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World's Most Secret Hotels - Season 2 Episode 4
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00:04Imagine staying the night in a mountain hideaway, sleeping underneath the stars,
00:12lodging in a futuristic woodland escape. I'd always dreamt of building a tree house.
00:17That's always been my sort of boyhood dream. Or holidaying in a resort on the edge of the
00:23desert. In this series, we venture across the globe to reveal some of the world's most unusual
00:32hotels. Some people would say we're in the middle of nowhere. Hidden in the most surprising of places.
00:38The workforce is far more beyond just being a luxury destination. This is our life.
00:44From island getaways. This place is hidden away from the rest of the world. And retreats hidden
00:50in plain sight. You open your eyes and the first thing you see is that far escape in front of
00:57you.
00:58To reimagine structures and vehicles. I've had phone calls of people asking about a timetable.
01:07We meet the teams who keep them running. It's very important to maintain the culture and the history.
01:14It's an oasis that reveals itself. And the guests living their dreams.
01:20You are waking up in the morning inside of the sunset. As we explore the world's most secret hotels.
01:32This time, we uncover the secrets of a unique lighthouse escape in Spain. To be in a place so close
01:40to
01:40the water. This is something that you don't see often. Discover a modern masterpiece hiding on the coast of Mexico.
01:51Most architects thought of this as brutalist. But in reality, our intention was to blend into nature.
01:59Head off grid into the English countryside. There's so much wildlife here. As soon as you start looking,
02:07you start to see nature everywhere. And 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. A favorite for skiers and
02:41climbers who come for its breathtaking scenery. Every year, more than 600,000 people board the cable car
02:50up Mount Pilatus to take in the view of Lake Lucerne below. If they are lucky enough, they can even
02:58spend the night here.
03:03This is the Hotel Pilatus Call. A luxury retreat perched on the edge of the mountain.
03:15It's a magical hideaway, totally remote. It's just one hour away from Lucerne. So it feels like a different world
03:23up here.
03:30This mountaintop retreat is built into the rock, more than 6,800 feet above sea level.
03:40On the ground floor, two restaurants flank a central lobby and a bar.
03:51Above are four more floors that house 27 double bedrooms.
03:58And two suites right at the top, with vertigo-inducing views.
04:06The hotel is a triumph of 19th century engineering.
04:12Foundations driven deep into the rock anchor the vast structure in place.
04:17It's a mountain masterpiece that never fails to impress Anita Gerber.
04:23It'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, a journey that can still be made today in
04:58summer.
05:00But what made the new Pilatus Coulme such a wonder is that visitors could travel to the top by cogwheel
05:07railway,
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.
05:34Back 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.
05:46Today, the hotel has been completely renovated, with rooms that are modern and comfortable.
05:53General manager Marcus Bussinger leads a team of 100 people, many of whom live on site.
06:00It's a very special place. You are quite isolated here.
06:06And that makes everything very special.
06:14Running a hotel at the top of the world comes with its own unique challenges.
06:20The resort has to stay open all year round, whatever the weather.
06:26The weather can change every few minutes. It can be stormy with winds up to 200 kilometers per hour.
06:35On a sunny day, the weather is perfect. You can relax. You can sunburn.
06:40Even in summer, it can be snowy as well. So 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 ensure that a steady stream of supplies flows up
07:08the mountain.
07:10It's food. It's laundry. It's drinks. When the hotel guests come, they have their baggage.
07:18We put the baggage in a car. Maybe when we have storms, we're not operating.
07:23Then we are closed. We have to call everybody. You have to stay home.
07:32Fortunately, today's mild winter weather means that everything is running like clockwork.
07:39It takes just three and a half minutes for the cable car to zip to the summit.
07:45Waiting to unload is lift manager Steve, an Englishman who went up a mountain and decided to stay.
07:53Something which is an occupational hazard on Mount Pilatus.
07:59After four o'clock, we don't transport anymore.
08:02Once the cable car stops running, the 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 and you're there for the night, whatever happens.
08:24Once the supplies arrive, the team whisks them straight to the kitchens.
08:29Where Michelle Hummel and the team are busy prepping for dinner.
08:38All the stuff we need, the tableclothes, the drinks, the food, they have to bring up everything by the gondola
08:44and bring it down too.
08:56The hotel's opulent restaurant is named after one of the mountain's most famous visitors.
09:04More than 4,000 people a day visit the mountaintop in peak season.
