Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby (2017– ) User Reviews

Great show but poor choice of host

[carolynboston · 8/10 · 20 January 2021]

I love the show a lot. I've finished the entire first season in one day. However the guy host (Giles Coren) seems too full of himself. A bit arrogant, which really spoils the show! It doesnt suit him. They should replace him in the next season!

What a wonderful show

[yahndarkwood · 9/10 · 18 January 2018]

The reviewers here must be watching a different show. I love the light hearted feel of the show . Both of the hosts bring a great dynamic to the places they visit, I especially loved both the Ecuador and Kenya lodge episodes . I'm looking forward to this team being involved for a long time to come. Great viewing . If you love travel shows that open your eyes to amazing places, and make you wish you had insane amounts of money to go there, and still have lots of fun in the process, this one's for you .

Nice work if you can get it.

[tonytangney · 7/10 · 28 March 2021]

It's basically a travel show and if you like travel shows you'll enjoy this.

The hosts are a mixed bag. Giles Coren is an excellent writer (though I'm suspicious of slim restaurant critics) but grates here. The scruffy cheeky chappy bit wears thin and he can be embarrassingly rude. Monica is amenable enough. They have a great job that's for sure, but found their pretend to work bit the least interesting.

As for the hotels, would you or I pay the high rates even if we could afford it? Maybe one at a stretch.

There's a bit of social action spiel thrown in to assuage the guilt of the presenters and the super rich I presume. Overall good though.

Great idea, terrible presenters

[yhnswnf · 29 December 2021]

I can't believe the choice of presenters for wgat could be a great programme. Giles is arrogant, childish and tries so hard to be clever whereas monica's monitone delivery and lack of charisma makes you fall asking. I watch it with the mute button on - i like to see where they are but have no desire to hear what they're wittering on about.

I want to travel to every hotel!

[laceyang · 10/10 · 1 February 2018]

This show is amazing! The hosts are great and have such chemistry (people who say that Giles is annoying are wrong!) and you can tell they definitely enjoy their jobs. I cannot wait for season 2!

Amazing series

[safenoe · 8/10 · 8 October 2017]

Monica and Giles have an engaging chemistry in this series, and having watched the whole series 1 I'm pleased that IMDb indicates there will be a series 2.

I especially like it when Monica and Giles profile one of the hotel staff to give them an opportunity to highlight the challenges and rewards of being in hospitality and working in amazing hotels. The hotel workers often display passion and commitment to their hospitality work, especially to support their family.

Gorgeous locations, Awful Giles Coren

[goodspem · 6/10 · 17 September 2018]

I like so much about this show - except male host Giles Coren. There is a way to be both interesting, funny, and respectful - none of which he achieves. Monica I find superb and clearly understands this world. The hotel staff and management clearly care deeply about their work. And obviously the locations are amazing.

Helping refuel my Wanderlust

[ScoobySnacks66 · 8/10 · 10 April 2021]

It's April 2021, we've been mostly cooped up for the last year. This show is doing a great job at refuelling my wanderlust. The male host is a bit arrogant for my liking, but the filming, b-rolls, editing, pacing and stories for each hotel is all really well produced.

Great show terrible male host.

[madisonlraburn · 6/10 · 23 November 2017]

I was very excited for this series . I have always liked shows like this. However the host acts like a child with no respect for authority or professionalism. Being a automotive enthusiast myself I was looking forward to seeing some exquisite cars as he was appointed a valet position. But his immaturity and lack of consideration of other people's property he was demoted to a cab driver. So instead of driving amazing cars all night he drove a golf cart. And it only got worse from there. Always undermining staff and playing like a kid with everything. The show would be great with a sharp witted gentleman that could make clean tasteful jokes and still keep the professionalism along side humor. With that said all 6 of my stars come from the lady she is very friendly and mature and well spoken and mannered accompanying her tasteful jokes and humble personality. She alone saved the show for me. Now I just mute it when the guy speaks and it's a great deal of an improvement . I would kill for an opportunity like he has but it seems to me like he is ruining it for everyone. The show would be 100% better with a different host.

