Nice to meet you, Michael.

Thank you, Michael.

And I'm going to repeat Michael in my head because that's how it's gonna help me to remember a name.

Michael is super duper at this.

-Would you agree?

-Yeah.

(Sean) But it took time for Michael to take this information in.

You see this hair?

This man caused me this.

(laughing) (energetic music) (narrator) The Savoy.

Its very name synonymous with glamour... -It's all gold and shiny.

-...and exclusivity.

(woman) When you walk in, you just feel the grandeur, you feel the elegance.

(Thierry) Why don't you have some caviar as well?

(narrator) After the most turbulent time in the hotel's history, when the pandemic closed its doors and left it on the brink... (Michael) We lost a million people in the service industry.

(Franck) And we've been beaten down so much.

(narrator) ...it's back... -Et voila.

-But, now, the hotel has to fight like never before... -Aye, come back here!

-Come on, housekeeping speed.

(narrator) ...as it strives to stay ahead of its five-star rivals.

(Gordon) I want to cancel tomorrow night.

I don't think we're ready.

(narrator) We've been given unprecedented access... -Please follow me.

-...to all areas of this iconic establishment... (female) This is 55,000 pounds.

(narrator) ...upstairs... (Sean) It oozes luxury.

-...downstairs... -Service.

(narrator) ...and the most secret of its corners.

(Sean) Very creepy down here.

(narrator) As the hotel emerges from lockdowns... -Oh my God.

-...can old hands... (Sean) As long as it's legal, we're gonna be doing it for you.

(narrator) ...big plans... (Gordon) A thousand pounds a meter.

(narrator) ...and new recruits...

Perfection.

(narrator) ...win the battle for The Savoy's future?

♪ (mellow music) ♪ (doorman) Did you know that The Savoy was the first purpose-built luxury hotel in the UK?

It had electricity throughout, electric lighting, electric lifts, which was groundbreaking at the time, and I've heard there was a tube where people would order room service.

They'd shout down this tube to someone in the basement, "Prawn sandwich, please."

"Coming right up!"

♪ (narrator) Since it opened its doors in 1889, The Savoy Hotel has prided itself on the promise of luxury and impeccable standards.

(Sean) What do you think is different about The Savoy?

What makes us stand out?

-Standard.

-Standards.

And the standards that we set, we don't make these standards.

This building dictates to us what we need to do.

Go forth and be fighters for the night!

(uplifting music) (narrator) When it first opened, The Savoy had no competition.

It was unique.

But today, there are over a hundred luxury London hotels, all vying to woo VVIPs.

(glass clanging) (Kirsten) Off we go.

(narrator) The challenge for today's staff is to keep up the legacy.

Working in housekeeping, you literally have to run about with a trolley.

It can be a bit stressful to get it all done, everything cleaned, everybody turned down, and everybody ready for bed.

(violin music) (narrator) Today's luxury hotel market is worth billions of pounds, so flawless service and standards are key.

The housekeeping team are asked to care for every detail to make the 20,000-pound beds even more inviting.

What have we here?

We've gone past it.

This is what I do.

(laughing) Psychotic corridor.

(laughing) ♪ (woman) Okay, so Mr. Johnson, the politician.

(Michael) Will doormen know when he's, like, X--so many minutes away?

Doorman knows, doormen will literally-- will broadcast 12:55 'cause he's due at 1:00.

He's adamant that 1:00 on the dot he will be here.

(Michael) Fine.

Show me, show me, show me.

(narrator) Due in just a few hours, this Savoy VVIP is certainly not the first politician to come here for an event.

(woman) Do you want a hand?

(narrator) Thanks to its reputation, the hotel has played host to a huge array of dignitaries and world leaders.

(Michael) It's quite a big distinguished visitor that we've got today, so it's important that we are ready and everything is as it should be.

Did I miss the room?

I think I missed the room-- yeah, 72 there.

(Michael) They get specific amenities that go in the room, you know, depending on the class of guest, either a high-rate distinguished visitor, "celebrity" or well-known person, you know?

So, yeah, we'll just make sure that there's a few things in there so that when they arrive, we make them feel special.

-All good.

-I think I'm quite good at making them feel at ease.

(lively music) Let's go.

Let's go.

I'm on my way.

(suspenseful music) (Sean) I have champagne chilling already for them because it's element of surprise that-- I'm going to pretend we don't-- Okay, Barbara, you've done a good job in hitting me.

(Michael) Hi, I can't talk right now.

I'm really sorry.

I have to call you back.

(indistinct chatter) -Afternoon, Mr. Johnson.

-Good afternoon.

-Thanks a lot, all the best.

-Thank you Thank you very much.

-How are you?

-Very well, thank you.

-That's good.

-Pleased to be here.

(narrator) The Right Honorable Alan Johnson, former Home Secretary and Pharaoh in The Masked Singer, and his wife, Carolyn, have come to the hotel for the launch of his book.

-Big day today, though.

-My first fiction.

-Amazing, amazing.

