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00:00Very good afternoon, Concierge. This is François-Xavier speaking.
00:07Oh, thank you so much for asking. I'm always wonderful.
00:11London's Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park is one of the world's most exclusive hotels.
00:16Good afternoon, man.
00:23Our royal suite goes for £15,000 a night.
00:26If you want to have this kind of hotel, you need the money. If not, how do you pay?
00:33You cannot pay with love.
00:35Offering elite clientele a flavour of traditional Britain.
00:39I'm always a sucker for cucumber sandwiches.
00:41I think it's the double cream that gets me going.
00:45Now, for the first time in its history...
00:48Busy, busy.
00:49...the hotel has agreed to open its doors.
00:52Good evening.
00:53Good evening.
00:54Both upstairs...
00:55And in the royal suite.
00:57Oh, dear.
00:58Oh, dear.
00:59Good, dear.
01:01...and downstairs.
01:02Five-star hotel, so they expect top-notch.
01:04Chop-chop.
01:05They're paying money and they need it now.
01:07Check on scallop meat-free between two pork and a sea bass, please.
01:11And reveal to the world the secrets of its success.
01:15I wish you the most pleasant afternoon ever.
01:18Thank you. Goodbye.
01:20Oh, these bags are heavier.
01:35Exercise.
01:36Very good afternoon, concierge.
01:41This is Francois Xavier speaking.
01:43Our message to you.
01:45Since the Mandarin Oriental first opened its doors almost 20 years ago, the number of hotels in London has nearly doubled.
01:53Oh, dear.
01:54Oh, dear.
01:55Oh, dear.
02:01Today, the hotel is one of 50 in the capital's exclusive five-star market.
02:06The luxury hotel market in London is very, very competitive.
02:10You have more and more five-star hotels.
02:13There are so many iconic names, you know?
02:17The Savoy, the Ritz, the Clouges, the Dorchester.
02:20And we're competing with them more or less for the same guests.
02:25Good to see you, sir.
02:26Welcome back.
02:27Welcome back.
02:28You okay?
02:29People come back to a luxury hotel because of who work there, not because of the product they have.
02:36Very good morning, concierge.
02:38Francois Xavier speaking.
02:39May I place you on hold for a second, please?
02:47Maybe we should do a bucket of carrots there.
02:50That would be good.
02:51And then we'll lead the horse onto the grass.
02:54Yeah.
02:55And I think this is a great photo opportunity for it, for the horse to be here.
02:59The hotel in the background.
03:01Yeah, yeah.
03:02Tonight, the hotel is hosting an important business event set up by director of communications,
03:08Sarah.
03:09We are launching Julie Cooper's new novel called Mount.
03:15Is Hello coming tonight?
03:17I'm sure they will be.
03:18And Tatler, and...
03:19Yes, they are.
03:20Yeah.
03:21You know, I've always been such a fan of her books.
03:24You know, when I was younger, sort of racy, fun, you know.
03:30Ah, there we go.
03:31Here's Julie Cooper.
03:32You have to like the people who are having sex so it doesn't work, is the headline.
03:37We are going to bed again, called Rupert across the paddock.
03:42Let's light the cans in the next 15 minutes, Adetta.
03:46And can you please check with housekeeping?
03:48Cloak room's ready.
03:49Do we need to have this?
03:50Oh, can we open it?
03:51Yeah, come on.
03:52Let's get nice and airy.
03:54An event like Julie's can bring in tens of thousands of pounds.
04:01And it's also valuable in terms of the publicity it can generate for the hotel.
04:06I see.
04:07They don't see a little bit.
04:11Ten journalists have been invited tonight, along with the 300 high-profile guests.
04:17This is your new uniform.
04:19OK?
04:20Director of Catering Operations, Paul, is responsible for making sure everything runs smoothly.
04:26How about that?
04:27With the type of clientele that we have, we're dealing with everybody from people who are
04:32running banks, CEOs.
04:34So, obviously, they come here and see the service.
04:37It's going to have an impact on their decision-making.
04:40Am I bringing in a different event here or another event here?
04:43OK.
04:44I used to work for somebody once, who used to always say.
04:47I used to say, oh, they're very happy, great, have they rebooked?
04:49So, if they haven't rebooked, you're not that successful.
04:53We're going to do a briefing now with the team, where Johannes is.
04:56We'll go through all the allergens, what we expect.
04:59We'll do a little history of what's happening.
05:04Sorry, Johannes, I've got the company coming in.
05:06Stop, yeah, jumping around like a jockey.
05:13Rush hour, they call it.
05:14To make sure the event wows the guests and generates precious column inches in the press,
05:21the hotel is laying on a lot more than champagne and canapes.
05:25I'm waiting for the horse to turn up.
05:27Obviously, I'm not used to this.
05:30I'm used to big open spaces, not London cabbies up and down the road.
05:36Since Jilly's new novel features a grey stallion, the hotel has arranged for one to be brought in by horse whisperer Gary Witherford.
