+3 Bonus Movies for (quarantinian) Fun
by Nikol Louzi, Portal Account Administrator | Workathlon
This period spent at home is an opportunity for personal growth and goal setting. There are various online seminars to attend and gain new knowledge and skills, but you now also have the time to engage in more creative things such as painting and do-it-yourself activities. However, we all sometimes need moments of relaxation, which we may not have had before the COVID-19 reality. Time to take advantage of it!
So, prepare some popcorn or any other delicacy you want, and let’s relax by watching movies and series about tourism. The special feature of my movie suggestions is that they also indirectly contribute to professional development! How amazing?
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Summary: This movie follows Gustave H – a concierge – and Zero Moustafa -a bellboy – through the fictional Grand Budapest Hotel. Set between the first and second World Wars, watch as the hotel staff deal with the changing times, the theft of a famous painting, and even murder.
What you can learn: Not all of the movie takes place in the hotel, but the parts that do show you how many different people get into a hotel work well. Gustave is also an example of how not to behave as a concierge; he might be well loved and very good at his job, but it is probably not a good idea to spend the night with all your guests!
Hotel (1967)
Summary: The St. Gregory hotel in New Orleans is struggling to stay open, while a thief has been stealing guest items and the guests have their own dramas to deal with. It is up to the manager to pull the hotel back together or the doors will close for good.
What you can learn: If you want to see what real hospitality can look like, this movie is perfect. It is also an interesting look into how a hotel works, and the people and effort that it takes to keep everything running smoothly.
Dunston Checks In (1996)
Summary: The Majestic Hotel is a luxurious 5-star establishment, and its Manager, Robert Grant, is devoted to keeping his guests happy. However, his sons (Kyle and Brian) are quite the opposite – troublesome and mischievous. Robert discovers that a sixth star could be awarded to the Majestic if an undercover guest of the Hotel gets impressed by their services. But then Lord Rutledge and his well-trained monkey, Dunston, check into the hotel.
What you can learn: An alternative way of how a hotel operation…with a monkey guest.
Four Rooms (1995)
Summary: A new bellhop is left alone in a hotel on New Year’s Eve. It should be just a normal night, but the poor bellhop ends up having to deal with witches, terrible children and a guy who wants him to do something absolutely ridiculous. Yep, it is just a regular night at the hotel!
What you can learn: Watch Tim Roth’s character deal with crazy situations and still somehow keep calm. Listen to how his language changes from the beginning of the night to the end, as well as how he speaks to the different guests as their requests get sillier and sillier.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)
Summary: A group of older British people who just retired decide to visit India and the amazing-sounding Marigold Hotel. When they get there, though, the hotel is not as amazing as it sounded, but the hotel itself and its surroundings slowly teach them to love their lives.
What you can learn: The staff at the Marigold Hotel is basically just a young man and his mother, but the man’s treatment of and language towards the guests is usually spot-on.
Hotel Babylon (TV show, 2006 – 2009)
Summary: The staff of the five-star Hotel Babylon in London, all have their own goals, troubles, and histories. The show takes you through their adventures as they do everything they can for the guests while dealing with their own lives.
What you can learn: This TV show has a little bit of everything. See how to be an excellent host, how staff talk to each other and the guests, and how to avoid breaking the rules (something that the staff here do not mind doing once in a while)!
Fawlty Towers (TV series 1975 – 1979)
Summary: Hotel manager Basil Fawlty dislikes “that annoying section of the general public who insist on staying at hotels”. He is probably not the best person to run a hotel, then! Aided by his wife and Spanish waiter, Fawlty Towers remains a functioning hotel…somehow.
What you can learn: “Fawlty Towers” is like a “how-to” guides on how not to act as a hotel employee. John Cleese’s character is mean, grumpy and does not treat his guests well. For everything that you see here…do the opposite!
Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple: At Bertram’s Hotel (1987)
Summary: Miss Marple is a nosy but kind old lady who doesn’t seem special…except she is also amazing at solving crimes. In this movie, Miss Marple is staying in one of England’s most luxurious hotels. Everything looks perfect, but of course, everyone has secrets, and when a disappearance, a number of robberies, and a murder occur, it’s up to Miss Marple to solve them before the murderer strikes again.
What you can learn: This is another older movie, set in a very expensive hotel in London. That makes it an excellent chance to see a different side of the hospitality industry. Here the staff behaves almost like servants instead of employees. Of course, you shouldn’t act like a servant in today’s hotel jobs, but the professional language and behavior are still important to see.
Maid in Manhattan (2002)
Summary: An important man meets the woman of his dreams in a hotel. What he does not know is that she is just a maid trying on a guest’s clothes. Is love more important than money?
What you can learn: There are many scenes in this movie where the hotel staff are talking and having fun together, but when they are with guests they change their language. The movie is also great for seeing what it is like to actually work in a hotel, not just what you see from the outside.
Blame it on the Bellboy (1992)
Summary: When three men named Lawton, Horton, and Orton get their schedules mixed up by the bellboy, they end up in crazy situations they were not prepared for- like outrunning a mobster, selling a house, and dealing with a woman from a dating agency.
What you can learn: All the problems in this movie start with the bellboy getting some information wrong. The movie might not spend too much time in a hotel, but it is a great example of why communication skills are really important!
Baby Boom (1987)
Summary: Delightfully funny and honest, the movie highlights the cruel choices people are forced to make in life and may offer a new perspective on how to make the most of a tricky situation. Moreover, Diane Keaton is as charming as ever in the lead role, delivering a nuanced and fabulous performance.
What you can learn: Just because your career seems to be going downhill doesn’t mean you can’t reinvent yourself or embark on a new path. Adaptability is a great strength. Cultivate it often.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
Summary: The movie follows Walter Mitty, a negative assets manager who daydreams of big and exciting adventures. When his job is threatened, he takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an experience more epic than anything he could have ever imagined.
What you can learn: Stop dreaming, start doing. Get outside your comfort zone, since courage is the biggest step to happiness. There’s no time like the present to embrace a new opportunity or start working on things you’re truly passionate about.
+ 3 Bonus movies for extra relaxation
Wedding Crashers (2005)
We wouldn’t typically condone inviting yourself to someone else’s marriage, but if the venues were in coastal Maryland, with its historic mansions and 40-foot yachts, we’d totally understand it!
Pretty Woman (1990)
This Cinderella story could have happened anywhere, but there’s just something magical about Beverly Hills that makes Julia Roberts and Richard Gere’s chemistry soar even more.
Carol (2015)
To travel back to a time when “COVID-19” wasn’t part of the vernacular, try this drama set in 1950s New York. However, this era comes with its own problems, as illustrated in the taboo affair between Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. From the snowy city blocks lined with vintage cars to a cross-country road trip with stops at retro restaurants, the film really transports you to another era.
We stay home and have fun !!