-So, it's my fifth book, but first work of fiction, and fiction is a different composition altogether, you know?

Never stayed here.

Never stayed here, and worked just up the road, so the opportunity to actually stay here as part of this arrangement to launch the book, it's amazing, just amazing.

(Michael) Come on through, make yourselves comfortable.

I'll just point out a few features so that we can make you as comfortable as possible.

-Goodness.

-Oh, wow.

Come and look at this.

(Michael) It gets better as the evening draws in, you know, I think twilight is the best time.

-It really is.

-Look, there's your old home.

(Alan) Oh, there's the Houses of Parliament up there.

I think I'll look the other way.

(laughing) (Michael) It's a big day for him.

This is his fifth book.

I haven't written any books, so...

I'm quite impressed.

(Alan) The first chapter of my book is set in a hotel called The Strand Hotel.

Now it wasn't based on The Savoy, but my publisher said, "Well, there's only one hotel on the Strand, that's The Savoy."

There will be people coming here, saying, "Where's the warm Blue Nun and the salty peanuts?"

We might get Michael to get some in.

(Carolyn) This is definitely our best book launch ever.

(Alan) Oh, you could say that, yeah.

(glass clanging) 209?

208.

Where's...

I think they told me 208, didn't they?

Oh my God!

(chuckling) I've left the bookmarks and the things upstairs.

I'm gonna have to go back and get them.

I forget everything.

(narrator) Kirsten has been working at The Savoy... -... -...for the past four months.

(Kirsten) When I first started, I thought, "Oh my God, this is killing me!

What am I doing?"

What have I done with them?

My God.

But, of course, your fitness level soon get up, you know, all the running about.

Come on, housekeeping speed.

(beep) It's my first time working in a hotel, so, anyway... Oh my God, we're now in the wrong lift.

(lively music) I applied actually to come to The Savoy ten years ago, and I was interviewed by Sean for a butler's position.

Being an only child, you tend to listen to your mother a lot.

So, my mom was like, "Well, how are you gonna do that?

You've got two small children.

How are you gonna start work at 7:00 in the morning and do shifts?

Don't be ridiculous."

I put my bookmarks down and my eyeglass and I don't know where I've put them, so I need some more.

So I took a different career path for ten years, and then I was made redundant, and I thought, "You know what?

Let's revisit The Savoy."

Housekeeping, may I enter?

(soft music) When I first started, they were like, "The pillows have to be kissing like this."

I said, "My pillows have been married 25 years like me.

There's no kissing going on."

Housekeeping involves a lot of work, but, obviously, it's a pleasure to do because, obviously, the guests enjoy their stay here.

We try and do a little bit of magic, you know?

Just those little extra touches.

We fold their pajamas up, place all their shoes nicely in pairs, things that make us The Savoy, that make us five-star.

(Kirsten laughs) (narrator) As well as the hotel's history and reputation, there's another factor in play: its star rating.

♪ The Savoy is part of an elite group of hotels that have been awarded five stars by Forbes, putting it at the very forefront of luxury.

(Sean) Forbes are very important.

It's prestige to get a Forbes Five-Star.

And, of course, being a prestige property, we are five-star, of course.

I'm not sure about you being five-star yet, but we'll make you a five-star.

-Oh, thank you.

-And you too, Daniel.

(narrator) London is the Forbes Five-Star capital of the hotel world, which makes competition fierce.

The door has got some smudges.

(narrator) It also means that The Savoy can't afford to lose a star.

(Franck) The Forbes Five-Star is a very special accolade.

It's the equivalent of the Michelin three stars.

We have at least one inspection every year which is incognito.

Every interaction in every department is being measured.

We have to continuously focus on it.

I'm the captain, you know, of the ship, and I don't want to be the one to lose the Forbes Five-Star.

And it's a tremendous amount of pressure.

(man) Did you know when Forbes launched ten years ago, apparently it caused a real big stir 'cause of the Ritz, when they got awarded four-star.

-Did they?

-Yeah, yeah.

I mean, could you imagine if The Savoy lost one?

That would be headline news.

♪ (soft flute music) ♪ (doorman) Do you remember a few years ago when he was changing that, changing the Forbes thing over?

Three of the five stars just fell off.

For, like, ten minutes we only had two stars, just for a brief ten minutes.

(laughing) (Sean) Do you want to be working the best hotel in the world?

-Yes.

-And who's going to make this the best hotel in the world?

Me?

You?

-Together.

-Together.

And that's what we're talking about.

-It's a team effort.

-Mm-hm.

(narrator) Since the hotel reopened, Sean has been promoted.

(Sean) My previous role, I was the butler manager.

I am now the Guest Experience Manager which means I'm in charge of the butlers, the front desk, the concierge, the doormen, and the porters.

(majestic music) I'm that centerpiece of a wheel, and they're all the spokes.

I have to bring them together.

♪ (Michael) Butler service.

(Sean) We will be getting a Forbes inspection.

It's a very high-profile thing to get.

