Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby

Macau is the world’s gambling capital and its newest super-hotel, the MGM Cotai, is determined to cater to every whim of its high-rollers. Giles and Monica join the mind-boggling 6000 staff and try to come to terms with the sheer vastness of the resort. They discover a secret VIP world of huge suites where even money can’t buy a room. So how do the ultra-rich gain entry to this hallowed place?

Britain's most northerly five-star hotel has a problem. It’s so remote that staff have to live there all the year round. But when the bar at the Torridon in the Scottish Highlands features a different single malt whisky for every day of the year, why would you ever want to leave? Monica gathers seaweed for lunch, while Giles changes toilet seats and takes a dip in a very chilly loch.

Monica and Giles visit Schloss Elmau, a hotel located deep in the snowy Bavarian Alps that intermingles culture with saunas, pools and luxurious spa treatments. Poetry is delivered daily to your door, there’s a bookshop on site and world-renowned musicians play to the guests for free. Monica gets to meditate with the rest of the staff but can Giles overcome his distaste for lederhosen?

You may think that a hotel room that’s missing a wall is hardly a byword for luxury. Giles and Monica discover that each suite at Jade Mountain in St Lucia has no outer wall so the glorious ocean views can be enjoyed. But, as Giles finds out, keeping the patrons happy at this eco-friendly resort is incredibly tough. Can he carry mimosas and a huge chunk of cheese to his guests successfully?

A stately home? With yurts? As Giles and Monica discover, the British aristocracy have had to adapt to survive in the 21st Century. The Downton-esque Swinton Estate in Yorkshire was once the ancestral home of Lord and Lady Masham. Now it’s been turned into a luxury destination with foraging, tree lodges and falconry on offer to guests. But will Giles be outwitted by an uncooperative bird of prey?

If you tire of the opulence at this London hotel, then just make a call and the staff will transform your room into a jungle or a Paris boudoir. It’s one of the services on offer at the Shangri-La, Britain's highest hotel. The views are amazing, the service impeccable and there’s even a butler to run your bath. But can Giles and Monica reach the dizzy heights that the staff are required to meet?