05:45I deal with problem horses what other people can't deal with.
05:48It's to get the horse calm and relaxed and to get on and do his job without any hassles.
05:54You know, to bring a 19-year-old stallion into London is quite unique, I should think.
06:00It's the first time anything like this has been done, especially in a hotel.
06:09It's not just the likes of Jilly Cooper that the staff need to impress.
06:14In recent years, another type of guest has become increasingly important.
06:20Children.
06:24Good afternoon, sir. How are you?
06:26Very good.
06:28While parents used to leave the kids behind, many families now stay at the hotel every year,
06:33generating a lucrative new source of business.
06:36You're the cutest flower girl in France.
06:38You think so?
06:39Yeah.
06:40Yes.
06:41Yeah. Look at that cheeky grin.
06:43When I started in the hotel industry, I don't recall having so many children around.
06:48You just have to adapt. You adapt to the child. You smile.
06:52I can see that this is an early morning, isn't it?
07:02You treat the kids as you treat the father, the young son or the little girl, you know.
07:06You'd ask her what she bought shopping that day or what she wants to do.
07:10So do you want to know at what time the trains are leaving?
07:12Yes.
07:13Yes.
07:14Are you planning to go to Legoland today?
07:15Yes.
07:16Oh dear.
07:17Do you have a lot of Legos at home?
07:18Yes.
07:19Yes?
07:20Mm-hmm.
07:21It's very nice, isn't it?
07:22Parents are always proud of their children.
07:24So if they see their children happy in there, then they are delighted.
07:29And this is what we want.
07:30Are you going to spend the afternoon over there or...?
07:33Yes.
07:34Oh, it's lovely.
07:35Always target a soft point.
07:38I hope you will have a nice time over there.
07:41Yes.
07:42Mm-hmm.
07:43I'm sure you will.
07:44Have a good afternoon.
07:45For us, thanks God, when we travel, we are going to the five-star hotels always.
07:56My kids are constantly asking, when can we stay at the hotel?
08:00When can we stay at the hotel?
08:01Because they know they get to go swimming and they get breakfast in bed delivered on a tray.
08:06Much important, the love, the family, the union.
08:10But if you want to have this kind of hotel, absolutely you need the money.
08:15Yes, I need the money.
08:16If not, how do you pay?
08:19You cannot pay with love.
08:32Thank you so much.
08:34Catering for wealthy families may be good for business.
08:38See you again soon.
08:39Great.
08:40Thank you so much.
08:41Thank you so much, sir.
08:42But it's not always fun and games for the staff.
08:44There's a lot of things that you need to watch out for more when children are around.
08:50Kids drop things more easily.
08:53Some kids are left in the room without supervision and starting to paint the carpet or the wall,
08:59and all these things.
09:00The same like you have at home.
09:02So, stain now.
09:03Stain now.
09:04Stain now.
09:05And stain now.
09:06I've had a go.
09:07I've got another stain now.
09:08From there.
09:09Round out.
09:10For the last two weeks, one of the most expensive suites has been occupied by a large family.
09:19I've had a go trying to wash it out, but it's stained it.
09:23The hotel now needs to replace all of the carpets.
09:30You see a lot worse than that sometimes.
09:33A lot of people have these fat bowls, which they cook their...
09:37What'd they call it, Trev?
09:38Fondue.
09:39Fondue.
09:40Fondue.
09:41They have hot fat, and it all sort of goes over, burns the carpet, all grease.
09:47So you get a lot worse than that.
09:49A lot worse.
09:51Just the way...
09:53Just a different way of life.
09:55Front office manager Roman has an important business decision to make,
10:00whether or not to charge the family.
10:03And that looks like coffee.
10:04It could be chicken curry.
10:06It can be anything, really.
10:07It's quite big, actually.
10:09Their hotel bill already amounts to £200,000.
10:15So, including...
10:16Inclusive VAT to replace two carpets and two rooms.
10:21It's £10,535.39.
10:25Is the hotel going to take...
10:27Take that on?
10:28No.
10:29We will charge a guest.
10:32Morning, gentlemen.
10:33How are you?
10:34Good.
10:35How's it going?
10:36Morning.
10:37Yeah?
10:38Yes.
10:39Guests that stay in the suite for a couple of weeks have considerable amount of money,
10:43so I don't think a carpet will break their bank.
10:47I literally like buying a pint of milk in the supermarket.
10:51See you.
10:52Come on.
10:53Open up the bottles.
10:54Get them all out, Jilly.
10:55Seriously.
10:56You put you behind a bar and you can't even...
10:57Hurry up.
10:58Come on.
10:59Come on.
11:00At Jilly Cooper's book launch, the pressure's on to impress hundreds of important guests.
11:18Hello, Jilly.
11:19This is Sarah.
11:20Do you remember Sarah?
11:22As well as the racy romance novelist herself.
11:25You look...
11:26Oh, you look gorgeous.
11:27You look wonderful.
11:28Hello, I'm Chris.
11:29We met at the diarist lunch.
