- 1 day ago
World's Most Secret Hotels Season 2 Episode 1
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:04Imagine staying the night in a mountain hideaway, sleeping underneath the stars.
00:12Lodging in a futuristic woodland escape.
00:15I've always dreamt of building a treehouse. That's always been my sort of boyhood dream.
00:20Or holidaying in a resort on the edge of the desert.
00:24In this series, we venture across the globe
00:28to reveal some of the world's most unusual hotels.
00:33Some people would say we're in the middle of nowhere.
00:35Hidden in the most surprising of places.
00:38This is far more beyond just being a luxury destination. This is our life.
00:44From island getaways.
00:46This place is hidden away from the rest of the world.
00:49And retreats hidden in plain sight.
00:52The most special part of the windmill is the part at the top. That's very unique.
00:58To reimagine structures and vehicles.
01:02I've had phone calls of people asking about a timetable.
01:06We meet the teams who keep them running.
01:09It's very important to maintain the culture and the history.
01:13It's an oasis that reveals itself.
01:16And the guests living their dreams.
01:19If they can walk away feeling connected to nature, then I think we've done our job well.
01:23As we explore the world's most secret hotels.
01:33This time, we visit a dazzling station hotel hidden in the mountains of Spain.
01:40The most impressive room, it's the lobby.
01:43It is really, really big.
01:46A futuristic bubble hotel, set deep within a forest.
01:52To immerse guests.
01:54And nature is really the thing.
01:58An extraordinary escape, perched on a cliff in Norway.
02:03It's very special.
02:05Magnificent.
02:07And we check in to a science fiction wonder.
02:11It's such a secret location that people wouldn't know it was here.
02:20But our adventure begins in Bolivia.
02:27Just over 300 miles from the capital, La Paz, and what feels like a million light years away from civilization,
02:36is one of the most extreme landscapes in South America.
02:44Salar de Uyuni lies 12,000 feet above sea level, and is the largest salt flat in the world.
02:53Perched precariously on the edge of a rocky outcrop,
02:57resembling shipping containers abandoned on the shimmering salt flats,
03:02lies a secret holiday destination.
03:07From halfway, you don't see the hotel.
03:10We disappear in all the landscape.
03:14This is Jirira Mountain Lodge.
03:22Johnny Mourgear heads up the team of five guides at this unique hotel.
03:32Each group of guests is paired with a dedicated guide and driver
03:36to look after them from the moment they arrive at the airport.
03:40To arrive to this lodge, it's not easy.
03:44We are really far away from the civilization.
03:47We are about 500 kilometers from La Paz,
03:50and the routes are not really good.
03:53You need to take a professional driver.
03:56The east-facing complex is located at the base of the Tanupa volcano.
04:02It combines minimalist architecture with local materials.
04:08Three buildings make up the lodge.
04:11The largest houses staff accommodation.
04:15Next door are six ensuite bedrooms for guests,
04:19while the third houses the open-plan communal and dining areas and kitchen.
04:29It was designed by Chilean architect Max Nunez,
04:34who came up with the concept of elevated metal containers.
04:37The containers are made from steel with oversized angled roofs
04:42that shield the lodges from the blistering white sunlight.
04:46The buildings are elevated above the ground to minimize the environmental impact.
04:52And this means, one day, the lodge can easily be removed without leaving a trace.
04:58The containers were built in a factory 300 miles away,
05:02in 10 separate sections that were transported to site by lorry and craned into position.
05:09The big challenge was to bring 10 different containers to here.
05:17Because here we don't have materials for construction.
05:20We don't have trees.
05:21We don't have concrete.
05:23The build was really fast, less than a month.
05:38Inside, minimalist design harmonizes with the stark beauty of the surroundings.
05:45In the communal area, natural materials like tropical maniwood and stone provide comfort and simplicity,
05:52with cosy furnishings, warm lighting, and earthy tones.
05:58This is complemented by large windows that frame the awe-inspiring terrain.
06:06This theme extends to the six double bedrooms,
06:09where the neutral tones seamlessly fuse with the salt-flat landscape.
06:15Expansive windows allow guests to stay connected to the environment.
06:22The best time is the sunrise,
06:25because you can see the sunrise from your bed.
06:29Completely beautiful.
06:31And in our back, we have the holy mountain, Tunupa.
06:36Very special and holy place.
06:41The lodge serves as a hub for exploration,
06:45with activities such as climbing Tunupa, the one-mile-high volcano,
06:50exploring Fish Island with its rocky outcrop covered in giant cacti,
06:55and visiting the colourful Laguna Colorado,
06:58where pink flamingos come to nest.
07:07Around the salt-flat, we have a lot of different volcanoes, deserts, lagoons,
07:12where you can find a different kind of ecosystem.
07:16You can have a contact with the landscape, with the animals.
07:21The dry season here can be brutal,
07:24as night temperatures plummet to minus 15 degrees Celsius.