Very prestigious.

Does it come easy?

No.

And it's going back to us being the best in our industry.

They will act like a normal guest.

They may come with children.

They may come on their own.

They may look like a businessman.

-Welcome to The Savoy.

-They are guests that check into this hotel.

They don't put Forbes on their head and say, "I'm a Forbes person coming to check you out, a mystery shopper."

Mystery shoppers are vital for us to do our job well because they give us an honest opinion back.

There's always going to be anxiety that somebody won't be in the position that they should be in or they might have missed some opportunity.

Be aware we are expecting Forbes anytime.

Very important, okay?

-Don't forget.

-A hundred percent.

-Watching you.

-I'll be there.

(Sean) I'm not going to tell you whether I figured it out or not.

That would be giving it away to all those mystery shoppers out there, but at times, they weren't clever enough.

I have no doubt we will score the best score.

We will retain our five-star because we are the best, aren't we?

(José) As long as Rob is on shift, we're covered.

(Sean) And you, José.

That would be just perfect.

-Six stars is all right.

-Yeah.

(saxophone music) ♪ (Michael) Come on, guys.

Answer the phone, please.

Forbes feels a little bit like God.

It's kind of this all-encompassing, ethereal being that is hanging over my head constantly.

I'm just trying to order some food.

Like, even when I'm on the toilet at home, Forbes is watching me.

What happened?

I thought that there was a zombie apocalypse going on in the back office or something and no one was answering the phone.

Uh, my name is Michael.

What's your name?

Oh, okay, so you're new.

Welcome to the team.

The biggest challenge out of this situation has been turnover in staff and the merry-go-round that's going on at the moment.

I would like to order some food for Mr. and Mrs. Johnson.

And it is very, very difficult to maintain the Forbes standards when people are coming and going so frequently.

You will hear my voice a lot, so this is a voice that you will be quite fed up with soon.

-With other bags?

-Yes, we are.

-Yeah, okay.

-The Forbes mystery guest will rate the hotel on up to 900 different aspects.

(woman) Okay, everybody is aware of Forbes.

They have set some standards for bar lounge.

(narrator) As the hotel has a lot of new starters, training is key to get everyone up to standard.

(woman) Offer to take the drinks within three minutes of seating.

Now that's tough.

(mellow music) (doorman) When someone arrives at the hotel, we need to give them a warm, genuine welcome.

Smile and eye contact is crucial.

Greeting the guest by name, if you know it, is important.

(narrator) Every single member of staff needs to be on message.

(Kirsten) If the guest is laying in the bath and they look over to the towels, they must never see a rough edge.

(narrator) The Forbes criteria covers all manner of details.

(Gabi) Guys, guys, guys, guys, guys, I want your attention.

We are always serving from the right-hand side of the guest using your right hand.

Always, okay, I don't want to see anything else.

(narrator) Such is the importance of getting a five-star review, it's hard not to get a little hung up on standards.

(woman) Do you know that I start doing my coats like this at home?

I'm getting crazy.

If they're not set up like, you know, hanger facing this way and closed up... (man) You always close it, same like here.

(woman) Always.

I'm getting-- I'm getting crazy, I'm telling you.

I'm taking this-- I'm taking this home.

-Really?

-Very fancy.

(chuckling) (soft music) (Sean) Push it in, Michael, that's it.

♪ I just want to get it over and done with -if you know my meaning.

-Yeah, yeah.

..., I wish I'd never walked in here now.

(Sean) Up or under you think?

We have a little baby in the royal suite who's a year old, so we just need to, um, put this together.

They bought this because they came from abroad.

So, everybody orders everything on Amazon.

It arrives, and we have to put it together.

(Michael) It's not time-consuming at all.

(Sean) You know, Michael, it is what it is, isn't it?

(Michael) Yeah.

(Sean) The word "no" doesn't come into the vocabulary.

(Michael) These directions are terrible, man.

(Sean) Does it tell you what to do step one?

What's step one?

You have to do what a guest wants and what's required from you.

I think that's that, yeah?

-No.

-No.

Okay.

If you had to explain normal, normal to you, to me, is different for everybody.

So that looks like that clips in there, -doesn't it, Michael?

-Yeah.

I love the way you talk to me like I made the damn thing.

I don't look at things as being outside the box.

It is you as an individual.

That's what you want.

I have to get it.

That's it.

(Michael) Imagine if this kid is going down the street -and it just falls apart.

-Oh, God, don't you even think of that.

(triumphant music) ♪ -Is everything okay?

-Everything is wonderful.

(narrator) Also doing their best to keep up five-star standards are the team serving afternoon tea.

(man) Ahh.

Brilliant.

(narrator) While Alan Johnson prepares for his book launch, Carolyn, her mom, brother, and cousin are trying out the tea for themselves.

(Carolyn) Absolutely beautiful.

The occasion for afternoon tea is my mom's birthday, and this was part of her birthday present.

-Happy Birthday, ma'am.

-Thank you.

