you can see that people are more traveling, huh?

(doorman #2) Yes indeed.

A lot of Americans are coming out.

(doorman #1) I can do that one.

-"Thank you."

-Yeah.

"I appreciate it."

(doorman #2) That sounds like a New Yorker.

(doorman #1) I think it is New York, New York.

(bright music) (narrator) The Savoy.

Its very name synonymous with glamour.

-It's all gold and shiny.

-Beautiful.

(narrator) And exclusivity.

(Zoe) 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.

(flame exploding) Et voilà!

(narrator) But now, the hotel has to fight like never before.

-I'll come back to you.

-Come on, housekeeping speed.

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

(Gordon) I'm on a council 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.

-This is 55,000 pounds.

-Upstairs.

-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... (Thierry) Oh my God.

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

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

(narrator) ...and new recruits... (snaps fingers) Perfection.

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

♪ (jazz music) -Welcome back.

-Thank you.

(doorman) Good afternoon.

(narrator) The Savoy was built to emulate the American hotels of the late 19th century, that were the height of luxury, had the latest innovations, and featured fine bars and restaurants.

(Sean) Got a lot of arrivers coming today, a lot of early arrivers that have flown from the States.

(narrator) And now that travel has opened up worldwide... ♪ (doorman) I think I'm pushing my luck here, look at this.

(whistles) (narrator) One of the key battles between The Savoy and its rivals has resumed.

(doorman) Good morning, good morning.

Welcome to The Savoy.

(narrator) Which hotel can lure high-spending North Americans to their door?

♪ (Michael) Hello, Holly, how are you?

The reason why Americans love The Savoy are tradition and the fact that we have such a rich history.

This is the hotel which was the iconic setting for Monet and a place that Frank Sinatra would play the piano at 2 a.m.

This is about having afternoon tea in the Thames Foyer, which is one of the oldest and most famous foyers, not just in the UK but in the world.

-So please enjoy.

-Thank you.

And who doesn't want to be a part of that?

(majestic music) ♪ (man) So what am I doing today?

-Am I here, am I there, am I-- -We are everywhere today.

We're gonna be all over the place.

(narrator) With an influx of overseas guests... (guest) Sorry, we haven't seen each other in a few months, so we can't stop talking.

(narrator) ...the hotel is much busier, and the staff are under more pressure.

(Sean) One thing we need to get right today is communication.

We have 71 arrivals with 55 departures.

The pandemic has had its dire effect on the levels of staff.

So currently there is a little bit of a shortage.

♪ Come on, guys, come on.

(phone ringing) Hey, it's Michael.

Did someone bring you a dress from 320 to be pressed, wedding dress?

(woman) Uh, no, we don't have...

Right.

(classical music) I'm freaking out a little bit now.

It's made our job harder being short-staffed.

It's--this is-- it's pretty simple math.

The guest said that they had a dress that they're waiting for pressing, and I've just spoken to Laundry and they don't know anything about this dress, so I want to know who took the dress.

Including Sean, it was a team of 10, and at the moment we're sort of hitting around four or five, you know?

♪ Uh, did anyone take a dress to 420?

(man) No, no, no, no, no.

The less people to serve other people, the more work you're gonna have, the more difficult it's gonna be.

♪ (knocking) ♪ (door opens) Sorry to bother you again.

So, do you remember who you gave the dress to?

(guest) It was hanging downstairs in Reception.

(Michael) Oh, reception took it, so it's with the porters.

-Yes.

-That's fine.

I thought someone had taken it from the room from you.

-No.

-Fine.

-Don't scare me.

-Phew!

It can be really challenging when we're stretched.

This is ridiculous.

I don't really know how to convey that to anybody.

-Porter them up for 320.

-Yeah.

(Michael) We could do with a couple more butlers, I'm not gonna lie.

Why didn't they just, like, tell us that they had a dress?

(man) I don't know.

(Michael) Well, where was the dress, just behind the desk?

(man) Yeah, hanging behind the desk.

(mellow, quirky music) (sighs) (Michael) Okay, fine.

♪ (bright music) (woman) Would you like to register your details with (indistinct) and then we'll have a chat later.

-Hi, hello.

-Hi, how are you?

(guest) Good, you?

(narrator) To try and fill some of the staff vacancies, the hotel is holding a recruitment fair.

(woman) Obviously, it's a hotel, so open seven days.

Is that okay with you that you'll be working some weekends?

-Yep.

-Okay, good.

♪ (Franck) How many visitors do we have so far?

-19.

-That's good.

(woman) Yeah.

We've had a quite few are just through the door 'cause they love The Savoy but could only work weekends and didn't want to do serving or housekeeping.

(laughing) (classical music) (Franck) Staffing has been a big challenge.

During the pandemic, a lot of people went back to their home country.

And of course we've got Brexit, and Brexit hasn't helped us at all.

(narrator) The Savoy is not alone.

It's an industry-wide issue.

♪ (Franck) We have been struggling to get the right amount of people but also the right level of qualifications.

