The WORST episodes of Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby
Every episode of Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby!
Take a look behind the scenes at some of the most extraordinary hotels across the globe - from the ultimate in luxury to jaw-dropping locations.
#1 - Gangtey Lodge, Bhutan
Season 6 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/17/2024
Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti work at high altitude, 3000 meters above sea-level at a hidden gem of a hotel with Buddhist connections in the remote kingdom of Bhutan.
#2 - Datai Langkawi, Malaysia
Season 6 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/10/2024
Rob and Monica travel to the Malaysian rainforest to work at the Datai Langkawi hotel, where monkeys roam free and the soundtrack of forest wildlife is ever present.
#3 - The Hassler, Rome
Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/3/2024
Rob and Monica work in one of Europe’s last remaining family-owned 'grande dame' hotels – boasting a deep history and celebrity clientele list right in the heart of the Eternal City.
#4 - Hacienda Vira Vira, Chile
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/17/2018
Giles Coren and Monica Galetti travel to South America to work in Vira Vira, a hacienda hotel that overlooks an active volcano near Pucon, the adventure capital of Chile. Giles and Monica prepare a meal for guests, go trekking through the Chilean forests on horseback and hear how the chef has an abundance of Chilean produce for his recipes. Last in the series.
#5 - Stanglwirt Hotel, Austria
Season 6 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/24/2024
Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti work at Stanglwirt Hotel in the Austrian Alps, owned by one family for 300 years and offering world-class sports facilities and elegant Lipizzan horses.
#6 - Six Senses Ibiza
Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/26/2024
Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti work at a luxury hotel in Ibiza where cutting edge biohacking therapies are offered alongside cacao ceremonies.
#7 - Nusfjord Arctic Resort, Norway
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 8/19/2023
Nusfjord Arctic Resort is a preserved 200-year-old cod fishing village in the Lofoten Islands of Norway. Working alongside the dedicated team, Monica and Rob learn to appreciate the difficulties of running a high-end resort in such an extreme environment. Battling snowy paths with housekeeping, facing huge waves on fishing boats and chasing the Northern Lights is all in a day’s work in the Arctic Circle.
#8 - Grand Park Rovinj, Croatia
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 12/14/2021
Monica and Giles work in an ultra-modern, glass-fronted hotel overlooking the historic Croatian town of Rovinj on the Istrian coastline. This new hotel is seeking to work in harmony with the people and culture it has come from. Giles explores a hidden art gallery deep inside the structure and prunes the thousands of plants that frame the view of the old town. Meanwhile, Monica cleans Europe’s biggest single glass window, and together they go truffle hunting with dogs in the Istrian landscape.
#9 - Kasbah Tamadot, Morocco
Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/6/2023
Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder travel to Kasbah Tamadot in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. With Sir Richard Branson as their boss, they discover how genuine Berber hospitality and spectacular views of the landscape make it unique. Monica helps the chef source local produce at the nearby market and gets to know a very famous visitor, while Rob mucks out the hotel stables and guides guests on a mountain trek.
#10 - Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort
Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/15/2022
Giles Coren and Monica Galetti visit Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort, an extraordinary hotel built where people usually struggle to survive - deep in a Middle East desert. Surrounded as far as they eye can see by vast sand dunes and scorching heat, guests relax in palatial comfort with swimming pools, huge baths and lush gardens. Giles and Monica explore how all this water use is made possible and meet the staff who are coping with living and providing hotel service in such an extreme environment.
#11 - Argos in Cappadocia
Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/19/2024
Rob and Monica make the journey to Turkey to work at a hotel built into a network of caves, where modern luxury meets ancient history and every room comes with its own surprises.
#12 - Borgo Egnazia, Italy
Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/17/2023
Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder visit Italy to go behind the scenes of Borgo Egnazia - a hotel modelled on Puglia’s historical local villages. They work with the local staff to find out how you deliver a genuine version of Italy within a carefully designed replica. Monica makes focaccia for the cherry festival with chef Rocco, while Rob meets the decoration team who work hard to deliver an experience that blends reality with theatre.
#13 - Ceylon Tea Trails, Sri Lanka
Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/3/2023
Monica and Rob travel to the highlands of central Sri Lanka to learn about Ceylon Tea Trails - a series of colonial era bungalows that have been renovated and revisioned by a local family of tea entrepreneurs. Monica works with the tea pickers and learns the importance of the industry to the country, while Rob tracks leopards in the surrounding plantations. The highlands are a rugged landscape, but as Rob and Monica discover, with dedication and detail, guests can still get a luxury experience.
