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Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby Shorts

Giles Coren and Monica Galetti join the 9,500-strong workforce in one of the world's biggest hotels - Singapore's Marina Bay Sands.

In the first episode of this eye-opening series, Giles Coren and Monica Galetti join the 9,500-strong workforce in one of the world's biggest hotels - Singapore's Marina Bay Sands. This epic hotel caters for one million guests every year, cost £3.5 billion to build and was created as part of a government plan to triple tourist income to Singapore within ten years. The jewel in its crown is the longest elevated infinity pool in the world, the size of three Olympic swimming pools. As pool attendants, Giles and Monica discover the marathon laundry process that cleans tens of thousands of towels per day. One of the most surprising places unearthed is its high-tech uniform store, which supplies 160,000 pieces of uniform with 600 different designs.

Giles and Monica explore extraordinary places beyond the lobby that the public never sees. Giles smartens up and joins the butlers team, led by an ex-Singapore special forces officer, whilst Monica dives into the fray with the 600-strong catering team servicing 60 restaurants, ranging from Brazilian, Chinese and French to Japanese, learning the intricate art of dim sum creation. Giles auditions for a role as a car valet in a Ferrari parked in the 20-square-kilometre car park, while Monica slaves over an eight-course tasting menu for 1,400 dinner guests. They also spend time with their new co-workers at home, uncovering inspiring, heartwarming stories about their lives beyond the hotel walls.

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9 minutes