(majestic music) (Robert) Good morning, Robert speaking.

(Gabi) Hi, this is Gabi from The Savoy.

We've booked a few staff members from your side and they didn't show up at 9:30 starting time.

Um, would you be able to get-- get hold of them?

Okay, amazing.

Have a wonderful day.

Bye-bye.

(narrator) With staffing a factor across the hotel, Gabi, who runs events, has booked agency staff to help him out.

We'll see if they will turn up to work or not.

Working for The Savoy, certainly the standards are quite high.

Not only that, we set high expectations for ourselves.

Yes, JB.

They're here.

Amazing.

Working for an agency, you have the freedom to be flexible with your working hours, to be less invested.

So, fashionably late?

(woman) Because of train delays everywhere.

(Gabi) Amazing.

So, shall we start with the briefing?

Yeah?

Let's go over there.

♪ (indistinct chatter) (Sean) If I asked you, Robert, which is your favorite bar, which one would you pick?

-In the world?

-No, here in The Savoy.

-In The Savoy?

-At The Savoy.

(Robert) It would be the American Bar.

It was the American Bar.

(Sean) Yeah.

(vibrant music) (narrator) The world famous American Bar is currently closed, but pre-pandemic it was one of the hotel's most powerful assets, winning World's Best Bar in 2018.

-Are you going to-- -Going to the bar.

It's not actually open, I'm afraid.

-Are you joking?

-No.

I'm very good at humor but not that good.

(narrator) With more guests arriving, and competition between luxury hotels as fierce as ever, the hotel plans to reopen the bar in all its former glory.

(Jan) So we're waiting for the arrival of very special guests today, our new head bartender for the American Bar.

(man) Very exciting, we've waited a long time for this.

(Jan) Yeah.

(laughing) And we arranged the British weather, so... (man) Yep, everything's in place.

(laughing) (Jan) American Bar is a very important brand under The Savoy, one of the probably top five iconic bars in history.

We were very careful selecting the right character to go with us on that journey.

-Good morning, hello.

-Welcome to The Savoy.

-Thank you so much.

-Shannon.

(Shannon) That's me, pleasure to meet you.

-How are you?

-Pleasure.

(Shannon) Hello, this is my husband, Nate.

(man) Hey, Nate.

Welcome to sunny London.

(narrator) Shannon Tebay, originally from Albuquerque, is the American Bar's new head bartender.

(Shannon) Stepping out of the cab in the courtyard at The Savoy... Oh, wow.

...is this very, uh, overwhelming and intense moment.

(Jan) Okay, a sneak peak into the American Bar.

(Shannon) And here we are.

(narrator) Shannon was head bartender at Death & Company in New York's East Village.

She was offered this highly prestigious job over Zoom after Jan's international talent trawl.

(Shannon) Oh, wow.

(Jan) So that's it.

So how does it feel?

-Surreal.

-Surreal.

Very surreal after all this time.

So exciting.

(Jan) Now the countdown is on.

(Shannon) I know.

(laughing) (bright music) (doorman #1) I'm struggling to find like a cocktail that suits me.

(doorman #2) Yeah, that would sound funny, but I tried one of the best cocktails here, -it was a Porn Star Martini.

-Oh, okay, yeah.

(doorman #2) Not too often, not at work, but if it's done properly it's really nice.

(doorman #1) Man, I'd like to go to the pub now.

(laughs) ♪ -Oh, wow.

-Oh, my.

♪ -So not the broom closet.

-Not the broom closet, no.

(laughing) (narrator) Shannon and her husband, Nate, have packed up their lives and relocated for this job.

This is exquisite.

(narrator) So until they're settled, and because of the importance of Shannon's role, the hotel's putting them up in a deluxe suite.

(Shannon) I feel absolutely spoiled.

-This is incredible.

-This is is so special.

-Thank you so much.

-Amazing.

-Welcome to the family.

-Thank you.

-Unbelievable.

-You wanna do a flop on the bed?

(Shannon) I really do.

(laughing) ♪ Okay, that's it.

-So we're here.

-Not leaving.

(pensive music) ♪ (woman) First, when the guests come in, you welcome them.

You say, "Welcome to The Savoy," with elegance and grace.

(narrator) In the Pinafore Room, Gabi's agency staff are being shown the Savoy way to host an event.

It's Andy's 50-year birthday, so we have to perform to our best.

(woman) When I nod, we all do it at the same time.

(Gabi) And help them have one of their best days of their life.

Hello, welcome.

-Hi, how are you doing?

-Very well, thank you.

♪ (narrator) Gabi's guests of honor, Beth and Andy, have arrived.

-Oh, wonderful.

-Enjoy.

(Beth) Thank you so much.

(Gabi) And then we'll go to Andy in a second.

♪ (Beth) Andy Day.

(laughs) (Andy) Yeah, it's a special celebration, and we've termed it Andy Day.

You don't know how old I am, do you?

-No!