(waiter) Turning 35 today?

-Thirty-five?

-Well, a little bit more... (waiter) A couple years, I'll say 37.

Have we had a chance to look through the menu and see what we'd like today?

(man) Oh, look at all the tea choice.

Ah, uh... (narrator) You can choose from over 30 varieties of tea, the sort of detail that a mystery guest would be noting.

(man) Oh, I've got to go for The Savoy afternoon tea.

It's got to be done, I think.

(Carolyn) I also remember many, many years ago watching a film about Disney and how they made Disneyland the place it was, and this is kind of the equivalent.

It's just excellence all the time.

(man) Thank you very much.

(José) Would you like to be, like, an inspector, like a Forbes mystery shopper?

(man) I would kind of put it on the same level as going against your own country, so, no, I would not want to go and work for these people.

Oh my God.

Well, it depends on what the salary is.

-Welcome to Savoy Grill.

-Thank you, our first time.

(Thierry) Wow, first time.

(narrator) Another important aspect of any five-star hotel is the quality of its restaurant.

-Oh-la-la.

-And with London brimming with Michelin-starred rivals, the hope is that guests will want to dine here rather than go elsewhere.

(Thierry) This is la crème de la crème.

'94, drinking very well now because the tannins are soft.

Absolutely magic.

There is competition around, so, of course, we need to be on top of our game today, tomorrow, in a year time, in five years time.

You cannot rely on your name, on your reputation.

(man) The wine doesn't want to play, does it?

(waiter) I will need to filter it, unfortunately.

(man) Okay.

It's corked, methinks.

(narrator) The 260-pound Châteauneuf-du-Pape is filtered to ensure there's no cork in it.

It's not to be very good today or mediocre for a day.

It's to be constant every day, all year round.

-Cheers.

-To be fully done and you put VVVIP, please, okay?

Tick-tock.

(man) Wow.

-Mm.

-Can you taste a bit of cork in yours?

(man) No, it would've really upset me if I had it done.

(Thierry) Up to us, up to me to make sure that my team will be on top of the game all the time.

-Perfect.

-Thank you very much.

(Thierry) Enjoy.

(clanging) (man) Okay.

-Sorry about that.

-That's okay.

These things happen.

-It's gonna be fine.

-No problem.

(Thierry) Take that away.

Sorry about that, that's it.

Beef Wellington is still on a plate.

Your wine is still in a glass.

-That's the important thing.

-And look.

-Oh, oh, oh.

-Lovely.

(Thierry) You see?

That's it.

-Enjoy.

-Thank you.

(man) Thank you.

(indistinct chatter) (Michael) Oh, this is pissing me off, hang on.

(Sean) So, hold on, let me just see if that screw fits in there.

You know, it's not something we do every day.

-It's not.

-I was always trying to impress my wife that I'm good at these things.

(Michael) The instructions are terrible.

(Sean) Well, do you think it might be the people reading them?

(Michael) Who's calling you?

Reception.

Hello, Michael speaking.

You're looking for Sean?

(Sean) Do you want to push it to my ear, Michael?

I'll talk at the same time.

Hello?

Is Rahim there, can you see?

I'm doing a bike at this present moment.

Okay, all right, I'll get somebody then.

Thank you.

Oh, God, I just can't believe this.

Why would Sophie leave the desk?

This has to go onto the seat, Michael, right?

(cellphone ringing) Oh, please, guys.

(chaotic music) Hello.

Hello?

Yes, Kenzie, what's the matter now, Kenzie?

'Cause it's beginning to stress me out.

I just need to go to the front desk.

Oh, that was just horrendous.

It's horrendous.

I'm so behind now.

I'm so behind.

This is crazy.

(narrator) Sean's been alerted to the fact that the front desk has been left unmanned.

I just don't understand where everybody is.

This desk is not to be left on its own, Rahim.

So I don't know why it was left on its own.

-Should've been called over.

-So, but were you at the concierge desk?

-I wasn't, no.

-No, there was nobody down here 'cause I asked Kenzie to look over there.

It is crucial that there's somebody in the front hall at all times.

And just remember we have standards and we are measured on those standards, Forbes Five-Star standard.

That's part of it.

It is the human interaction with guests.

So, what we shouldn't have done downstairs was to leave the desk on its own.

You took a guest upstairs, did you, -or was it you, or... -I have.

(Sean) We need to manage that just a little bit better today.

Okay, thanks very much.

And till the day I die, it'll be something I keep pushing and pushing them to be the best they are.

(man) Do you know I worked at a hotel once and they actually joked about it at the 5:00 meeting on the Friday going, "Oh my God, this is the Forbes inspector."

And everyone was laughing about it over the weekend.

That was the lowest score they ever scored despite knowing that it was them.

(Kirsten) Should we see what's behind the door?

This is like, you know, as they say, behind every glamorous hotel room is the reality.

So, let's see what we're gonna find.

(doorbell rings) Housekeeping.

When you go into somebody's room... Housekeeping.