11:30How are you?
11:31I'm very well, thank you.
11:32And you?
11:33Lovely to see you.
11:34Thank you so much.
11:35Oh, pleasure.
11:36Delighted.
11:37Jilly's been given the royal suite for her changing room.
11:47I'm in the royal suite.
11:49I mean, what an excitement for me to be in the royal suite.
11:52I'm very pleased.
11:53This suite comes with its own private butler and normally costs £15,000 a night.
12:01It's lovely, isn't it?
12:03I mean, it's about ten rooms, this suite.
12:05And sort of jacuzzi.
12:07I might have a jacuzzi later at four o'clock in the morning with a fun room.
12:13I'm absolutely terrified now because there's lots and lots and lots of people I've met who are coming this evening.
12:19And I'm panicking.
12:20I won't recognise them.
12:21So you have to say darling a lot and introduce yourselves and all that sort of thing.
12:25But I hope it'll feel like because lots of heavenly people are coming.
12:28Heavenly people bring heavenly business.
12:34But you need to put on a show.
12:36So the horse hasn't arrived.
12:40I can't believe it.
12:41Everybody's coming to see the horse, aren't they?
12:44The horse is supposed to be here at four and hoping to go, you know, on stage if you like, sort of around six-ish.
12:52I'm more stressed now than I am when I'm putting the horse in the starting gates, you know, for the derby.
12:56Can we get you a glass of champagne? Sorry, Gerald. Look after the lady, please.
13:08To survive in the competitive five-star market, the Mandarin Oriental has to constantly attract high-profile guests.
13:16Can I just ask for a protocol point of view? Do we have any lords or ladies here?
13:21Uh, yes.
13:22Tonight, 300 important people have been invited to Jilly Cooper's book launch.
13:28We do loads of parties that people are only there to be seen and to make connections and pass the business card.
13:35Our wonderful friend from OK, who did the...
13:39Sometimes they're not even interested in the food and the beverage.
13:42It's, they're interested in meeting somebody, to do a deal.
13:46You can't measure what people get out of a party.
13:51But one important guest has yet to make an appearance.
13:55The stallion.
13:59My wife is driving it down from home, down in Wiltshire.
14:02It's supposed to be a minute away, that was about 25 minutes ago.
14:07I'm sweating, never mind him.
14:11That's mine.
14:13Nicola?
14:17Are you, is that you coming down the road now?
14:20I can see you now.
14:26Just swing up there, that's the road.
14:29Good boy, good boy there.
14:38It's a long time to be stood in the lorry without having a pee.
14:41You'll see him now, he's just, he's desperate to have a pee there now.
14:44There he goes, on cue almost.
14:46He was absolutely dying for that.
14:47Being a horse whisper means that I get into the horse's heads.
14:53Because they can't talk, but you have to listen.
14:56Just there, he's getting, he's getting anxious, well let's get on it, stamp the foot.
14:59You know, that's him talking to me and saying, let's get on with it dad, you know.
15:01We're a little anxious because we'd like to see the horse over there.
15:05So are we waiting for the PR lady to come and get us?
15:08They're all there, waiting for you.
15:09They weren't coming here.
15:10So if we leave it any longer, we're going to have a bit of a problem.
15:13Because the terrace is going to fill with all the guests.
15:16And then, fabulous, fabulous.
15:19Oh, I see, okay.
15:21Well, I think the best is for you to follow me.
15:23And then we'll, I'll just grab him.
15:25And then we'll go.
15:31He's here.
15:33He's here, look, look, look, look, look, look, look.
15:37Who is?
15:38This is Brookha.
15:39Brookha.
15:40Brookha the stallion.
15:41Hello, darling.
15:42Yeah.
15:43Okay, come on, sweetie.
15:44And I've got lovely characters.
15:45Oh, you'll love all that.
15:50There he is.
15:53It is a bit bonkers.
15:54The whole thing is a bit bonkers.
15:55But what a lovely story.
16:01We've got a full garden.
16:02I don't think we've ever had a full garden of both humans and a horse.
16:08Look at everyone.
16:09Really good turnout.
16:12He's telling her.
16:14Open the book, he says.
16:15That's a naughty bit.
16:17What do you think of that, Bill?
16:19What do you think of that?
16:20But while the great and the good have turned out in force,
16:22not everyone is welcome.
16:25You don't have an invite.
16:27Okay.
16:29No, that's fine, man.
16:30You don't have an invite.
16:31You're not supposed to be here.
16:32It's not the first time I've asked you not to come.
16:35I have a feel for people.
16:36You know, I just know if they shouldn't be there
16:38or they're not acting the right way
16:39or they're a bit sheepish.
16:41Okay, well, I'm awfully sorry.
16:42This is not the first time we've spoken.
16:43There are always going to be somebody somewhere along the line
16:44who thinks, you know, I should be part of that.
16:45You know, and we have to make sure that doesn't happen.
16:46Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Jilly.
16:47To Jilly!
16:48To Jilly!