-Okay, good.

-Very young.

-Thank you, yes, I am very young.

The table's beautiful.

We've been fortunate to stay in lots of really nice places, but there's something about this place that I think is amazing.

♪ (bell chiming) (Gabi) Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to The Savoy Hotel.

May I kindly ask you to take your seats as lunch will be served shortly.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

(chef) Beautiful.

Up, let's go.

(majestic music) (indistinct chatter) (Gabi) Enjoy yourself, Andy.

(narrator) Although The Savoy standard is to always serve from the right, one of the agency staff is struggling.

(woman) One of the girls, it was her first shift, and these things take a little bit of time to get used to it.

♪ We did do some mistakes from the first get-go.

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

Shall I repeat it?

When I came in this country in 2011, I myself started as an agency staff member.

Go, go, go, go, quick, quick, quick, quick.

But having the privilege to work for such a place, I think that made me dedicate myself more.

(indistinct chatter) -Thank you very much.

-Enjoy your beef.

♪ We have perfect days.

We have beautiful days.

♪ And sometimes, yes, as everybody expects, not so good days.

But it's those days that define us.

We sort it out, and it's what you take home is important.

♪ (lively music) ♪ (man) What do you say to the guests when they ask about the American Bar?

(Michael) Well, just let them know that we are putting the right team together for the American Bar, and that we have the Beaufort Bar available, and just show them where it is.

-Thank you.

-Sound good?

(narrator) The American Bar first opened its doors in 1893, and in its heyday the bar's mixologists hosted the rich and famous.

They even created the Moonwalk in 1969, which they sent to Neil Armstrong and crew for their return to Earth.

(Shannon) The American Bar is hugely important in the hospitality industry, but I really didn't realize how deeply, deeply important this place is to so many people.

I am sad to say, as an Irishman, that the American Bar is currently closed.

(Shannon) Every day it's just dozens and dozens of people asking, "When is the bar gonna open?

We can't wait, we're so excited."

The bar is gorgeous.

I want these people to come back and see the bar that they know and love but also with sort of my mark on it.

There is a lot to do.

(narrator) Every week that the bar's closed means hotel guests are going elsewhere.

It's Shannon's responsibility to get it up and running.

(Shannon) I've been given more authority and power than I kind of knew I was going to have.

But I'm gonna do my very best.

There's no turning back now.

This is happening.

(dramatic music) (bright music) Very good afternoon.

(narrator) The Savoy is seeing the arrival of more and more overseas guests.

(Sean) Hello.

(narrator) Up until now, the hotel's been operating at 55% capacity.

(Kirsten) The southside is mostly open with all the river views, which is lovely.

But then on the northside, which is the art deco side, closed.

(narrator) So, to meet the new demand, more rooms are being readied.

(Kirsten) At the moment, we've got about 20 rooms each to do, so it's a bit full-on.

To make the magic happen, it's like an army of people behind the scenes.

The guests very rarely see what Housekeeping do, and yet they're the ones that are probably working the hardest to make everything absolutely perfect, or near as perfect that they can get for them.

(Jenny) Oh my Lord, look how beautiful this is.

This would be a serious upgrade to our apartment living.

-Big time.

-It reminds me a lot of my grandmother's.

The chandelier, the detail, the fabrics.

But it's also very comfortable.

(Erik) It's so cozy.

(Jenny) It is exactly what we wanted, like the quintessential London experience.

Hi, how are you?

Good morning.

I'd love to order breakfast, please.

(machine whirring) (Tevin) Coming, coming.

(narrator) Now that there are more international guests staying, things are hotting up for the Savoy's in-room dining department.

(classical music) (Tevin) It's a bit random, Toblerone.

I don't think we've ever even-- have we served that here?

I'm not sure.

(narrator) 18-year-old Tevin is the youngest member of the team.

(Tevin) Where do we get the Toblerone from?

Have we always had this just there?

♪ (cabinet closes) ♪ Ta-dah!

(narrator) Tevin started out as work experience and has been here for the past two years.

(Tevin) Ready to go, ready to go.

Outside of The Savoy, I do a plumbing course at college, and I do a bit of boxing.

I take that very seriously.

Quite dedicated to that.

So I'm training all the time.

And if I'm not training, I'm at college.

If I'm not at college, then I'm at work.

Eat, train, sleep, repeat.

♪ In-room dining.

♪ (Jenny) Oh, my Lord.

Welcome!

-How are you today?

-I am great.

(Tevin) Morning, sir, how are you today?

-I'm well!

-Would you like it by the window to enjoy the lovely view?

-I think so, yes.

-I mean, that sounds perfect.

(Tevin) So, have you got any plans for today?

(Jenny) Today is an epic day.

We're driving to the Cotswolds.

And that's when you say, "Have you ever driven on the other side of the road?"

And I say, "No."

That's gonna feel quite strange but hopefully it goes smoothly.

When I got the job, I wasn't sure at first what they really saw in me, because I thought I was quite laid-back, boring.