...you sort of imagine who these people are.

On the list of specials for this guest, they have requested a picture of Her Majesty, the Queen.

(narrator) Kirsten, one of the newest members of the housekeeping team, has just passed probation.

(Kirsten) When I came for the interview, the manager said to me, "It's housekeeping, you know, and cleaning on a different level."

"It's not like you're doing your own house," I was told.

Yeah, and she'd be right saying that as well.

It's literally off the scale.

This is a place I like to inspect, behind the curtains.

Everything is inspected.

I'm surprised they don't go around with white gloves like this.

Who's gonna be standing here?

Peter Crouch?

But I like that, I work better under pressure.

Look at that.

That is why it's five-star.

(harp music) ♪ There was a little bit of luxury in my life.

My aunt, who was a corporate wife, and she was amazing.

Funny enough, her favorite place was the American Bar.

(indistinct chatter) ♪ I lost my aunt about four years ago, which I really miss her and I want to pick the phone up and say, "Oh my God, I work at The Savoy!"

I feel I'm with her almost here and she'd be enjoying that with me.

Perfection.

(laughing) ♪ (Michael) We've got Maintenance doing the tricycle.

FYI, if you ever have terrible instructions, or you're a dunce like myself, just call Engineering and watch YouTube.

It says it on the front here.

(Michael) Oh my God.

Oh my God, it says it on the front.

It says it on the front.

Next time, when someone says-- just say "yes," don't say, "It's on the front."

(spirited music) (Gabi) Okay, so everybody on this side quickly.

(narrator) Gabi and his team are gearing up for Alan Johnson's book launch.

Are you into politics?

Do you watch politics, British politics?

-Do you watch?

Huh?

-I read his books.

(Gabi) You read his books.

(Alan) You could sell a book to Mr. Churchill in the corner, yeah?

He's already ready, he saying, "It's a fantastic book!"

Excited about this evening.

I'm not--I'm not really nervous 'cause if you've been on the floor of the House of Commons at the despatch box when people are baying for your blood, that's when you get nervous.

(Gabi) If you have any questions, address them to Carolyn, not to Alan.

He will be busy with signing and, you know, doing his politics game.

(Alan) Michael Portillo is on a train somewhere, as usual.

Andrew Neil might come, but I doubt it 'cause he's at a bit of a bust out with GB News.

(narrator) With around 80 people expected, it's critical that five-star standards are maintained.

(Gabi) We have to name the canapé.

So if you are serving the smoked salmon... -Would you like some... -Smoked salmon.

Smoked salmon, is that clear?

Okay, let's go, guys.

I absolutely love everything about events.

Welcome back, Raoul, ha-ha!

The company that we work for and we represent proudly has high expectations from us.

Madame Simona, it's all yours.

Our purpose when we deliver an event is to keep it challenge-free.

Is it easy?

Pfft, absolutely not.

(indistinct chatter) (Alan) Come to order, please.

Thank you, uh, just before we start, Alex, I've got to say, I think we've made a mistake coming here.

There's been people complaining that it's ostentatious here in The Savoy.

And, you know, I've been saying, "Look, my butler doesn't think it's ostentatious," you know?

This is an historic room.

This is where the Other Club meet.

The Other Club was formed by Churchill in 1910, so 121 years--111 years ago.

See why I wasn't a very good shadow chancellor.

(laughing) (José) Do you know that, one time, Sir Winston Churchill came to the hotel for dinner, and during service, he asked the waiter to bring an envelope, and then he just put the meat he had ordered inside the envelope and gave it to the waiter and said, "Take this home to your family.

We're all in this together."

-Wow, that's deep, huh?

-It is.

(Rahim) That was intense.

-Hell yeah.

-I've never been invited to join the Other Club.

I don't think Boris Johnson has.

He was invited to join the bit of the Other Club, uh, I understand... (laughing) ...but was ruled out because he's too promiscuous.

Thanks for coming.

(violin music) ♪ (Gabi) Hospitality is about the moment.

-How gorgeous is it here?

-Once you complete an event successful, that's a victory.

You take and enjoy every second of it.

-To your mom?

-Yes.

(Alan) Well, give her my love.

♪ (upbeat music) ♪ (doorman) Good morning, good morning.

Welcome to The Savoy.

♪ (chef) Uh, give me fried eggs, please.

-Fried eggs?

-Yes.

(narrator) With a Forbes inspection due anytime now, Franck's called a meeting to assess that all-important part of any hotel stay.

(Franck) Breakfast is the staple of British gastronomy.

Whether it is served in the comfort of your guestroom... -Butler service.

-...or it is served in a beautiful setting... -Savoy Grill.

-...at our level, it's complicated to get it right.

And I will have the famous Arnold Bennett.

-Wonderful.

-Do you know why it is Arnold Bennett, the omelet?

(waitress) I know Arnold Bennett was a... a guest, I think?

(Franck) This is--see, this is... We'll tell you later exactly what the story is, right?

