I've never been to the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park but if I went perhaps I could afford the cake (as in let them eat cake). After watching the first episode, we learn that 80% of the foreign guests appear to be wealthy Middle eastern visitors. Episode 1 focused on a "middle eastern princess" (unnamed) with a sizeable entourage and 200 suitcases delivered in a truck!!
Roman, who works at the front desk (or concierge) follows up a middle eastern guest with a huge bill - it seems the guest was delaying payment, and Roman notes that all other guests are required to pay upon check-out, but not this middle eastern guest. By the end of episode 1, Roman still hasn't got payment.
One of the concierge staff notes Koreans are poor tippers (he hasn't met Aussies!) and British guests tip a "fiver here, a fiver there". Also we see Geoffrey Rush!
There are 600 staff at the hotel, and valet assistants earn 7 pounds 20 per hour plus tips (we learn no Brits apply for hospitality jobs, so I guess uppity Cumbrians steer clear I guess). The staff wax lyrical about food waste amongst middle eastern guests, with the guests ordering huge amounts but so much leftovers! We also learn it's more expensive to get the Hotel to do your laundry then it is to buy replacement clothes.
We see the behind-the-scenes lives of some of the hotel staff, most of them from Europe. One talks about Brexit, and the need to succeed in London.
What surprised me was Tripadvisor has quite a few 1 star reviews for the Hotel!
Bill Nighy is the narrator, and Annabelle Draper, Kim Nguyen and Vol Patel are the assistant producers of this fine series.
Roman, who works at the front desk (or concierge) follows up a middle eastern guest with a huge bill - it seems the guest was delaying payment, and Roman notes that all other guests are required to pay upon check-out, but not this middle eastern guest. By the end of episode 1, Roman still hasn't got payment.
One of the concierge staff notes Koreans are poor tippers (he hasn't met Aussies!) and British guests tip a "fiver here, a fiver there". Also we see Geoffrey Rush!
There are 600 staff at the hotel, and valet assistants earn 7 pounds 20 per hour plus tips (we learn no Brits apply for hospitality jobs, so I guess uppity Cumbrians steer clear I guess). The staff wax lyrical about food waste amongst middle eastern guests, with the guests ordering huge amounts but so much leftovers! We also learn it's more expensive to get the Hotel to do your laundry then it is to buy replacement clothes.
We see the behind-the-scenes lives of some of the hotel staff, most of them from Europe. One talks about Brexit, and the need to succeed in London.
What surprised me was Tripadvisor has quite a few 1 star reviews for the Hotel!
Bill Nighy is the narrator, and Annabelle Draper, Kim Nguyen and Vol Patel are the assistant producers of this fine series.