And this one is your sourdough toast with marinated tomato and your poached egg on top.

But then I started realizing, obviously, being yourself, see sometimes the guests like a bit of you, a bit of flair from you.

(Jenny) Did you make it all yourself?

I bet you did.

-Of course I did.

-Jack of all trades.

(Erik) There you go.

(Tevin) It just helped me change my mindset and made me like try for things harder.

And now it's like, "No, good is not good enough.

It has to be perfect or, like, above good, great, excellent."

I hope you enjoy your breakfast and I hope you enjoy your stay.

-Have a lovely day.

-Wonderful.

-Thank you!

-Thank you so much.

(Tevin) That's my favorite part, leaving the guest with a smile on their face.

(Jenny) I feel like the Queen.

Do you think she has breakfast like this every day?

(soft piano music) ♪ -Ready?

-Yes.

(Jenny) Let's do it.

(window gate rattling) (Awen) Okay.

(Shannon) They're supposed to come off though.

No, not like that.

(narrator) Head bartender Shannon and her colleague Awen have less than three weeks until the relaunch of the American Bar.

It's dusty.

It's very dusty.

Um, do you think we should start with bottles?

(Awen) Yep.

(lively music) (narrator) Although it's been closed since lockdown, the American Bar was renowned for its innovative cocktails.

It's like we stepped into a time capsule.

I wonder whose book this is.

(narrator) One drink invented here was the Hanky Panky created by Ada Coleman.

Ada was the first female to run the bar some 120 years ago, and served the likes of Mark Twain and Charlie Chaplin.

(jazz music) (Shannon) It's a little bit of a treasure hunt, you know, we're pulling out all kinds of whacky stuff.

Oh my God, there are so many bottles.

On my plate at the moment is a lot, a lot.

It's a lot.

But it's fine.

(trash bag rustles, objects clatter) I just keep telling myself it's fine.

They said it was fine.

Oh, God.

(item clattering) You get that?

(laughs) (soft music) (cell phone ringing) (Sean) Good afternoon, it's Sean speaking.

May I be of assistance to you?

Am I going to get excited?

Oh my goodness, that's great news.

Oh, I'm very excited.

Sean's trying to hire another butler.

With guest numbers rising, he could do with a few more.

(Sean) What do you mean by night shifts, overnight?

It is difficult at the moment to recruit and to attract the right people.

Yeah, no, there is-- yeah, and I couldn't guarantee you an early shift all the time.

It is difficult because there's a lot of competition now.

So that's gonna change things now, is it?

(soft music) Okay.

♪ You too, thank you for your call.

Bye-bye.

♪ If you find a little diamond that you need to polish up, that's what you grab and that's what we're still looking for.

(jazz music) (bell chiming) ♪ 614 is the butlers not doing that one?

(man) No, no, the guest is happy with you.

(Tevin) Okay.

(narrator) To help the butlers out, Tevin has been given the chance to serve one of the suites.

(man) Have two Arnold Bennett omelettes.

(Tevin) Two Arnold Bennetts, yep.

(man) With the bulb outside here, set the stalk behind it.

(narrator) Butlers are required to take the guest experience one step further.

(man) Invented in Savoy, 1920.

(narrator) And Tevin is going to have to do some homework.

(Tevin) So we have two Arnold Bennetts.

It was actually named after an author and a writer.

It has some smoked haddock inside, cheese, and then we serve it with a bit of hollandaise sauce.

(soft music) -Morning, Tevin.

-Morning.

Are you all right?

Are you-- Next week I think we're gonna be together.

(Tevin) I haven't been told which day but yes.

(Sean) No, okay.

All right, I'll see you later.

I have spotted one or two internally that I have, um, an eye on.

And one of those is Tevin.

I've encouraged him just to come and do a little cross-training in the department.

Not too toasted, not under-toasted.

Want more on the under-toasted side than the too-toasted side.

(Sean) I want that diamond and I want it to sparkle.

♪ (mellow jazz music) (Tevin) Was named after a writer and critic, obviously Arnold Bennett.

Smoked haddock and cheese.

(narrator) Tevin needs to serve his guests the story of the omelette and its ingredients.

-How are you today?

-I'm fine, thank you.

(Tevin) Great stuff, thank you, I'll get the door for you.

-Thank you.

-Lovely.

One Arnold Bennett, two Arnold Bennetts.

And did you know that Arnold Bennetts were invented in 1920?

They were named after a writer and critic Arnold Bennett, and they have smoked salmon and cheese inside.

-Wow.

-Anything else I can do?

-No, that's wonderful.

-Have a lovely day, -enjoy your food.

-Thank you so much.

(Tevin) My pleasure, you're welcome.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye.

(bright music) ♪ Lovely, and that's how we do it.

♪ Oh, yeah.

Was smoked haddock, not smoked salmon.

Yeah.

♪ Yeah, that's embarrassing.

(laughs) ♪ Service!