09:11But after 4pm, the crowds disappear, which makes dinner Michelle's favourite meal of the day.
09:18When people go to the last cable car, you're alone with all the guests.
09:24And it can be maximum 80 people. You can just move around like three.
09:30The hotel has played host to everyone, from royalty to artists.
09:35There are even legends of a mythical beast living 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 and maybe this is where the stories originated.
10:04Today, there are no dragons to be seen. But 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, plus many finer objects like galaxies, nebulas.
10:23This is something you hardly see when you are in the city.
10:27Away from the light in the darkness so high in the mountains, that's so cool.
10:33It is wonderful.
10:44Still to come, from the top of the world to the ends of the earth,
10:48we explore a spectacular secret retreat in Mexico.
10:53And a geometric gem hiding in an abandoned quarry.
11:09From boxes to bubbles, secret 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.
11:39This 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, outside the town of Todos Santos, lies an oasis.
11:59It's home to a barrier-like structure that rises up from the parched earth.
12:04The Paradero Hotel.
12:08But there is a secret jewel. People that come here, they 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, with a bedroom and indoor-outdoor shower separated by a private courtyard.
12:36Upstairs are the sky suites, each with a private roof terrace and day beds.
12:42These 41 suites are arranged in an L-shape. An outdoor living room provides a communal space for guests to
12:52mingle.
12:53They can also enjoy the hotel's 130-foot infinity pool, set beside a half-moon lounge deck that looks out
13:01towards the mountains.
13:03Or wind down at the spa and wellness centre.
13:08There's also a fitness centre and Michelin star restaurant.
13:17This getaway is the dream of Mexican hoteliers Pablo Carmona and Joshua Kramer.
13:25The concept around the hotel is really focused on experiences.
13:31Throughout our travels, we saw in beautiful places in Asia, in Africa and South America,
13:38hotels that were taking guests to 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 that broke down the distinction between indoor and outdoor living.
14:05The suites have minimalist interiors that 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, a style of architecture that emerged in the UK in the 1950s.
14:29Most critics and architects have thought of this as a brutalist architecture.
14:34But in reality, our intention was to blend into nature.
14:39It's a very unique place because there's no lines between architecture, interior design and landscaping.
14:45It's all blended in all of the spaces.
14:48To make it look beautiful, there's a lot of work behind that.
14:52Not just from when it was built, but to maintain it.
14:59The hotel took around two years to build.
15:04The wave-like walls are made from a special concrete mix to mimic the local earth.
15:10And cast by hand using simple timber frames.
15:14This gives them a rough, tactile finish.
15:20Behind the walls is a garden, designed to resemble a Californian courtyard.
15:26And stocked with 80 species of plants like cacti and palm trees.
15:36There are other brutalist style hotels.
15:40But few in such a remote environment.
15:47Ernesto Luna is the hotel's general manager.
15:50I feel like every morning when I come, there is always a sunny day.
15:55There is never clouds.
15:57So that gives me, my spirit gives me really a good sensation of peace.
16:03When I welcome the guests and when I talk to them, they are always telling me,
16:08wow, I was not expecting that the floor is like this.
16:12And the nature and the architecture and the mountains.
16:21Ernesto leads a team of 80 people.
16:25Many live locally.
16:27Others, like fitness instructor Anna, have relocated here.
16:31I'm from Mexico City.
16:34I found the calmness, the peace.
16:36And I love to stay here because for me, it's not a work.
16:40It's lifestyle.
16:41And I love it.
16:45Anna works in the hotel's spa, where guests are encouraged to switch off from their normal lives.
16:56Therapy sessions are performed in the open air with massage tables inside a large circular enclosure.
17:04Most of the guests come here because they are all the time on the rush.
17:09When they come and take one of our experiences, like yoga, meditation, bread work,
17:16at the end of that experience, they feel so grateful because they found finally a peace of mind.
17:29Food is also an important part of the experience here.
17:33The hotel is surrounded by fields which provide fresh vegetables including radishes and carrots for the restaurant.
17:41The restaurant itself is also open air and can cater for more than 80 people.
17:49The menu is based on modern Mexican cuisine with Japanese influence.
17:56The vision was to create something unique.
17:59So you are going to find here that we use yuzu, ponzu, the fish, campache.
18:06We have a lady that is making tortillas fresh from blue corn, red corn, yellow corn, or you can have
18:12a tostada.
18:14So that's the idea.