16:49To Jilly!
16:50To Jilly!
16:51To Jilly!
16:52To Jilly!
16:53To Jilly!
16:54To Jilly!
16:56I just want to say, the message on the cover
16:57is a bit arbitrary
16:58in that it orders you all to mount Jilly Cooper.
17:01Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only, Jilly. To Jilly!
17:08I just want to say, the message on the cover is a bit arbitrary,
17:12in that it orders you all to mount Jilly Cooper.
17:17So, instead of mounting me, I'd like you to form an orderly cue
17:21and shake my hands. Thank you all very much.
17:31To be a contender in the competitive five-star market,
17:37all luxury hotels need one key ingredient.
17:46When I stay in a hotel, the most important thing I want to see is that staff are courteous.
17:53It's the staff, it's people jumping at your whim as soon as you ask for something.
17:57Delivering luxury, if you don't come across, you know, in a Gen 9 way,
18:04or in a helpful way, or, you know, people will spot it immediately.
18:13Francois, good morning. Very good morning. I'm delighted to see you.
18:17Oh, what a pleasure, Mr. Bentley. You look as wonderful as ever.
18:22One member of the hotel's staff is essential when it comes to bringing in
18:27important guests. My role at the Mandarin Oriental is that of ambassador.
18:34And so I try to represent the hotel in an ambassadorial fashion.
18:39This is a lovely fabric, this. I got this in Italy.
18:42Oh, that's beautiful. The great coup was that I was, to a very large extent,
18:48responsible for the Queen choosing the hotel for the dinner the night before William and Catherine's wedding.
18:57Good morning. I'm very well. How are you?
19:00I'm fine. Good.
19:03Mr. Bentley normally lives in Venice, but every six weeks,
19:06he travels to London to carry out his ambassadorial duties.
19:10My first assistant manager's job was at a little hotel in the country,
19:17and then I went to the Savoy as house manager, and then I went to Claridge's for 27 years,
19:23and then I had 10 years at the Ritz, and I've had eight years at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park.
19:27I think Mr. Bentley is a secret weapon, you know, because he knows a lot. He knows people, he knows things. In a way, he's a concierge.
19:53Are you smiling today?
19:57He's so British. The suits, the style. He's like a retired James Bond.
20:08How lovely to see you.
20:09Oh, I'm so pleased to see you. Are you well?
20:12And you're looking absolutely divine in chiffon.
20:17He's Italian.
20:17Very appropriate for this time of the year.
20:20Is it?
20:21During his time in London, Mr. Bentley has arranged several meetings.
20:24We've got a lot to talk about.
20:26We have. I've got the Pittsburgh Orchestra.
20:29Oh, really?
20:30I hope I'm going to come here.
20:32And when are they coming?
20:33Today, Mr. Bentley is having lunch with his friend in the hotel's brasserie, Bar Baloo.
20:38Has business been quite good?
20:44Very good.
20:44We've got some Indonesians coming for Christmas and New Year.
20:49Oh, really?
20:50Yeah.
20:50And they're staying here four or five days.
20:52I think they've taken the top suite.
20:53Oh, good.
20:55One lunch here with Jane can lead to tens of thousands of pounds worth of business.
21:01A lot of my clients only want sweets.
21:03So they know that they're going to pay four or five figures up.
21:08Which is a lot, isn't it?
21:11Tell me about the Pittsburgh Orchestra.
21:14Oh, yes, I think it's good, don't you?
21:15Wonderful.
21:16There are now so many five-star hotels in London.
21:19And they're all competing.
21:21And they all have to have something that gets your business.
21:25Oh, thank you so much.
21:27Oh, how delicious.
21:29But I think this hotel's particularly good at that.
21:32Because you've got Mr. Bentley, who is a very old friend of mine.
21:36You would love Peter Davies, who's coming on Friday.
21:39He's a real bon vivant.
21:41It's all about personal relationships.
21:43I mean, a lot of the hotel business is about personal relationships.
21:47Oh, well, aren't you eating your ratatouille?
21:49No, I've had enough. It's delicious, but I'm not...
21:51Would you like a spoon?
21:52I wouldn't. No, I'm fine. It was lovely. Thank you.
21:55How's the diet?
21:56Appalling.
21:57But with wealthy guests come high expectations.
22:10Good afternoon, sir.
22:11I've got a bunch of dinner, sir.
22:13Yes, you will find the dining room down the corridor on your left, please.
22:17And the expectations of the wealthy must be satisfied.
22:21Good evening.
22:22We have a busy evening, over 180 booked. We're at capacity, essentially.
22:27John, do you want to run through who's joining us this evening?
22:30Absolutely, sir. Table 18 at 7 o'clock for three guests.
22:34He's on his 26th visit, Russian gentleman.
22:37So it was pleasing to have him back in the room.
22:39The Mandarin Oriental is home to the two-Michelin-starred restaurant called Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.
22:48OK, check on scalloped meat fruit between two pork and a sea bass, please.
