An 800-Room, Five-Star, Often-Overbooked Juggernaut
A nostalgic memoir excerpt from a former Hong Kong Hilton front-of-house team member, recalling life managing an 800-room five-star property in the pre-digital era of the 1970s.
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Claridge's: Checking Into History
UK tv documentary. Dr Matthew Sweet explores the history of the godfather of all grand hotels - the royal family's home from home. From 2005.
Singapore's Raffles Hotel: An Icon Reborn | Part 2 | Full Episode
What does it take to restore a 132-year-old heritage hotel? Hard work, plenty of surprises and a 9-month delay. This is an exclusive look at Raffles Hotel's first major overhaul in 30 years.Filmed over 2 years, this documentary goes past the hoardings to show the sheer magnitude, unanticipated obstacles, and careful deliberation needed in restoring the Raffles Hotel. We catch up with well-loved characters from the previous episode – Bernd, the hands-on front office manager turned director of rooms; Kaeley, the affable and newly-minted executive housekeeper; and the sweet and unexpected friendship between long-time guest, Mdm Schoof, and duty manager, Roslee. We also get introduced to some new characters – Grace, the head butler in charge of steering a new team of Raffles butlers; and Kevin, the handsome chef de cuisine representing Anne-Sophie Pic, a chef with 7 Michelin stars to her name. Miss Part 1? Watch it here: https://youtu.be/VatPkX5RnoA=============Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesubSubscribe to our news service on Telegram: https://t.me/cnalatestFollow us:CNA: https://cna.asiaCNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasiaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasiaTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia
Singapore's Raffles Hotel: Remaking An Icon | Part 1 | Full Episode
In the heart of one of the world’s most modern cities stands an iconic structure synonymous with refinement, elegance, and service - unchanged for more than a century.This is an exclusive invitation to this grand hotel in Singapore as it undergoes the most extensive restoration and renovation in its 130 year history. We meet devoted staff - Bernd, the poster boy-handsome front-of-house manager who manages guests disgruntled by the construction work, and an exacting general manager; Roslee, the gentle and quirky duty manager; Kaeley, the bubbly assistant head of housekeeping; and Chef Pierre, a volatile Frenchman. The staff struggle daily to maintain the “Raffles standard” while the hotel is pulled down around them.This is a never-before-seen chronicle of a beloved institution that is both a luxury hotel, as well as a treasured national monument. Watch Part 2 to see the Raffles Hotel reborn: https://youtu.be/ud4U9Gyt7bQ=============Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesubSubscribe to our news service on Telegram: https://t.me/cnalatestFollow us:CNA: https://cna.asiaCNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasiaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasiaTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia
Hidden Details of The Plaza Hotel, From Lobby to Penthouse | Architectural Digest
Take a tour of New York City's most famous and luxurious hotel The Plaza led by architectural historian and author Francis Morrone and journalist and author Julie Satow. The Plaza has almost become synonymous with New York City, made famous by beloved children's book character Eloise, famous weddings like Donald Trump's and Macaulay Culkin in 'Home Alone 2.' Learn the secrets behind its grandeur, from its ornate lobbies and ballrooms to its lavish penthouse hotel rooms.Want even more AD? Subscribe to the magazine and get a free tote ►► http://bit.ly/2H7oOSGStill haven’t subscribed to Architectural Digest on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2zl7s34ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DIGESTThe leading international design authority, Architectural Digest features articles and videos of the best in architecture, style, culture, travel, and shopping.Hidden Details of The Plaza Hotel, From Lobby to Penthouse | Architectural Digest
Ritz - The story behind the famous luxury hotels
This is the first and only filmed biography about Cesar Ritz, inventor of modern hotel business.It is the story of a peasant boy in a remote mountain area and thus starts there, in the place he grew up in, Niederwald. The film follows Ritz’ way to Paris, Cannes, Rome and London. Finally, the film ends in the clinic where Ritz spent his last days, back in Switzerland. The film features interviews with family, friends and experts: the directors of the Ritz in Paris and Rome, a follower of the chef Escoffier, and Jacques Tardi, an artist specializing in the “Commune de Paris” and thus knowing the Paris of the Ritz period particularly well.Subscribe to wocomoTRAVEL: https://goo.gl/tIk2QcFollow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wocomoCesar Ritz’ story is one of personal drama: a man who has it all and finally collapses. He loses everything in the end, his family, the hotels, and his mind. Only his brilliant opus survives.Ritz’ genius consisted in captivating every novelty in record time and in transforming it into his world of hotel business almost instinctively. The technical progress was the main inspiration of the ingenious inventor. Cesar Ritz was every bit like the fuming and effervescing locomotives of his time that pulled him across Europe, from capital to capital, to the hotels of the Ritz Company, resembling themselves huge machines.The big challenge (and at the same time the charm) of the film stems from the fact that our protagonist belongs to an epoch long bygone. We are thus trying to revive this time with various visual aids. The atmosphere that Ritz created with his concept of the hotel business was based on illusion: in the hotel, everything is deamlike, a world apart: luxury, small and greater extravagancies, everything served to create a fairy tale. The guest is to pass from reality into hi own, sumptuous dream.The entry hall, the saloons and the suites of the Ritz hotels transmit a special, almost unreal ambiance. It revives the era od Cesar Ritz: the Paris Ritz as well as in the St. Regis Grand in Rome (another of his hotels) have lately been restored like historical monuments. This spirit and this accuracy help to reawaken the taste, the genius and the philosophy of Cesar Ritz. In this film, Cesar Ritz and his chef Auguste Escoffier make their presence felt again today.© Licensed by First Hand Films
The Ritz London: Checking Into History
UK TV doc in which Dr Matthew Sweet traces the history of the legendary London hotel - including the sad decline into mental illness of the man who gave it his name, the concierges who strive to meet any customer demand, and the ritual of afternoon tea. From 2005.
Midland Hotel Manchester: Checking Into History
UK TV documentary. The Manchester landmark where Rolls met Royce & Posh met Becks. Dr Matthew Sweet explores its origins in the Midland Railways and successful management by British Rail - and finds traces of lost roof gardens and German restaurant. From 2005.
The Savoy: Checking into History
UK TV documentary about the sometimes scandalous history of one of the world's most influential grand hotels. Presented by Dr Matthew Sweet. From 2004.