18:15Not to have a simple menu, but the produce is excellent.
18:19The protein is the best quality and the service is part of the experience.
18:27The hotel's unique blend of indoor-outdoor living is only possible thanks to its location.
18:34Pablo and Joshua looked at more than 80 different sites for their new retreat,
18:40before finding one which combined low rainfall with a reliable supply of water.
18:47We realized that this place was a secret jewel on an oasis between farmlands and amazing desert garden.
18:58A secret place where you could actually have a year-round experience,
19:03where you could see the most amazing sunrises and sunsets.
19:06It's perfect weather, mainly throughout the years.
19:18Outside the hotel, visitors can go hiking in the mountains and enjoy the nearby coastline.
19:26Baja California Sur is regarded by many as one of the best surfing regions in all of Mexico.
19:37The hotel is pitched at the high end of the travel market.
19:42But Pablo and Joshua believe that what sets their hotel apart is its unique experience.
19:52The first thing that we realized is that experiential travel was changing the way
19:57the way we wanted to live. When we travel is when we feel most inspired. That unique experience that in
20:06one day you wake up,
20:07you're surfing, you're coming back, you're doing a hike, you're meditating.
20:14At the end of the day, it gives you more clarity on what you want to do for work, in
20:19life, and even keep finding your passions.
20:28There are plans to expand the hotel with a further 22 villas, opening up this beautiful region to even more
20:36travelers.
20:48There are plans to expand the world.
20:49Still to come, we take a trip to a lakeside retreat, where cutting-edge design meets traditional living.
21:08Some secret hotels impress with their sheer size.
21:13But big doesn't always mean beautiful.
21:23Our next visit is to Dartmoor in Devon, one of the UK's 15 national parks.
21:32In the 1800s, the villages beside the River Loo were known for their lime quarries,
21:38thanks to a rich seam of limestone hiding beneath these fields.
21:44Today, one former quarry is now a lake.
21:49And home to a very special secret retreat.
21:54This is the Lillipod, a floating sanctuary run by Kyle and Jenny Guyatt.
22:04I remember the first time that I came to the site.
22:07As you drive through the farm, you come down this track, and it just opens up magically before you,
22:13and you just feel like you've found this secret wonderland.
22:18It definitely has a very secret feel to it.
22:25This lakeside hideaway has just two pods.
22:28It's a very special place.
22:30It's a very special place.
22:31It's a very special place.
22:31It's a very special place.
22:32It's a very special place.
22:32It's a very special place.
22:32Each one is a geodesic dome, engineered from triangular wooden segments.
22:42Inside, there's room for a king-sized bed.
22:47A mural that conceals an ensuite bathroom.
22:52And a log burner to keep guests snug all year round.
22:58The pods are a labour of love for the couple, who swapped life in the city for rural Devon.
23:07Kyle, a former property developer, was inspired to build the Lillipods by a floating village he visited in Indonesia.
23:21I knew I wanted to make something different, something that was going to 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 with water.
23:32And so you just start pulling on all those threads, and it just came together.
23:36He'd sit in the evening sketching and drawing these incredible buildings,
23:41and the idea morphed into the floating pods.
23:47It took five years of searching before Kyle and Jenny found the perfect site to build their waterborne retreat.
23:54They then had to turn their dream into a reality.
23:58The modular design meant the domes were assembled on site.
24:03Each pod has an inner and an outer shell made from locally sourced timber.
24:09The external layer is larch wood, charred to make it rock-resistant.
24:16The platforms sit on purpose-built flotation chambers made from recycled plastics,
24:22while the pontoons that connect them to the land are made from reused olive oil barrels.
24:29What we've tried to do is give the guest a really luxury stay, all within the values that we have
24:36around the core business,
24:37and that's to do with being sustainable, sourcing all our stuff from somewhere very local.
24:46Once inside, guests will find a small kitchen, but few high-tech amenities, such as Wi-Fi, internet, or mobile
24:55phone signal.
24:58This retreat is intended to be off-grid and a digital detox, so guests can connect with their surroundings.
25:10It's very verdant and green. It's that kind of archetypal rolling hills.
25:16There's so much wildlife here. There are many different types of birds. There are a load of different fish. Also,
25:24bats. As soon as you start looking, you start to see the nature everywhere.
25:33The former lime quarry is fed by underground springs and a natural waterfall, which ensures the water is safe for
25:41guests to swim in.