Childish male host

[indialm · 8/10 · 15 April 2021]

The hotels are both beautiful and fascinating and Monica is a pleasant host. However the male host, Miles Coren, was incredibly rude and disrespectful, in his attempt to be witty and funny, when interacting with the staff who obviously take their jobs seriously and did not want to kid around. I was cringing whenever he was onscreen and had real empathy for the poor people forced to endure his childish behavior. The subject matter is amazing, it's just too bad we are subjected to the antics of an immature host.

Good show and enjoyed Monica's part. sadly Giles Coren is a jerk.

[fishorsail · 6/10 · 29 November 2017]

The hotel in Singapore is amazing. In the second episode they go to Ecuador where I went to high school. I was really annoyed by Giles in the first episode and sad to see he was in the second one too. I was as uncomfortable as the staff in Singapore with his being such a jerk. I am interested in more places but don't know if I can stand to listen to Giles Coren and his obnoxious style. So they get to travel to some nice places and supposedly will work there but does this guy deserve it? I don't know about that.

Love Rob and Monica

[tianabukedde · 10/10 · 19 November 2023]

Thank you to Rob and Monica for making me feel really eased and friendly.

I love Rob Rinder because he such a fully of fun, energetic and positivity.

Monica has been very natural, vulnerable and genuine with people.

I enjoy this show it makes me felt relax and calmness.

Rob and Monica should do that show again together, it has been very natural and low stress free.

I prefer Rob Rinder to be male presenter with Monica. I absolutely adore him and Monica together Please I am looking forward to see series 6 with Amazing Hotels.

I have not heard of Giles but he is being very unprofessional with others people.

Ruined by the hosts

[laurencemurrin-42063 · 6/10 · 28 July 2020]

This show could be a BBC great but the hosts are just not up to scratch on this one. The guy is tedious and childish too often, and the woman has little charisma and is primarily dull. This is such a shame because with different hosts this would be such a wonderful programme.

We want to see hosts who inspire our desire to visit these wonderful hotels through knowledge, appreciation, and experience, ideally with a dose of lighthearted comical interaction. These two are totally unsuited to each other and lack any chemistry that the audience can truly connect with. I would go so far to describe them as a poor casting for a potentially great show which demands more.

It's close to being Chris Evans's Top Gear on hotels.

Amazing Hotels: Get rid of Giles Coran

[paglinnh · 5/10 · 17 January 2018]

Amazing Hotels could be a great series IF they had a different host. I find Giles Coran irritating, annoying, and hard to watch, let alone listen to. From his scruffy appearance, which is obviously intentional, and part of his "shtick", to look as unkempt as possible, to his sophomoric behavior, I find him offensive. How unfortunate that the producers of the show, felt the need to add this element to an otherwise entertaining, interesting, enjoyable series. Like a child, he goes out of his way to be obnoxious; touching things when he's told not to, behaving like a spoiled little brat. I just finished watching episode 4 and I'm not sure I can take much more of his childish sophomoric what he obviously thinks is, humor.. What was the point? His behavior is so inappropriate and I'm not sure I can take much more of him.

Fantastic show and Giles is the man!

[bdstecker · 10/10 · 20 June 2018]

The in-depth look into phantasmal hotels is entertaining and enlightening. Yet the light hearted and funny personalities of the hosts make the show enjoyable and pleasurable. It's a perfect show for a weekday evening with the family. Keep the hosts and keep the show going!

Great hotels and great hosts

[liuyublackhere · 10/10 · 6 February 2021]

While a lot of people say that Giles Coren is a terrible host, I find him very funny and Monica very good too!

Giles Coren undoing every quality of the show.