07:30With virtually no rainfall, the salt crust becomes exposed,
07:35forming dazzling white polygon patterns as it dries.
07:39But during the rainy season, from January to the end of March,
07:44the salt flats reveal a surprising secret.
07:47Flooding creates a shallow layer of water
07:51that turns them into a massive, mirror-like surface,
07:54one of the most spectacular sights in Uyuni.
07:58In the rainy season, it's beautiful.
08:00Clean sky, clean landscape.
08:03It's a special experience.
08:08The Quechua people, who live and work around the Uyuni salt flats,
08:13have a deep connection to this landscape.
08:16They're guided by a belief system
08:18rooted in the protection of the environment
08:20and respect for nature.
08:25Live here is really different than live in big city.
08:30But it's a good opportunity to connect with our Pachamama mother.
08:36Pachamama is the mother herald.
08:39The conservation of the place is the most important thing.
08:46However, some supplies do need to be brought
08:49into this extraterrestrial landscape.
08:53Water is one of them.
08:57The water is the most difficult part for us
09:01because we need to bring my truck to here
09:04once or twice a week.
09:07It's like two hours, three hours driving.
09:11Our objective is to be a 100% ecological hotel.
09:17In the future, we have the plan
09:20to make some sun panels to produce electrician for us.
09:36Food is also brought in
09:38and delivered three times a week
09:40from distances of up to three hours away.
09:52We are working with a famous restaurant in La Paz
09:58who designed our menus.
10:01And it's like a fusion between gourmet food
10:05with like a traditional food in Bolivia.
10:08Specialities include quinoa,
10:10a high-protein seed derived from a locally sourced herbaceous plant
10:15and llama meat.
10:19The hotel welcomes an international clientele
10:23who can engage in the culture and traditions
10:26of the Quechua people.
10:34The guests want to try a different experience.
10:39Our customers can feel like a king here, right?
10:43It's very small because our concept is
10:46we are not hotels.
10:48We are like a family.
10:50When the guests visit our lodge and say,
10:54Oh, my God, this is one of the best lodges in the world.
10:57We feel really, really happy.
11:09Still to come,
11:12we journey to a secret retreat
11:14on the banks of a tranquil log
11:16and reveal a unique mountain hideaway in Norway.
11:28There are over 700,000 hotels across the world
11:32and we're exploring some of the most memorable stays
11:36in the most unlikely locations.
11:45Our next stop
11:46is Northern Ireland.
11:54Two hours' drive southwest of Belfast
11:57is Loch Earn.
11:59It covers an area of nearly 200 square miles
12:03and is home to more than 150 green and fertile islands.
12:10Each island has its own story to tell.
12:14Some hold secrets of ancient pagan rituals
12:17and Iron Age fortifications,
12:20while others are remote sites of pilgrimage.
12:23Here, tucked away in more than 90 acres
12:26of dense fen and woodland,
12:28looking more like a cluster of alien spacecraft
12:30than luxury accommodation,
12:32is an unexpected and well-hidden secret.
12:36This is Finlock.
12:40Finlock definitely feels like a well-kept secret.
12:44Most people haven't heard of it.
12:46The ones that come are pleasantly surprised
12:48because they had no idea that this is here
12:50and it's that surprise that we love.
12:53Siblings Gillian and Michael
12:55took over the family business
12:57that looks after Finlock in 2014.
13:01Our dad came here to start
13:03his own little secret haven for people
13:05and they built self-gatering holiday homes.
13:09We have the 12 villas, which we took on,
13:12and subsequently we've added 18 bubble domes.
13:17The bubble guest units
13:19sit on top of wooden platforms.
13:22Inside the premium domes,
13:24there are three connecting spaces.
13:26A bedroom, bathroom, and private toilet.
13:31Eight domes are clustered on the shoreline.
13:35Three more are dotted between river cabins,
13:38and a further seven are hidden away in the forest.
13:42Nine villas each sleep up to six guests,
13:46while three suites in the resort's main house
13:49complete the accommodation.
13:51There is also an entertainment centre,
13:54restaurant, and spa.
14:02Set in 50 acres of ancient woodland,
14:05Gillian and Michael wanted the landscape
14:07to be the star attraction.
14:10The opportunity to immerse guests in nature,
14:14you can't do that with four walls.
14:16It's just not possible.
14:17The draw and the beauty of the bubble domes
14:19is that you wake up to birdsong.
14:21You open your eyes,
14:22and the first thing you see
14:22is that forestcape in front of you.
14:24You see the sky, you hear the rain.
14:31The bubbles are designed to blur the boundaries
14:34between the inside and out,
14:36so guests can see the changing weather
14:38and have the experience of living in the wild
14:41while staying warm and snug.
14:45We looked at glass as sort of the original plan,
14:48but that would have involved heavy machinery,
14:51lots of deliveries, very heavy panels.
14:53So that's where we arrived on the inflatable decision.
14:55The bubbles are a mixture of two flexible PVC materials.
