A new six-part BBC series will take viewers inside the world of Northern Ireland’s largest family-owned luxury hotel chain as they recover from the pandemic. The Hotel People is a warm and invitational observational series following the team at Hastings Hotel Group as they try to bounce back from some of the toughest times the hospitality industry has ever faced.
The show, beginning on BBC One Northern Ireland on Monday, August 22, follows the staff at all levels in four of the group’s hotels, as they pull together to navigate this new post-Covid version of hospitality.
From the housekeepers trying to keep hundreds of rooms spotless while tackling bogus bedbug claims, to bar staff hoping to win the 'Insta crowd' and chefs delivering high-end banquets for hundreds while mending wobbly wedding cakes to keep a big day special.
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The Hotel People's show description reads: "After nearly 18 months of closures and uncertainty, the Hastings Hotel Group reopened their doors in May 2021. Having suffered over £16.5 million losses during the pandemic, the team have to find inventive ways to bring back business, fast. But the challenges they face are great.
"As they prepare to welcome back guests and events, the managers are faced with staff shortages. And with few overseas guests, finding ways to stand out in the local market has never been more vital for them. And we’re on the shoulders of the general managers as they welcome everyone from Premiership footballers and A-list actors to boxers and beauty queens while troubleshooting, keeping up staff morale and making sure guests don’t notice if there’s any drama behind-the-scenes."
The series will follow the characters and faces that make up a number of the group's most famous locations - The Europa Hotel (one of the most bombed hotels in the world) celebrating 50 years in business, The Grand Central opened in 2017, the 5-star Culloden Estate and Spa and the ever popular Slieve Donard in Newcastle.
The Hotel People is a Waddell Media production for BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Two, with support from Northern Ireland Screen. The series was made through the partnership between BBC Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen and BBC Two to develop and commission a network factual series from the Northern Ireland creative sector.
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