22:52Although Heston's name is on the door, the day-to-day running of dinner is down to executive chef Ashley Palmer Watts.
22:59Is that how we're putting it on now?
23:00Yes.
23:01Oh, hmm. No, let's do it with a spoon.
23:05To achieve two Michelin stars, you've got to be cooking at a certain level.
23:09It's got to have a certain flair about it, a balance about it, originality.
23:14It's got to deliver something that makes you go, that was amazing.
23:21Just alternate this a little bit, you know? A little bit more natural.
23:25Having a great reputation does put a lot of pressure on delivering every single day.
23:32Main away, table 25, please.
23:36Triple cooked chips.
23:42That's one of the best chips I've had south of Derby.
23:45That's not like chip shop chip.
23:50Good, you?
23:51Yeah.
23:51Today, Heston's dropped in to see Ashley and the team.
23:55What time?
23:56Hello.
23:57The two chefs have worked together for 17 years.
24:00I found out about three months ago, I've got quite extreme ADHD.
24:07And, what, could it tell?
24:09No, no, no, I was trying to listen to what you're talking about.
24:12So, I wouldn't change it for the world.
24:14When it works, I can join dots up, I can make connections that no people can't see.
24:2120 things at the same time, when it works.
24:25When it doesn't work, I must be a flipping nightmare.
24:32Dinner's dishes include the liquid nitrogen ice cream trolley, the spit-roasted pineapple tipsy cake,
24:39and its most iconic dish, the meat fruit, a chicken liver parfait disguised as a mandarin orange.
24:46Chef?
24:47Dinner by Heston?
24:50Yeah.
24:51You know what it is, or would you like me to show it?
24:52No.
24:53I'll show it.
24:53Please.
24:54Having such high-end food on the premises makes good business sense for the hotel.
25:00I think any five-star hotel must have a top chef in the hotel.
25:08And if you want to be the best, you have to be able to offer the best to your customers.
25:13Okay, you got across, table 46, no fish.
25:17You're away on 11.
25:20But to retain their culinary customers, the hotel needs dinner to retain its Michelin stars.
25:27The thing with the Michelin guide, there's no guide, there's no guide on the planet that generates the same excitement and fear.
25:36Just because you've got it one year, you cannot just expect you're going to get it the following year.
25:43In three weeks' time, the new Michelin guide will be published,
25:46and the dinner team will discover if they've retained their coveted rating.
25:52Okay, check on octopus meat fruit between two pigeon pork.
25:57To lose a second star, you can guarantee that it would be a problem.
26:03This garnish is really salty.
26:05We'll get a fresh one, please.
26:07And it needs to be fast.
26:09I think it would be massively heartbreaking.
26:14And it would definitely impact business, for sure.
26:18Okay, check on three snails, two tomatoes, one meat fruit between five.
26:22Five belly, please.
26:23Oh, no, I've never been very good at this kind of things, unfortunately.
26:38Now that families are becoming bigger business for the Mandarin Oriental,
26:44the staff are under pressure to come up with a more child-friendly five-star service.
26:49When we have a child, we try and do a special little plate with a cupcake.
26:52We write their name on it.
26:53This has a little additional extra, make them feel really special in the morning.
26:57Beautiful.
26:58Oh, she will be thrilled.
27:00You're great.
27:02It's very important that staff treats kids really well, because you're creating your next generation of your guests.
27:08I mean, children talk as well, word of mouth.
27:11I think if I would come in, I would feel very special.
27:15If you're hungry, it's perfect.
27:16The buffet is laid out.
27:19You're creating memories there as well, like for adults.
27:22But for children, you need to engage them in it on a different level.
27:27Oh, look at it.
27:33Oh, thank you very much.
27:35This is Ewan.
27:35How is this, Ewan?
27:36But catering for children is not always straightforward.
27:40At reception, an incident involving two children has just been reported to duty manager Ewan.
27:46And said that they damaged the mirror.
27:51Okay, I want to check it out.
27:56Duty manager, we are primarily in charge of the safety and security of our colleagues and our guests.
28:02But as well, we also are handling any complaints.
28:08It can be very delicate, to be honest with you, because it could have been a simple accident,
28:11or it could have been damage that was caused.
28:14So we now will review the CCTV, and then our senior management team will make a decision
28:20whether they want to charge the guests or not for the damage.
28:25The guests' hotel bill is already nearly 7,000 pounds.
28:36Ah, so he kicked the mirror.
28:38What do they do after this?
28:41Are they like old, or...?
28:42Yes, they're like old.
28:44And who is this lady here?
28:45Is that the mother?
28:46The mother.
28:47Yeah.
28:47And they don't say anything to the mother?
28:49None.
28:50It looks like she's not noticed it.
28:53All right.
28:54Have a nice evening.
28:59I'm now going to speak to Roman to see what he thinks, and if he wants to charge them.
29:04This is Ewan, how do we assist you?
29:06Roman is head of front office and Ewan's immediate boss.
29:17Your thoughts on 8.02.