15:00The transparent one allows you
15:02to be very connected with the surroundings,
15:04and the opaque one gives you the privacy that you want.
15:07We like to sort of separate the spaces
15:09the way you would have in a normal hotel room.
15:11So you've got your bathroom,
15:12you've got your freestanding bath,
15:14and then you've got your relaxation area
15:16with a four-poster bed.
15:19With no fixed frames,
15:21the bubbles rely on a continuous air supply
15:24to stay inflated, like a balloon.
15:27Two airtight doors create an airlock
15:29to stop the bubbles deflating
15:31when guests enter and exit.
15:34When you come in, it's a double door access,
15:36so a bit like sort of space, I'll say,
15:38you wait for one hatch to close
15:39before you open the second one.
15:41While the bathrooms are opaque,
15:4470% of the dome is transparent.
15:47They provide uninterrupted views
15:49of the natural surroundings
15:50and the opportunity to stargaze.
15:59I think the beauty of lying under the stars,
16:02you're tucked in bed.
16:03We have such low light pollution.
16:05Looking at the stars is a simple thing,
16:07but the longer you lie there,
16:09the multiply before your eyes.
16:11It's that childlike wonder.
16:13There's something to it that's really magic.
16:23The first dome that we put in
16:25was actually where I'd had my first treehouse as a kid.
16:28That was probably the slowest part of the process
16:31was locating them.
16:31We agonised over what was the view,
16:34how could we tuck it away,
16:35how could you keep it hidden and secret.
16:41The transparency of the bubbles
16:43creates challenges for maintaining
16:45the privacy of the guests.
16:49We had to be really strategic
16:50about how we orientated them and where.
16:53So it's cleverly looking at sight lines
16:55and that's what takes us the most time.
16:58We always resisted the temptation
17:00to sort of cram them all on top of each other.
17:02Each one has its own private pathway.
17:04We need 30, 40 metres minimum between pods.
17:11Each bubble is inflated by a fan
17:14that sits in a soundproof box 15 feet away.
17:18It constantly renews and filters the air inside
17:21and regulates the temperature.
17:24We are lucky enough that we can generate
17:26a lot of our own electricity from soda panels.
17:29We don't have any carbon guilt
17:30from achieving this lovely interior.
17:33They're made in panel form
17:35and then they're heat welded together
17:36and zipper seals
17:38so we're able to change out panels
17:40for cleaning or for upgrades.
17:46Access to the site is strictly monitored
17:48to protect the woodland and ensure privacy.
17:55They're little natural footpaths
17:57that are carved rather than straight lines.
17:59People like that.
18:00It feels more hidden, more secret.
18:02You know, you don't always want to take straight roads.
18:04You don't come here to take a straight road.
18:09Guests come from around the world
18:11to take time out in nature
18:13to relax by the tranquil lake,
18:16indulge in the shoreline spa and hot tugs
18:19or visit the vintage cinema.
18:22It really does feel like you are
18:24in your own little bubble.
18:26It's never too busy
18:27and it's spread out enough
18:29that you do get peace and quiet.
18:31I think if you're coming here
18:32you have to really try
18:33the full experience
18:34in one of the bubble domes
18:36under the stars.
18:38It was amazing.
18:39You're just in the middle of a forest
18:40so it's perfect.
18:45Gillian and Michael
18:46let nature take the lead
18:47and sustainability
18:48is woven into many elements
18:50of the day-to-day running.
18:52We've almost terraformed fields
18:55that were completely dead
18:56in terms of biodiversity
18:57and we've reintroduced
18:58banked hedges
18:59and we've reintroduced
19:01sort of natural ponds.
19:03Every guest that comes through the door
19:04we give them the tree to plan.
19:08With 180 days of rainfall each year
19:11maintaining the accommodation units
19:14is a never-ending task.
19:16Everybody here on the team
19:18have had to really
19:19master a lot of crafts
19:21from fixing a table
19:23to building the beds.
19:29The resort's dining room
19:30is housed in the barn
19:32which was once
19:33their father's workshop.
19:38Kristin has been working
19:39as the hotel's head chef
19:41for the last three years.
19:45Most of our food
19:46comes from our local butcher
19:48and all of our fish
19:49is locally sourced.
19:51During each time of the year
19:53there's different things
19:54that you could put on a plate.
19:55You'll see along the paths
19:56there's an enormous amount
19:57of wild garlic going.
19:59We make as much
20:00wild garlic oil as we can.
20:03This is our fennel
20:04so you can see
20:05these are the fennel flowers.
20:07We use this for our breadboards
20:08and for presentation of dishes.
20:15It takes a staff of 40
20:17to keep the complex
20:18running 24-7.
20:21Helder has been working
20:22in hospitality for six months.
20:25I live on site here.
20:26It's really comfortable
20:27just to be in one of the villas
20:29just like one of the guests.
20:30They just have an amazing view
20:32to the lake.
20:33I just wake up
20:34to this view
20:35and then I go to work
20:36in this view.
20:37It's really nice.
