Reality TV’s latest sensation is ITV’s ‘The Fortune Hotel’, a gameshow that will fill the gap for fans of ‘The Traitors’ until season 2 arrives. Machiavellian plotting is the order of the day as host Stephen Mangan sends ten pairs of contestants through a series of tasks and challenges and they attempt to figure out which of them holds the secret jackpot. And, you know, liberate it from them.
The sunny twist on this one is that it all takes place in a particularly exotic corner of the Caribbean, so even the losers get to go home with a tan. Here’s where it’s filmed and the full low down on the show.
Where is The Fortune Hotel filmed?
Never mind your chilly Scottish castles, a la ‘The Traitors’, ‘The Fortune Hotel’ has gone for the Caribbean option. Grenada’s ultra luxe Silversands hotel, where a room will set you back a minimum of £720 a night, is the show’s HQ.
The hotel sits on the white sands of Grand Anse Beach, a strip of shoreline described by Grenada Tourism Authority as ‘two miles of sparkling white sand lapped by calm turquoise waters on which you can carve out a space just for you under palm, almond or sea grape trees’. Which does sound nice.
‘The White Lotus’ comparisons do not end there. The contestants are spirited off to the nearby Granadan capital of Saint Georges for challenges and double-dealing shenanigans.
How does the ITV show work?
Ten pairs of contestants are given ten briefcases. Eight are empty, one contains an early checkout card and one holds a jackpot that could see them walk away with £250,000. Via elaborate subterfuge, bluff and challenges, the competitors have to figure out who holds which case and, if they’re skillful enough, pull off a swap with the one holding the jackpot. ‘High stakes pass-the-parcel’ is how The Guardian puts it. It’s all overseen by Stephen Mangan as the impresario.
Is the series based on The Traitors?
It’s not – that would be a terrible copyright infringement and enrage Claudia Winkleman – but there are some obvious similarities in its double-dealing, bluffing and a format that’s based on a series of challenges and that brings all the contestants together for a particularly loaded end-of-the-day debrief. The winners are likely to be cut from the same cloth, too: ruthless, cunning and very good at keeping a straight face.
Among those vying for the loot are a pair of best pals from Bognor Regis, a mum and son from Sheffield, and a 30-year-old singer-songwriter and her artist friend from South London.
How many episodes are there?
There are eight hour-long episodes landing each Monday from May 13 to July 1. Watch them on ITV and ITVX.
Time Out’s take...
Silversands Grenada’s infinity pool is the longest in the Caribbean at 100 meters long, and tempts you to see if you can hold your breath from one end to the other (we wouldn’t recommend it). Time Out’s Senior Social Media Editor, Jessica Phillips, visited the luxury resort in February 2022 while exploring ‘Spice Island’s’ different foods and flavours. Eating out at The Grenadian Grill, which specialises in Mediterranean cuisine and Grenadian dishes, this is where the 15-year-strong veggie first tried tempura and never looked back.