The Hotel Inspector

Thursday’s episode of Channel 5’s The Hotel Inspector saw two friends in Bramber, East Sussex, attempt to turn their hotel and pub around

The Hotel Inspector followed best friends Jack and Danny on Thursday’s episode as they attempted to save their hotel and pub.

The two pals, who had been best friends since meeting on a ski season in 2010, had decided to go into business together, gambling everything to run the 16th-century Castle Inn, a 20-bedroom pub and restaurant in the charming village of Bramber, East Sussex.

However, after six months, the two pals were struggling as occupancy had plummeted with Jack having to dip into his wedding funds and Danny uprooting his young family from Birmingham to East Sussex to make the business venture work.

Thankfully, British hotelier, businesswoman and The Hotel Inspector host Alex Polizzi was on hand to help the duo turn things around. Alex, 54, was unimpressed with the hotel’s bare and dated decor, including fake flowers and all white decoration everywhere.

Alex even admitted she was “horrified” by the “ghastly” sitting area, saying there was no charm at all in the hotel, even likening the space to a canteen.

As part of her plan to combat some negative online reviews, Alex invited three different duos to come and stay. However, the next morning, the hotel guests didn’t hold back their words as they provided honest and brutal feedback.

One guest said of the dining space and “wedding like” white padded chairs used: “We use these [the chairs] in mental health hospitals because then people can’t throw them at you…” to which Alex pointed out: “That’s a new low!”

It was then revealed that the guests would be invited back, where they could see the changes made at the hotel and then provide a review for the hotel.

Talking about the brutal feedback, one of the owners said: “Luckily we’ve actually got each other through this because otherwise I don’t think I could have gone through that complete pounding alone.”

After gathering a £5,000 makeover budget, the team got to work modernising the dining area into a contemporary and clean space with green panelling walls, as well as stylish new furniture. The team also made some changes to the bedrooms, providing luggage racks, stylish lamps and removing unnecesary furniture.

Alex advised the duo to invite all the locals over for a ‘meet the owners’ evening, which was a roaring success and the guests who had previously stayed there loved the new features, saying they’d be happy to stay again.

At the end of the show, after Alex’s work and advice was done, the duo provided an update four weeks later. They revealed: “Hi Alex, hope you’re well…

“Just wanted to say, thank you very much for everything you and your team have done here. The locals have been raving about the changes, the food offerings, and the new decor. The vibes around the village are great!

“We’ve noticed a strong traction in repeat customers and new ones. Thank you very much for your support, hopefully see you soon!”

The Hotel Inspector continues on Thursdays at 9pm on Channel 5.

Alex Polizzi made a return to our TV screens and helped a family transform their budget bed and breakfast

The Hotel Inspector’s Alex Polizzi was quick to issue an ultimatum to some hotel owners as she spotted a big problem. During Thursday’s (March 19) episode of the Channel 5 hit show, Alex was in the sprawling commuter town of Horley, to check into Gatwick Turret.

The budget bed and breakfast is run by 62-year-old Ram, 61-year-old Anj and their 37-year-old son, Rai. The 10-bedroomed Victorian guest house is just a mile down the road from Gatwick Airport, where over 250,000 flights carry up to 46 million passengers every year.

It seems like a great location for a hotel as a lot of people will be needing somewhere to stay before or after their getaways. However there is a lot of competition as Gatwick Turret is one of over 100 hotels, including big chain brands, fiercely vying for their business.

As the hotel owners wrestle with high overheads in a highly competitive market, the family have no choice but to run the hotel almost single-handedly to keep staffing costs down.

And Rai has a lot on his hands as the running of the hotel has recently been passed down to him and it’s all on him to turn things around for Mum and Dad and find a way of making a profit.

Alex knew she had a lot to do to help transform the hotel as she found mismatched décor and too many running costs. And before she could even get stuck in she was quick to spot a problem as she discovered that despite their hard work, the business is barely breaking even and the family are struggling to pay themselves.

Alex asked: “Tell me about what it cost you to put on a room?” Rai explained: “Each room costs around £4.20 for the linen. The tea, coffee tray, a bottle of water…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Alex jumped in: “It’s expensive water. I wouldn’t put a very expensive bottle of water in the room. So what does it cost?” Rai continued: “£3.20.”

Alex explained: “Adding to cost per room are roughly £6 on housekeeping, £9 towards the £350,000 pound mortgage, £24 on utilities and taxes and £9 commission for those pesky online booking sites.”

She continued: “So, the grand total of that, my dears, is £56. Lucky lucky you, all this work and all this headache and you’re making a profit of about £4 a night per year – not quite enough for retirement.”

Alex admitted: “There is obviously a problem.” She then asked: “Do you pay yourselves? Rai revealed: “A £1,000 each.” It was clear Alex was stunned as she gasped: “A £1,000 each a month. Gosh darling, I mean, I’m surprised the government allows it, you’re not even making minimum wage.”

Alex gave the owners an ultimatum as she later added: “So we either need to make more money or sell it off.”

After an intense few days of renovations and small changes, Alex managed to help the family turn things around and business seems to be heading in the right direction as Rai revealed that they are now making an extra £140 a week with their breakfast room and they managed to get some positive press.

You can stream The Hotel Inspector on Channel 5