#14 - ICEHOTEL, Sweden
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/8/2017
Giles and Monica's final stop-off takes them 120 miles north of the Arctic Circle into Swedish Lapland. Giles joins the artists who craft the rooms from huge blocks of ice while Monica meets the hotel's 82-year-old reindeer-meat supplier.
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#15 - Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Oman
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/6/2018
In the second episode, Giles and Monica travel to the Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar in Oman. It is the highest five-star hotel in the Middle East and a resort seeking to blend local tradition with modern tastes. Built to resemble an ancient Omani fort, and situated 2,000 metres above sea level on the rim of a dramatic canyon, the hotel has recently made the most of its location by constructing a jaw-dropping via ferrata and zip-wire rope course along the cliff edge. Led by the hotel's mountain guru Maher, Giles and Monica undertake a test-run of the stunning adventure course before it opens to guests, facing 30-metre drops and Giles's prolific fear of heights.
#16 - Joali, Maldives
Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/13/2023
Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder travel by seaplane to a paradise island in the Indian Ocean. Joali Maldives offers guests a luxury experience despite its remote location, but just how does the Maldivian resort manage it? Rob discovers there are 300 workers hidden in the centre of the island, while Monica uncovers how food is supplied to the island chefs. They realise that delivering paradise is like a giant theatre production.
#17 - Shanghai Wonderland
Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/12/2024
Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti work behind the scenes of a hotel that is built downwards into a quarry, with high-tech guest experiences and rooms with windows looking into aquariums.
#18 - Hotel Hubertus, Italian Alps
Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/24/2023
Monica and Rob discover what it takes to run Hotel Hubertus - a family-run resort which offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains thanks to its panoramic aspect.
#19 - Glenapp Castle, Scotland
Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 9/24/2023
In Scotland, Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder discover Glenapp Castle, where guests are treated to a magical stay made possible by a dedicated team of local staff. Monica and Rob are put to work collecting home-grown veg for the kitchens and giving eagle demonstrations in the castle grounds, before joining forces to deliver an intrepid sea safari and a glamping trip to the Hebridean Isle of Jura.
#20 - Phinda Game Reserve, South Africa
Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/10/2023
At Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa, Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder join forces with the hotel staff to learn how to deliver a luxury safari experience. The hotel is open to wild animals while delivering high luxury, so both wonder and danger are around every corner. Rob is put to work tracking cheetahs and preparing meals for the guests, while Monica wields a machete with the habitat team, learning how to rewild the area before taking some excited guests on a game drive.
#21 - Fogo Island Inn, Canada
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/24/2017
Giles and Monica visit the hotel sited off the northeast coast of Newfoundland. Housekeepers Cynthia and Lori rope Giles into a boat race while Monica learns the secret of growing the perfect potato.
#22 - The Torridon, Scotland
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 7/21/2020
Monica Galetti and Giles Coren visit the Scottish Highlands to work at The Torridon, Britain's most northerly five star hotel. Its need to balance a luxury stay with being self-sufficient has Monica collecting sea-weed for the kitchen and helping to herd Highland Cattle. Meanwhile, Giles learns to change toilet seats and joins the staff in their afternoon off for a swim in the beautiful but freezing cold loch.
#23 - Reid’s Palace, Madeira
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 12/7/2021
Monica Galetti and Giles Coren visit Reid’s Palace on Madeira, which first welcomed the world's glamorous elite 130 years ago and is working to keep its silver service traditions alive in the modern world. Giles irons bedspreads in a suite once loved by Winston Churchill, and Monica cleans crabs out of the historic tidal swimming pool. Madeiran food is celebrated with line-fished tuna and fruity ice cream treats called lambayecas for the sunbathers.
#24 - Royal Mansour, Morocco
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/17/2017
Giles and Monica visit and go to work in the luxury hotel in Marrakesh, which was built by royal decree to showcase the region. Monica learns how to pleat the curtains while Giles dons the uniform of a butler.
#25 - Schloss Elmau, Germany
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 7/28/2020
In this episode, Monica Galetti and Giles Coren visit Schloss Elmau, a hotel deep in the snowy Bavarian Alps that claims to be a cultural hideaway and restore their guests mind, body and soul. Monica joins in the daily meditation session for the restaurant staff, and Giles recites poetry and travels to a mountain hut to serve dinner, while dressed in lederhosen. They join the hotel guests for an evening of world-renowned musicians playing for free.