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00:04Imagine staying the night in a mountain hideaway, sleeping underneath the stars.
00:12Lodging in a futuristic woodland escape.
00:15I'd 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.
00:38The park was 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.
00:52You open your eyes and the first thing you see is that forest keep in front of you.
00:58To reimagine structures and vehicles.
01:02I've had phone calls of people asking about a timetable.
01:07We meet the teams who keep them running.
01:10It's very important to maintain the culture and the history.
01:14It's an oasis that reveals itself.
01:18And the guests living their dreams.
01:20You are waking up in the morning inside of the sunset.
01:23As we explore the world's most secret hotels.
01:32This time, we uncover the secrets of a unique lighthouse escape in Spain.
01:37To be in a place so close to the water, this is something that you really don't see often.
01:46Discover a modern masterpiece hiding on the coast of Mexico.
01:50Most architects thought of this as brutalist.
01:54But in reality, our intention was to blend into nature.
01:59Head off grid into the English countryside.
02:02There's so much wildlife here.
02:05As soon as you start looking, you start to see nature everywhere.
02:11And explore a medieval marvel with a dark past.
02:16There was a void in this room, which I reckon was probably to hide people.
02:21Our adventure begins high up in Switzerland, near the city of Lucerne.
02:34The Swiss Alps are one of Europe's most popular winter destinations.
02:39A favourite for skiers and climbers who come for its breathtaking scenery.
02:45Every year, more than 600,000 people board the cable car up Mount Pilatus to take in the view of
02:54Lake Lucerne below.
02:56If they are lucky enough, they can even spend the night here.
03:03This is the Hotel Pilatus Call.
03:08A luxury retreat perched on the edge of the mountain.
03:15It's a magical hideaway, totally remote.
03:18It's just one hour away from Lucerne.
03:21So it feels like a different world up here.
03:30This mountaintop retreat is built into the rock.
03:34More than 6,800 feet above sea level.
03:39On the ground floor, two restaurants flank a central lobby and a bar.
03:51Above are four more floors that house 27 double bedrooms.
03:57And two suites right at the top, with vertigo-inducing views.
04:06The hotel is a triumph of 19th century engineering.
04:11Foundations driven deep into the rock anchor the vast structure in place.
04:17It's a mountain masterpiece that never fails to impress Anita Gerber.
04:22It's really impressive how the hotel is built into the mountain.
04:30Incredibly, the hotel is one of two that straddle this narrow ridge.
04:37Its older cousin, the now rebuilt Bellevue, opened first in 1860.
04:44Followed by Pilatus Coulme, 30 years later, in 1890.
04:51The first guests had to travel up the mountain on foot.
04:55A journey that can still be made today in summer.
04:59But what made the new Pilatus Coulme such a wonder,
05:03is that visitors could travel to the top by cogwheel railway.
05:08Along a line that is still the steepest in the world.
05:16With the construction of the cogwheel train.
05:21They built it in only 400 working days.
05:27One year later, the Pilatus Coulme Hotel opened.
05:33Back then, it categorized as a grand hotel.
05:37It had very spacious rooms, lit by electricity.
05:41There was still a rarity at the time.
05:45Today, the hotel has been completely renovated.
05:49With rooms that are modern and comfortable.
05:53General Manager Marcus Bussinger leads a team of 100 people.
05:58Many of whom live on site.
06:00It's a very special place.
06:03You are quite isolated here.
06:05And that makes everything very special.
06:14Running a hotel at the top of the world
06:16comes with its own unique challenges.
06:20The resort has to stay open all year round,
06:23whatever the weather.
06:26The weather can change every few minutes.
06:29It can be stormy with winds up to 200 kilometers per hour.
06:35On a sunny day, the weather is perfect.
06:37You can relax.
06:39You can sunburn.
06:40Even in summer, it can be snowy as well.
06:42So, we have to be prepared the whole year.
06:52Marcus and his team have to bring up everything they need from the world below.
06:59Down at base camp, Natalia Parego and the cable car team
07:04ensure that a steady stream of supplies flows up the mountain.
07:10It's food, it's laundry, it's drinks.
07:14When the hotel guests come, they have their baggage.
07:17We put the baggage in a car.
07:20Maybe when we have storms, we're not operating.
07:23Then we are close.
07:24We have to call everybody.
07:26We have to stay home.
07:32Fortunately, today's mild winter weather
07:34means that everything is running like clockwork.
07:38It takes just three and a half minutes
07:41for the cable car to zip to the summit.
07:45Waiting to unload is lift manager Steve,
07:48an Englishman who went up a mountain and decided to stay.
07:53Something which is an occupational hazard on Mount Pilatus.
07:58After four o'clock, we don't transport anymore.
