The Hotel Inspector

The series that transforms failing hotels concludes. Alex Polizzi, whose family owns the renowned Rocco Forte group of hotels, is on a mission to change the fortunes of some of Britain’s most calamitous establishments. This week, Alex takes on one of her toughest cases yet as she attempts to convince a reluctant owner to clear out her hopelessly cluttered guesthouse in the South East.

The series that transforms failing hotels continues. Alex Polizzi, whose family owns the renowned Rocco Forte group of hotels, is on a mission to change the fortunes of some of Britain’s most calamitous establishments. This week, Alex tackles a small B&B in a lighthouse near the Bristol Channel. The stunning building is let down by all manner of strange clutter and the rooms need a fresh look. Can Alex convince the reluctant owners to heed her advice?

The series that transforms failing hotels continues. Alex Polizzi, whose family owns the renowned Rocco Forte group of hotels, is on a mission to change the fortunes of some of Britain’s most calamitous establishments. This week, Alex visits a townhouse hotel in Tewkesbury that desperately needs a new look. To make matters worse, the couple who run the hotel are in danger of splitting up under the pressure.

Five will introduce a brand new Hotel Inspector when the series returns from July 10th.

Renowned hotelier Alex Polizzi is to front the new-look show. Alex is an award winning hotelier and the daughter of Olga Polizzi, the granddaughter of Lord Forte and niece of Sir Rocco Forte, so she has all the industry experience and authority needed to turn flagging hotels into profitable ventures. She trained at the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, worked for Marco Pierre White at the Criterion, and has done stints at Rocco Forte hotels in Cardiff, Rome, St Petersburg, as well as setting up her mother's hotel, Tresanton in Cornwall.

The series that transforms failing hotels returns with a brand-new hotel inspector. Alex Polizzi, whose family owns the renowned Rocco Forte group of hotels, is on a mission to change the fortunes of some of Britain’s most calamitous establishments. In the opening episode, Alex tackles the 43-bedroom Castle of Brecon Hotel in Wales. The hotel’s inexperienced owners are losing money and the tired rooms are in desperate need of refurbishment. Can Alex save the day?

new hotel inspector checks in to five

Five has secured renowned hotelier Alex Polizzi to front the new-look Hotel Inspector when the series returns later this year, it was announced today (THURS).

Alex , who is the daughter of Olga Polizzi, granddaughter of Lord Forte and niece of Sir Rocco Forte, has all the industry experience and authority needed to turn flagging hotels into profitable ventures. She trained at the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, worked for Marco Pierre White at the Criterion, and has done stints at Rocco Forte hotels in Cardiff, Rome, St Petersburg, as well as assisting at her mother's hotel, Tresanton in Cornwall.

Polizzi's mission will remain the same for this well-established format - to cast fresh and expert eyes on a number of hotels and bring them up to the impeccably high standards of hotels in which she trained and which are synonymous with the Forte name.

the hotel inspector
tasburgh revisit (10/10)

Renowned hotelier, restaurateur and author Ruth Watson continues her mission to reverse Britain’s reputation for poorly run hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs. In the final episode of the series, Ruth returns to the Tasburgh House hotel near Bath to see if owner Sue Keeling –a retired air hostess – has managed to turn her fortunes around. Will the business be flying high, or has it been grounded?

When Ruth first visited the hotel 18 months ago, the Tasburgh had a great location, a glamorous hostess, five diamonds and numerous awards – everything it needed in fact, except guests. Sue had bought the hotel ten years earlier with her husband and immediately set about transforming it into a high-class establishment with an emphasis on quality. Each of the 12 rooms was given a literary theme and a finely dressed teddy bear designed to appeal to the American market.

the hotel inspector
key west revisit (9/10)

Renowned hotelier, restaurateur and author Ruth Watson continues her mission to reverse Britain’s reputation for poorly run hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs. In tonight’s instalment, Ruth returns to the Key West in Newquay, Cornwall, to find out if its owners have taken her advice on board and turned their fortunes around.

the hotel inspector
woodlands (8/10)

Renowned hotelier, restaurateur and author Ruth Watson continues her mission to reverse Britain’s reputation for poorly run hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs. In tonight’s instalment, she heads to the Woodlands Lodge Hotel –a 16-bedroom country house hotel set deep in the heart of the New Forest.

First-time hoteliers David and Jenny Norbury bought the Woodlands Lodge Hotel ten years ago and have since traded the business on its rural location, country charm and reputation for great food. However, the restaurant has recently lost its coveted AA rosette and the hotel’s decor is beginning to look dated. A hotel of its size should have an annual turnover of some £800,000, but it is falling well short of this figure. “We do make a bit of a profit,” explains David. “But not an awful lot.”

the hotel inspector
haven (7/10)

Renowned hotelier, restaurateur and author Ruth Watson continues her mission to reverse Britain’s reputation for poorly run hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs. In tonight’s instalment, Ruth comes to the aid of a pair of novice hoteliers in Great Yarmouth, who desperately need a crash course in the hotel business if their guesthouse is to stay open.

Ruth’s mission this week is to rescue the fortunes of the Haven Hotel, a nine-bedroom guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, run by Elly Koopman and Rob Farrow. The couple bought the hotel a mere four months before they called on Ruth for help, after realising that they were out of their depth and desperately needed classes in running a hotel.

the hotel inspector
st alfeges (6/10)

Renowned hotelier, restaurateur and author Ruth Watson continues her mission to reverse Britain’s reputation for poorly run hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs. In tonight’s instalment, Ruth visits the heart of Greenwich, South-East London, to meet actorhotelier Robert Gray and assess his threebedroom B&B.