(narrator) In the 1920s, the acclaimed writer Arnold Bennett was a long-term resident of The Savoy, and the omelet was made especially for him using some of his favorite ingredients: haddock, egg, cream, and cheese.

(Franck) We have an Arnold Bennett omelet that was invented here.

Every member of staff should know.

That's absolutely critical.

(narrator) Lately, there's been some negative feedback which, if unresolved, could mean a lower Forbes star rating.

(Franck) Today, the purpose is really to go through the things that have been shared with us -by our guests.

-What was yours?

(woman) Do you know what?

I think mine is wrong, sorry.

-That's all right.

-Sorry, this is what I thought we had ordered, a crushed avocado.

("Habanera" by Georges Bizet) (Michael) Happy days, happy days.

Now I'm pissed off because, you know, it's on the menu, so someone's made a mistake.

I think we are really worried about Forbes and rightly so.

It's a really important aspect of what we do.

(woman) This has come out very, very soft.

(chef) The temperature isn't hot, it's lukewarm.

The staple of luxury hospitality is the poached egg and, therefore, we need to get it to perfection.

(Michael) Hi, mate, the coordinator has got the order wrong.

I'm terrified of the idea that I might look after a mystery guest.

(man) I have on on the pass right now ready.

-Can I take it?

-Take it, yes.

(Michael) Might be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Or the idiot that broke the camel's back.

(chef) I have to--like we observed today is how to get to the next level.

Breakfast needs to be right.

We need to get it to a level where people come out of this as this was a Savoy breakfast, and I don't think we're there yet.

(Michael) It is our mistake, but it's here.

Guys, take care.

(whispers) Yeah!

(majestic music) ♪ (laughing) (Kirsten) Nice being a guest rather than working.

-This is very unusual for me.

-I know, it's very lovely.

(Kirsten) I know.

(narrator) One guest who's certainly not incognito is housekeeper Kirsten.

Having passed her three-month probation, Kirsten qualifies for the hotel's reward to all new staff.

(Kirsten) I feel so special!

(narrator) She and husband Lee are getting a five-star standard overnight stay.

-Good afternoon.

-Oh, good afternoon.

-Welcome to The Savoy.

-Oh, thank you so much.

The guest experience is about experiencing everything the hotel has to offer.

It's really great to see their faces light up when they actually think, "Whoa, I'm gonna actually do this myself, I'm gonna see what it's like to actually stay at The Savoy."

Yeah, it's magical, really, yeah.

-So your room is 216.

-Oh my God.

They're giving us 216!

(man) Welcome to your London home for tonight.

(Kirsten) Oh my goodness, it's lovely.

We would never be able to afford to stay in a butler suite.

My husband drives a lorry.

I've done many a turndown in here.

(man) So you already know the room.

-You can check for us.

-Oh my God, see, look at the view, this is what I say to you, how lovely to be a guest and you wake up and see the view.

(violin music) I don't know what to say.

-It literally is amazing.

-Perfect.

Well, I'm glad you like it.

Make yourself comfortable, yeah?

-Thank you.

-Thank you, thank you.

Oh my gosh.

There's a little note as well.

I'm a bit emotional.

You know when you first started getting notes-- Well, no, you don't, obviously, 'cause you're not a woman.

Oh, "We wish you an amazing stay.

Enjoy your night and relax.

With lots of love, The Savoy family."

Aw.

It's all my colleagues.

They're so lovely.

And this is why I love working here.

You haven't been doing it very long, have you?

(Kirsten laughs) -Do not disturb.

-Why?

(Kirsten laughs) ♪ (Michael) Butler service.

-Michael.

-Hello, Mr. Johnson, good morning, did you sleep well?

-Slept brilliantly.

-Good.

(Alan) And we needed to sleep after the night we had last night.

-I bet it all went well.

-It went brilliantly, yeah, it's fantastic.

(Michael) Very pleased to hear.

The bags I'll get the porters to bring down immediately, and we'll take you down for checkout.

(Alan) Did I ever tell you I met your mother?

-Did you?

-In fact, not just met, I had a wonderful evening.

We were on a musical kind of boat trip down the Thames-- we, being a lot of MPs-- for the music industry.

And on board was Lynda Bellingham, who was the star of the show, of course, and we had such a good time.

-She was such fun.

-What a surprise.

Well, you know, thank you.

You know, every time someone tells a story, she's come back, she comes back for a moment.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-So, it's very kind that people still appreciate her.

(Alan) She's a force of nature was your mother.

(Michael) Bless your heart.

I was very lucky to have an incredible mother who had her own wonderful career.

One of the reasons why I wanted to become an actor was because I wanted to be around that industry, around that vibe, and so when I look after these celebrities, politicians, I'm getting to experience a little taste of their world.

Got my memoirs already circling around my head.

I've dedicated a whole book for Sean.

-That's good, yeah.

-It's gonna be a trilogy, but the third book is just me and Sean.

-Have a safe journey.

-Thank you.

-Excuse me.