08:02Once the cable car stops running,
08:04the mountain is cut off, that's it, no more.
08:07If you've forgotten your toothbrush, you've got no toothbrush.
08:11Not many places in the world where the door closes
08:14and you're there for the night, whatever happens.
08:24Once the supplies arrive,
08:27the team whisks them straight to the kitchens,
08:29where Michelle Hummel and the team are busy prepping for dinner.
08:38All the stuff that we need, the tablecloths, the drinks, the food,
08:42they have to bring up everything by the gondola
08:44and bring it down too.
08:46If there is food waste, we have to send it down again.
08:57The hotel's opulent restaurant
08:59is named after one of the mountain's most famous visitors,
09:03Queen Victoria.
09:05More than 4,000 people a day visit the mountaintop in peak season.
09:10But after 4 p.m., the crowds disappear,
09:14which makes dinner Michelle's favourite meal of the day.
09:18When people go on the last cable car,
09:21you're alone with all the guests,
09:24and it can be maximum 80 people.
09:27You can just move around like three.
09:30The hotel has played host to everyone,
09:33from royalty to artists.
09:35There are even legends of a mythical beast
09:38living deep inside the mountain.
09:43It's a very mysterious mountain.
09:46There's many different stories of dragons on Mount Pilatus.
09:51Sometimes you can hear the wind howling,
09:54and maybe this is where the stories originated.
10:04Today, there are no dragons to be seen.
10:07But as the sun sets over Mount Pilatus,
10:10one guest is hoping to spot the beasts of the zodiac.
10:15Tonight, we will see a lot of planets,
10:17plus many finer objects like galaxies, nebulas.
10:23This is something you hardly see when you are in the city.
10:26away from the light in the darkness
10:30so high in the mountains.
10:32That's so cool.
10:33It is wonderful.
10:44Still to come,
10:45from the top of the world to the ends of the earth,
10:48we explore a spectacular secret retreat in Mexico.
10:52and a geometric gem hiding in an abandoned quarry.
11:08From boxes to bubbles,
11:12secret retreats come in all shapes and sizes.
11:16And a very few special hotels push the boundaries of architectural design.
11:29Our next destination is the Baja California Peninsula in northwest Mexico.
11:38This rugged landscape is Mexico's least populated state,
11:43where the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains meet the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
11:52Just behind a headland,
11:54outside the town of Todos Santos,
11:57lies an oasis.
11:59It's home to a barrier-like structure that rises up from the parched earth,
12:04the Paradero Hotel.
12:08Paradero is a secret jewel.
12:10People that come here,
12:12they are really looking for something different and unique.
12:16This hotel transforms ordinary concrete into an architectural art form.
12:25On the ground floor are the garden suites,
12:28with a bedroom and indoor-outdoor shower,
12:31separated by a private courtyard.
12:35Upstairs are the sky suites,
12:38each with a private roof terrace and daybeds.
12:42These 41 suites are arranged in an L shape.
12:47An outdoor living room provides a communal space for guests to mingle.
12:53They can also enjoy the hotel's 130-foot infinity pool,
12:58set beside a half-moon lounge deck
13:00that looks out towards the mountains.
13:04Or wind down at the spa and wellness centre.
13:08There's also a fitness centre,
13:10and Michelin star restaurant.
13:17This getaway is the dream of Mexican hoteliers
13:20Pablo Carmona and Joshua Kramer.
13:24The concept around the hotel is really focused on experiences.
13:31Throughout our travels,
13:33we saw in beautiful places in Asia,
13:36in Africa and South America,
13:38hotels that were taking guests
13:39to semi-remote places or secret places,
13:43showing them all the secret experiences around the hotel.
13:46And nobody had done that in Mexico before.
13:55Pablo and Joshua wanted to create a retreat
13:58that broke down the distinction between indoor and outdoor living.
14:05The suites have minimalist interiors
14:08that make the most of tornillo wood, metal, and concrete,
14:15with a muted colour palette inspired by the natural environment.
14:20The design is a modern twist on brutalism,
14:24a style of architecture that emerged in the UK in the 1950s.
14:29Most critics and architects have thought of this
14:32as a brutalist architecture,
14:34but in reality, our intention was to blend into nature.
14:39It's a very unique place
14:40because there's no lines between architecture,
14:44interior design, and landscaping.
14:45It's all blended in all of the spaces.
14:48To make it look beautiful,
14:50there's a lot of work behind that,
14:52not just from when it was built,
14:53but to maintain it.
14:58The hotel took around two years to build.
15:03The wave-like walls are made from a special concrete mix
15:08to mimic the local earth
15:09and cast by hand using simple timber frames.
15:14This gives them a rough, tactile finish.
15:20Behind the walls is a garden
15:22designed to resemble a Californian courtyard
15:26and stocked with 80 species of plants
15:29like cacti and palm trees.
