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Yorkshire's Poshest Hotel: Grantley Hall - Season 1 Episode 1
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00:03It's out one Sunday.
00:06We were just coming over the little bridge.
00:10And I just looked at the first sales sign.
00:12Straight away, I just said, I'm going to buy a grandchild tomorrow.
00:16I want to make it into a five-star hotel,
00:20and I want to put Yorkshire on the map.
00:26We wanted to create something that felt unique.
00:34It's like a posh guesthouse.
00:36Are you well?
00:37Yeah.
00:37Everybody's your friend in Yorkshire.
00:39How are you?
00:40How are you?
00:41Good to see you.
00:49No one would expect a hotel like this in a valley,
00:52in the middle of Yorkshire.
00:57We see ourselves with the Dorchesters,
01:00the Riggs, the Glen Eagles.
01:02We want to even be higher than them.
01:04Hello.
01:06Welcome to Guntley Hall.
01:08Oh, my God.
01:10We are a Yorkshire team.
01:11We've got that Yorkshire grit about us.
01:13It's number one.
01:14It really is.
01:15The experience, the people.
01:18Go!
01:18It's fabulous!
01:20Yoo-hoo!
01:21The feeling.
01:42It's a colourful autumn at Grantley Hall, and with the hotel's 47 rooms nearly at capacity,
01:48it promises to be a busy week for General Manager Nunu and his 500 staff.
01:54The hotel is where dreams are made.
01:57Staying in one of our gorgeous, superior suite.
02:01The hotel is where experiences are shared.
02:05The hotel is where memories are created.
02:08So every action is always thinking, how can we surpass guests' expectations that they come to us,
02:14and they say it's much better than any hotel in the world.
02:16My job is to pass that to the team.
02:18Could you just get the guys to check the cars?
02:21The six cars, they're not straight at all.
02:24Thanks, man.
02:27That one there. Just that one there.
02:29Thank you very much.
02:33I was always going to be an otelier.
02:35Always. I couldn't do anything else.
02:36And it's not a job.
02:38It's, you know, it's my DNA.
02:40And I could actually work all the time.
02:43You know, I'm sure that the team have spotted, and they are doing something about it.
02:47But I will chase it because we can't have that.
02:50I'm quite good with detail.
02:52The things need to look perfect.
02:54Looks worse on the camera. Wow.
02:56How am I going to sleep with this tonight?
02:58I'm not sure.
03:00I think I want to see things as the guests see them.
03:03And if it's not straight, it looks messy.
03:07It looks disorganized.
03:09I think potentially I might be on a spectrum of something.
03:12I wouldn't say what, but I might be.
03:14One word for Nuno.
03:16Incredible.
03:17Top leader.
03:19Been working with him now for about six years.
03:23Great.
03:23What do you think?
03:32Good.
03:32And what about the chest?
03:35You've spotted, haven't you?
03:36It's not straight?
03:38Well done.
03:56Well done.
03:59Good morning, John.
04:00Good morning, John.
04:05Look at that.
04:07Built in the hall's former chapel,
04:09the royal suite offers views of the formal gardens.
04:18And features a show-stopping, mezzanine-level bedroom.
04:24It's very frequent that people enter this room
04:27and they cry when they get in,
04:28because they can't believe how beautiful it is.
04:34This could be a room for a king or a queen.
04:38Love it, love it, love it.
04:41And here we have a picture of Valeria, our founder,
04:45and reminds me a bit, even if she's not around,
04:47she's around, she's watching us.
04:52Love that picture.
05:03Valeria's son Richard has been at the helm of the business
05:05since the Sykes family bought Granley Hall in 2015.
05:11And this week, he greenlit a huge revamp
05:14of one of the food and drink venues,
05:16the Orchard Bar and Restaurant.
05:19So we've got the Orchard.
05:2024-7 place.
05:22It's meant to be more of a cafe-style place,
05:24but more relaxed.
05:25We changed the concept of it a couple of times a year
05:27to really give our guests a different experience.
05:31It's originally post-Covid,
05:34outside dining when you couldn't dine inside,
05:36but it's become a really big part of what guests want here.
05:39The Orchard's transformations are designed to change with the seasons
05:43and are masterminded by the hotel's interior and ambience manager, Marek.
05:50Patrick, action!
05:52The bottom line is it has to be better, it has to be different,
05:55it has to photograph well,
05:56and it has to be part of the Granley DNA,
06:00which is, you know, the very height of luxury.
06:02As you can see, summer is over.
06:04Pink, white is disappearing
06:06and we're going to bring more warm colours.
06:10Gold, black and red.
06:12These sophisticated colours just came to me like,
06:15take me, take me, take me, work with me.
