Inside Claridge's...9pm..BBC2.

1356723

Comments

  • alcockellalcockell Posts: 25,160
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I hear a lot of suppressed sighs from the staff...
  • demfedemfe Posts: 15,447
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    The manager is a German John Barrowman.
    or the German in League of Gentlemen!!
  • guernseysnailguernseysnail Posts: 18,922
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    When you're dealing with the super rich, $2000 is absolutely nothing, some would get ar$ey being bothered over such a sum.
    I'm not joking either 'you called me for that?'

    They did mention that it depends on the sum of money involved, cut off point is probably based on the person who stayed.

    Very true, we never had cash left behind, usually the odd sock or underwear!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,720
    Forum Member
    I've never considered myself to be a socialist or even left of centre but watching this I can't help thinking there is something immoral in the way some people spend the sort of money mentioned!

    How many people are employed at and because of Claridge's?

    It probably runs to several thousand jobs.

    The hotel guests enjoy living in the lap of luxury night after night, but their money would only be spent on something else, so why not?
  • cuttlefishspikecuttlefishspike Posts: 5,761
    Forum Member
    Gawd, the producer/interviewer is just terrible!
  • InspirationInspiration Posts: 62,694
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I guess that's where the money really goes.. the personal service and attention to detail. It's one thing staying in a posh room.. it's another when they set the room out perfectly to your requirements and set the bed to your requirements etc etc etc. That's probably where the value in the £5000 a night is. Plus the service they get from the staff. It's a very personal service.
  • demfedemfe Posts: 15,447
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I'm amazed they've allowed the cameras in and that the American couple agreed
  • googlekinggoogleking Posts: 15,006
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I'm surprised that these stupendously rich people don't have a butler of their own that they insist on bringing with them. Unless they make their butler go on holiday at the same time.
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,623
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    It's a fair point that a night in a hotel like that is probably better value, comes with better service and is much more comfortable, than a first class airline ticket.
  • TomGrantTomGrant Posts: 4,251
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Good show, enjoyed that.

    I work in the hospitality industry and it's nice to see that the luxury hotels operate in a similar fashion to all other places.
  • InspirationInspiration Posts: 62,694
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    The show was lacking a little something for me. Not sure what but it didn't wow me like I thought it might. Still.. very interesting to see what it's like in a place like that and the service on offer.

    RIP Norma. It seem's she died in February this year, so I guess two months after the episode was filmed. She was 87.

    http://www.elcaminohospital.org/About_El_Camino_Hospital/El_Camino_Hospital_Heroes/Norma_Melchor
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 289
    Forum Member
    The interviewer should have asked if they had any visits from the IMF and how they fared with the maids.
  • charmarrcharmarr Posts: 599
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    So that Irish group who are always on about poverty and telling us how obscene it is stay there.
    The ultimite in hypocricy.
  • Prince MonaluluPrince Monalulu Posts: 35,900
    Forum Member
    googleking wrote: »
    I'm surprised that these stupendously rich people don't have a butler of their own that they insist on bringing with them. Unless they make their butler go on holiday at the same time.

    Chappy I used to know was a Chauffeur to a rich american, large shares in Oil co's and a venture capital type.
    He had multiple houses around the world and was probably in the country, with his wife and child 4-6 months of the year over various trips.
    He'd have maids and staff at each house all year round.
    Maids and staff in London would go a little bandy when he wasn't around, hampers from Fortnums and the like.
    House was constantly having building work of some type done, kept his (Chauffeurs) brother in law and a few mates in work for months of the year, nearly every year, it was never ending.
  • CressidaCressida Posts: 3,218
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Loved all the Christmas decorations outside and in and approved of the Christmas tree being put up and trimmed between midnight and 6 pm. It provided such a magical sight for the guests coming down next morning. It was fantastic to see such attention to detai and the dedication show towards ensuring what was required by their guests was exemplary.
  • Prince MonaluluPrince Monalulu Posts: 35,900
    Forum Member
    charmarr wrote: »
    So that Irish group who are always on about poverty and telling us how obscene it is stay there.
    The ultimite in hypocricy.

    Really, I didn't know the Irish group went around in hair shirts and lived lives of poverty or expected anyone else to.
  • googlekinggoogleking Posts: 15,006
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    charmarr wrote: »
    So that Irish group who are always on about poverty and telling us how obscene it is stay there.
    The ultimite in hypocricy.

    Now you realise their hypocrisy? You know they pretty much wrote the book that the tax accountants of Starbucks etc now follow?
  • 1fab1fab Posts: 20,052
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I notice Dennis Basso stays there. That's the kind of gaff you can afford when you make a fortune out of animal furs.
  • CreamteaCreamtea Posts: 14,682
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    tothegrand wrote: »
    I think I can see a little Britain spoof coming...........