15:36There are other brutalist-style hotels,
15:39but few in such a remote environment.
15:46Ernesto Luna is the hotel's general manager.
15:50I feel like every morning when I come,
15:53there is always a sunny day.
15:55There is never clouds.
15:57So that gives me, my spirit,
16:00gives me really a good sensation of peace.
16:03When I welcome the guests
16:04and when I talk to them,
16:06they are always telling me,
16:08wow, I was not expecting that the floor is like this,
16:11and the nature, and the architecture,
16:14and the mountains.
16:21Ernesto leads a team of 80 people.
16:25Many live locally.
16:27Others, like fitness instructor Anna,
16:29have relocated here.
16:31I'm from Mexico City.
16:34I found the calmness, the peace,
16:36and I love to stay here
16:38because for me it's not a work,
16:40it's lifestyle, and I love it.
16:45Anna works in the hotel's spa,
16:48where guests are encouraged
16:49to switch off from their normal lives.
16:56Therapy sessions are performed in the open air,
16:58with massage tables inside a large circular enclosure.
17:03Most of the guests come here
17:05because they are all the time on the rush.
17:09When they come and take one of our experiences,
17:14like yoga, meditation, bread work,
17:16at the end of that experience,
17:18they feel so grateful
17:20because they found finally a peace of mind.
17:29Food is also an important part
17:32of the experience here.
17:33The hotel is surrounded by fields
17:36which provide fresh vegetables,
17:38including radishes and carrots,
17:40for the restaurant.
17:41The restaurant itself is also open air
17:44and can cater for more than 80 people.
17:49The menu is based on modern Mexican cuisine,
17:52with Japanese influence.
17:55The vision was to create something unique.
17:59So you are going to find here
18:01that we use yuzu, ponzu, the fish, campachi.
18:05We have a lady that is making tortillas fresh
18:08from blue corn, red corn, yellow corn,
18:11but you can have a tostada.
18:13So that's the idea,
18:15not to have a simple menu,
18:17but the produce is excellent,
18:19the protein is the best quality,
18:21and the service is part of the experience.
18:27The hotel's unique blend
18:29of indoor-outdoor living
18:31is only possible thanks to its location.
18:34Pablo and Joshua looked at more than 80 different sites
18:38for their new retreat,
18:40before finding one which combined low rainfall
18:43with a reliable supply of water.
18:46We realized that this place was a secret jewel
18:50on an oasis between farmlands
18:54and amazing desert garden.
18:58A secret place where you could
19:00actually have a year-round experience,
19:03where you could see the most amazing sunrises
19:06and sunsets,
19:07perfect weather,
19:08mainly throughout the years.
19:18Outside the hotel,
19:19visitors can go hiking in the mountains
19:22and enjoy the nearby coastline.
19:26Baja California Sur
19:28is regarded by many
19:29as one of the best surfing regions
19:32in all of Mexico.
19:37The hotel is pitched at the high end
19:40of the travel market.
19:42But Pablo and Joshua
19:43believe that what sets their hotel apart
19:46is its unique experience.
19:52The first thing that we realized
19:54is that experiential travel
19:56was changing the way
19:58we wanted to live.
20:00When we travel
20:01is when we feel most inspired.
20:03That unique experience
20:05that in one day
20:06you wake up,
20:07you're surfing,
20:09you're coming back,
20:10you're doing a hike,
20:11you're meditating.
20:14At the end of the day
20:15gives you more clarity
20:16on what you want to do.
20:18for work,
20:19in life,
20:20and even keep finding
20:21your passions.
20:28There are plans
20:29to expand the hotel
20:30with a further 22 villas
20:32opening up this beautiful region
20:35to even more travelers.
20:48still to come,
20:50we take a trip
20:51to a lakeside retreat
20:52where cutting-edge design
20:54meets traditional living.
21:08Some secret hotels
21:09impress with their sheer size,
21:12but big doesn't always mean beautiful.
21:23Our next visit
21:25is to Dartmoor in Devon,
21:27one of the UK's
21:2815 national parks.
21:32In the 1800s,
21:34the villages beside the River Loo
21:36were known for their lime quarries,
21:38thanks to a rich seam of limestone
21:40hiding beneath these fields.
21:44Today, one former quarry
21:46is now a lake
21:49and home to a very special
21:52secret retreat.
21:55This is the lilypod,
21:56a floating sanctuary
21:58run by Kyle and Jenny Guyatt.
22:04I remember the first time
22:06that I came to the site.
22:08As you drive through the farm,
22:09you come down this track
22:10and it just opens up
22:12magically before you
22:13and you just feel like
22:14you've found this
22:15secret wonderland.