25:44There's even a kayak for those who prefer not to get their feet wet.
25:51The pods are self-catering, but guests who would prefer a champagne-style breakfast can head across the fields to
25:59the nearby vineyard.
26:01It's run by Tom Hodgetts and his family, who have farmed the land here for generations.
26:08Sharing the farm with LilyPod is fantastic.
26:11We'll have visitors come and do a tour, come for lunch, come for breakfast.
26:16So it all kind of works together in synergy that we can share the farm together and share the amazing
26:21views across the valley.
26:24The vineyard has about 6,500 vines that produce three different varieties of wine.
26:31It's always challenging producing wine in Devon, but as long as you're kind of respectful of the area and work
26:37with Mother Nature, then you've got every opportunity, really.
26:43This local business is one of several that work alongside the retreat.
26:49Guests can also order in brownies and granola made by Penny Westlake next door.
26:57I try to use local ingredients where possible, organic seeds and nuts, then they can enjoy that for breakfast.
27:06It's quite an unusual experience to know what they're having is made only 500 yards away from perhaps where they
27:13are, and to enjoy something local.
27:21Local relationships like this help to reduce the site's carbon footprint.
27:27The pods also run off solar power, which means guests need to think about what to pack.
27:35A common question we get asked is, can I plug a hairdryer in?
27:38And while we have solar and it will do the lights, it wouldn't do a hairdryer.
27:43When we do get the, can I plug in a hairdryer, have you got hot tub questions, we will say
27:48no, explain why.
27:49And we want people to choose us because they are thinking themselves ethically about where they want to stay.
28:02Life in an off-grid pod may not be for everyone, but for many visitors this simple way of living
28:09is part of its appeal.
28:15We really love the fact that this place is sustainable.
28:20The composting toilets, everything wood-fired.
28:24There's no big screen TVs, jacuzzis.
28:28We do travel a lot, we have been to some amazing places, but a place like this is really secluded
28:34and you have your privacy.
28:42Kyle and Jenny have plans to expand their retreat.
28:46They're already in the process of constructing new pods.
28:51This is our third pod that we're doing, which we're really excited about.
28:54It's midway through its build.
28:57This is a passion project and I'm really passionate about it.
29:01And it's that that lends you the spirit to keep going.
29:06As the sun sets, guests can sit outside and gaze up at the stars.
29:11From a little corner of rural Devon, that feels a world away.
29:25Many secret retreats surprise and delight guests with their innovative design.
29:33Others find new uses for traditional structures.
29:42Our next visit is to the Spanish Canary Islands, 62 miles off the coast of North Africa.
29:53La Palma in the northwest is one of the seven main islands.
29:59It's known locally as the beautiful island.
30:04And it's not hard to see why.
30:07It has miles of volcanic coastline.
30:11Dense forests.
30:13And peaks that rise over 8,000 feet above the waves.
30:21The island is popular with holiday makers.
30:25Who come here all year round, thanks to La Palma's warm climate.
30:30Which rarely drops below 20 degrees Celsius.
30:34Many visitors will have no idea of a very secret retreat hiding along the coast.
30:41This is the Faro Punta Complida.
30:44A working lighthouse that conceals a luxury hideaway.
30:49It's very unusual that a lighthouse is also a hotel.
30:54Actually it's a secret.
30:57And everybody who sees the light will not imagine that there is a hotel behind it.
31:14This hotel has just three exclusive suites.
31:19All sited inside the former lighthouse keeper's house at the base of the tower.
31:25Each apartment has its own kitchen diner.
31:28And either one or two double bedrooms.
31:32A shared staircase leads to a private viewing deck at the top of the lighthouse itself.
31:37Where guests can marvel at the power of the ocean.
31:47The hotel is the vision of Tim Wittenbecker.
31:51A man with a passion for giving these iconic buildings a new lease of life.
31:58It's almost 18 years I think when we
32:01built and converted the first lighthouse into a hideaway in Germany.
32:07We take an old building that would be lost and we give it this use.
32:17The lighthouse is the oldest on La Palma, dating back more than 150 years.
32:25The first lighthouse keepers had to live on site to look after the oil-fired beacon.
32:31But the arrival of electricity in the 20th century meant that was no longer necessary.
32:38When we found it, it was quite run down, it was a ruin.
32:43The patio was torn away by a typhoon.
32:47All the windows were closed with window shutters of metal and all the beautiful details were fading away.
