The BEST episodes of The Hotel Inspector
Every episode of The Hotel Inspector ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Hotel Inspector!
The series that transforms failing hotels returns with Alex Polizzi at the helm. Alex, 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.
#1 - Sunnyside
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 7/20/2009
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?
#2 - The Astor, Plymouth
Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 7/22/2010
For her first challenge this series, Alex visits the three-star, 62-bedroom Astor in Plymouth, owned by the flamboyant Joseph Louei. Having risen from pot-washer to owner of a hotel in 30 years, Joseph is naturally very proud of his achievements. However, in recent years Plymouth has been flooded with cheap chain hotels, so the independent hostelries are struggling against stiff competition. In the nine years of Joseph’s ownership, the Astor has never made a profit. Its woes are compounded by a raft of terrible online reviews from dissatisfied customers.
#3 - Gracellie Hotel, Shanklin
Season 17 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/23/2022
Alex Polizzi heads to the famous seaside town of Shanklin on the Isle of Wight to visit father and daughter team Philip and Kelly, who run Gracellie Hotel. After years of haphazard management compounded by Covid-19 and then a very personal tragedy for the family, the hotel has fallen into deep decline. To save the hotel, the team at Gracellie need to dig deep and rekindle their passion for the family business.
#4 - Grand Hotel, Hastings
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/6/2007
Ruth heads to the East Sussex coast to tackle a hotel whose owner is actively opposed to her ideas before he has even met her. Ruth is in Hastings to visit the Grand Hotel, a seafront establishment with 17 rooms that is rapidly losing business to the new budget hotels elsewhere in the town. Owner Peter Mann, who has been running the hotel for 18 years, is keen to reverse his fortunes, but is wary of Ruth’s infamous no-nonsense approach even before her arrival. “If she’s going to come here a cross between Darth Vader, Genghis Khan and Gordon Ramsay, then that’s not going to work at all,” he warns. Unfortunately for Peter, his worst fears are confirmed when he meets Ruth. She is deeply unimpressed by his hotel the moment she sets eyes on it.
#5 - First In Last Out, Winchester
Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/18/2011
Straight-talking, award-winning hotelier Alex Polizzi answers an SOS call from Jon Sweeney, owner of the First In Last Out, a 17th-century pub and B&B in Winchester that has been plagued by poor reviews – with one disgruntled guest even suggesting it might be the 'worst hotel in the UK'. The Hotel Inspector uncovers a cleaning regime that leaves much to be desired and, after a run-in with a shower room that has a life of its own, she checks out, leaving the First In Last Out with the distinction of being the first establishment she has ever refused to sleep in. The glamorous Polizzi is no quitter, but will the First In Last Out be too big a challenge even for the Hotel Inspector? Jon's main clientele are contractors who are not too bothered by their surroundings, but in order to make inroads on the tourist trade he is desperately in need of Alex's help. She faces the challenging task of showing Jon that budget accommodation does not need to mean low quality. Can she turn around the fortunes of FILO and get Jon to clean up his act – and his rooms?
#6 - The Hollybush Inn, Hay-on-Wye
Season 7 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/23/2011
57-year-old healer Barbara Lewthwaite dreams of creating a laid-back, ethical, nature-friendly holiday retreat at the 18th-century Hollybush Inn in Hay-on-Wye. Her estate boasts tepees, a camping and caravan site, a five-bedroom B&B, and a bar and restaurant. But Barbara’s free and easy approach to the hospitality business hasn’t always left her guests feeling so quite so mellow. Unhappy guests have complained about both the facilities and the barefooted owner. The dire reviews, coupled with poor winter trade, have left Barbara burdened with debt and fighting a constant battle for survival. Will renowned hotelier Alex Polizzi be able to reverse Barbara’s flagging fortunes?
#7 - Walpole Bay Revisited
Season 9 - Episode 9 - Aired 8/30/2012
Alex revisits the Walpole Bay hotel in Margate but fails to receive a warm welcome.