22:17It definitely has
22:19a very secret feel to it.
22:25This lakeside hideaway
22:26has just two pods.
22:29Heron,
22:31and Kingfisher.
22:34Each one is a geodesic dome
22:36engineered from
22:37triangular wooden segments.
22:42Inside,
22:44there's room for a king-sized bed,
22:47a mural
22:48that conceals
22:49an ensuite bathroom
22:52and a log burner
22:53to keep guests snug
22:55all year round.
22:58The pods
22:59are a labour of love
23:01for the couple
23:01who swapped life
23:03in the city
23:04for rural Devon.
23:07Kyle,
23:08a former property developer,
23:10was inspired
23:11to build the lilypods
23:13by a floating village
23:14he visited in Indonesia.
23:21I knew I wanted to make
23:22something different,
23:23something that was going
23:24to make me feel good.
23:26I love water.
23:27We live by the sea.
23:28I've been a scuba instructor.
23:30I do have an affinity
23:31with water.
23:32And so you just start
23:33pulling on all those threads
23:34and it just came together.
23:36He'd sit in the evening
23:37sketching and drawing
23:38these incredible buildings
23:40and the idea
23:41morphed into
23:42the floating pods.
23:46It took five years
23:48of searching
23:49before Kyle and Jenny
23:50found the perfect site
23:51to build
23:52their waterborne retreat.
23:54They then had to
23:55turn their dream
23:56into a reality.
23:58The modular design
24:00meant the domes
24:01were assembled
24:01on site.
24:03Each pod
24:04has an inner
24:05and an outer shell
24:06made from
24:07locally sourced timber.
24:08The external layer
24:10is larch wood
24:12charred
24:13to make it
24:13rock resistant.
24:15The platforms
24:16sit on purpose-built
24:18flotation chambers
24:19made from
24:20recycled plastics
24:22while the pontoons
24:24that connect them
24:25to the land
24:25are made from
24:26reused
24:27olive oil barrels.
24:29What we've tried to do
24:31is give the guest
24:32a really luxury stay
24:33all within the values
24:35that we have
24:36around the core business
24:37and that's to do with
24:38being sustainable,
24:40sourcing all our stuff
24:41from somewhere
24:42very local.
24:45Once inside,
24:47guests will find
24:48a small kitchen
24:49but few
24:51high-tech amenities
24:52such as
24:53Wi-Fi,
24:53internet
24:54or mobile phone signal.
24:58This retreat
24:59is intended
25:00to be off-grid
25:01and a digital detox
25:03so guests
25:04can connect
25:05with their surroundings.
25:10It's very verdant
25:11and green.
25:12It's that kind of
25:13archetypal rolling hills.
25:16There's so much
25:17wildlife here.
25:18There are many
25:19different types of birds.
25:21There are a load
25:22of different fish.
25:23Also, bats.
25:25As soon as you start looking,
25:26you start to see
25:27the nature
25:28everywhere.
25:33The former
25:34lime quarry
25:35is fed by
25:36underground springs
25:37and a natural
25:38waterfall
25:39which ensures
25:40the water is safe
25:41for guests to swim in.
25:44There's even a kayak
25:45for those who prefer
25:46not to get their feet wet.
25:51The pods
25:52are self-catering
25:53but guests
25:55who would prefer
25:55a champagne-style
25:56breakfast
25:57can head across
25:58the fields
25:59to the nearby vineyard.
26:01It's run
26:02by Tom Hodgetts
26:03and his family
26:03who have farmed
26:05the land here
26:06for generations.
26:08Sharing the farm
26:09with LilyPod
26:09is fantastic.
26:11We'll have
26:12visitors come
26:13and do a tour,
26:14come for lunch,
26:15come for breakfast
26:15so it all kind of
26:16works together
26:17in synergy
26:18that we can
26:18share the farm
26:19together
26:19and share
26:20the amazing views
26:21across the valley.
26:24The vineyard
26:25has about
26:256,500 vines
26:27that produce
26:28three different
26:29varieties of wine.
26:31It's always challenging
26:32producing wine
26:33in Devon
26:33but as long as
26:35you're kind of
26:35respectful of the area
26:36and work with
26:37Mother Nature
26:38then you've got
26:39every opportunity
26:39really.
26:43This local business
26:45is one of several
26:46that work alongside
26:47the retreat.
26:49Guests can also
26:50order in brownies
26:52and granola
26:52made by Penny Westlake
26:54next door.
26:57I try to use
26:58local ingredients
26:59where possible,
27:00organic seeds
27:01and nuts
27:03and they can enjoy
27:04that for breakfast.
27:06It's quite an unusual
27:07experience to know
27:08what they're having
27:09is made only
27:10500 yards away
27:12from perhaps
27:13where they are
27:13and to enjoy
27:15something local.