32:59One of the most unusual features about this hotel is that it is still a working lighthouse.
33:07The redesign had to allow today's lighthouse keepers to come and go to maintain the LED beacon at the summit.
33:16Tim and his team were also determined to preserve as much of the original building as possible.
33:22It was from the architectural side quite a challenge because our intention is to still show these
33:31historical functional parts and let the guests feel like a lighthouse keeper.
33:38So we added some luxury items and tried to balance it with the historic beauty of the building.
33:48So you can say it's quite complex but also it's a lot of fun.
34:02The hotel's modern features include concealed ensuite bathrooms.
34:08And an infinity pool that spills over into the Atlantic Ocean.
34:14The site is too small to house its own reception.
34:19Instead, housekeepers Lolly and Pilly are always on call to look after their guests.
34:26We prepare a wonderful breakfast with very local items.
34:30There's marmalade made of Indian figs that grow in our garden.
34:34And there are avocados from our neighbours.
34:38Each suite has a kitchen block.
34:41But we have a private cook who comes and prepares the candlelight dinner.
34:52Luxuries like these come at a premium.
34:56A weekend stay here doesn't come cheap.
35:00In return, guests expect high standards.
35:05And an experience that is hard to find elsewhere.
35:09As Tim's wife, Heike, explains.
35:12The guests are in awe.
35:14Normally they come here and they cannot really believe that they may stay here.
35:19It's such a beautiful, special place.
35:22Just to be in a place so close to the water with such a beautiful building, this is something that
35:29you really don't see often.
35:31So we are very happy and very lucky to be able to give other people the chance to experience what
35:38we love so much.
35:42La Palma's raw natural beauty is part of its appeal.
35:47But it can make running a hotel here challenging.
35:51The island is volcanic and numerous eruptions have shattered its peace over the years.
35:58Sand clouds blown in from North Africa can last for up to a week.
36:03La Palma is in front of West Sahara and this wind blows the sand of the desert down to the
36:13island.
36:14If one is unlucky, the sand lands on top of your beautiful white terrace inside your beautiful infinity pool.
36:24And during those days, it brings us to our maintenance limits.
36:39On clear days, guests can climb up to the top of the tower.
36:43And imagine what it must have been like to live here in the days of the original lighthouse keepers.
36:52At night, the beacon turns on, casting its beam far out to sea,
36:59and treating the residents below to their own private light show.
37:03La Palma is very famous for the stargazing.
37:07At night, you have this incredible sky.
37:10If you're on the terrace and maybe you lie down on one of the benches,
37:14you can see the six rays of the lighthouse. It's like a crown. It's actually magic.
37:20Tim and Heike have no plans to slow down.
37:24They hope to add more lighthouses to their growing collection,
37:28allowing others to experience the beauty and romance of these towering hideaways.
37:41Still to come, a smuggler's hideout on the coast of southern England.
37:46People come and stay here to have a bit of traditional English history.
38:02We're exploring the world's most secret hotels.
38:05From modernist marvels to pioneering treetop hideaways.
38:14But inspiring design isn't a modern innovation.
38:21Our final destination is in East Sussex in southern England.
38:33In Roman times, England's south coast formed part of the Saxon shore,
38:40named after the seaborne raiders who first plundered these shores
38:44before settling here in places like Rye.
38:48Today, this pretty medieval town is surrounded by a sea of marshes.
38:54But Rye's imposing castle is a reminder of its past as one of England's richest ports.
39:02And its streets still conceal many treasures.
39:06Hidden along a narrow lane stands the Mermaid Inn.
39:12A 600-year-old secret retreat, now run by Judith Blinker.
39:23We are tucked away, so it is a little bit of a secret hidden above the high street,
39:28so you'd have to know we were here.
39:30And unless you know we're here, you wouldn't find us.
39:41The journey to this retreat is like travelling back in time.
39:46Inside are 31 guest rooms, with low timber ceilings.
39:53Some are cosy.
39:56Some are grand.
39:58All have plenty of old-world charm and a history full of secrets.
40:04The present building dates back to 1420, with cellars that are more than 800 years old,
40:12making it one of England's oldest inns.
40:16When guests first arrive at the Mermaid, I think they're a little bit shocked as to how old it is.
40:22And every day we're discovering more and more things we didn't realise before.
40:31Over the centuries, the inn has played host to everyone, from royalty to renegades.
40:39This bedroom is named after Queen Elizabeth I, who once stayed here on a visit to Rye.