06:17And, yeah, so I'm very excited actually about this project this year.
06:23Marek has just three days to bring his vision to life
06:26before a lavish champagne launch on Friday evening.
06:32No pressure, no pressure, yeah?
06:34It's just here, but outside it's like this.
06:41But his ambitious plans mean adding a new entrance, updated lighting.
06:47We're going to have a six.
06:49Yeah.
06:49Three different designs in the middle.
06:51Yeah.
06:52And pots galore of metallic paint.
06:54It has to be the same gold as we have across the hotel,
06:57so we manage after like four, four, yeah, five samples.
07:02And that's just for starters.
07:05Marek is my butterfly.
07:06I love Marek.
07:08When I came here, he was the right man for the job,
07:12which is in charge of style, how it feels, the smells, the looks,
07:17and that's what he's great at.
07:19So the panels we're going to cover with the antique middle kind of tiles.
07:24Yes.
07:24But there's a few rules with Marek.
07:26I don't want the orchard closed for any time.
07:29By closing an outlet, it jeopardizes the service
07:31and jeopardizes the revenue and the reputation.
07:34If I had my own way, it would have been the end of the day,
07:36so I'd be quite nice to him to give him three days actually.
07:53Today, Grantley Hall is one of Yorkshire's most opulent hotels.
07:57But back in 2015,
08:00the Grade II listed country house was going to rack and ruin
08:03when Barnsley-born entrepreneur Valeria Sykes spotted it on the market.
08:08I'm sure God were working through me that perfect day.
08:12And I just turned and I said,
08:14I'm going to buy Grantley Hall tomorrow.
08:16I'm doing it for Yorkshire and I've got to do it.
08:19I said, it's going to be a topped hotel.
08:21I want to show the South what we can do in the North.
08:27The first person Valeria called upon to help realise her vision was son Richard.
08:34I remember it really well when Mum called me.
08:36I knew the place. It's a magical place. It really, really is.
08:40And I said, well, it must be crazy,
08:43but I'll support you in what you want to do.
08:45To embark on something like that is a massive challenge,
08:48but if this is what you really want, we'll make it happen.
09:04Good morning. Good morning. Good morning, Mum.
09:06Hey, good to see you. Good to see you.
09:09Yeah, very good.
09:09And look who's here.
09:10Lovely to see you. Good to see you.
09:12Are you okay? Have you been okay?
09:14Yes.
09:15It's fine. And what's the plan for the day? What are you doing?
09:16I've got three meetings down in Norton and then in Lifestyle.
09:19So I'm going to leave you with Mum.
09:20Perfect.
09:20And I'll catch you a bit later, yeah?
09:22Richard is very demanding.
09:23Yes, we're perfect.
09:25So, you know, in his eyes, attention to detail is just unbelievable.
09:28If I'm good at attention to detail, it's to a different level.
09:31But you can't be running this place at the level we are without being demanding in everything.
09:37Valeria is very different.
09:38She's the mother figure.
09:40She's an incredible lady.
09:42She's the backbone of what we do.
09:44She's the one that makes sure that we have the family values.
09:47I came from near Bounsley.
09:50I brought up in a council house.
09:53My dad was a minor.
09:55I've had a fantastic life.
09:57But I've had a lot of sadness as well.
09:59I got divorced, so that's why I could put all the money into this.
10:04I left school at 16.
10:05Went to work for my dad's motor vehicle companies, scrapyards.
10:08Typical tight Yorkshire man.
10:10I'd certainly not got any idea of this sort of level of opulence or luxury.
10:16Richard enlisted the support of his three children.
10:19And together, the Sykes family embarked on the challenge of a lifetime.
10:24Once we started looking around the grounds,
10:26it was really sad to see how we'd been allowed to fall into so much disrepair.
10:32Oh, it was terrible, weren't it?
10:33You know, suspended ceilings that were just letting water in.
10:37So the magnitude even of the main hall was significant.
10:40But yeah, proper challenge.
10:45And that proper challenge didn't half grow legs.
10:49The renovations took four years.
10:52Employing an army of local Yorkshire contractors.
10:57And at a cost of more than £100 million.
11:01Much of which was spent on adding a whole new wing.
11:05We needed accommodation, we needed a spa, we needed a plant room.
11:09And the challenge was to create something with a bit of almost Romanesque feel.
11:13To feel a little bit more European.
11:15We did that on purpose.
11:17To have something different to the hall.
11:19So it's got tradition, but the DNA is quite different.
11:22The fabric is fresher and newer.
11:27We wanted to create something that felt unique.
11:31More like a touch of Yorkshire.
11:32It's like a posh guesthouse.