20:37I started on reception
20:39then I went to the housekeeping.
20:42If they need me
20:43to deliver breakfast
20:44I'll obviously help them.
20:46I basically work
20:46every department.
20:53With Gillian and Michael
20:55at the helm
20:55the doors should be open
20:57to guests
20:57for decades to come.
21:02We're looking out
21:03at the mountains behind us
21:05the lake around you.
21:06there's just so much there.
21:08Yes, coming away
21:09and feeling connected
21:10is really the thing.
21:11We want them to connect
21:12with nature.
21:25Coming up
21:26we visit
21:27an engineering marvel
21:28perched high above
21:30a majestic field
21:31and a palatial wonder
21:34hidden in the Pyrenees.
21:47There are many getaways
21:49hidden away
21:50or built to look
21:52like other structures
21:53from isolated island escapes
21:56to watery retreats.
22:04Our next adventure
22:06is in Norway.
22:09Eight hours drive
22:10west of the capital
22:11Oslo
22:12is the country's
22:13longest fjord.
22:16Lisefjord
22:17was carved
22:18by the formation
22:18of glaciers
22:19in the Ice Age.
22:20As the sea levels rose
22:22water broke through
22:23the moraine
22:24and flooded the valley.
22:27Today ships navigate
22:29this 26-mile passage
22:30but high above
22:32the inky blue waters
22:34at the top
22:35of the sheer granite cliffs
22:36is a forest
22:37only accessible
22:39by foot.
22:41Nestled within
22:42this landscape
22:43are sleek structures
22:45designed to mimic
22:46the natural granite
22:47around them.
22:49This
22:50is the boulder.
22:57We are really
22:58on the edge
22:58before it steeps
23:00down to the fjord
23:01so everyone
23:02get this feeling
23:03of being
23:04on the edge
23:05between the mountain
23:06area and the fjord.
23:08Sometimes you can feel
23:09like you are
23:10over the clouds.
23:12The human scale
23:13is really small
23:14in this landscape
23:15and you can almost
23:16hide in between
23:17the stones here.
23:21This unusual retreat
23:23took two years
23:24to complete
23:24and opened
23:25in 2023.
23:28It's definitely
23:28not easy
23:29to access.
23:30It's a secret
23:31in the sense
23:32that you can hide
23:33yourself in these
23:34cabins.
23:34I don't think
23:35anyone will notice
23:36that you are here.
23:38It's hidden
23:38away from
23:39mainstream.
23:40You feel like
23:41you are alone
23:42in the landscape.
23:43That's a great
23:44feeling sometimes.
23:46Six minimalist
23:47cabins perched
23:48on stilts
23:49blend into
23:50the rugged terrain.
23:54The main idea
23:56is something
23:56that feels
23:57like weightless.
23:58So they are
23:59on the move
24:00outwards,
24:01almost flying.
24:03The contact
24:04of the landscape
24:04was important
24:05to keep.
24:07You can see
24:08the landscape
24:08not only outwards
24:09but actually
24:10downwards
24:10and upwards.
24:15every inch
24:17of this escape
24:17was designed
24:18with the views
24:19in mind.
24:21Inside,
24:22the sleek
24:23modern oakwood
24:24interiors
24:25cocoon guests
24:26from the wild
24:26elements outside
24:29while large windows
24:31allow them
24:31to take in
24:32the beauty
24:32of the fjord.
24:36The cabins
24:37are on top
24:38of a mountain.
24:39Of course,
24:39we have
24:40hard wind
24:41sometimes
24:41but the guests
24:42feel safe
24:43and nestle
24:44inside.
24:45The hotel
24:46is run
24:46by Ellen Engelswald.
24:49The calmness
24:51about being
24:51here,
24:52the feeling
24:53of being
24:53in nature,
24:54it's a nice
24:54experience.
24:57Grand Lodge
24:58is the largest
24:59of the six
25:00structures here.
25:00It has
25:02a high-end
25:02kitchen,
25:03cozy seating
25:04and can sleep
25:05up to six
25:06guests.
25:09We have
25:10two bathrooms
25:11and two bedrooms
25:12and the dining
25:13lounge area.
25:15It's, of course,
25:16all about the views
25:17so large windows
25:18are important
25:19but also
25:20with the tall
25:20ceilings
25:21together with
25:22the woodwork
25:22the way it's
25:23integrated
25:24makes it special.
25:26There's also
25:27an outside terrace
25:28to get even
25:29closer to nature.
25:33The other four
25:34lodges
25:34are more compact.
25:36We have
25:37the bedroom
25:38downstairs.
25:39It sleeps
25:39two and
25:40we have
25:41the bathroom.
25:44There's no
25:45checking.
25:46Guests do this
25:47digitally
25:48before arriving.
25:51Once parked,
25:52signposts
25:53lead the way
25:54along a trail
25:55of pine trees
25:56and raised
25:57steel walkways
25:58link the dwellings.
25:59all the lodges
26:01are self-catering
26:02so guests
26:03must come prepared.
