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Sunday, 8:30 pm

Rating1/2

What8217;s it about? Discovery Travel and Living has a new show on offer and its touting it as the first exclusive hotel show. Hotel by the Bay, a 10-part series on the channel will showcase a series of luxurious hotels from around the world. The show that launches this Sunday begins with a look at the Taj Mahal Palace 038; Tower, Mumbai. HBTB promises to be a sneak-peek into the inner workings of seemingly prefect hotels that work on clock-work precision and satisfy their customers8217; every need. Hotels plan meticulously for days and arrangements are made well before hand to keep up that reputation that rests precariously in a competitive tourism and hospitality industry.

Who8217;s in it? The interesting feature of the show is the lack of a host. Unlike other shows on the channel that made hosts like Ian Wright and Anthony Bourdain household names, this show follows more of a fly on the wall approach, taking us behind the scenes, watching housekeeping staff, chefs, butlers and managers prepare for their daily parade of serving and pleasing an array of guests 8211; from foreign dignitaries and bureaucrats to royalty 8211; hotel staff has to be prepared for any demand from the customer king. While the missing host puts the spotlight on the people who really matter and make the hotel machinery work, the format can get a bit dull with the constant drone of an old-school voice-over.

What8217;s hot? The feel of the show is very real and sometimes even intimate. Hotel staff is not the stiff, perfect soldiers one encounters at one of these hotels, but nervous people following orders and trying to impress their bosses and customers. And there is none of the contrived, 8216;on the frying pan8217; yelling and screaming one sees in shows like Hell8217;s Kitchen that show demonic chefs making life hell for their juniors. Most of the time, the real faces behind the exquisite multiple-course meals and delicate deserts are benevolent, plump head chefs who encourage their proteacute;geacute;s and their gastronomical experiments.

What8217;s not?And still, there is the slight attempt to ape the ruthless, reality hotel shows that run their course before Hotel by the Bay. The head chef at the Taj hams it up a bit, playing the 8216;difficult to please8217; boss. But that8217;s not the heart of the problem with this show. The entire episode is made with a half-hearted lack of energy. In patches, the camera is shoddy enough to pass of as a home-video. There is also very less about the heritage of the hotel that is being showcased. The Taj Mahal Palace 038; Tower is part of Mumbai8217;s architectural heritage and has played host to many a star and scion. But they only see a passing mention in the show with bad photographic memorabilia. If this first episode is to set the tone for the show, then it certainly won8217;t be the best kind. Discovery Travel and Living had higher production standards.

Should you be watching it? Lifestyle and luxury travel have been the flavour for some seasons now, and this show adds on to the bandwagon. But it8217;s certainly delightful to get acquainted with the real people who run the show at the luxury havens. And for that, do watch.