11:34Lady Johnson, how are you?
11:37Where else can you get greeted at the door saying,
11:39Hey up, love, how are you?
11:40Welcome to Grantly Hall.
11:41Let's get you all checked in.
11:43Let's get your bags up to the room.
11:44And get you all nice and relaxed.
11:45Alright, Glen.
11:46We're going to give you that Yorkshire welcome.
11:48Why would we not?
11:49You smell nice.
11:51I wonder what you've got on.
11:52Why is it?
11:52They use words that are very Yorkshire words.
11:54And I love it.
11:55You know, if you have somebody welcomed by a member of staff.
11:58And they go, I hope.
11:58I hope, love.
12:00Everybody's your friend in Yorkshire.
12:02It's been great.
12:02Thank you very much.
12:03See you later.
12:04And you leave as a friend.
12:06You don't just leave as a customer.
12:09Coming up, the hotel receives a booking from a global superstar.
12:15We have a super VIP coming from the States.
12:18She'll be staying with us for a week.
12:19So watch the space.
12:22And can Marek stay afloat?
12:25There's a well underneath.
12:26There is, yeah.
12:27Machine well.
12:28With a rising tide of problems in the orchard.
12:32Look at this mess.
12:34It looks like a bomb site.
12:47At the heart of Grantley Hall's mission to be a world-leading hotel is the bespoke level of service it
12:53offers to everyone who stays with them.
12:55With that in mind, they've created a special task force called the Guest Experience Team.
13:01Good evening.
13:02How are you?
13:03Very well.
13:04Thank you, darling.
13:05How are you?
13:05We'll have a toast.
13:06Which department head, Thierry, guides with joie de vivre.
13:09Happy anniversary.
13:11Happy anniversary.
13:12Fabulous.
13:13And thank you for looking after.
13:14My pleasure.
13:16Well, we've been royally looked after, haven't we?
13:18I should be sure.
13:19I should be sure.
13:21So basically the role of Guest Experience is to oversee our guest journey from pre-checking to checkout.
13:26You had a good weekend.
13:28It was just brilliant.
13:30See you next time.
13:31Bye.
13:32Bye.
13:32Au revoir.
13:33See you soon.
13:34We do research about our guest.
13:36We log what they like, what they don't like.
13:39They will remember the emotion and the little detail more than the bottle of champagne put in the bedrooms.
13:44Are you still playing plenty of tennis?
13:46No, I can't run.
13:47I'm really in pain in his legs, so I need to get fitter.
13:50So I started rowing instead.
13:52Oh, I'm running.
13:53For me, it's all about the heart of hospitality.
13:57The big influence in my life was my dad.
14:00Because he was merging casinos and then he switched to groceries.
14:04It was just amazing.
14:05If I could be 10% as good as he was, then I'd be happy.
14:09It was incredible.
14:14The hotel has 10 staff assigned to each room.
14:17And with guests typically paying between £1,000 and £4,500 a night,
14:21no request is too big or too small.
14:26Good afternoon, guest experience.
14:30We'll check about three or four rooms a day, add any amenities, the flowers, champagne, cakes, etc.
14:37And just make sure everything's all good for our guests.
14:40We have been known to go out in our Bentley to collect prawn cocktail crisps for our guests.
14:46We have a pillow menu and all our bed linen is made with the finest Egyptian cotton.
14:51That one just needs, you need to move that ribbon.
14:54And then the one behind it just needs to go at the other side.
14:57Very good.
14:58Perfect.
15:00With the hotel nearing capacity, the pressure's going platinum for Thierry's team,
15:05with a booking from a globally renowned singer.
15:09We have a super VIP coming from the States.
15:12So I'm just reading what the main requirements are.
15:15The riders should be staying with us for a week, so watch the space.
15:26The PA looking after Thierry's high-profile guest has been in touch, to say their car is only a couple
15:32of hours away.
15:35We're not going to do the normal check-in, we will hand them to the PA.
15:39Escort them straight to the room.
15:42Thierry has a surprise in store, delicately prepared by the pastry team's senior sous chef, Shannon.
15:52I'm making our very special VIP photo frame for a very special VIP guest.
15:59We put a chocolate photo frame on a chocolate cake filled with ganache,
16:03blonde chocolate fudge, a salted caramel truffles, crunchy chocolate pearls, gold leaf.
16:10So we're going to use the finest ingredients, the best in the world.
16:14Everything that we use down to cream, sugar, chocolate is world-class.
16:19This is edible gold.
16:20It doesn't taste of anything, but it just gives that little bit of grantly gold.
16:25And finally, a personal touch for a truly independent woman.
16:30We have a white chocolate cake. Hopefully the VIP guests will love it.