26:05One important
26:06thing for our
26:07property
26:07is water supply.
26:09We have water
26:10sourced from
26:10a natural well
26:11but we need to
26:13remind guests
26:14that you are
26:14in a cabin
26:15with limited
26:16resources
26:16and be careful
26:17of water usage.
26:19running a hotel
26:21in such a remote spot
26:22is no simple task.
26:24We have great
26:25cleaners here.
26:26It's a little bit
26:27challenging of course.
26:28They have to carry
26:29more equipment
26:30and climb a little
26:31more.
26:35While building
26:36cabins here is
26:37challenging,
26:38it's a centuries-old
26:40practice.
26:40We have a long
26:42history of cabins
26:43in Norway.
26:44A certain
26:45Viking king
26:45in 1200
26:46found out that
26:47people didn't
26:48manage to
26:49cross the mountain
26:49so he started
26:50with the first
26:52shelters
26:52on the mountains.
26:54Hitatur,
26:55meaning taking
26:56a cabin trip
26:56in nature,
26:57is a very
26:58popular pastime.
27:00Today it's like
27:01600,000 cabins
27:02in Norway.
27:04We love to
27:05just leave
27:06the city
27:06and go out
27:07and stay there
27:08for weekends.
27:10With over 200
27:11days of rainfall
27:12each year,
27:13these cabins
27:14provide safe
27:15harbor.
27:18It can be fog
27:19in the morning
27:20and then blue
27:21skies midday
27:22and then rain
27:23in the evening.
27:24It's never boring.
27:25It can be a bit
27:26dramatic because
27:27it's quite a windy
27:28place, but you
27:30feel safe inside.
27:31It's that sense
27:32of being outside
27:34while safe inside
27:35which makes it
27:36unique.
27:38It wasn't easy
27:40creating this
27:40sanctuary in the
27:41mountains.
27:42The weather
27:43and tough terrain
27:44makes construction
27:45here difficult.
27:47The lodges
27:48were built
27:48off-site,
27:49then dismantled
27:50for transportation
27:51and put back
27:52together again
27:53on-site.
27:57To avoid
27:58the damage
27:59of the fragile
28:00landscape,
28:01we found out
28:01that helicopter
28:02is the best way
28:03to transport
28:03all the structure
28:05onto the platform.
28:06We did that
28:07in summer time.
28:09In short time,
28:09we managed to
28:10place every structure
28:11and then start
28:12to put it together.
28:15Frank's vision
28:16was to leave
28:17a light footprint
28:18so local stone
28:20was mixed
28:20with concrete
28:21for the foundations.
28:22The rock here
28:23is granite.
28:24It's extremely hard
28:25and has really
28:26nice qualities.
28:28These stones
28:29were reused
28:30as the gravel
28:31in the concrete mix.
28:32Visually,
28:33you get the contact
28:34with the stones
28:35that you see
28:35everywhere outside.
28:38The base
28:39also hides
28:40the cables
28:40and pipes
28:41for the utilities.
28:42All the technique
28:43is very
28:44preciously
28:45integrated
28:46into the landscape.
28:47Everything is brought
28:47into this concrete core
28:49and from there
28:50it's gone
28:50into the need
28:52in the cabin
28:52and from there
28:54it's not visible.
28:56The untreated
28:57red cedarwood cladding
28:59will turn grey
29:00over time
29:01and blend in
29:02with the rocks.
29:07It's magic
29:09even in the darkness
29:10and in the morning
29:12it's really fantastic.
29:13We try to position
29:14the bedroom
29:14so you get
29:15the scent
29:16when you wake up.
29:17It is something else.
29:18Take it easy.
29:20The day can start slowly.
29:21It's a great feeling
29:22starting the day
29:23like that.
29:25Guests come here
29:26from all over the world
29:27to immerse themselves
29:29in the breathtaking environment.
29:34You are waking up
29:36in the morning
29:36inside of the sunset.
29:38You know,
29:38the sun coming up
29:39over the mountain
29:40and you're inside of it.
29:42You feel like
29:43you're kind of living
29:44both inside
29:45and outside
29:46at the same time.
29:48Magnificent.
29:52It's like a hideout
29:54in a way
29:54so you can get away
29:55from everything.
29:56It's quiet.
29:57It's exclusive.
29:59It's very special
30:00and kind of spectacular
30:02in a way.
30:18Discovering unusual places
30:20to stay
30:21makes a getaway
30:22all the more exciting.
30:25Some escapes
30:26have surprising histories
30:29like our next adventure
30:31in northern Spain.
30:36These are the Pyrenees Mountains,
30:39the natural border
30:41between France and Spain.
30:43Some of its peaks
30:44soar more than
30:4511,000 feet high.
30:47The valleys are dotted
30:49with clues
30:49to an industrial past
30:53that suggest this region
30:55sees few visitors.
30:58But in one valley,
30:59a vast, pristine building
31:01stands out.
