Throng

Monday 24th August 9.00pm

The fifth series of the hotel-renovation show concludes this week. In the last episode of the current run, Alex Polizzi checks in to Liz and Michael’s guesthouse in the Swiss Alps. The British couple emigrated a year ago – but their hopes of a restful retirement have been destroyed by an avalanche of work. Can the hotel inspector help keep their dream alive?

Liz and Michael Callis bought the 14-bedroom Hotel du Repos in the beautiful Swiss Alps a year ago. But despite running a successful bed and breakfast in London for ten years, the couple have an occupancy rate of just 35 per cent in high season. “I woke up this morning and thought ‘What are we really doing here?’,” Liz admits. Faced with disgruntled staff, the couple hired a new front-ofhouse team, but they are still snowed under by the amount of work required to keep the hotel going.

Monday 17th August 8.00pm

Continuing on Five this week is the fifth series of the hotel-renovation show. In this instalment, Alex Polizzi checks in to Glangrwyney Court in the Black Mountains. Despite a five-star rating and a reasonable occupancy rate, the guesthouse is bleeding cash at an alarming rate. Can Alex get to the bottom of this money pit?

Monday 10th August 9.00pm

Continuing on Five this week is the fifth series of the hotel-renovation show. In this instalment, Alex climbs aboard floating hotel the African Queen. With the boat running at just 30 per cent occupancy, owners Bonny and Andy are at breaking point. Can the hotel inspector throw this beleaguered couple a life jacket?

South Africans Bonny and Andy Cowley previously ran a successful hotel and restaurant on the Isle of Wight. When they bought 85-year-old Dutch barge the African Queen they were full of hope for their new project. “We thought, ‘We’re gonna fly!’ but it didn’t work like that,” says Bonny. The eightbedroom floating hotel is failing to turn a profit – and even when the couple have guests, the heavy workload of running the boat is taking its toll.

Monday 3rd August 9.00pm

Continuing on Five this week is the fifth series of the hotel-renovation show. In this instalment, Alex visits the 14th-century Swan Hotel in Norfolk. With 15 empty bedrooms and a deserted restaurant, the Swan is struggling to stay afloat. Can Alex breathe some life into this lame duck?

Robin Twigge bought the 14th-century Swan Hotel in Harleston seven years ago. Despite 30 years of experience in hotel management, Robin has failed to turn this ugly duckling into an elegant swan. Still unrated by Visit England, the Swan has never managed to turn a profit. With 15 empty bedrooms and a restaurant that is lucky to get 30 covers a week, only Robin’s bustling pub trade is keeping the establishment afloat.

Monday 27th July 9.00pm

Continuing on Five this week is the fifth series of the hotel-renovation show. In this instalment, Alex visits the market town of Wisbech, where the 300-year-old Rose and Crown is in crisis. Can the hotel inspector convince owners Jacquie and Jonathan to eliminate the mountains of paperwork strangling their business?

Ex-antiques dealer Jonathan Davies and former nurse Jacquie Noot purchased the 300-year-old Rose and Crown four years ago. As one of the few hotels in the pretty market town of Wisbech, they hoped the 30 en-suite bedrooms, two local restaurants and priceless town-centre parking would attract a host of visitors. Sadly, the Rose and Crown has no guests, and its future is looking bleak.

Monday 20th July 9.00pm

Continuing on Five this week is the fifth series of the show that transforms failing hotels across the UK. In this instalment, Alex Polizzi attempts to help the struggling Sunnyside Hotel in Blackpool. In a bid to boost the B&B’s pitiful occupancy rate, the owners plan a huge refurbishment – but refuse to take on Alex’s suggestions. Can she get them to incorporate her design ideas and improve the lousy service?

The Sunnyside Hotel lies in an ordinary-looking Blackpool street packed with guesthouses. The three-star B&B is owned by Julie and David. With no previous experience in hospitality, the couple bought the nine-bedroom Sunnyside three years ago. They are now teetering on the edge of bankruptcy with a miserable occupancy rate of 20 per cent.

Monday 13th July 9.00pm

Continuing on Five this week is the fifth series of the show that transforms failing hotels across the UK. In the second instalment, award-winning hotelier Alex Polizzi visits the Walpole Bay, an Edwardian hotel in Margate that is rapidly reaching crisis point. Can Alex talk some sense into the feuding family owners and give this fading venture a brighter future?

The Walpole Bay was once at the epicentre of the Margate tourist trade. But much like Margate itself, this once grand old dame has seen better days. The Edwardian hotel was on the brink of closure until the Bishop family attempted to rescue it. But with no previous experience of the hospitality industry, it has not been a smooth ride for them.

Beginning on Five this week is a brand new series of the show that transforms failing hotels across the UK. In the opening instalment, no-nonsense hotelier Alex Polizzi comes face to face with one of the worst establishments she has ever visited – the Crown Inn in Lewes. After a string of terrible internet reviews and the loss of a precious star in the Visit England ratings, can Alex restore this filthy guesthouse to its former glory?

Two years ago, former care assistant Karen Lloyd sunk her life savings into the eight-bedroom Crown Inn in Lewes. With a great location, the guesthouse should have no trouble attracting customers – but after a number of appalling internet reviews, Karen has lost over £32,000. “I had visions of having this wonderful place people were happy to come to – but it hasn’t worked out that way,” she sighs. After a disastrous year, the hotel was stripped of one of its three stars by the tourist board.

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.