♪ (mellow jazz music) ♪ (Dennis) Four weeks opened, we've probably-- probably been doing about 700, 800 covers a week.

Hundreds of oysters.

(narrator) Dennis is the senior sous chef at the River Restaurant, The Savoy's latest addition in their efforts to stay ahead of the game.

Big deal running the oyster bar in the River Restaurant.

Guest-facing, slight nerves, you get butterflies.

But that's what sort of keeps you ready, keeps you accountable, keeps you sharp.

Fresh seafood is the name of the game.

(jazz music) (doorman) Good evening, welcome to The Savoy.

-Thank you very much.

-You're very welcome.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

♪ (narrator) Former Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt and radio DJ Zoe Hardman have come to try the place for themselves.

♪ (waiter) You want a still or sparkling water?

-Still for me.

-No, only Champagne.

(waiter) Only Champagne.

(laughing) Hello, ladies, how are you?

-Hello.

-I'm Dennis.

-Hi Dennis.

-And this is Oliver, -handsome Oliver.

-How are you?

-With some lovely Champagne.

-Already getting started.

(Kimberly) I mean, it's always good to start with bubbles, then dive into whatever comes next, so... (Franck) Sorry to disturb you, I just wanted to come and say hello and wish you a wonderful evening.

(Zoe) What would you recommend with your years?

(Franck) Do you like oysters?

(Kimberly) Yes, I love oysters.

(Zoe) I've only tried them once and I had a fairly strong reaction, -like a (gags).

-Yeah, don't, don't.

(laughing) Like a (gags).

I couldn't control it.

(Dennis) We'll do it in a way that will help you out.

(Zoe) Okay.

(majestic music) (Dennis) Who knew?

15 years ago I was making burgers at Burger King.

You know?

(Zoe) Who's the most famous person that you've ever cooked for?

(Dennis) Gordon Ramsay.

(laughing) (Zoe) You're quite good, aren't you?

I know why they put you here.

Yeah, I'm like a pound shop Danny Dyer, my friends call me.

That's the beautiful thing about kitchens.

You can be no one from nowhere, and then if you put the hard work in you can be anything.

♪ (Zoe) Is there a certain way to eat them, or is it just down the hatch?

(Dennis) A lot of people down the hatch.

And with anything, if you just eat it without chewing it, you get all the brine, none of the actual flavor from the actual meat of the oyster.

(Zoe) So--so chew it.

(Dennis) Chew, always chew.

(Zoe) Okay, away we go, lovely.

(Kimberly) Doing your own Celeb Challenge.

(soft, quirky piano music) ♪ -Yeah.

-See?

(Zoe) Much better.

Oh God, I didn't gag!

(laughing) ♪ (Shannon) Mr. Awen.

This is where we'll be doing the tasting.

Running out of time, honestly.

(classical music) (narrator) With just 10 days to go until the American Bar's opening... (Awen) Gonna be (indistinct), right?

(Shannon) I mean, sure, might as well, right?

That way they can just follow along.

(narrator) Head bartender Shannon is preparing to trial her brand new menu on the hotel bosses.

(Shannon) There's all this anticipation in this opening and my arrival.

♪ I hope that they feel like they made the right choice in who to hire for this job.

(Franck) All right, good evening.

-Good evening.

-Friday evening, 5:30.

Did Shannon choose this time on purpose?

(Shannon) Maybe had a little bit of strategy.

Friday night, end of the week.

The show is yours now.

(ice rattling) (mellow jazz music) ♪ (Shannon) This is, of course, my Ada Coleman nod, 'cause I had to.

This is a Hanky Panky variation, adding pear brandy, some additional eucalyptus, and absinthe.

(tense music) Putting cocktails in front of people for the first time, it's very exciting.

I need the critical feedback, I want that, but at the same time, it's scary.

Thoughts, questions, concerns?

You feel very exposed, very vulnerable in those moments.

(Franck) I can tell you, it's outstanding.

(bright music) ♪ -There's a big issue.

-Oh dear.

(Thierry) I'm gonna need a lot of tables for our guests at Savoy Grill.

It's too good, it's too good.

Bravo, bravo.

-I mean, wow.

-Thank you very much.

Well done to you and well done to Shannon.

(applause) (dramatic music) (bright music) ♪ I think it's good to have the nametags because then they know how to recognize us directly if they have any doubt.

(classical music) (narrator) Today, Franck is expecting some of the world's most influential travel agents who represent very affluent clients.

(Franck) Just make sure that there's a clear pathway and give them a warm American welcome.

(chuckles) (narrator) High-end guests are a key battleground between luxury hotels, and they've already been to see what Franck's rivals have to offer.

(Franck) Hi.

Pleased to meet you.

Welcome to The Savoy.

These are luxury travel agents.

They are used to the best there is in hospitality.

(narrator) If impressed, they have the power to direct millions of pounds' worth of business to the hotel.

(Franck) The expectations of service are really high, so there's a lot of pressure with that.

(narrator) A key strategy is a preview of the American Bar before it opens.