16:42Back in the Orchard Bistro, work is continuing on the three-day transformation.
16:49Who owns this ladder? This is to go to retirement house, please.
16:53Oh, that's mine.
16:54Oh, sorry, baby, but I really don't like this ladder. It's like 1999.
16:59But the forecast for style guru Marek's schedule is looking bleak.
17:05The weather is not helping because we are working on the floor outside now,
17:09so the water is going to be slightly wet.
17:13Helping keep things on track is Marek's trusted assistant.
17:17So this is Shelly Leslie, a gift shop manager and my amazing helper.
17:23Having Shelly in-house is an unbelievable help,
17:26and she's always willing to change her shifts.
17:28She's working very close, and the connection from day one is like...
17:32We are Pisces, basically. We are both Pisces.
17:35We get each other.
17:36We get each other.
17:37Marek's basically like a Labrador puppy.
17:40Shelly?
17:40He will always go the extra mile for his role.
17:44He is extra in every way, but he's very, very kind-hearted,
17:48and he will try his best to do what he can to help anybody.
17:53I grew up from the very young person when my mum was always telling me,
17:57you have to do what is here and just keep up with positivity
18:03and the amazing, beautiful approach.
18:05It needs to be perfect.
18:06If it's not perfect, I'm going to leave it,
18:08until it's going to be done properly.
18:11You want it above the tree line, though, don't you?
18:13Just a little bit.
18:14Stop.
18:15Yeah.
18:15Exactly like this. Perfect.
18:19Next job for Mr Perfection, an eye-catching selfie station.
18:24I do like this fat boom-boom sticking out.
18:27Well, let's hold the fabric over it and let's see how it looks.
18:30But across the room, something's put a real dampener on progress.
18:36What's happened here?
18:37We're going to have to peel the carpet back, have a look what's happened.
18:41Like when?
18:42Chop the sheets out and re-sheet it.
18:43You sure?
18:43Fully water damage, so we've just got to find out and investigate.
18:46I remember as well, book somebody to clean the sides.
18:49Look at how they're dirty.
18:50Yeah, yeah, yeah.
18:51We need to clean those.
18:52Put prints?
18:52Yeah.
18:53Yeah, yeah.
18:54OK.
18:55Right, OK.
18:57Not very good, isn't it?
19:00It's not clear why rainwater has been leaking into the restaurant.
19:05I think the carpet's meeting underneath.
19:07Yeah.
19:07Which is transferring the water, so we just need to investigate for an hour.
19:11There's a well underneath.
19:12There is, yeah.
19:13Wish him well.
19:15Wow.
19:15It comes summer when you can cook through the board with your knife.
19:19You've got to make it safe, basically.
19:21We can't have no action, so that's why it's got to be done.
19:24Bye Friday.
19:25No matter what.
19:26You need a barra or something to get this in.
19:28I can't see.
19:30We discovered something which is time-consuming, and it's a lot of work, I understand, so for
19:36now, for the next few hours, I'm to take this away from my head, and I need to concentrate
19:40on something else.
19:41But there's not much chance of that.
19:44Look at this mess.
19:45Wow!
19:46Have you seen the signage outside?
19:48Magic.
19:48Magic in progress.
19:51Hotel manager Nunu wants to see the water damage for himself.
19:55So we're going to put a new board, yeah?
19:57With just over two days to go until launch night, nearly every section of the marquee
20:02is in transition.
20:06It looks like a bombsite.
20:09For me, it's all about the wow.
20:11It's all about the first impression.
20:13The day that we don't have wows, it's not going to happen, because then we're going downhill.
20:18We have to keep going up here with everything we do.
20:25The hotel staff have been briefed, and are ready for the arrival of the famous pop star.
20:31When celebrities are staying, they'll be using a pseudonym.
20:35So the staff will have to use the pseudonym, not the real name, of course.
20:40The hotel's code name is Miss H, though the cake bears her real first initial.
20:45Hello, Shannon.
20:46Hi.
20:46How are you?
20:47Is it ready for Miss H?
20:48It's absolutely ready for you.
20:49Fabulous.
20:49What have we got here?
20:50So we've got a dashboard sponge munched up with ganache.
20:53And then we have the gold leaf.
20:54Gold leaf, yes.
20:56How special this is.
20:57Fabulous, isn't it?
21:01Miss H is booked into the Studley suite, so one of Thierry's final tasks is to deliver
21:06the cake, and help Marek check the room for the slightest imperfection.
21:11Oh.
21:14Thierry.
21:15Remember.
21:17This one here.
21:18This one.
21:21Ah, and the box was upside down.
21:23You see?
21:23The title.
21:25Look.