29:19Have you heard about the mirror in the gym?
29:21No.
29:21No.
29:23So, 8.02, the two children, the mother was working out on the treadmill.
29:26Two children are over at the weights machine, and one of them jumps up onto the bar and smashes the mirror.
29:34He swung from the bar and jumped up and kicked the mirror like that.
29:38Oh, he kicked the mirror?
29:40Put his foot into the mirror.
29:43Probably a little karate kid, huh?
29:44Yeah.
29:45I mean, we have video footage, and you have kind of probably intent there, and then it's a kid.
29:57Because kids is always difficult.
29:58It's literally, your kid can store more or less everything.
30:03So, I think every business has to think, is it worth fighting for that amount of money now,
30:09or does it create too much drama and disruption that I lose more in the long run?
30:17We're in the service industry, so we like to make people happy.
30:20And here you need to have a conversation that clearly doesn't make anybody happy.
30:23Not me, not them, and that's why it's awkward.
30:28In the end we charged the family for the mirror, because it seemed like that the kid did it on purpose.
30:39So, we're going to have to make people happy.
30:47A more traditional source of revenue, prized by many British five-star hotels, is afternoon tea.
30:56England's afternoon tea in a luxury hotel of quality is an essential part of the day-to-day business.
31:03You eat a cucumber sandwich, you have a lovely homemade scone with clotted cream, strawberry jam.
31:12It's essential.
31:16Which tea will you serve?
31:17Large leaf darjeeling.
31:19Large leaf darjeeling, absolutely.
31:21Large leaf darjeeling is the champagne of teas.
31:24Today, Mr. Bentley is using the persuasive powers of afternoon tea to woo some potential clients.
31:33Who's coming for tea?
31:35A number of people from De Beers, I believe, and some art aficionados.
31:41Yes, yes, yes.
31:4340 minutes and we need to get everything done, because we are really busy today.
31:47Yes, sir.
31:48Responsible for making nearly 200 sandwiches, 400 scones, and 800 cakes every day are the pastry chefs.
32:01A lot of work goes into after things.
32:04Each pastry or cake has, like, minimum four elements.
32:08People don't realise.
32:0919-year-old Casey is one of the youngest members of staff at the hotel.
32:15My job is pastry commie chef.
32:18So I'm basically at the bottom of the ladder in the pastry kitchen doing the worst jobs.
32:23It's my job to do all the stuff the night before, so in the morning when everyone comes in,
32:27everything's all prepped and ready to go.
32:29So I can't leave until this is done.
32:33I was very sensitive when I first started in the industry.
32:36I used to cry nearly, like, every day.
32:38Someone would say something, like, about my hair sticking out of my hat,
32:41and I would just take it to heart and get so upset.
32:43Good morning.
32:47My name's Michael Bentley.
32:48I'm Adrian Stephanie.
32:49How very nice to see you here.
32:51I love the code.
32:53There's just so much pressure not to let anyone down.
32:55Like, not just the company, but the guests as well.
32:59When we do your afternoon tea, if something goes wrong, you do just think,
33:02like, oh, I've ruined everyone's day.
33:05I'm always a sucker for cucumber sandwiches.
33:08I think it's the double cream that gets me going.
33:10That's the other thing, isn't it?
33:11Just so many people say, is it scorn or is it scorn?
33:13It's scorn.
33:14It's definitely scorn.
33:15Definitely scorn.
33:16It's just, like, two different classes of people,
33:19and some people belong in the kitchen,
33:21and some people belong in the royal suite that's the butler,
33:24and, yeah, this is the life I chose.
33:27Starting salary is 17,000 a year,
33:33so people staying in the hotel pay my wage for one night.
33:37I like being in the kitchen.
33:50Upstairs, Roman is investigating a new business opportunity
33:54that's right underneath their noses.
33:59Some of the hotel's fixtures and fittings are out of date
34:02and are about to be sold off at an upcoming auction.
34:05It's maybe a bit harsh to say,
34:08but sometimes you come a little bit in, like, a museum,
34:12where, ideally, you want to come in and you say, wow.
34:15The whole shower arrangement isn't modern anymore
34:18or what you would expect for £6.5 in a luxury hotel.
34:21We lost guests over not having the most up-to-date bathrooms,
34:27so feel sold.
34:36Personally, I always run into the bathroom,
34:38and if there's a shower curtain in there, I don't want to stay.
34:42Shower curtains are definitely not luxury.
34:45The Mandarin Oriental.
34:46It's not necessarily the most luxurious hotel.
34:49It's not the newest hotel.
34:52But, you know, there's a bit of this English shabby chic
34:57that, you know, is...
34:59I'm not sure they like the fact that I call it shabby.
35:09Hello, ladies.
35:09Hello.
35:10How are you?
35:10Nice to meet you.
35:11I'm Nigel.
35:12Nigel, I'm sorry.
35:13Nice to meet you, too.
35:14Are you here to buy Brad and Angelina's bed, by any chance?