-Aw, thank you, Michael.

(Michael) Flowers as well.

-Most important.

-Brilliant.

-Bye-bye.

-Lovely to have you.

(Alan) Thank you.

(jazz piano music) (Kirsten) Okay.

-Which way do we go?

-Yeah, this way, this way, yeah.

(Lee) Don't you know where you're going?

(Kirsten) I wouldn't count on it.

(soft jazz music) (narrator) Kirsten is a housekeeper at the hotel, but tonight, she and husband Lee are getting the full guest experience, all expenses paid.

-Hi, good evening!

-Good evening, madam.

Would you like to follow me, please?

(Kirsten) I would, amazing, thank you.

♪ (Dennis) Good evening, how are you?

-Are you all right?

-I'm really well, thank you for asking.

How are you?

How's your day?

Oh, another day in paradise.

(narrator) They're being looked after by seafood chef Dennis.

(Kirsten) This is paradise to me.

I'm normally up in the bedrooms cleaning other people's toilets.

(Dennis) Let's get you bloody drunk, then, shall we?

(Lee) I'm used to all this.

Spent whole my life doing this.

-Modeling career, right?

-Yeah, exactly, so you know.

(Dennis) Sussed you out, yeah.

Start with this, I cure my own fish.

Look at this, this is a work of art.

That is too nice to eat.

(Kirsten laughs) (soft music) ♪ Oh my God.

Absolute triumph, that is so delicious.

I've never worked anywhere where they would give you such an amazing gift, basically.

I was in sales, you're lucky if you get a bottle of wine at Christmas, you know, for all your efforts running about here, there, and everywhere.

-And you like what you do now?

-I love what I do, I literally love it, but, you see, the thing is, why I love what I do is 'cause I love it here, and the team are great, you know, who I work with are really lovely.

I've had some jobs where, you know, I'd go into the office and my stomach would literally churn with, you know, what kind of mood are these people gonna be in?

You know, how--what kind of atmosphere am I gonna walk into?

(Dennis) Wouldn't be able to do the hours and sort of high-pressure side of it -if you didn't have... -Yeah, it's like having another family.

I love that, yeah.

(Kirsten) I'm so much happier now.

The people I work with are great.

I really love my job.

It's so nice to meet you.

-I'll say hi in the lift.

-Yeah.

(Kirsten) I'll be behind a trolley.

I do feel like I've been given a second chance 'cause a lot of people, you know, on paper, they won't look at somebody who's over 50.

So, now I feel very lucky.

(Lee) Happy days.

(mellow music) (doorman) Imagine if Kirsten was actually a double agent and she was a mystery guest.

-It'd be a good cover.

-Could be a good cover, yeah.

♪ (Sean) Give that a hard rub.

You were getting there, actually.

(narrator) After intensive training, the staff are getting to grips with the Forbes Five-Star standards.

(woman) Sometimes I find myself doing it three times until I get it perfect.

(waiter) Arnold Bennett was a famous poet, a regular guest back in time for The Savoy Hotel.

(narrator) But the hotel is still waiting to find out if a mystery guest has paid them a visit and whether they've done enough.

Look at this bed, look at the, you know, it's beautiful, it's fluffy.

I want to undress and just jump on the bed and just enjoy that.

It's--ah.

(doorman) How would you spot one of these mystery guests, -you know?

-Sometimes, they use a few tricks, you know?

(doorman) If you would be the mystery guest, I would spot you straight away.

(narrator) Forbes mystery guests are global travelers, and they can be of any nationality.

(José) Every time I say, like, "This person is probably like a mystery shopper," I always get it wrong.

-Yeah.

-Always.

♪ (Mr. White) Thank you so much.

Okay, thank you, cheers.

(narrator) Mr. White is a businessman who's just flown in from the U.S. -Great, thank you.

-He spends a lot of his time traveling and staying in hotels.

-Thank you so much.

-You're welcome.

(Mr. White) Would I consider myself a particular guest?

I would probably say that I'm more a creature of habit.

(woman) Mr. White, your room is about to become ready.

(Mr. White) Okay.

I never grew up with this level of luxury.

(woman) In the meantime, may I offer you a coffee -in our new lounge?

-Yes, absolutely.

(woman) Absolutely, I'm going to show you the way.

(Mr. White) But I can definitely say that it's something that I'm always looking at.

♪ I was definitely kept waiting a little bit.

I've stayed at some really nice hotels and resorts around the world.

Ordinarily, I show up in the morning and they'll get me a room.

Looks excellent.

And even the chandeliers, perfectly clean.

(soft music) ♪ (waitress) Good morning, hello.

Good morning.

(narrator) In the Thames Foyer... -Beautiful sausages.

-...breakfast service is in full swing.

-Oh, wow, these eggs.

-Yeah.

(Kirsten) Do you think it's like the caff, do you think it comes with chips?

Can I have a side order of fries, please, and beans?

-I have the Arnold Bennett.

-Mm.

(Kirsten) Oh my God, look at that.