    "Come Stay With Me" :D
    I enjoyed the program. Ended on a bit of a downer with the death of Mrs Melchor though.
  • SueGSueG Posts: 1,027
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    The show was lacking a little something for me. Not sure what but it didn't wow me like I thought it might. Still.. very interesting to see what it's like in a place like that and the service on offer.

    RIP Norma. It seem's she died in February this year, so I guess two months after the episode was filmed. She was 87.

    http://www.elcaminohospital.org/About_El_Camino_Hospital/El_Camino_Hospital_Heroes/Norma_Melchor

    In the article linked to above it says that:-

    "A former surgical nurse, she joined the fledgling El Camino Hospital Auxiliary in 1957 and organized tours of the new hospital when its doors first opened in 1961.

    "Organised tours"? What the bleep does that mean? Was it a tourist attraction? That makes no sense at all to me. Why is there a need to organise tours of a hospital?

    Edited to add, I found another article here http://www.losaltosonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1773&Itemid=109 which also mentions her organising tours of the hospital. That seems very strange to me, but I suppose that's because I'm in the UK and therefore used to the NHS. Hospitals are obviously much more commercial concerns in the US.
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,623
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    SueG wrote: »
    "Organised tours"? What the bleep does that mean? Was it a tourist attraction? That makes no sense at all to me. Why is there a need to organise tours of a hospital?

    Edited to add, I found another article here http://www.losaltosonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1773&hg tours of the hospital. That seems very strange to me, but I suppose that's because I'm in the UK and therefore used to the NHS. Hospitals are obviously much more commercial concerns in the US.

    Go to any hospital in the UK and you will find they are running charitable appeals for equipment or facilities the NHS won't fund. It's just that in the US, as ever, things are on a bigger scale. Hospitals over there raise a lot of money from donations so that they can treat patients who don't have insurance.

    Going by that article, the couple were very involved in fundraising for the hospital.
  • Prince MonaluluPrince Monalulu Posts: 35,900
    Forum Member
    SueG wrote: »
    In the article linked to above it says that:-

    "A former surgical nurse, she joined the fledgling El Camino Hospital Auxiliary in 1957 and organized tours of the new hospital when its doors first opened in 1961.

    "Organised tours"? What the bleep does that mean? Was it a tourist attraction? That makes no sense at all to me. Why is there a need to organise tours of a hospital?

    Edited to add, I found another article here http://www.losaltosonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1773&Itemid=109 which also mentions her organising tours of the hospital. That seems very strange to me, but I suppose that's because I'm in the UK and therefore used to the NHS. Hospitals are obviously much more commercial concerns in the US.

    You're probably right, as the Hospital is a commercial concern, punters can and will choose where they go if possible.
    Reputation brings in the punters, facilities, calibre of the Doctors employed there, etc.

    Anyway just finished watching my recording of this.
    I liked that, rather nice gentle doc, no huge revelations or anything, but an interesting look into that world.
    Hellish number of staff attending those meetings, to get updates on what's happening and which guests they need to be aware of.
  • PretzelPretzel Posts: 7,858
    Forum Member
    The hotel looked very very nice, and obviously to have such personal service and attention to detail must be great, but somehow it didn't make me want to stay there. Which is the way watching these shows usually do. Strange, because it's a beautiful place. Although.. in a couple of shots the Melchers suite did look rather like an up market care home, so maybe that it's.
    Also the tree- well no, I don't care if they did call in a Parisian designer (was it?), they overpaid. It looked like a market town Debenhams, trying to be trendy. A real tree, dressed traditionally would have been far better.

    And lol at the child who said she loved the place because it's 'very Art Deco' - I love posh kids.:p
  • Prince MonaluluPrince Monalulu Posts: 35,900
    Forum Member
    LostFool wrote: »
    Go to any hospital in the UK and you will find they are running charitable appeals for equipment or facilities the NHS won't fund. It's just that in the US, as ever, things are on a bigger scale. Hospitals over there raise a lot of money from donations so that they can treat patients who don't have insurance.

    Going by that article, the couple were very involved in fundraising for the hospital.

    Oh never thought of that, ER and the Carter foundation comes to mind now.
    Maybe I shouldn't base my world view on long running TV series though :)
  • Prince MonaluluPrince Monalulu Posts: 35,900
    Forum Member
    Info I got from listening to R4's Frontrow program.
    The Butler was the Directors 'in' to Claridges.
    She got married there and met the Butler, so got interested in interviewing him and talking about his life and the hotel.
    IIRC Her husband proposed there or they had their first blind date there so she's got a lot of affection for the place and a particular table.
Sign In or Register to comment.