21:26We need a touch of paint here.
21:28Yeah, just a little touch of paint.
21:29So I'm going to take a picture and then send it to the decorator, because that's not good.
21:34Maybe just a touch of the hoover here, please.
21:37Okay.
21:37At the end of the bed.
21:41Perfect.
21:41Done.
21:42Dusted.
21:42I am ready or not.
21:44Can I go, go, go?
21:45You can go.
21:46Woohoo.
21:47Thank you so much.
21:49With the suite's final touches underway, Thierry does a final sweep of a location he
21:59knows his guest will use.
22:01It needs to look great.
22:03So look, yeah.
22:04That's good.
22:05That's good.
22:06Oh, I love the gym.
22:11Everyone in the building is poised for Miss H's arrival in half an hour's time.
22:20Coming up, Grantley Hall welcomes pop royalty.
22:24Check in underwear, please.
22:27Team, let's receive with joy.
22:29Yeah, room 46.
22:31And while the orchard's leak seems contained, is it the calm before the storm?
22:50Everything is in order for Miss H's arrival this afternoon.
22:53But before getting to the hotel itself, every guest is treated to a very special welcome
22:58at the gate from Grantley's meet-er-and-greeter extraordinaire.
23:09My name is Isaac Arikawi.
23:11I originated from Nigeria.
23:15My job role is a welcoming host.
23:19We are happy to have you.
23:20I'm Isaac.
23:21On behalf of my team, we are glad to have you.
23:24Thank you so much.
23:25Have a great day.
23:28What is required of me is to offer them a warmly wake home.
23:34I throw myself out.
23:35Woo!
23:37Welcome to Grantley Hall.
23:39They must feel at home.
23:41Happy.
23:42We have to check in underwear, please.
23:45After room 22, we have room 28 Shepherd.
23:49Please.
23:51Well, where do I start with Isaac, really?
23:54You know, every single time that a guest comes down the drive,
23:57they say, oh, I want what he's having.
23:59And we all do the same as well.
24:02He comes in every day with the most bubbliest mood ever.
24:05How are you today?
24:06Welcome to Grantley Hall.
24:07You both looking charming.
24:09Hey!
24:09If you want to cheer up your day, go spend five minutes with Isaac.
24:15Of course, by nature, I treat everyone as a VIP.
24:20Make them feel valued.
24:22Make them feel respected.
24:24Make them feel honoured.
24:25ta-ta—ta—ta-ta—ta—ta—ta—ta—ta—ta—ta—ta—ta—ta.
24:32Woop!
24:33We wish you longevity, peace of mind, joy, happiness, and all the goodies of this world.
24:39We love you here!
24:41It's time for Isaac to greet mystery guest Miss H.
24:46Hello.
24:48Welcome to Grantley Hall.
24:49You have VIP with us? Miss H. Oh, we are glad to have you. Thank you so much. Thank you,
24:56Miss H.
24:57Check-in underway, please. Executive Mercedes-Benz, I have Miss H, room 46.
25:05Please, team, let's receive with joy. Yeah, room 46, Miss H. Thank you.
25:13But it will be tomorrow before Thierry gets the chance to greet her in person.
25:32It's the morning after the hotel's star guest checked in to Grantley.
25:37Yeah, it's a big deal. I'm trying to meet her this morning and ask her how the evening was last
25:45night,
25:46she's been well looked after, and how she feel about staying at Grantley Hall.
25:51So, no, all good. So, waiting her to come down in the next few minutes.
26:00Always under pressure to impress, the staff now have an opportunity to showcase their skills
26:05to none other than singer Kelly Rowland.
26:15Kelly found fame with Destiny's Child, one of the biggest selling girl groups of all time.
26:20And as she's learning French, Thierry's hoping her stay will be magnifique.
26:27Hello. Good morning.
26:28Bonjour. Bonjour.
26:31Ça va? Oui, ça va.
26:33How was your evening last night?
26:35Very good.
26:36Did they look after you well?
26:37Yes, yes, the food was delicious.
26:38Great. And you go to the spa?
26:39Yeah, it was summer.
26:40Good, thank you.
26:41Yes, of course.
26:42Now, French lesson.
26:44Okay.
26:44I love your cap.
26:46Yes, so what is my cap in French?
26:49A casquette.
26:50C'est une jolie casquette.
26:53Une jolie casquette.
26:54Fabulous.
26:55So, we do a bit of French later when you come back?
26:58Yes.
26:58Yeah?
26:59Yes, before I get in the steamer.
27:01Good morning.
27:02Good morning, all.
27:04Paul, good morning.
27:05Good morning.
27:06Good morning.
27:07The Grantley front of house team are buzzing.