(Franck) We're still renovating, and this is why you see this (inaudible).

It looks like it is on purpose, it is not.

(laughing) (bright music) (narrator) Franck's also commandeered some excellent chefs.

(chef) This tin of caviar, probably £150.

(narrator) To prepare a feast from the finest ingredients.

-What is that?

-Eh, gold leaf.

(chef) There's nothing better than having a busy restaurant and a busy hotel, and this--this should hopefully entice them.

(bright music) (Franck) It is an opportunity to show them, you know, we are back.

When they send us their guests, we are absolutely fully ready to welcome them.

(lively music) ♪ Parmigiana is over there already.

(narrator) In another part of the hotel, it's lunch time in the staff canteen.

(man) Lovely job.

(narrator) This fare may not be golf leaf-infused, but as a way of thanking their staff, it's free of charge.

(Sean) Oh my goodness, Rolf, is this roast beef or roast lamb?

Lamb?

Oh my, we're being spoiled.

This is where we get our strength from, which gets us ready for the next stage when we get back.

(bright music) ♪ (narrator) All staff members are catered for, including the chefs at the hotel's restaurants.

(Dennis) If we didn't have this, we wouldn't eat, so, uh, it's very much our lifeblood, really.

(cook) They are quite good chefs, too.

They judge you, and then when they've got time, they give to you the feedback.

Sometimes he's right, sometimes he's not.

(chuckles) (Dennis) Chips and a curry, you can't really knock it, can ya?

♪ (soft, pensive music) ♪ (liquid pouring) (phone camera clicks) (narrator) Franck and his VIP travel agents have moved to the Royal Suite, recently refurbed by Gucci.

(guest) Franck, I've gone through all your caviar.

(Franck) Some of these dishes are done by our River Restaurant.

-Look at this.

-Beautiful.

(Matthew) You know, you can have all the wonderful hard goods in the building, but the modem luxury customer is also looking for authenticity.

(narrator) The clients of these travel agents could afford to stay in the almost £16,000 a night suite for several days at a time.

(Franck) We want them to go back to their guests and say, "Yes, London is full of wonderful hotels, but the one that stands out, even after the pandemic, is The Savoy.

All right, ladies and gentlemen, thank you, thank you again for being here.

Let me tell you a little bit of background.

Guccio Gucci, the founder of the company, used to be a bellhop at The Savoy.

(group marvels) And this is what inspired him to create this very unique empire.

(Matthew) But having been a bellhop here is such a powerful story.

So, tell it a million times.

(laughing) (classical music) -That's the money shot.

-That is.

And I've already been posting on my Instagram stories.

(laughs) And I've already had people respond and message me, "I wanna stay there.

Tell me about that."

Or, "What are you doing?"

-So what's your impression?

-Fantastic.

(Diane) I think it's absolutely stunning.

(man) The dining room is fantastic.

(Franck) One advisor texted one of his clients to say, "This is your next trip."

So I think it's going very well.

(Diane) It's perfection, absolute perfection.

It shows that travel is back, and it placed The Savoy back on the map.

(traffic whirring) (energetic music) ♪ (Tevin) Hi, good morning, can I get a butler's uniform, please?

The big day has come.

Some butler training, something to mix it up.

♪ (woman) Don't lift your belly.

♪ (Tevin) 36?

-You sure?

-Yeah.

-I normally wear 32.

-Yeah.

♪ (Michael) I'm just gonna place that there.

And I'm just gonna check, I'm just gonna run.

(narrator) The butlers department are still looking to recruit.

We are busy, there are days where we are quite stretched.

There's a lot of running around.

Okay, perfect, I am on my way.

We've done a sterling job and we continue to do so, but, yeah, yeah, we're busy.

(sewing machine whirring) (Tevin) 36 waist.

Come on.

Anyway, hopefully this uniform suits me.

(narrator) To help the butlers out, 18-year-old Tevin has been asked to do some training.

(Tevin) Perfect.

The work ethic that I have now comes from my parents, seeing how hard they work.

Sometimes they do a night job, sometimes they do an evening job, but they're always working.

I want to have that kind of work ethic so I can get to where I want to be in life.

Where's the mirror?

(narrator) Kevin will be working with Michael, one of the more senior butlers.

(Michael) Butler service.

When I started here, Tevin would come in on the weekend.

Hello, Mr. Butcher.

You know, we all hate going to school, so why the hell would any sane person want to come into a hotel and work on the busiest day of the week?

Tevin did.

-How do I look?

-Great.

(chuckles) All right, thanks, bye.

(soft, quirky music) ♪ (knocking) It's Tevin.

(Michael) Hello, hello.

Hey, look at you, man.

Fresh!

(jazz music) -Nice to have you here.

-Thank you, thank you.

(Sean) These--a fine pair of shoulders you have.

-Mm-hm.

-Stick that chest of yours out.

Then you look that you are somebody with knowledge, and the guest is gonna feel that.

And don't be afraid of anybody.