27:21Local relationships
27:23like this
27:23help to reduce
27:24the site's
27:25carbon footprint.
27:27The pods
27:28also run off
27:29solar power
27:30which means
27:31guests need to
27:32think about
27:33what to pack.
27:35A common question
27:36we get asked
27:37is can I plug
27:37a hairdryer in
27:38and while we have
27:39solar and it will
27:40do the lights
27:41it wouldn't do
27:41a hairdryer.
27:42When we do get
27:43the can I plug
27:44in a hairdryer
27:45have you got
27:45hot tub questions
27:46we will say no
27:48explain why
27:49and we want
27:49people to choose
27:50us because
27:51they are thinking
27:52themselves ethically
27:54about where they
27:55want to stay.
28:02Life in an
28:03off-grid pod
28:04may not be
28:05for everyone
28:06but for many
28:07visitors this
28:08simple way of
28:09living is part
28:10of its appeal.
28:15We really love
28:16the fact that
28:17this place is
28:17sustainable.
28:19The composting
28:21toilets
28:21everything
28:22wood fired
28:24there's no
28:25big screen
28:26TVs
28:27jacuzzis.
28:28We do travel
28:29a lot
28:29we have been
28:30to some
28:30amazing places
28:31but a place
28:32like this
28:32is really
28:33secluded
28:34and you
28:34have your
28:35privacy.
28:42Kyle and
28:43Jenny have
28:44plans to
28:44expand their
28:45retreat.
28:46They're already
28:47in the process
28:48of constructing
28:48new pods.
28:51This is our
28:52third pod
28:52that we're
28:53doing which
28:53we're really
28:53excited about
28:54it's midway
28:55through its
28:55build.
28:57This is a
28:58passionate project
28:59and I'm
28:59really passionate
29:00about it
29:00and it's that
29:01that lends you
29:02the spirit
29:02to keep going.
29:06As the sun
29:07sets
29:07guests can
29:08sit outside
29:09and gaze up
29:10at the stars
29:11from a little
29:12corner of
29:13rural Devon
29:14that feels
29:15a world away.
29:24many secret
29:26retreats surprise
29:27and delight
29:28guests with
29:29their innovative
29:29design.
29:32Others find
29:34new uses for
29:35traditional
29:35structures.
29:42our next visit
29:44is to the
29:44Spanish Canary
29:45Islands,
29:4662 miles
29:47off the coast
29:48of North Africa.
29:53La Palma
29:54in the northwest
29:55is one of the
29:56seven main
29:57islands.
29:59It's known locally
30:00as the beautiful
30:01island.
30:03and it's not
30:04hard to see
30:05why.
30:07It has miles
30:08of volcanic
30:09coastline,
30:11dense forests
30:13and peaks
30:14that rise
30:15over 8,000 feet
30:16above the waves.
30:21The island
30:22is popular
30:23with holidaymakers
30:25who come here
30:26all year round
30:27thanks to
30:28La Palma's
30:28warm climate
30:29which rarely drops
30:31below 20 degrees
30:32Celsius.
30:34Many visitors
30:35will have no idea
30:36of a very
30:37secret retreat
30:38hiding along
30:39the coast.
30:41This is the
30:42Faro Punta
30:43Complida,
30:44a working
30:45lighthouse
30:45that conceals
30:47a luxury
30:47hideaway.
30:49It's very
30:50unusual that
30:51a lighthouse
30:52is also
30:53a hotel.
30:54Actually
30:55it's a secret
30:56and everybody
30:58who sees
30:59the light
30:59will not
31:00imagine
31:01that
31:01there is
31:02a hotel
31:02behind it.
31:14This hotel
31:15has just
31:16three exclusive
31:17suites
31:18all sited
31:20inside the
31:20former lighthouse
31:21keeper's house
31:22at the base
31:23of the tower.
31:25Each apartment
31:26has its own
31:27kitchen diner
31:28and either
31:29one or two
31:30double bedrooms.
31:32A shared staircase
31:33leads to a private
31:35viewing deck
31:35at the top of the
31:36lighthouse itself
31:37where guests
31:38can marvel
31:39at the power
31:40of the ocean.
31:47The hotel
31:48is the vision
31:49of Tim Wittenbecker,
31:51a man with a
31:52passion for giving
31:54these iconic
31:54buildings
31:55a new lease
31:56of life.
31:57It's almost
31:5918 years
32:00I think
32:00when we
32:01built and
32:02converted
32:03the first
32:03lighthouse
32:04into a
32:05hideaway
32:05in Germany.
32:06we take
32:08an old
32:08building
32:09that would
32:09be lost
32:10and we
32:10give it
32:11this use.