27:10I listened to their songs a lot when I was growing up. A lot.
27:13I still don't think it's really happened. It feels a bit surreal.
27:17I'm just waiting for the day when Vianzo comes here.
27:19Oh, I'm watching.
27:21Because them two in here would be an absolute half.
27:28Morning, all.
27:30That works very well.
27:31Thank you so much.
27:32She'll have a lovely day.
27:34Everyone can finally breathe out.
27:36She said to me that she'll be coming back when she's traveling on holiday.
27:40So, that'd be so nice to welcoming her back.
27:45Before they're right back on duty to receive their next guest.
27:52If people say to me, do you know what? I feel like home here.
27:56We've done it. That's what matters.
27:59I love my guest.
28:00And just to create this emotion, I'm getting sometimes emotional as well, because I love it.
28:12Whether check-ins or check-outs, it's the job of doorman Kevin to keep the comings and goings running smoothly.
28:20Can't get you much nearer than that.
28:23I've been in hospitality most of my life.
28:27I understand the people, so I'm not just saying hello.
28:31I'm being welcoming.
28:32I'm a Yorkshireman through and through, born and bred, born in Skipton, now live in Ripon.
28:39As they say in Yorkshire, in this job, Kev's clearly like a pig in muck.
28:46You can be standing here, you can watch the birds and everything.
28:49Then five minutes later, you have four, five, six cars on the front.
28:53And in probably five minutes' time, we'll be nice and steady and quiet again.
28:58Hello there.
28:59Every department needs a Kev.
29:00You know, every single lady that comes through for afternoon tea, absolutely love him.
29:05All the gents that come through, always stop and have a conversation with him.
29:08He's so unique within himself.
29:11Hello there.
29:12How are we doing?
29:14All right.
29:14Have you got any plans for it today?
29:17Any particular walk?
29:18Head up to Pearly Bridge, you think?
29:20Pearly Bridge?
29:20Pearly Bridge, yeah.
29:21We're in beautiful surroundings.
29:24We're in God's County.
29:25We're in Yorkshire.
29:26People want to come and see the countryside.
29:29They want to go on to the North Yorkshire Moors.
29:32If you want to make it a really longer walk, you can go the other side of Fountains Abbey,
29:36you can go over the Seven Bridges and drop yourself right into Ripon.
29:39Yes.
29:39I've got a little map.
29:40Can you come in with us?
29:41I'm a bit busy today, but enjoy.
29:44See you later.
29:45Bye.
29:45They do go to Pearly Bridge to see the oldest sweet shop in the world.
29:49They go to Ripon to see the cathedral and that does make us special.
29:54But as well as being a devoted doorman...
29:57So what I'm going to do is take you a short 20-minute
29:59half an hour tour.
30:01Kev has a side hustle at the hotel that he loves nearly as much.
30:05We'll start at the very beginning in 1680 and we'll end up in 1910.
30:11I like history anyway.
30:13I'm interested in other historical things.
30:15So the suggestion was put a sign on reception and say,
30:19at four o'clock, your doorman cabin will take you around on a history tour.
30:23So you're now stood in the oldest part of the building.
30:27This was completed in 1680 by Thomas Norton.
30:30I can give you a half hour walk around.
30:32I can sit down for three hours if you really want me to.
30:35I can talk for England.
30:38This was the original library.
30:40Quite a few of the books around the shelves are original books.
30:43OK.
30:44So if you were to choose a year, we're going what we've got there.
30:501971.
30:53Each book, when we open it, shows you our little card.
30:58Oh, how wonderful.
30:59It's a cocktail from that era.
31:01If we like it, we hand it to the bar staff and they make you one.
31:05So a pisco sour.
31:07Yeah, three of those.
31:08Three of them.
31:10He's wonderful, isn't he?
31:11He's incredible.
31:12He's a walking history book.
31:14He really knows his stuff.
31:18It's the second day of the Orchard Bar and Restaurant's big makeover.
31:24It's getting there for you.
31:25Fantastic.
31:27The board is done on the flooring, so we have a gap already filled.
31:31Decorators, literally, they have, like, probably another two hours to finish.
31:34Bowls are going on the olive trees.
31:36It's all going together.
31:38I think the colour's incredible with the tiles below the bar and the tiles on the planters.
31:44So win, win, win.
31:48As they say, teamwork makes the dream work.
31:52You can clear all this and then it's ready for the
31:55guys to come in tonight.
31:57Okay.
31:58Sometimes I can be his mum.
32:00Sometimes I can be, um, his carer.
32:03The dynamic between us changes on a daily basis, but we're ultimately friends.
32:08Thank you so much for everything.
32:10That's okay.