35:17Did they read us?
35:18Well, you...
35:19It's for sale, as far as I know.
35:21Brandon!
35:22Morning, Lady Brown.
35:24How are you?
35:24Good morning, Lady.
35:25Today, the hotel is holding an open house for prospective buyers.
35:29It's a lovely way to, Jan.
35:32Bottom line, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is there to make money.
35:36People go into business to make more money out of what they have already.
35:40And the doors, do they go?
35:42The doors, they're going to refurbish.
35:44So I think my understanding is they're going to keep those.
35:47I have a hotel in Greenwich, and we've just got consent to do up my late husband's
35:53old stately home up in Cheshire.
35:55So I'm really after light fittings, lamps, those sort of solid articles.
36:01The artwork is very well framed, either in walnut or a mahogany frame, and they tend to have...
36:07How much value do these items have, and try and get the most for it?
36:12Yeah, very simple, straightforward.
36:14I actually would quite like the chair.
36:17You don't know who sat on that chair, do you think?
36:19Indeed.
36:20Well, if I bought that chair, I'd probably hope it was George Coloni.
36:23But, you know, living hope.
36:34You want that kind of put-stem. You're always going to get a heart out of the one.
36:38In Dinner by Heston, Ashley and head chef Johnny are working on a new dish.
36:44Duck with pickled cherries and braised red cabbage.
36:47It's getting a little bit of charry bubbliness going on here.
36:52To retain their two Michelin star rating,
36:55every new dish must meet with the chef's exacting standards.
36:59You know what? It just comes out quite naturally, actually, without a knife.
37:02In terms of the two stars, retaining them every year is like winning them every year.
37:07You can't stand still. You've got to be constantly evolving.
37:10You've got to be trying to make things better than before.
37:14And, you know, it's very difficult sometimes.
37:16Plate off. Plate off.
37:19We're just going to work on the plating before we start going into service with it.
37:23So this afternoon, myself and head chef Johnny are going to have a little plate off exercise.
37:29Ashley's got an idea of a dish, how it's going to look.
37:33He might have even drawn a couple of pictures. So it's all in his head already.
37:38First to plate up is Johnny.
37:41Let's have a pressure test.
37:42It's not quite our vision bit.
37:48It's just messy.
37:50All right, cool. Let's do your one.
37:54It's a tricky one, isn't it? There's a few little bits on it.
37:56There at the back. Maybe one down here.
38:00Yeah, that's it.
38:00Yeah? You're going to approach the dish kind of like this and then eat your way through along the dark.
38:05You're picking the cherries along the way. It's...
38:10It's going to be pretty nice to eat.
38:11Yes.
38:15What are you putting here?
38:17There's some... There's something in the...
38:18So it's finished with the spice salt from the...
38:20It's marmi or fermented or that.
38:23Heston has come in to taste the new dish.
38:26There's a very slight leather note.
38:29Just the veg salt with loads of butter mushrooms.
38:32Oh, it's a mushroom.
38:33Yes, it's a mushroom, sir.
38:34He's got an obsessive compulsive drive all the time.
38:40It might be worth trying.
38:42Yeah.
38:43Just like two or three caraway seeds.
38:46Yeah, we can drop some in.
38:48He's always pushing for it to be better or let's just try that, let's just try that.
38:52There's this kind of term, this kind of restless perfection, you know?
38:57You never get there.
38:58It's just like, you know, it's just constant.
39:01I think this is the best dark I've tasted here.
39:06Yeah, great dish.
39:10Heston's seal of approval is one thing.
39:12The Michelin guides is another.
39:15For me, to have to achieve the two Michelin stars up to now is incredible.
39:24But then it just means that every fricking year, the countdown comes.
39:29So we just get that, here it comes again.
39:32The Michelin comes around again.
39:33What's going to happen?
39:34Now we're going to go and see the loggia first.
39:47Yes.
39:48If that's all right.
39:49At the Mandarin Oriental, Mr Bentley's friendship with Jane McCrum has drummed up potential new business.
39:56So Peter, this is the loggia and it's also the royal entrance to the hotel.
40:01The chandelier is fantastic.
40:02Fantastic.
40:03And of course, you've got the view.
40:05You've got the view.
40:06Retired Major General Peter Davies is in search of a venue for an annual event.
40:12And you see this?
40:13Yes.
40:14Look how pretty it is.
40:15Yeah.
40:15You see, it's the only hotel in London with a royal entrance.
40:20Can I arrive there?
40:21You could arrive there.
40:23I run a club called the Fadeaways Club.
40:25Old soldiers never die.
40:27They only fade away.
40:28And we have a ladies lunch once a year.
40:30We try to make that special.
40:32We do try to give the girls a good time out.
40:35And it was suggested that I came here to have a look at the facilities.
40:40Pavarotti used to stay and they had to reinforce the shower.
40:44Yes.
40:45Because he was so...
40:45What did he weigh?
40:47Oh, goodness knows what he weighed.
40:4830 stone.