31:05This is the
31:07Canfrank Station Hotel,
31:10a colossal railway interchange
31:12that was once
31:13the crucial gateway
31:14through these mountains.
31:18Turned today
31:19into a gigantic
31:21luxury retreat.
31:28It's a huge task
31:30to keep this
31:31behemoth hotel running.
31:33It's like a secret location.
31:35Going in the middle
31:36of the valley,
31:37it is hidden away.
31:49The exterior
31:51of this huge station
31:52is ornamented
31:53with 365 windows
31:58and 156 doors
32:00wrapped around
32:01both sides
32:02of the building.
32:07Inside,
32:08on the ground floor,
32:09there's a lobby,
32:11cafe,
32:13restaurant,
32:16kitchen,
32:18pool
32:19and cocktail bar.
32:22Upstairs,
32:23there are 100 guest rooms
32:25and four suites.
32:34The size of this
32:36vast station
32:37earned Canfrank
32:38a nickname,
32:39the Titanic
32:40of the mountains.
32:44This is more
32:45than a conversion
32:46for the station building.
32:47It's a transformation.
32:51The crisp,
32:53contemporary interior design
32:54is accented
32:56with deep woods
32:57grass and velvets.
33:00The rich detailing
33:02is found
33:02across the whole building,
33:04the sheer scale
33:06of which feels lavish.
33:10The most impressive room
33:12is the lobby.
33:13It is really, really big.
33:15The lobby,
33:16where the guests check in,
33:18was the original
33:19ticket hall
33:20of the station.
33:22It might seem
33:23like a dramatic transformation,
33:25but this building
33:27didn't go straight
33:28from station
33:29to hotel.
33:36Canfrank station
33:37opened in 1928
33:39after a five-mile
33:40train line
33:41was tunnelled
33:42through the Pyrenees
33:43to link France
33:44and Spain.
33:45It was the second-largest
33:47station in Europe.
33:49Passengers and goods
33:50arriving from France
33:52transferred to trains
33:53that could run
33:54on the Spanish tracks,
33:55which were wider.
33:57This required huge platforms
33:59and customs infrastructure.
34:03During the Second World War,
34:05Jewish refugees
34:06and Allied soldiers
34:07used the tunnel
34:08to escape occupied Europe.
34:10But in 1970,
34:13a train derailment
34:14demolished a critical bridge
34:16that connected the line
34:17to the tunnel.
34:18It was never repaired,
34:19rendering the track here
34:20unusable.
34:22Services stopped
34:23and the station
34:24fell into disrepair.
34:26The link between
34:27France and Spain
34:29was severed.
34:30It was abandoned
34:31and it fell apart.
34:34The station
34:35lay derelict
34:36for nearly 50 years.
34:38Renovations began
34:40in 2018,
34:42costing tens
34:42of millions of pounds.
34:45The work was careful
34:47to pay homage
34:48to the building's
34:49glamorous past.
34:50We have a very special
34:52parts,
34:53which are original
34:54from the oil station,
34:56like the lamps,
34:59part of the floor,
35:03the stairs,
35:06and the underground
35:08path.
35:08It's still original.
35:11The walls
35:12were recreated
35:13like it was
35:14in the old times.
35:19Meticulous references
35:20to the station's past
35:22can be seen
35:23throughout the hotel.
35:27These sit alongside
35:28modern additions,
35:30including a swimming pool
35:32and a cocktail bar.
35:36Each styled
35:37with the aesthetics
35:38of luxurious,
35:40long-distance trains.
35:43This attention
35:44to detail
35:44was important
35:45to the small community
35:47who continued
35:48to live in the shadow
35:49of the station
35:49when it was derelict.
35:51I still remember
35:52the first day
35:53when we opened,
35:53seeing the locals
35:55crying.
35:56It was a very
35:56emotional moment.
35:58This building
35:58is very important
35:59from the locals.
36:00You walk around
36:01the hotel
36:02and you can feel
36:03that history.
36:06One of the locals
36:07who grew up
36:08knowing only
36:09the derelict state
36:10of the station
36:11is Chef Eduardo
36:12Salanova.
36:13I can work here
36:16in Canfran
36:16because it's my town.
36:19For me,
36:20it's so personal,
36:21so special.
36:25Eduardo moved
36:26to a nearby town
36:27to pursue a career
36:28as a chef.
36:29In 2023,
36:31he returned
36:32to Canfranc
36:33to helm
36:34the new restaurant here,
36:35earning the restored
36:36train station
36:37and his hometown
36:38a Michelin star.
36:41One of his kitchens here
36:43is a little different
36:44to most Eduardo
36:45has worked in.
36:47It's in a renovated
36:48train carriage.
36:49It's a little difficult
36:51because the kitchen
36:54is a little bit small,
36:56but with a lot
36:57of training.
36:58The most important thing
37:00is the team.
37:02The food here
37:03recreates
37:04the special elements
37:05of this region
37:05that link Spain
37:06and France.