32:10I love you.
32:11He's mind does work at a million miles an hour.
32:14Sometimes he will verbalize at a million miles an hour.
32:17I think he's got easier to rein in the more we've got to know each other.
32:22So it's quite easy to calm down now.
32:25I've got him under control.
32:26Okay, thanks.
32:28That's very useful information.
32:32At the other side of the restaurant, there's still a large damp patch to deal with.
32:37Floor.
32:38Wow.
32:39Big job tomorrow, clinging well.
32:42Along with the prospect of more wet weather.
32:45Dale's radio with the latest weather.
32:47Storm Amy is set to hit the region during the afternoon,
32:50bringing heavy rain and gusts of 50 to 60 miles an hour in exposed areas.
32:54Travel delays and road and rail closures are likely.
33:01Coming up...
33:05Are Marek's plans about to short circuit?
33:09Two of the lights are not working.
33:11As his three-day makeover approaches its deadline.
33:16Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick. I can feel it now.
33:30For Marek and his team, it's the final day of Operation Orchard Overhaul.
33:36I was here at seven o'clock and I set up three alarms today instead of two like always three
33:43to make sure I am on time and I'll be late.
33:47With just nine hours to go before an elite list of guests to send for the launch party,
33:52there are still plenty of jobs left to juggle.
34:00We're steaming the blankets, cushions almost done and the covers.
34:05We're doing the howlytries now.
34:08Position of the floor standing lamps.
34:11Inside is a hive of activity,
34:14but outside a storm is brewing.
34:18We're always checking the weather very carefully because obviously the structure of the venue is
34:23fragile and we need to make sure you know it's safe.
34:27The wait is not going to help with the glamorous look of the guests arriving today,
34:31but hey-ho. We're going to deal with it.
34:34Adding 15 evergreens to the four huge olive trees is boosting the woodland feel.
34:39Going down, it's all fine now. Squeeze it in.
34:43I'm not very happy with the section. How is it going?
34:44You measured?
34:46No, sorry.
34:48He ordered for my measurement.
34:50They just need to go in gold pots to tie in with the overall theme.
34:55That side down. Push down that side.
34:59That's not how the physics works.
35:01Okay, if I'm going to walk out from this, you can do it.
35:05Everything is possible. It just needs a little bit of maneuver,
35:09but unfortunately it's a little bit tight.
35:14And we're done.
35:16See? Everything is possible.
35:18We will need some gold paints and I will need a manicure.
35:25It's too low. Everybody's a critic.
35:30With the orchard within the orchard well on its way,
35:34Marek has arranged a surprise finishing touch.
35:41In orchard this year, we have a red feel. Tim Sykes said,
35:45Mmm, what's about a car? I said, yes, let's have a car.
35:48You know, we're going to put a car inside.
35:50And they said, what inside? I said, yes, inside.
35:52And he said, yeah, I have a small Fiat 500.
35:55I said, yes, can I have it?
35:56And he said, of course you can.
35:58Then I fell in love with this car.
36:03Kola is beautiful.
36:08Amazing.
36:11Exactly as we picture and look stunning.
36:13I'm pleased and happy like a wow, wow, wow.
36:25Maneuvering an Italian car worth 40 grand into a tight corner
36:30isn't a job to be rushed.
36:33Super. Yep.
36:41That's great effect because, you know, you open the door,
36:44car is in the front of you, then wow, and then wow, yeah.
36:49We have a cherry on the top of the cake.
36:54The orchard is glowing with a cosy and vibrant charm.
36:59But the scene outside is far from inviting.
37:03And Marek's outlook has just become a lot gloomier too.
37:09Hi, sorry, can you help me please?
37:11Um, the, the guys came yesterday and the day before to fix the chandeliers on the,
37:17on the ceiling.
37:18Two of the lights are not working.
37:21Perfect.
37:22Thank you, bye.
37:23The lights are on the blink and Marek's on the brink.
37:26Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.
37:29I can feel it now.
37:30Especially when the hotel's founder, Valeria,
37:33pops in to check how things are going with the makeover.
37:37Lovely to see you.
37:38It's fantastic.
37:39What's here?
37:39It's not, it's not finished yet.
37:41Well done.
37:43No, I love the red.
37:44Yeah.
37:44It's just fabulous.
37:45Okay, cool.
37:46So, so bright.
37:47Absolutely.
37:47Almost there.
37:49Just party now.
37:53So, this evening.
37:55How are you all feeling?
37:56Good.
37:56Ready for a new service?
37:57Yeah.
37:58With the food and drink service team now on site.
38:02They've got the menus which I've handed out to you guys.
38:04Not this way, this way.