40:49Most of our members of my club won't have had this sort of view or this sort of area to come to.
40:55And this experience.
40:55It would be something magical for them to remember.
40:59But we are the Fadeaways Club and our numbers do decrease.
41:03With no money, Peter.
41:04I know you're going to tell me.
41:05No money.
41:06No money.
41:06But they do have influence and they'll tell their friends.
41:09Yes.
41:10Do you not think it would be good?
41:11I think it would be very good.
41:12If we got it for a special...
41:13Yes.
41:14We'd have to negotiate.
41:15Yes.
41:15Perfect.
41:22Okay, so room 225, if I can show you this room.
41:25Wow.
41:29It's the day of the auction.
41:32One last buyer is looking around before bidding gets underway.
41:36It's a real princess room.
41:38Yeah, well, good, pretty nice.
41:39Are these the ones, yeah, that come in a pair?
41:42Yeah.
41:42So, they're a nice size as well.
41:45So, yeah, it's got a very luxurious feel.
41:48So, I might actually just bid on a few.
41:52Excellent.
41:52Perfect.
41:53At £60 no bid, in the room, then at 60, I'll take 70 if you like.
41:57At £60 no bid...
41:59Francesca is looking to buy furniture for a boutique hotel.
42:0390, 100, 100, 110.
42:07We are refurbishing an old Georgian estate and we've got 10 bedrooms.
42:1260, 70, 79.
42:15The furniture that they're auctioning off today is Georgian style,
42:19so we've got, you know, our eye on some really lovely pieces.
42:2330, 77, a Venetian-shaped gilt-friened wall mirror
42:26and a gilt-all-night-friened wall mirror.
42:29How much is that lot there?
42:30100.
42:31They're £3,000 worth of bed there and they are going for, you know, £120.
42:38That's crazy.
42:39All done, then, at £120.
42:43Sold at £120.
42:44That's all the items.
42:49Oh, grand total.
42:54I haven't tallied it up yet, um, but probably over 200 items we've got today.
43:03Thanks very much.
43:04There were 2,935 lots offered and 2,922 of them sold.
43:17We have made just under £200,000.
43:22So, it's £195,000 with the premium.
43:33In dinner by Heston, the team have been working hard to retain their coveted two Michelin stars.
43:43We all here?
43:43One more coming.
43:47Today, the results are out.
43:50Good evening.
43:50Good evening.
43:52So, the first time Michelin have held a ceremony to announce new stars and stars retained and held.
44:00And this morning, we were awarded two stars again, which is fantastic news.
44:04So, round of applause and thank you to everybody.
44:1121 two stars in the country, nine in London.
44:15We are one.
44:16So, cheers, guys.
44:17Thanks very much.
44:18Cheers.
44:22The hairs on my arms and my neck are actually standing.
44:28I can't, I can't describe it any other way.
44:31It's unbelievable.
44:33You know, it's just, it's just, I can't really explain it.
44:38It's just, it's amazing.
44:39It's brilliant.
44:41Anyone that says they don't care about it, they're probably lying.
44:44How are you today?
44:47How are you today?
44:48Much fun.
44:49What are you doing?
44:50Just tidying up with storage.
44:52Just tidying up good.
44:54Yes, yes.
44:54Mr. Bentley will soon be leaving London and returning to his home in Venice.
45:01Oh, here is the English breakfast served with great style by Lorenzo.
45:05Before he leaves, Jane McCrum wants to update him about the Major General's visit.
45:10He was very interested in the loggia for the ladies' Christmas lunch.
45:14I mean, the trouble is, army officers always plead poverty.
45:19May I just say one thing?
45:21When you get people like that who are a bit careful, you throw in something.
45:27And I would say something like, well, General, in view of the fact it would be such a privilege
45:33for the hotel to look after you and your colleagues, we will not charge you for the hire of the role.
45:40It could become something that's every year.
45:43Exactly.
45:44And it's repeat business that every hotelier relishes.
45:49Exactly.
45:56Keeping the clientele coming back for more will be no mean feat in London's ever-expanding five-star market.
46:04I think the future will be more and more competitive.
46:11You cannot be complacent with what you offer.
46:15It's very important to be good at what you do and to adapt in the future to do it even better.
46:24I think there's one thing that will never change.
46:27All human beings want to have a relationship with somebody else.
46:31If you get that right, you are actually in business.
46:35Good afternoon.
46:37I'm not planning to go anywhere.
46:39I love to be part of it.
46:41The hotel as an entity is a combination of lots of personalities, and I love to think that I'm one of them.
46:51Thank you, sir.
46:51I wish you the most pleasant afternoon ever.
46:55Goodbye.
47:008 o'clock next Thursday, Channel 4.
47:08The UK's most incredible restorations of historic buildings from last year.
47:12Kevin MacLeod sifting through the impressive list.
47:15Next tonight, extremely British Muslims and the challenge of balancing modern life
47:18with the teachings that originate from the Quran.
47:21Marina Brains.
47:22The U.S.
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