37:07It's very important
37:08to show
37:10the clients
37:12the Spanish product
37:14and the mix
37:15with the French product
37:17because this is
37:18the reason
37:19for this train station.
37:22Eduardo's work
37:23keeps the links
37:24between this region
37:25alive,
37:27almost 100 years
37:28after the station
37:29was first opened.
37:30And now the hotel
37:32is once again
37:33a major employer
37:34in the region.
37:36due to the size
37:38of the building
37:39to keep things running
37:40it's a big challenge
37:41for us.
37:42We hire a lot
37:43of local people
37:44when it checks.
37:46Then the waiters.
37:48We have the back office jobs
37:49like housekeeping,
37:51human resources.
37:52It's really,
37:53really complicated.
37:54The hotel
37:55now attracts people
37:57from all over the world
37:58who use the station
37:59as a base
38:00to explore
38:01the natural beauty
38:02of the region.
38:07The beauty
38:08of the building
38:09it attracts people
38:10from everywhere.
38:12We are very proud
38:13of that.
38:14It's very important.
38:15With the hard work
38:16of the team here
38:17Can Frank Station
38:18will continue
38:19to link this region
38:20of Spain
38:21to the rest
38:22of the world
38:22for many years.
38:28Still to come
38:29we reveal
38:30a unique stay
38:32for sci-fi enthusiasts.
38:44We're exploring
38:46some of the world's
38:46most unusual hotels.
38:50And our final stop
38:53is in southwest Wales.
38:59Pembrokeshire
39:00is home
39:01to the only
39:02coastal national park
39:03in the UK.
39:04This remote
39:05uninhabited area
39:07stretches over
39:08185 miles
39:10of rugged coastline.
39:13Not far from the sea,
39:15hidden amongst
39:16the ancient woodland,
39:17there's an unexpected site.
39:19three very different objects
39:22that together
39:23form a surprising
39:24holiday destination.
39:27This is Mel in Mays.
39:30It's the brainchild
39:31of husband and wife team
39:33Martin and Carol Ann.
39:38It's such a secret location
39:41that people
39:41wouldn't know
39:42it was here.
39:45Martin and Carol Ann
39:46bought this hidden
39:48four-acre smallholding
39:49with its derelict cornmill
39:5112 years ago.
39:53When we came here
39:55it was completely
39:57overgrown.
39:58It was hidden
39:59by the trees
40:00so it was like
40:01a secret garden.
40:04The mill
40:05was operated
40:07by a lady
40:08called Mabes,
40:09Mabel.
40:10So it was known
40:11as Mabes Mill.
40:13We wanted to maintain
40:14the history
40:16of Mabel
40:18so we used
40:19the Welsh name
40:20for mill
40:21which is Melin
40:22and we called it
40:23Melin Mabes.
40:25The original
40:26mill building
40:27dates back
40:28from the 1600s.
40:29We love the property
40:31and we love
40:32the location.
40:33We are located
40:35down a very quiet
40:36country lane
40:38and even when
40:39you get here
40:39people aren't
40:40100% certain
40:42that they are
40:42at their final
40:44location.
40:47But on arrival
40:48all is revealed.
40:51Melin Mabes
40:52outstanding secret
40:54has got to be
40:54the UFO.
40:57It looks like
40:58it's just
40:59landed from
41:00outer space.
41:01Aliens could
41:02come out of there
41:03and everybody
41:05gets, oh,
41:05this is just
41:06wonderful excitement.
41:10The circular space
41:11has been configured
41:13to sleep four
41:14and Martin's
41:15taken a giant leap
41:17by giving this
41:18unusual structure
41:19a spaceship
41:20makeover.
41:24I've always been
41:25keen on UFOs
41:27and sci-fi
41:28and I loved
41:29those future
41:30buildings
41:31from the
41:321960s
41:33and I
41:34thought, oh,
41:35I fancy building
41:36something like that.
41:38I stumbled across
41:39this UFO-shaped
41:41building
41:41on an auction
41:42site
41:43and thought,
41:44that would be
41:44great.
41:46The building
41:48was originally
41:49used to hide
41:49electrical generators
41:51on site
41:51at the 2012
41:53London Olympics.
41:56The building
41:57itself
41:58is fiberglass
41:59and I think
42:00they made them
42:01look a little bit
42:02jazzy
42:02so that they
42:03would stand out.
42:07It arrived
42:08from London
42:08broken into
42:09six sections
42:10flat-packed
42:11on a lorry.
42:12There are
42:13four wall
42:14sections
42:15and two roof
42:15sections
42:16and each
42:17of the wall
42:18sections
42:18weighs approximately
42:19a tonne
42:20so we had
42:22to have
42:22a steel
42:23base
42:24made up
42:25for it
42:25to sit on
42:26so it was
42:26level
42:27and solid
42:28and won't
42:29sink away
42:29into our
42:30marshy ground.
42:32Martin
42:32is an electrician
42:33by trade
42:34but turning
42:35these generator
42:36boxes
42:37into his
42:37dream UFO
42:38called upon
42:39all his
42:40construction
42:40skills too.