32:17The lighthouse
32:18is the oldest
32:20on La Palma
32:20dating back
32:22more than
32:22150 years.
32:25The first
32:26lighthouse
32:26keepers
32:27had to live
32:28on site
32:28to look
32:29after the
32:29oil-fired
32:30beacon.
32:31But the
32:31arrival of
32:32electricity
32:32in the
32:3320th century
32:34meant that
32:35was no
32:36longer
32:36necessary.
32:37When we
32:38found it
32:39it was
32:40quite
32:40run down
32:41it was
32:42a ruin
32:42the patio
32:44was torn
32:45away
32:45by a
32:46typhoon
32:47all the
32:49windows
32:49were closed
32:50with window
32:51shutters
32:51of metal
32:52and all
32:53the beautiful
32:54details
32:54were fading
32:55away.
32:59One of the
33:00most unusual
33:00features about
33:01this hotel
33:02is that it
33:03is still a
33:04working
33:04lighthouse.
33:07The redesign
33:08had to allow
33:09today's
33:10lighthouse keepers
33:11to come and
33:12go to
33:12maintain the
33:13LED beacon
33:14at the
33:14summit.
33:16Tim and his
33:17team were
33:18also determined
33:19to preserve as
33:20much of the
33:20original building
33:21as possible.
33:23It was
33:24from the
33:25architectural
33:25side quite a
33:27challenge because
33:28our intention
33:29is to still
33:30show these
33:31historical
33:32functional parts
33:35and let the
33:36guest feel like
33:37a lighthouse
33:37keeper.
33:38So we added
33:39some luxury
33:41items and
33:43tried to
33:44balance it
33:44with the
33:45historic beauty
33:46of the building.
33:47so you can
33:48say it's
33:49quite complex
33:50but also
33:51it's a lot
33:51of fun.
34:01The hotel's
34:03modern features
34:03include concealed
34:05ensuite bathrooms
34:08and an infinity
34:09pool that
34:10spills over
34:11into the
34:11Atlantic Ocean.
34:14The site is
34:15too small to
34:16house its own
34:16reception.
34:19Instead,
34:20housekeepers
34:21Lolly and
34:21Pilly are
34:22always on call
34:23to look after
34:24their guests.
34:26We prepare a
34:27wonderful breakfast
34:28with very local
34:29items.
34:30There's marmalade
34:31made of Indian
34:32figs that grow
34:33in our garden.
34:35There are
34:35avocados from
34:36our neighbours.
34:38Each suite
34:39has a kitchen
34:40block but we
34:41have a private
34:42cook who comes
34:44and prepares
34:45a candlelight
34:46dinner.
34:52Luxuries
34:53like these
34:53come at a
34:54premium.
34:56A weekend
34:57stay here
34:57doesn't come
34:58cheap.
35:00In return,
35:01guests expect
35:02high standards
35:05and an
35:06experience that
35:07is hard to
35:07find elsewhere
35:08as Tim's wife
35:10Heike explains.
35:12The guests
35:13are in awe.
35:14Normally they
35:15come here and
35:15they cannot
35:16really believe
35:17that they may
35:18stay here.
35:19It's such a
35:20beautiful,
35:21special place.
35:22Just to be in
35:23a place so close
35:25to the water
35:26with such a
35:27beautiful building,
35:28this is something
35:29that you really
35:29don't see often.
35:31So we are very
35:32happy and very
35:33lucky to be able
35:35to give other
35:35people the chance
35:37to experience
35:37what we love so much.
35:42La Palma's raw natural
35:44beauty is part of its
35:46appeal.
35:47But it can make
35:48running a hotel
35:49here challenging.
35:51The island is
35:52volcanic and
35:53numerous eruptions
35:54have shattered its
35:55peace over the
35:56years.
35:59Sandclouds,
35:59blown in from
36:00North Africa,
36:01can last for up to
36:02a week.
36:03La Palma is in front
36:05of West Sahara
36:07and this wind
36:08blows the sand
36:10of the desert
36:11down to the
36:13island.
36:14If one is
36:15unlucky,
36:16the sand lands
36:17on top of your
36:19beautiful white
36:20terrace,
36:21inside your
36:22beautiful infinity
36:23pool,
36:23and during those
36:24days,
36:25it brings us
36:26to our
36:27maintenance limits.
36:39On clear
36:39days,
36:40guests can
36:41climb up to
36:42the top of
36:42the tower
36:43and imagine
36:44what it must
36:45have been like
36:46to live here
36:46in the days
36:47of the original
36:48lighthouse keepers.
36:52At night,
36:53the beacon
36:54turns on,
36:56casting its
36:56beam far
36:57out to sea.
36:58and treating
36:59the residents
37:00below to
37:00their own
37:01private light
37:02show.
37:03La Palma is
37:04very famous
37:05for the
37:05stargazing.