(waitress) We have your breakfast for you, madam.

-Oh my goodness.

-Savoy breakfast.

(Kirsten) Thank you.

-Thank you so much.

-You're welcome, enjoy.

-Brilliant, thank you.

-We will, thank you.

(laughing) Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

(Lee) I know which way to stand at home now.

(Kirsten laughs) (Kirsten) Oh, dear.

Oh, goodness me.

Right.

You still make me laugh after all these years.

(Lee) This is fantastic.

This is cooked to perfection.

(Kirsten) See, I always choose poached eggs because I can't do them at home.

I think it's a bit of an art form.

You can see why people come here on special occasions.

-When our girls have children... -Yeah.

(Kirsten) ...we can come here, make it a special thing.

-It's amazing.

-I feel very lucky.

(upbeat music) (man) Would you ever want to be a mystery guest?

-No.

-It might be a nice job, you know?

(doorman) You staying in, like, a very luxurious hotel, yeah, most of the time.

(doorman) Nice food, nice drinks.

(narrator) The Forbes mystery guest is still the talk of the hotel, with no news as yet as to whether one or two have checked in and stayed.

(Thierry) Ooh-la-la.

Thank you.

Can we get you a drink or anything?

(Mr. White) Uh, I will start with a classic old-fashioned.

(Thierry) Excellent, classic old-fashioned.

I love that as well.

Can you imagine reaching five-star?

For an hotel, this is like the ultimum.

-Thank you so much.

-Voila.

So much hard work.

So much things go behind the scenes.

You know, it's a special table here.

This is, uh, that was Winston Churchill's favorite table.

I always said if I could sit down with a glass of brandy-- actually, a bottle because it will take a long time-- and listen to the wall talking, you know, it would be amazing.

So, so--oh, these stories, it's just incredible.

For us, we have mystery guests every day, lunch and dinner, all year round.

-Excellent, enjoy your dinner.

-Thank you so much.

(Thierry) So it has to be the same for everybody.

-That's the expectation.

-Oh, that looks lovely.

Thank you.

(Rahim) I spoke to one of the seniors and they said if we ever lost the fifth star, we'd close down.

(classical music) (Franck) I think we're good, no?

The Forbes inspectors have been at the hotel.

I have received the results.

So, I've called an all departments meeting.

♪ (Gabi) If we lose the five-star rating, I think the prices will go down and, yeah, many people will be losing their jobs.

(Sean) It's huge when you don't receive the Forbes Five-Star.

If it's taken away from you, it's heartbreaking.

♪ (Thierry) You cannot afford to lose a star.

You cannot whatsoever.

It's not even in our mind.

(Michael) To lose the Forbes five standards, for me, would be a travesty.

(Franck) If you had asked me last week if we would be successful with this year's inspection, I can tell you, honestly, I was not very confident.

Reopening a hotel like The Savoy with--in a new environment with everything we went through, with the challenges we had to go through, I was not very confident.

I'd like to ask Charlotte, can you open this little envelope there, and can you read what's written on this envelope?

♪ -"We."

-Yes.

-Where's number two?

-"Have."

(Franck) "We have," okay, so, number three, where's number three?

"Been."

Sean, can you open this envelope?

(Sean) "Awarded."

-"Forbes Five Stars."

-Forbes Five Stars!

(cheering) (upbeat music) ♪ After these 18 months of pandemic, everything was out of the norm.

Everything was surreal, strange, different, dramatic.

First, I felt relieved, and then I was like, "Yes!"

For us to be able to be awarded five stars again, to actually pass the inspection above the required level is an outstanding achievement.

Outstanding.

You make me very proud.

Well done.

Fantastic.

(jazz music) ♪ (Sean) It means everything, it means that we were training and we are hitting the standards.

I want to shout about it, I want to tell everyone about it, and I want to brag about it.

♪ (Michael) Any hotel that has Forbes Five Stars has defined itself by that, especially hotels that have been around as long as ourselves, who have a building that is as old as this, which comes with its own beautiful, romantic stories.

(Kirsten) It's the history, the whole warmth.

There's something about it, and that's what colleagues say, you know, they leave and they come back and they don't find that there's anywhere quite like it.

(Sean) It is all about the characters.

That's what builds this hotel.

And it's a team effort.

I've got a certain skill, next person's got another skill, third person, and we bring it together, and we open like flowers.

(Kirsten) Oh, bye.

Bye, room.

See you on Friday, I'll be back.

♪ (energetic music) (narrator) Next time... (Sean) We have 71 arrivals with 55 departures.

-Service.

-I feel like the Queen.

Do you think she has breakfast like this every day?

(narrator) ...American guests return in droves... (man) Give them a warm American welcome.

(narrator) ...posing problems for the staff.

(Gabi) Do you want me to say it again?

-Shall I repeat it?

-If any of you see me huddled up in a corner just crying, just give me a pat on the back.

(Michael) They can take our scones.

They can never take away our freedom!

(classical music) ♪ (bright music)