[ianbrittain · 6/10 · 16 February 2022]

I was really looking forward to watching this and seeing some of the amazing venues and places the team had the blessing to experience. After watching 2 episodes I gave up, fed up and annoyed by the inane Giles Coren and his childish antics. He constantly disrupted routines and frustrated the ever humble and hard-working staff who tried to impart theirs skills and passion for their jobs.

Tuned out after just the second episode, please reconsider before employing him on anything that has to do with quality and style. Giles is obviously better suited to a kids show, maybe something on cbeebies.

Loved and enjoyed this series!

[rajranjansinha · 10/10 · 1 February 2021]

This is really amazing show. I not only virtually discovered those 10 best hotels in these episodes but also went through the beautiful landscapes covered during the show. Its absolute mesmerizing. Giles and Monica, did a great job and I personally thanks them for being so expressive and wonderful during the show

Great

[lamhle · 7/10 · 21 November 2017]

I liked the behind the scenes look at the hotel. They really went into every aspect of the front lines. The guy host is a bit annoying and not likable. He kept undermining what the staff was trying to teach him at Marina Bay Sands. Overall, the quality of the show is good, despite this host. The women host is great and humble.

Inane and elite

[deryn-63521 · 10/10 · 26 April 2021]

The majority of the reviews just seemed to criticise the male host. Has it not occurred to anyone that, to most people, the stay in a £600 a night hotel would be a once in a lifetime experience. To stay in a £6,000 a night hotel wouldn't be 10 times that experience. The price is there to keep out the riff raff.

These are disgusting hotels, employing locals as serfs to provide for their Lords.

Interesting content but horrible hosts

[assasin-79156 · 7/10 · 11 June 2021]

I just started watching the first episode about the stoning hotel in Singapore. The male host was clearly not showing his respect to the staffs and ruined the show so much.

The direction team better consider changing the male host for next season please.

Good but slowly dropping in quality

[jdwright-35194 · 6/10 · 28 December 2023]

The first four seasons featuring Giles were a captivating blend of information and entertainment. Monica and Giles exhibited exceptional chemistry, elevating the show's appeal. The series provided valuable behind-the-scenes insights into the inner workings of hotels, emphasizing the dedicated efforts of staff in maintaining high standards for these establishments.

However, the recent Season 5 introduces Rob, marking a noticeable departure. The chemistry between Rob and Monica feels forced and lacks authenticity. Rob's contributions are minimal, often echoing statements made by the hotel staff. His uninspiring personality seems to imitate a subpar version of Giles.

Season 5 takes a turn towards resembling a paid advertisement, offering surface-level information about hotels. It deviates from its earlier focus on showcasing diverse professions within hotels, replaced by excessive rambling. The show was more engaging when it allowed hosts to navigate and understand various hotel roles.

Hopefully the upcoming season has a stronger rapport between Monica and Rob to enhance overall enjoyment.

Get a better host

[xenesis-22653 · 5/10 · 18 June 2021]

It could have been better if they are not the host. Most especially Giles, he totally ruined the show. Very disrespectful and annoying.

I stayed at the Belmond Reid's Palace

[malcolmgsw · 6/10 · 8 December 2021]

I actually received an email from the hotel asking me to watch this episode. I stayed there in November 2018. I felt that the hotel was stuck in the 1950s. Doing things that they thought that the guest might want rather than what they actually wanted. So I don't think this programme accurately reflected my experiences.

Loved the first few, then started losing interesy

[rosie-78103 · 6/10 · 16 December 2018]

So great to see hotels in South America, and Kenya helping consecation causes via amazing hotel experiences. Then Morroco.... just a whole load of let's spend money for luxury of up themselves people. No respect for staff. They couldn't even step on the carpet!!! What a let down. I would have wanted to have visited the first hotels, but this. No way. Disappointing, as part of a series showing valuable conservation work. This hotel is just about spending huge amounts of money just to please people who don't appreciate it. In conclusion some amazing hotels, some horrendous hotels.