Ratings The first episode attracted 3.09 million viewers on BBC Two. The second episode was viewed by 4.25 million people with an audience share of 16.8%. The final episode received 4.46 million viewers and an 18.5% share of the audience. The first episode was the second most watched programme on BBC Two for that week, behind
MasterChef which was watched by 3.24 million viewers.
Critical reception ''Inside Claridge's
received positive reviews. Gerard Gilbert, a journalist writing for The Independent'' wrote:ITV's 2010 documentary series about the
Savoy came across as a monumental puff-piece for the refurbishment of that landmark London hostelry, but the new series about
Claridge's (home from home for
Tom Cruise,
Madonna and various royal families) is something else entirely – by dint of it being the work of Jane Treays, a film-maker unafraid to ask a blunt question and capture a telling moment.
John Crace writing for
The Guardian said:From its opening shot of one of the staff doing the nightly clean of the 800-piece chandelier to the final credits, ''Inside Claridge's'' was an exquisite piece of documentary-making that never put a foot wrong. Director Jane Treays never actually appeared on camera, but she was a presence throughout with her off-screen questions. Unlike some documentary-makers who have the knack of putting their subjects on the defensive, she gnawed away at hers with love and was repaid time and again with delightful indiscretions, such as the correct way to address The Edge.
The Times's Alex Hardy called the documentary series "a great recruitment ad: the hotel staff seem as content as
Tom Hanks's toy tester in
Big."
Rachel Cooke wrote in the
New Statesman about her surprise by the hotel's decision to allow the BBC to film a documentary there and called the series "a little stretched" because there were not enough characters to fill up the three episodes. BBC Two controller
Janice Hadlow praised the series "for not showing people's foibles in a cruel way." After the series concluded, visits to the hotel's
TripAdvisor page increased by 1769%.
Awards ''Inside Claridge's'' was shortlisted for the
Grierson Awards' British Documentary Award in 2013. It was also nominated as the best documentary series in the
Broadcast Awards 2014.
Home media The DVD edition of ''Inside Claridge's'' was released on 20 January 2014. ==References==