Inside The World's Greatest Hotels

The Ritz ranks high among London's most legendary hotels, one that has been synonymous with luxury and wealth, as well as being a bastion of privilege for over 100 years. Situated on Piccadilly, just a stone's throw from Buckingham Palace, it has been a home from home for the royal family since the reign of Edward VII. The Ritz has redefined service in luxury hotels, introducing the now-universal concept of the customer always being right. This programme examines its heritage, its famous afternoon teas and the scandalous history of its founder, Cesar Ritz.

A look behind the scenes at the Dorchester in London's affluent area of Mayfair, which has been associated with the rich and famous since it first opened in 1931. A royal stag party is just one of the subjects covered in the programme, along with fascinating accounts of engagements, honeymoons and an untimely death.

Life at the hotel that sits above Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. Also known as the Pink Palace, it has been greeting guests for 107 years, from reclusive billionaires to Hollywood royalty. The hotel has seen secrets and scandal, and been the place for countless movie moguls to cut a deal. Director of global guest relations Steven Boggs takes cameras `backstage', while executive chef Michael Santoro shows the dish that is almost as famous as the hotel itself.

A look at the Balmoral hotel, a 10-storey Gothic pile, rising up across the Edinburgh skyline as a much-cherished landmark. Currently celebrating 117 years of welcoming guests through its doors, this symbol of wealth and power from a bygone era has played host to everyone from royalty to the mega-stars of the stage and screen. This documentary includes a behind-the-scenes peek of its famous clock tower and reveals why JK Rowling felt the hotel was just the ticket when she needed to finish the final instalment of her world-renowned Harry Potter series.