37:07At night,
37:07you have this
37:08incredible sky.
37:10If you're on
37:11the terrace
37:11and maybe you
37:12lie down
37:12on one of
37:13the benches,
37:14you can see
37:15the six rays
37:16of the lighthouse.
37:17It's like a
37:17crown.
37:18It's actually
37:19magic.
37:20Tim and
37:21Heike have
37:22no plans
37:22to slow
37:23down.
37:24They hope
37:25to add more
37:25lighthouses
37:26to their
37:26growing
37:27collection.
37:28allowing others
37:29to experience
37:30the beauty
37:31and romance
37:32of these
37:32towering
37:33hideaways.
37:41Still to come,
37:42a smuggler's
37:44hideout
37:44on the coast
37:45of southern
37:45England.
37:46People come and
37:47stay here
37:48to have a bit
37:49of traditional
37:50English history.
38:01We're exploring
38:03the world's
38:04most secret
38:05hotels,
38:06from modernist
38:07marvels
38:10to pioneering
38:12treetop
38:12hideaways.
38:14But inspiring
38:15design isn't
38:17a modern
38:17innovation.
38:20Our final
38:22destination
38:22is in East
38:24Sussex
38:25in southern
38:25England.
38:33In Roman times,
38:35England's south
38:36coast formed
38:37part of the
38:37Saxon shore,
38:39named after the
38:41seaborne raiders
38:42who first plundered
38:43these shores
38:44before settling
38:45here in places
38:46like Rye.
38:48Today,
38:49this pretty
38:49medieval town
38:50is surrounded
38:51by a sea
38:52of marshes.
38:54But Rye's
38:55imposing castle
38:56is a reminder
38:57of its past
38:58as one of
38:58England's richest
39:00ports.
39:01And its streets
39:03still conceal
39:04many treasures.
39:06Hidden along
39:07a narrow lane
39:08stands the
39:09Mermaid Inn.
39:12A 600-year-old
39:14secret retreat
39:16now run
39:17by Judith Blinko.
39:23We are tucked
39:24away,
39:24so it is a little
39:25bit of a secret
39:26hidden above
39:27the high street.
39:28So you'd have to
39:29know we were here.
39:30And unless you
39:31know we're here,
39:31you wouldn't find us.
39:40The journey
39:42to this retreat
39:42is like travelling
39:44back in time.
39:46Inside
39:47are 31 guest rooms
39:48with low
39:50timber ceilings.
39:52Some are cosy,
39:55some are grand.
39:58All have plenty
40:00of old world charm
40:01and a history
40:02full of secrets.
40:04The present building
40:05dates back
40:06to 1420
40:07with cellars
40:08that are more
40:09than 800 years old
40:12making it one
40:12of England's
40:13oldest inns.
40:16When guests
40:16first arrive
40:17at the Mermaid
40:17I think they're
40:18a little bit shocked
40:19as to how old
40:20it is.
40:22And every day
40:23we're discovering
40:23more and more
40:24things we didn't
40:24realise before.
40:31Over the centuries
40:32the inn has played host
40:34to everyone
40:35from royalty
40:36to renegades.
40:38This bedroom
40:40is named after
40:40Queen Elizabeth I
40:41who once stayed here
40:43on a visit to Rye.
40:46The room next door
40:47once played host
40:48to less reputable
40:50characters
40:51where a fake
40:52bookcase
40:52disguises the entrance
40:54to a secret staircase
40:55used to hide people
40:57on the run
40:58from the law.
41:01This is one
41:02of our secret passages
41:07and coming through
41:08into the secret passage
41:09there's a little
41:10medieval toilet
41:12so if anyone
41:12had to hide
41:13for a long period
41:14of time
41:14they had their own loo.
41:20The Mermaid Inn
41:21was rebuilt
41:22in the 15th century
41:23after a French raid
41:25destroyed the town.
41:27It became
41:28a notorious hangout
41:29for smugglers
41:30who used to hide
41:30contraband here
41:31including wool
41:33and French brandy.
41:35The Mermaid
41:36was rebuilt
41:36with quite a few
41:38hidey holes.
41:39There was a void
41:40in this room
41:40which is about
41:41nine foot down
41:42which they reckon
41:42was probably
41:43to hide people.
41:44In the foyer
41:45nine foot by four foot
41:46just to hide barrels
41:47so the place
41:48seems to be riddled
41:49with all these
41:49little secret passages.
41:54The inn's maze-like
41:55interior can be
41:56confusing
41:57for both guests
41:58and staff.
42:01There are 11
42:02staircases here
42:05and each room
42:06has a name
42:07as well as a number.
42:11One person
42:11who knows his way
42:12around better than most
42:13is maintenance manager
42:15Mark French.