#8 - Madonna Halley Hotel, London
Season 8 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/17/2011
Alex Polizzi visits the Madonna Halley Hotel in north London, run by members of a Cypriot family whose Mediterranean roots have found their way into the interior design scheme. Guests have previously indicated the Aegean-style fixtures and fittings can be disagreeable, but when the presenter suggests a radical overhaul is necessary, the owners reveal they are reluctant to part with their distinctive adornments
#9 - Bonnington Beach Hotel, Bournemouth
Season 8 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/10/2011
Polizzi helps a couple in Bournemouth whose hotel near the beach is struggling to break even. Despite frequently reaching full capacity - with 57 beds in 21 rooms - the pair cannot seem to turn a profit, so the expert hotelier advises them to strip back their facilities and begin charging for extra amenities. She also suggests they build on the success of their Army-style boot camp by offering other self-improvement courses to their guests.
#10 - The Milton Lodge, Dorset
Season 8 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/3/2011
Alex visits a hotel in Dorset which has seen a steadily declining occupancy rate. Could the answer to the hotel’s problems lie in a spirited assistant? The beautiful hotel is set in six acres of Dorset countryside, and comes complete with stables, an outdoor pool and even its own cricket pitch! It also comes with an owner whose collections of knickknacks are liberally littered around the hotel and its ten bedrooms. The owner and his wife have lived in the lodge for over 20 years and consider it their home. But having decided to close the door on letting the whole place out for money-spinning functions, they have seen their income dwindle. They are now worried about how the house will support them in the future. Alex feels that modernising the hotel is the only option if they are going to attract more visitors. Can Alex win the apprehensive owners round to her way of thinking? She finds a possible saviour in the form of the couple’s assistant, who has worked with them for more than twenty years. Could she be the light that guides the hotel into a bright new future?
#11 - The White Horse, Suffolk
Season 7 - Episode 8 - Aired 6/6/2011
Alex Polizzi has been called in to a picturesque inn in Suffolk, by owners Ann and her husband Paul. The couple have sunk their life savings into the building, but they have not made a profit in years. The inn has eight ensuite bedrooms, a restaurant, bar, cocktail bar, large beer garden... and reputedly several ghosts. Ann and Paul love the business but feel it runs them rather than the other way round, and they have run out of ideas about how to move forward. Alex must get them back on track before it is too late. She has plenty of ideas to help them, but when the hotel manager threatens to quit, she is left banging her head against the antique walls.
#12 - The Grosvenor Hotel, Rugby
Season 7 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/30/2011
Entrepreneur Raman Bal believed the Grosvenor Hotel would become the foundation of his business empire. Raman invested £600,000 in elevating the 25 bedrooms to executive standard, gave the dining room a wash and brush up, and put a bit of sparkle into the bar. But his ambitions have not been matched by reservations.
#13 - The Hill House, Ross-on-Wye
Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/25/2011
Despite its excellent grounds and homegrown food, a couple's inn is struggling - can any of Alex's bright ideas turn the hotel's fortunes around?
#14 - Brendan Chase, Lake District
Season 7 - Episode 4 - Aired 5/9/2011
The Hotel Inspector is called to the Brendan Chase in the Lake District by sixty-three-year-old former chartered accountant David Maloney. Alex Polizzi is shocked to find a dated B&B with an hotelier to match. Can Alex drag David screaming and kicking into the 21st century? David has run the eleven-bedroom Brendan Chase single-handedly for the past seven years. He keeps a strict, and expansive, set of rules, which are not always popular with guests, especially those with young families. David has also eschewed 21st century technology, with the internet and the credit card largely ignored. David prefers the rather more oldfashioned code of dos and don'ts. Unsurprisingly, the B&B makes puny profits, leaving the outdoors enthusiast chained to the business, unable to afford help with his myriad chores. Alex must find a way to break down David's defences, and try to raise occupancy rates and profits to allow him to start enjoying life once more. Alex struggles to break through David's armour – and when he accuses her of creating a tea stain on his carpet, things get even worse...
#15 - Merlin Court Hotel, Devon
Season 7 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/16/2011
Alex visits the seaside town of Ilfracombe in Devon. The Shears family has asked for help with the themed Merlin Court Hotel, as rising debts and plummeting occupancy rates threaten to endanger the establishment's future. Dad Mike bought the 14-bedroom hotel 13 years ago, hoping to provide guests with a legendary holiday experience evoking Arthurian legend and the Knights of the Round Table. His wife Helen and daughter Carina play a supporting role in the running of the hotel. Mike hopes that Alex can bring some much-needed magic to the hostelry, but she first has to get the Shears to learn how to work together and fight for their own survival. Can she make the Merlin Court the stuff of legend?