40:46The room next door once played host to less reputable characters,
40:51where a fake bookcase disguises the entrance to a secret staircase,
40:56used to hide people on the run from the law.
41:01This is one of our secret passages.
41:07And coming through into the secret passage, there's a little medieval toilet.
41:12So if anyone had to hide for a long period of time, they had their own loo.
41:20The Mermaid Inn was rebuilt in the 15th century, after a French raid destroyed the town.
41:27It became a notorious hangout for smugglers, who used to hide contraband here, including wool and French brandy.
41:35The Mermaid was rebuilt with quite a few hidey holes.
41:39There was a void in this room, which is about nine foot down, which they reckon was probably to hide
41:43people.
41:43In the foyer, nine foot by four foot, just to hide barrels.
41:48So the place seems to be riddled with all these little secret passages.
41:54The inn's maze-like interior can be confusing for both guests and staff.
42:01There are 11 staircases here, and each room has a name as well as a number.
42:11One person who knows his way around better than most is maintenance manager, Mark French.
42:17It's his job to keep this historic building standing.
42:21A role that comes with its own occupational hazard.
42:26The one thing that you've got to get used to here, more so than anything, is the height.
42:31Most of the rooms are small. I'm quite a big lad.
42:34So after about four or five head bangs, you do get used to it.
42:38Mark's day can involve anything, from fixing the furnishings to repairing a sign.
42:46There's always a problem to solve in a building this old.
42:50It is an incredibly rewarding job. I feel very humble and proud to be here and part of it.
42:56There's a little bit of me that's a little bit gloat, because I know that what I do here
43:01is going to be here a long time after what I do.
43:08There is so much history here that sometimes the secrets of the past intrude on the present.
43:15The inn is said to be one of the most haunted in England.
43:21Guests and staff tell stories of mysterious shadows and rooms that suddenly turn cold.
43:29Some even claim to have seen ghostly figures that wander the corridors,
43:35including a lady in white who doesn't like guests making a mess.
43:39We have six main ghost stories, but my favourite, my personal favourite has got to be room one.
43:45Room one's got the oldest bed in the hotel and it dates from 1600.
43:49In that room, we have people stay and they think that their clothes have been moved during the night.
43:56So they'll take all their clothes off, put them on one chair and when they wake up in the morning,
44:00all their clothes have been moved to the next chair along.
44:02And they'll argue all the way back to the car park.
44:04No, you moved my clothes. No, you moved my clothes.
44:07And it's not as if we're sneaking in with the passkey during the night to sort of wind them up
44:11or anything.
44:14Judith and her team are always happy to talk to guests about the former occupants.
44:19There are even guided ghost tours once a month.
44:22But not everyone is aware of the hotel's reputation when they book.
44:27When we booked this, I spoke to a friend of mine and I said,
44:31we're going to stay at the Mermaid Hotel.
44:33And she said, oh my God, do you know how haunted it is?
44:36It doesn't freak me out, but you do think about it a lot.
44:40I told a guy at work and I said, we're staying in the Mermaid.
44:44He went, oh, the Mermaid? Oh, we stayed in there. Oh, that was a bit.
44:49And I said, really, I didn't want to know.
44:54Nervous guests can fortify their courage with a drink in the bar
44:59and take advantage of a well-stocked wine cellar.
45:03Afterwards, visitors can enjoy fine dining in the restaurant, run by head chef Andrew King.
45:10We try and incorporate the history of the building by keeping the food classic British.
45:15We always have a souffle on, venison, which is stunning at the moment, very local.
45:20And of course, ride scallops.
45:21And there are two dishes that I'm not allowed to touch because everybody locally knows it's here
45:26and they come here for fish and chips and a fish ring sandwich.
45:33Tradition is the heart of this retreat.
45:37Judith first started working here as a receptionist when she was just 18.
45:43She's determined to preserve its unique character.
45:47People come and stay here to have a bit of traditional English history.
45:53And hopefully, when I disappear from here, whoever takes over from me will try and keep it traditionally English as
46:00well.
46:01It's a beautiful building and it has been a lake of love keeping it in the quality that it is
46:08now.
46:09The Mermaid Inn has lured in weary travellers for more than six centuries.
46:16A secret time capsule that's waiting to be discovered for years to come.
46:21Let's see.
46:24Let's wait a bit.
46:50Good to see you guys.
46:51twink tahun
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