42:17It's his job
42:18to keep this historic
42:19building standing.
42:21A role that comes
42:22with its own
42:23occupational hazard.
42:26The one thing
42:26that you've got
42:27to get used to here
42:28more so than anything
42:29is the height.
42:31Most of the rooms
42:32are small.
42:33I'm quite a big lad
42:34so after about
42:35four or five headbangs
42:36you do get used to it.
42:38Mark's day
42:39can involve anything
42:40from fixing the furnishings
42:42to repairing a sign.
42:46There's always a problem
42:47to solve
42:48in a building this old.
42:50It is an incredibly
42:51rewarding job.
42:52I feel very humble
42:53and proud
42:54to be here
42:55and part of it.
42:56There's a little bit of me
42:57that's a little bit gloat
42:58because I know
42:59that what I do here
43:00is going to be here
43:01a long time
43:02after what I do.
43:08There is so much history here
43:10that sometimes
43:11the secrets of the past
43:13intrude on the present.
43:16The inn is said to be
43:17one of the most haunted
43:18in England.
43:21Guests and staff
43:22tell stories
43:23of mysterious shadows
43:25and rooms
43:26that suddenly turn cold.
43:29Some even claim
43:31to have seen
43:31ghostly figures
43:32that wander the corridors
43:35including a lady in white
43:36who doesn't like
43:37guests making a mess.
43:39We have six main ghost stories
43:41but my favourite,
43:43my personal favourite
43:43has got to be room one.
43:45Room one's got the oldest
43:46bed in the hotel
43:47and it dates from 1600.
43:49In that room
43:50we have people stay
43:52and they think
43:54that their clothes
43:55have been moved
43:56during the night
43:56so they'll take all
43:57their clothes off
43:57put them on one chair
43:58and when they wake up
43:59in the morning
43:59all their clothes
44:00have been moved
44:00to the next chair along.
44:02And they'll argue
44:03all the way back
44:03to the car park
44:04no you move my clothes
44:05no you move my clothes
44:06and it's not as if
44:07we're sneaking in
44:08with the passkey
44:09during the night
44:09to sort of wind them up
44:10or anything.
44:13Judith and her team
44:15are always happy
44:16to talk to guests
44:17about the former occupants.
44:19There are even
44:20guided ghost tours
44:21once a month
44:22but not everyone
44:23is aware of the hotel's
44:25reputation
44:26when they book.
44:27When we booked this
44:29I spoke to a friend
44:30of mine
44:30and I said
44:31we're going to
44:31stay at the Mermaid Hotel
44:33and she said
44:33oh my god
44:34do you know
44:35how haunted it is?
44:36It doesn't freak me out
44:38but you do think
44:39about it a lot.
44:40I told a guy at work
44:42and I said
44:43we're staying in
44:43the Mermaid
44:44he went
44:45oh the Mermaid
44:46oh we stayed in there
44:47oh that was a bit
44:49and I said
44:50really I didn't want
44:51at all.
44:54Nervous guests
44:55can fortify their courage
44:57with a drink in the bar
44:58and take advantage
45:00of a well stocked
45:01wine cellar.
45:03Afterwards
45:04visitors can enjoy
45:05fine dining
45:06in the restaurant
45:06run by head chef
45:08Andrew King.
45:09We try and incorporate
45:11the history of the building
45:12by keeping the food
45:13classic British.
45:14We always have
45:15a souffle on
45:16venison
45:17which is stunning
45:18at the moment
45:19very local
45:19and of course
45:20ride scallops.
45:21There are two dishes
45:22that I'm not allowed
45:23to touch
45:23because everybody
45:24locally knows
45:25it's here
45:26and they come here
45:26for it
45:27fish and chips
45:27and a fish ringer
45:29sandwich.
45:33Tradition
45:33is the heart
45:34of this retreat.
45:37Judith first
45:38started working
45:38here as a receptionist
45:40when she was
45:40just 18.
45:43She's determined
45:44to preserve
45:45its unique character.
45:47people come
45:48and stay here
45:49to have a bit
45:50of traditional
45:50English history
45:53and hopefully
45:54when I disappear
45:56from here
45:56whoever takes over
45:57from me
45:58will try and keep
45:58it traditionally
45:59English as well.
46:01It's a beautiful
46:02building
46:02and it has been
46:04a labour of love
46:05keeping it
46:06in the quality
46:07that it is now.
46:09The Mermaid Inn
46:11has lured in
46:12weary travellers
46:13for more than
46:13six centuries.
46:16A secret time capsule
46:18that's waiting
46:19to be discovered
46:20for years to come.
46:21in the future.
46:24.
46:24.
46:24.
46:24.
46:27.
46:28.
46:28.
46:28.
46:29.
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