#16 - West Usk Lighthouse
Season 15 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/10/2019
Alex Polizzi returns to one of her earliest assignments as Hotel Inspector, in the shape of West Usk Lighthouse on the edge of the Bristol Channel, which she first visited back in 2008. Despite initially turning a profit for a few years following the show's visit, owners Frank and Danielle have seen occupancy steadily decline. Once again, Alex casts her expert eye over the hotel and recommends the best way forward.
#17 - Eden Lodge Revisted
Season 16 - Episode 8 - Aired 8/5/2021
Six years ago Alex met couple Lynn and Ziggy, owners of Eden Lodge a B&B in Falmouth, Cornwall. Will they have changed their bickering ways or are some habits too hard to change?
#18 - The Sea Croft, Lytham St Anne's
Season 15 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/13/2019
Two years ago, Georgina gave up a career teaching business studies with a dream of running a successful guest house. Now, a £50,000 bill for unforeseen repairs and dismal occupancy has left her struggling to run the business. With her immaculate rooms lying empty, self-confessed neat freak Georgina cannot understand where she is going wrong. Alex can see the potential for success but getting Georgina to stop focusing on little details and start seeing the bigger picture does not prove easy.
#19 - The Lawn Guest House, Horley
Season 15 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/20/2019
Alex Polizzi visits Horley near Gatwick to help Quasim, the owner, improve his ailing Surrey guesthouse. With 13 other B&Bs all battling for the same trade, he is struggling to make the monthly repayments. Alex can see the potential in Quasim's business, but curbing his expensive tastes to maximise profits turns out to be far from easy.
#20 - Gipsy Hill Hotel, Exeter
Season 15 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/27/2019
Alex Polizzi is called to the Gipsy Hill Hotel in Exeter, where owner Grace has plans to retire and hand the business to her daughter Jackie, who currently manages the hotel. But profits are falling and Grace worries there will be no business to pass down. Alex immediately spots that the hotel is stuck in the past, with its old-fashioned decor. Can she convince the owner to release her grip on the purse strings and allow her daughter to take ownership now?
#21 - Zero Neuf, Gaudies
Season 15 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/4/2019
Alex Polizzi travels to the French Pyrenees, where ex-pats Mike and Joss invested everything they had into creating a holiday retreat and a beautiful family home for themselves and their two young boys. But despite the fabulous setting, the hotel's bookings are poor and with their savings dwindling, the couple are desperate not to take another wrong turn. Can Alex get them back on the right track?
#22 - Devon Bay Hotel, Ilfracombe
Season 15 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/11/2019
Alex Polizzi visits the 51-bedroom Devon Bay Hotel in Ilfracombe, which is run by inexperienced general manager Adrian and his wife Gill. The establishment has a poor reputation but Adrian has managed to persuade low-cost coach parties to return. However, with the summer season about to start and with no proper hospitality experience, the reality of delivering on his promises is starting to hit home for Adrian. Can Alex turn this novice into a real hotelier before the coaches arrive?
#23 - The George Hotel, Henfield
Season 15 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/18/2019
Alex Polizzi helps Chris and Leisha, who bought a village pub with 10 rooms in West Sussex just over a year ago, but have now run out of money and momentum. The novice hoteliers are struggling to attract customers to the George Hotel and Leisha despairs of Chris's tendency to get distracted from the job at hand. Alex is quick to identify a rescue plan, but with an unfocused leader at the helm, can they see it through?
#24 - Coach and Horses
Season 16 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/10/2021
This time Alex is in Dorset and is quick to see why trade at the Coach and Horses with its 8 rooms has veered off track. Owners James and Yvonne are struggling to drive business in the right direction with low occupancy.
#25 - The Dukes
Season 16 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/17/2021
Alex Polizzi head to the Dukes in the Bedfordshire village of Heath and Reach to help mum-of-two Sarah to improve the pub she bought three years ago. After a successful first year, a personal setback turned Sarah's dream into a nightmare. With a knock to her confidence and her eye off the ball, occupancy took a nosedive and the business has bombed. Alex arrives to find Sarah hiding from customers in the kitchen, staff kicking their heels and the place looking more like a youth club than a character country pub.