Actor Robert Gray turned his home into St Alfeges B&B five years ago to maintain the cashflow between acting jobs. A former antiques dealer, he has filled his house with unusual art and objects and decorated with flair and personality – but he is the first to admit that the ‘shabby-chic’ look is starting to look just “shabby”. “I think we need a facelift,” he confesses.

Enter Ruth Watson, who will assess St Alfeges and come up with a plan to keep it performing to a full house. Upon arrival, Ruth is not impressed by the B&B’s exterior – a lack of signage makes it difficult for guests to know that they are in the right place, and massively overgrown bushes make it hard to even get to the front door.

the hotel inspector
st alfeges (6/10)

Renowned hotelier, restaurateur and author Ruth Watson continues her mission to reverse Britain’s reputation for poorly run hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs. In tonight’s instalment, Ruth visits the heart of Greenwich, South-East London, to meet actor hotelier Robert Gray and assess his three-bedroom B&B.

Actor Robert Gray turned his home into St Alfeges B&B five years ago to maintain the cashflow between acting jobs. A former antiques dealer, he has filled his house with unusual art and objects and decorated with flair and personality – but he is the first to admit that the ‘shabby-chic’ look is starting to look just “shabby”. “I think we need a facelift,” he confesses.

Enter Ruth Watson, who will assess St Alfeges and come up with a plan to keep it performing to a full house. Upon arrival, Ruth is not impressed by the B&B’s exterior – a lack of signage makes it difficult for guests to know that they are in the right place, and massively overgrown bushes make it hard to even get to the front door.

the hotel inspector
weyanoke (5/10)
21.00–22.00

Renowned hotelier, restaurateur and author Ruth Watson continues her mission to reverse Britain’s reputation for poorly run hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs. In tonight’s instalment, Ruth tackles the oddly named Weyanoke – a large hotel on the Eastbourne coast currently suffering from something of an identity crisis.

Three years ago, after a stint running a small B&B, Mark and Heidi Cowderoy bought the Weyanoke – a beautiful, 33-bedroom Victorian hotel situated on the Eastbourne seafront. In the past, the hotel has catered mainly for coach parties of pensioners paying as little as £20 for a room, but this business is quickly dying out. Heidi and Mark decided to refurbish the hotel to take it upmarket, but their spending has meant that they have failed to make any profit since the beginning of their venture. Since buying the hotel, the couple have spent in excess of £1 million on what Mark calls a “Victorian money pit”. Now deep in debt, Mark and Heidi are in dire need of Ruth’s help before their business collapses.

the hotel inspector
butley priory (4/10)
21.00–22.00

Renowned hotelier and author Ruth Watson continues her mission to reverse Britain’s reputation for poorly run hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs. Tonight, Ruth visits a bed and breakfast establishment housed in a beautiful medieval priory. The owner is reluctant to share her home with guests, but needs to boost her income to avoid losing the property altogether. Can Ruth persuade her to focus the business on weddings and fashion shoots?

Butley Priory is a six-bedroom B&B in a converted 14th-century priory, just a stone’s throw from Ruth’s own hotel in Suffolk. The owner is musician and former model Frances Cavendish, who opened her home to paying guests to make ends meets after her divorce eight years ago. Unfortunately, the rooms often stand empty and Frances is on the brink of selling up. “If we don’t get more guests through the door I’m going to have to call it a day,” she tells Ruth.

On her first visit, Ruth is struck by the stunning priory building, surrounded by rolling countryside. In a chat with Frances, Ruth learns that the B&B does little to market itself, and that Frances mostly delegates the work to her staff of four. “I really don’t do very much at all,” she confesses. “I really want to pursue my other interest, which is music.” Ruth finds the bedrooms to be of a high standard, but the bathroom facilities fall short of what might be expected for £175 a night. “It’s far too expensive for what it is,” Ruth concludes.

the hotel inspector
butley priory (4/10)
21.00–22.00

Renowned hotelier and author Ruth Watson continues her mission to reverse Britain’s reputation for poorly run hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs. Tonight, Ruth visits a bed and breakfast establishment housed in a beautiful medieval priory. The owner is reluctant to share her home with guests, but needs to boost her income to avoid losing the property altogether. Can Ruth persuade her to focus the business on weddings and fashion shoots?

Butley Priory is a six-bedroom B&B in a converted 14th-century priory, just a stone’s throw from Ruth’s own hotel in Suffolk. The owner is musician and former model Frances Cavendish, who opened her home to paying guests to make ends meets after her divorce eight years ago. Unfortunately, the rooms often stand empty and Frances is on the brink of selling up. “If we don’t get more guests through the door I’m going to have to call it a day,” she tells Ruth.

On her first visit, Ruth is struck by the stunning priory building, surrounded by rolling countryside. In a chat with Frances, Ruth learns that the B&B does little to market itself, and that Frances mostly delegates the work to her staff of four. “I really don’t do very much at all,” she confesses. “I really want to pursue my other interest, which is music.” Ruth finds the bedrooms to be of a high standard, but the bathroom facilities fall short of what might be expected for £175 a night. “It’s far too expensive for what it is,” Ruth concludes.