38:05And the chandeliers being repaired.
38:07The transformer that we're doing them two is just blown.
38:10Oh, that's all.
38:10But we, we have got some spares in the container.
38:13Good.
38:14Where are you going?
38:15We're here.
38:16Yeah, there's one man.
38:16Marek, Shelly and the rest of the team can finally complete their mammoth journey.
38:22Happy?
38:23Yes.
38:23Ready for a bottle of wine and a bath?
38:25I'd like to know, mate.
38:26I'm ready to have something later.
38:28Woo-hoo!
38:33When the guests arrive for the launch party this evening,
38:36they'll be treading in some very illustrious footsteps.
38:39Since it was built in the late 17th century,
38:42Grantley Hall has been home to lords and ladies and played host to royalty.
38:47Doorman and history buff Kevin is guardian of the hall's archives.
38:54We're very fortunate that when Grantley Hall first opened as a hotel,
39:00there were several people in the area said,
39:02oh, I've got some historical bits you might like.
39:06And as more information comes in, this gets thicker and thicker and thicker.
39:12I think the appeal of the mysteries, the little bits of we've got a snippet of that,
39:19is I want to know that that is correct.
39:21And how can I find that out?
39:23It's a challenge, get the old grey cells working.
39:27Grantley Hall, first built in 1680, was in the same family for 200 years.
39:33One of the sort of flamboyant characters of that time was certainly the first Lord Grantley,
39:38which was Fletcher Norton, very much in the judiciary system, and became Speaker of the House.
39:44By the early 20th century, the Norton family had sold the hall to the wealthy industrialist,
39:49Sir Christopher Furness, and his wife, Lady Jane.
39:54A lot of the decor now is very much down to the 1910s, 1920s.
40:00They had lavish parties, they had friends stay, they showed off.
40:05The Japanese garden was added by Lady Jane Furness in 1910, one of the first in the country,
40:11and she loved to show that off.
40:15And there she is, proudly sat on the bridge.
40:20After the war, the hall became an adult education centre,
40:23before the Sykes family added a new chapter to its illustrious history.
40:30Looking through these photographs, it just invokes all the different things
40:34that Grantley Hall has been, how it's evolved, how it's grown.
40:38And obviously, Mrs Sykes bought this place, changed it, put the vibe back into it,
40:44put the beauty back into it, brought it back to life.
40:51At last, the revamped Bistro is ready for launch.
40:58And for the first guests, there'll be a much needed port in a storm.
41:04Welcome to Grantley Hall, sir.
41:06It's pouring down the rain, freezing cold, very wet as well, but everyone's here to party.
41:13It's a tough shift for the porters.
41:19But it's nothing they haven't dealt with before.
41:28Because it is a theme, you can allow a bit of poetic licence, and Marek's brilliant at that.
41:33He delivers, and he's got a proper heart of gold.
41:36He gets the stress, does the work, but gets the accolade.
41:39That's really lovely to be able to put somebody in that position.
41:42Luckily, it seems the weather hasn't kept anyone away.
41:47And the party guests can now get their first glimpse of the new-look space.
41:55Every way you turn, there is a beautiful vignette that you can just enjoy and take in,
42:01so I think they've just hit the nail on the head, really.
42:06It's so beautiful. They've pulled all the stops out.
42:10Wow. You see the guests happy in the environment.
42:14This is, like, unbelievable.
42:16You see the eyes, they're rolling everywhere.
42:18They're going to see the chandeliers in the sky.
42:20They're going to see the car, different colours in the bar.
42:24So I feel completely fulfilled and accomplished.
42:28It's, like, triple the salary.
42:31I feel very privileged that I can do this for the guests,
42:34and to receive such a beautiful feedback from them.
42:43Next time, Michelin star chef Sean Rankin...
42:48Right, we need to work fast now, yeah?
42:50...hopes to charm a prestigious champagne house.
42:53It's going to be quite pressured.
42:55You might see a few spoons getting flown around the kitchen.
42:57Are you kidding?
42:58A once-in-a-lifetime event is planned for a VIP couple.
43:02And...
43:03Head to the end.
43:04The hotel splashes out.
43:09On its first ever spine-chilling soiree.
43:12Halloween is a gamble.
43:14If it works, then we'll be the place to spend Halloween.
43:19All that in Grantley Hall next Thursday at 8.
43:21New tomorrow at 8.
43:23Rob Bell's new series continues,
43:25Building the Impossible,
43:27a lighthouse in the raging waters off Shetland.
43:29And when building a B&B business seems impossible,
43:33it's time to invite the hotel inspector for an honest assessment.
43:36She's in Bramber.
43:37Next.
43:38Please be seated.
43:38You
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