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Private Notes
The chambermaids and housekeepers spend days transforming the entire third floor into a palace for foreign royalty who could cancel at a moment's notice. The Melchors from California return for their annual two week stay at the hotel, a tradition they have had for over 40 years, and rekindle their relationship with personal butler Michael Lynch. The cameras also follow the energetic general manager of the hotel, Thomas Kochs, as he travels to New York to drum up new business from the top US travel agents.
Regular guest Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia, returns to stay in the suite in which he was born in 1945. There are also visits by actress Joan Collins, QI host Stephen Fry and the Emperor of Japan, as well as 85-year-old former bookmaker Gerry Parker, who has breakfasted at Claridge's for the past 40 years. General manager Thomas Kochs takes any change very seriously and oversees every decision necessary - from new alarm clocks to a £10million renovation plan.
It is mid-summer madness at Claridge's, and it appears the whole world is coming through its doors. Thirty delegations from around the world are arriving for the Olympics. The red carpet is rolled out five times a day for heads of state and Noma, ranked the World's No 1 restaurant, is setting up as a pop-up in the Ballroom. With the kitchen stuffed with hay and wood sorrel, Claridge's chefs are faced with turning their back on the traditional fayre to provide Nordic foraged food to thousands of guests who have paid £195 per head to sample among other delights - live ants. Bill and Laura fly in from Atlanta for the wedding of their dreams and Stephen, the butler, prepares a suite for one of the hotel's most regular guests, by bringing his furniture, hat boxes and 20 suits out of storage, all for one night's stay.
