help guests in the hotel’s on-site clinic experience biohacking therapies, f ...
04-10-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 3. Schloss Elmau, Germany
In this episode, Monica Galetti and Giles Coren visit Schloss Elmau, a hotel deep in the snowy Bavarian Alps that claims to be a cultural hideaway and restore their guests' mind ...
31-12-2020
BBC 2
Series 6: 6. Gangtey Lodge, Bhutan
Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti work 3,000m above sea level at Gangtey Lodge, Bhutan, in a remote region that only obtained electricity 11 years ago. This luxury hotel has oxygen ...
23-10-2024
BBC 2
Series 2: 4. Ashford Castle, Ireland
Monica Galetti and Giles Coren hop across to Ireland to scale the imposing and ancient ramparts of Ashford Castle. Set in 350 acres, it was founded 800 years ago by the Anglo-No ...
09-03-2021
BBC 2
Series 5: 8. Hotel Hubertus, Italian Alps
In the Tyrol region of northern Italy lies Hotel Hubertus - a family-run resort which offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains thanks to its panoramic aspect.\n\nTh ...
31-12-2023
BBC 2