42:42I wanted
42:43to make
42:43it look
42:44like a
42:45proper
42:45UFO
42:46and I
42:47thought
42:47well
42:47if we
42:49put an
42:49acrylic dome
42:50on the
42:50top
42:50that will
42:51give it
42:51that classic
42:52saucer dome
42:53look
42:53and then
42:54for more
42:55lighting
42:56we put
42:56another
42:57eight
42:57acrylic
42:57domes
42:58around
42:59the
42:59circumference
43:00of it
43:01and then
43:02we put
43:02tripod legs
43:03on it
43:03to make
43:04it look
43:04like
43:04that
43:05UFO
43:06from
43:06War of
43:07the Worlds.
43:15Originally
43:15the door
43:16was a
43:16standard
43:17hinge
43:17door
43:18that just
43:18opened
43:19to the
43:19one side
43:20and this
43:21is a
43:22wheelchair
43:22access lift
43:24bolted it
43:25to the
43:25door
43:25we had
43:27to add
43:27some springs
43:27to it
43:28as well
43:28and to
43:29give it
43:29that extra
43:30little bit
43:30of power
43:31and it
43:32took a
43:32lot
43:32of work
43:35there's a
43:36smoke
43:36machine
43:36that goes
43:37off
43:37when you
43:38open it
43:38colour
43:39changing
43:39lights
43:40underneath
43:40it
43:41and
43:41around
43:41the
43:41outside
43:42as well
43:42so you
43:43get the
43:44full
43:44experience
43:45of a
43:45UFO
43:46landing
43:55The
43:56insulation
43:57is from
43:57the
43:58space
43:58industry
43:59it's
44:00silver
44:00foil
44:01based
44:01insulation
44:02multiple
44:02layers
44:03and that
44:04reflects
44:04the heat
44:05back in
44:05but it
44:05was
44:05originally
44:06designed
44:06by
44:07NASA
44:09The
44:10staircase
44:10leads up
44:11to the
44:11Skyview
44:12Dome
44:13with a
44:13telescope
44:14to
44:14navigate
44:14the
44:15stars
44:16It's
44:17fantastic
44:18for
44:18stargazing
44:19you can
44:20see
44:20millions
44:21of stars
44:22on a
44:22clear
44:23night
44:30The
44:31UFO
44:32has got
44:33a full
44:34kitchen
44:35area
44:35outside
44:35and you've
44:36got the
44:36hot tub
44:37as well
44:44I'm a
44:45big
44:45Doctor Who
44:46fan
44:46so I
44:47thought
44:47we'd
44:47build
44:48a
44:48TARDIS
44:49as
44:50everybody
44:50knows
44:51it's
44:51bigger
44:51on the
44:51inside
44:52unfortunately
44:53the laws
44:53of physics
44:54don't
44:54quite
44:54work
44:55that
44:55way
44:55so I
44:56had
44:56to
44:56build
44:57it
44:57slightly
44:57bigger
44:58than
44:58the
44:58actual
44:59original
44:59plan
45:00in this
45:01oversized
45:02space age
45:03phone box
45:03there's a
45:04shower
45:04hand basin
45:06and toilet
45:10not far
45:11from the
45:12UFO
45:12is a
45:13150 year
45:14old
45:14traditional
45:15gypsy
45:15caravan
45:16that sleeps
45:17too
45:17it has a
45:19raised
45:19double bed
45:20and cosy
45:21wood burning
45:21stove
45:25while tucked
45:26away
45:26between
45:26the
45:27trunks
45:27of the
45:27ancient
45:28woods
45:28is a
45:29tree
45:29house
45:30with a
45:31slide
45:31down
45:31to the
45:31ground
45:34it's
45:34equipped
45:35with a
45:35double
45:35bed
45:35and two
45:36singles
45:37underfloor
45:38heating
45:38and a
45:39wood
45:39burning
45:39fire
45:40keeps
45:40guests
45:41toasty
45:41at
45:41night
45:43in
45:44this
45:44secretive
45:45part
45:45of
45:45Wales
45:46Martin
45:46has
45:47created
45:47a
45:48magical
45:48hideaway
45:49but the
45:50star
45:50attraction
45:51never
45:52ceases
45:52to
45:52surprise
45:55a lot
45:56of
45:56time
45:57the
45:57parents
45:58won't
45:58tell
45:58the
45:58children
45:59where
45:59they're
45:59staying
46:00they'll
46:01arrive
46:01and
46:01they'll
46:02just
46:02be
46:02oh
46:03daddy
46:03where
46:04are
46:04we
46:04and
46:04then
46:05all
46:05of
46:05a
46:05sudden
46:05they're
46:06like
46:06oh
46:06it's
46:07a
46:07UFO
46:07and
46:08they're
46:08off
46:08running
46:09around
46:21them
46:32they're
46:56Transcription by CastingWords
Comments