The Traitors' Secret Hotel: Inside the £70-a-Night Reality Behind the Luxury
On screen, viewers of The Traitors are treated to glamorous scenes of contestants relaxing in opulent four-poster beds and soaking in stylish freestanding bathtubs. These carefully crafted clips, however, paint a picture that is starkly at odds with the actual living conditions endured by the players during filming. The reality is far more mundane and tightly controlled, revealing a fascinating behind-the-scenes world of television production.
From Castle to Courtyard: The Daily Journey
After exhaustive filming days at the picturesque Ardross Castle, which serves as the primary setting for the show, contestants are not retiring to lavish suites within its walls. Instead, they are blindfolded and transported in black Land Rover Defender 110s on a journey lasting approximately 45 minutes back to Inverness. Their destination is the four-star Courtyard by Marriott hotel, located near Inverness Airport, where they reside until they are either murdered or banished from the game.
This hotel, which opened its doors in March 2020, boasts 130 rooms and offers standard amenities including a restaurant, private parking, a fitness centre, and a bar. During a two-night stay costing £70 per night, it becomes clear that this is a functional, not luxurious, base for the contestants.
Basic Accommodations and Strict Security Protocols
The rooms provided to the players are described as very basic, though they are equipped with a comfortable king-size bed and a desk. It is at this desk that contestants often make notes about the intricate web of murders, banishments, and betrayals that define the game. To prevent any off-camera collusion or cheating, players are strategically spread across different floors of the hotel.
Each floor is guarded by chaperones, ensuring strict adherence to the rules. One guest, who identified as cabin crew and stayed at the hotel during initial filming, recounted: 'I'm cabin crew and stayed there when they first filmed, and there was security sitting about the floors at the lifts to make sure no one sneaked out of their room.' This level of surveillance underscores the producers' commitment to maintaining the integrity and secrecy of the competition.
International Cast and Practical Logistics
It is not only the UK contestants who experience this austere accommodation. Stars from the US version of the show, including notable figures like Maura Higgins and Rob Rausch, also forgo luxuries to spend weeks lodging here. Host Alan Cumming, 60, has previously confirmed this arrangement. Insiders explain that luxury was not a priority when selecting accommodation. The primary requirement was a hotel large enough to host the entire crew and cast, a logistical challenge in the surrounding area.
While Ardross Castle features private suites used for filming dramatic pre-murder scenes, it is not a hotel and lacks the capacity to house contestants and crew overnight. Thus, the Courtyard by Marriott serves as a practical, if unglamorous, solution.
Controlled Freedom and Limited Amenities
Contestants are largely confined to their rooms but are permitted limited excursions under supervision. They may leave for smoking breaks or to get fresh air, but only when accompanied by a chaperone. Similarly, they are allowed to use the hotel's small gym, which contains treadmills and weights, again under the watchful eye of the crew.
The hotel offers hot and continental breakfast options served buffet-style in the restaurant. Interestingly, while room service is not typically available to regular guests, a special exception is made for Studio Lambert, the production company behind the BBC show. Breakfast is delivered directly to the contestants' rooms before they depart for filming, which explains why they are never seen indulging in the lavish spreads presented at the castle.
Missing Luxuries and Gruelling Schedules
Notably absent from the basic rooms is a bathtub; each only contains a shower. This has been a point of contention for some contestants in the past, who expressed a desire to soak in a bath after physically and mentally gruelling missions. The filming days themselves are notoriously long, sometimes stretching to 17 hours, leaving players exhausted upon their return to the hotel.
While the mini-fridges in the rooms are not stocked for regular guests, contestants can request snacks from their chaperones. Additionally, a mini-market in the hotel lobby sells everyday essentials, including snacks and toiletries, providing a small respite from the controlled environment.
Maintaining Secrecy in a Public Space
Remarkably, the hotel remains open to the public during filming, raising questions about how the show's secrets are kept under wraps. One regular guest offered an explanation: 'like any airport hotel, people visiting are typically travelling for work and only stay for one or two nights, which may not be long enough to discover what is really going on, or who the contestants are.' This transient nature of the clientele helps preserve the mystery.
The Illusion of Luxury and Production Transparency
When The Traitors first aired, there was considerable confusion among viewers regarding where contestants stayed overnight, fuelled by the B-roll clips showing them in luxurious castle settings. Producers incorporated these dramatic cutaways to help the audience track which players were potential murder targets. However, they also include shots of contestants leaving in cars, aiming for a degree of transparency with viewers.
So, while it may be difficult to imagine the high-stakes players of The Traitors climbing into bed at a standard airport hotel, this unassuming accommodation is an integral, if hidden, part of the contestant experience. It underscores the stark contrast between the glamorous fiction presented on screen and the controlled, practical reality behind one of television's most talked-about shows.