Ask the question if it helps you to do your job well, okay?

The good thing about cross-training, it's helping people to understand the roles that other people are doing, and being able to jump in when required, just to make sure that guest experience is perfect.

♪ -Let's rock and roll.

-Let's go.

(Michael) Let's go, man.

(classical music) ♪ (Sean) So I think I'm going to take Tevin in the main entrance.

It isn't somewhere that you would normally go, Tevin.

We usually use our butler entrance, -which is through the kitchen.

-Okay.

(narrator) Sean and Michael are showing Tevin the most exclusive room in the hotel.

(Sean) I want you to stop, and I'm going to pull this door open, and I want you to walk in to the middle of the room.

♪ (Tevin) Woo!

♪ Yeah, I like this, I like this.

(Sean) So walk through the room now and see how you're feeling.

We just want you to look at all the bits and pieces.

And I want you to look at the detail.

♪ (narrator) Sean wants to give Tevin a taste of what the hotel's highest-spending guests experience when staying in the Royal Suite.

(Sean) I want you to soak up what you're seeing around you.

(soft music) ♪ (Tevin) I've never actually got to serve many of the high profile guests, because usually the butlers serve them.

My favorite room is actually the dressing room, because, like, I don't know, I've just never been in a big, like, walk-in dressing room like this.

It gives me a certain sense of like elegance and power.

I could come in here, maybe take some of my nice Rolexes on, put them on and just be a bit flashy with it, a couple pictures to post on Instagram.

♪ I feel like this could be me one day.

Yeah, it's like a little taste of what I'm gonna get in the future.

♪ (engine humming) (Shannon) The margarita and then the egg white.

-Yeah, okay.

-Okay?

(narrator) With the American Bar still being finished, and a week to go, the newly recruited bar staff are gathered in the Beaufort Bar.

Thank you guys for coming in.

We're gonna reopen the American Bar.

Today we're just gonna focus on the house cocktails.

We have a tremendous amount of work to do to get this bar open.

We're reopening a bar, but we're really opening a bar from basically scratch.

I'm new, new drinks, everything is new.

So, thank you, guys, for being so committed, so passionate.

Thank you for welcoming me, making me feel like part of the family.

(applause) (energetic music) (Michael) Your experience in in-room dining, it serves you well because you're already used to having that rapport with guests and feeling comfortable in their space.

That's a huge thing you've already got which I didn't have, you know, when I joined, so you already got a head start.

Butler service.

♪ So I'm gonna place this here for a moment.

Do you have any questions.

(Tevin) Show me how you would greet them -and like introduce them.

-Yeah, nice.

Good question.

(clears throat) So, we ring the guest in, we always ask them, "May I open the door for you?"

-Yeah.

-"Yes, sure."

Okay, lovely.

"Welcome to your home away from home."

My dream guest would be probably Anthony Joshua, because obviously he came up here boxing.

I would want to ask him so many questions, like, "What would you recommend to a young boxer?"

Or, "What would you recommend to maybe a young man that wants to chase his dreams?"

(Michael) You're going to be getting a lot of requests, and we never say no.

(Tevin) I heard guests, like, request quite random things, like was it butterfly milk last time?

(Michael) I don't even know what butterfly milk is.

Richard had to deal with that, that was Richard's problem.

If you can't find what they're asking for, just do your utmost to bring them options.

"I couldn't get butterfly milk, but I've got wasp milk."

Whatever.

I count myself in this, a generation of young people who perhaps saw these types of jobs as beneath them or not exciting enough.

And here's this guy who's much younger than I am, and he's this astute, very well put together, very calm young man who is just taking it in his stride.

Thank you, age before beauty.

(Tevin chuckles) ♪ (classical music) -Can I keep it inside?

-Yes.

(narrator) In readiness for the launch, Shannon's stock is pouring in thick and fast.

(Shannon) We've got a skiff, there are apparently three with our stuff.

(classical music) ♪ I feel a little frazzled, a little stressed.

If stocking the entire back bar and all that is gonna take a day, and all the batching and prep work is gonna take a day, there are literally not enough days left to do it.

So, gonna just have to learn how to bend time.

♪ -Hi, everyone.

-Let's get going.

(Jan) The word is out.

There is some great feedbacks on our postings.

And now the countdown is on and we will make it.

(Shannon) If any of you see me huddled up in a corner just crying, just give me a pat on the back and tell me to buck up.

(laughing) It'll be fine.

♪ -How was that?

-It was cool.

It was very different to, obviously, in-room dining, because we have some similarities in the way we approach the guest, but you just go the extra step and make sure they're catered for more, which is good.

(Michael) You know, you're spot on.

It's all about how you make people feel.

And you've got a nice-- a nice personality, you've got a nice way about you, you know.

And sometimes these are things you can't teach people, -you know?

-I quite know, yeah.

(Michael) And so you've got it, you've got it in droves.

So you should be proud of yourself.

(Tevin) What does the future hold for Tevin?

Well, I think now the only way is up.

What is so great about this industry as well is there will always be a desire for service.

Wherever you might end up going, you'll always have a job because this industry's not going anywhere, you know?

They can take our scones, they can never take away our freedom.

(vibrant music) (doorman) We should be busy later on.

We've got the American Bar open today.

(bright jazz music) (applause, cheering) (narrator) With the American Bar opening in two hours' time, the staff are being given the Savoy guard of honor.

♪ (Franck) The American Bar is a huge milestone for us, extremely well-known throughout the world, and it's been like this for a century.

And, Shannon, now for you it's time to bring this wonderful experience back to The Savoy and basically to the world.

This is obviously very highly anticipated opening and expectations are very high.

(Franck) Ladies and gentlemen, to the last hundred years and to the next hundred years.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

(Shannon) I have no idea how many dozens of hours have been put into making this all come together, but now that we're finally here, I'm excited and I'm nervous.

If you'll excuse us, we have to set up a bar.

(laughing) (energetic music) ♪ (Thierry) Oh my God, that's-- what a surprise.

That's just fantastic.

You're looking amazing, all.

So when did you arrive?

You flew in from home or where from?

Austin, Texas.

I cannot tell you how much we've missed you guys.

-Oh my God.

-I'm serious.

(narrator) The Hickmans started coming to The Savoy six years ago.

(Jeff) It's actually amazing not only to be at The Savoy, it's amazing to be here.

(Thierry) To have those guests coming back every year, and traveling thousands of miles away, you know, to come and see us, this is just unbelievable.

It's fantastic.

(Raine) Walked in the front yesterday.

We both just stopped and were like-- and just--and closed our eyes, we're like... (Jeff) Actually the smell.

(Raine) It smells like home.

(Jeff) For Americans, I think often The Savoy has that Old World glamorous feel.

For many people, it's a never in a lifetime.

For some people, it's once in a lifetime.

And we're blessed that it's an-- -an often in a lifetime.

-Often.

(Thierry) Do you know the American Bar is reopening?

I mean, can you imagine the American Bar closed?

-This is like a... -Oh, I didn't know that.

(Thierry) It was one of the best bars in the world.

We were here three-- three years ago?

Four years ago when it was voted number one.

-Number one.

-We were here.

And literally like that night came to the bar.

-Yeah.

-It was amazing.

(Thierry) If you come get a table, please talk to me, always, because it's gonna be really, really busy.

Please talk to me, because you've gotta try that.

-I'll hold you to that.

-Of course.

(energetic classical music) (man) Christian, I think we need to start to put ice in place, no?

Just one hour left.

Thank you, Christian.

♪ Well, it's game time.

So, have a good service, have a good first service.

Enjoy, have fun, and have a good evening.

♪ (doors creak open) (ice rattling) (narrator) The American Bar is officially open for business.

Hello, good evening.

(Thierry) I'm so excited to see the American Bar's just reopened, and now I just need to see how it looks like, you know, with John at the piano, oh la la.

(piano music) (Johnny) ♪ Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars ♪ ♪ (Shannon) Having Johnny start up on the piano is magical.

It really transforms the room in a very special way.

(Johnny singing) ♪ It's wonderful to meet so many old regulars who've been so anxious and excited to come back.

And a ton of old staff members.

(Peter) I was the eighth head bartender, and now she's about-- I've been that told she's 12.

You'd be 12, have you worked it out?

(Shannon) I think it's 12, yes.

(Peter) 12th head bartender.

And what it is, a lady, guys.

My God, the world is changing.

Had to wait 120 years.

(Johnny) ♪ Please be true ♪ ♪ (woman) We've been waiting, I think, for just as long as the guests have, really, so it's really nice to-- to have it open now.

♪ (Johnny) Welcome back.

(applause, cheering) (mellow jazz music) ♪ -Are you going for a drink?

-Probably a bit later.

(she laughs) ♪ (Franck) Life at The Savoy has returned.

And the long-anticipated return of the American Bar is the last piece of the puzzle.

♪ (Shannon) Bartending is the absolute best job in the world.

We're in the business of making people happy and bringing people together.

♪ (Michael) It is a real rollercoaster of a ride right now, and exciting.

And it's a bit cheesy, you know, like no one wants to get off the ride, but it's the case, and I think we're all 100% committed.

And, you know, long may it continue.

♪ (Shannon) Thank you.

♪ (doorman) All the best, thank you very much.

Bye-bye.

(majestic music) (narrator) Next time.

(Thierry) Ooh la la.

Let's celebrate.

(narrator) It's party time at The Savoy.

-Happy birthday.

-Thank you.

(narrator) And as wedding fever grips the hotel... -Will you marry me?

-Yes!

(narrator) ...the pressure is on.

(glass shatters) (man) We're stuck in the lift and we need to get to a guest quite quickly.

It's not like they're getting married today or anything, or there's 300 people that are waiting for them.

(dramatic music) (bright music) ♪ (bright music)