The hotel

In Somerset, Ruth Watson visits the three-diamond, eight-bedroom hotel Saxonia in Weston-super-Mare. She suggests to owners Jon and Sandie Harrap that unattractive decor and cluttered, kitschy rooms could explain why customers are no longer flocking to stay.

Ruth Watson visits Langtry Manor Hotel in Bournemouth, which was built in 1877 for King Edward VII in honour of his mistress Lillie Langtry, and later turned into a hotel. Ruth immediately cites the building's painted brickwork as off-putting, while outdated decor and imprudent budgeting add to her horror, as she points out why the business is squandering potential profits.

Ruth Watson travels to Newquay in Cornwall in a bid to improve the Key West Hotel, owned by Brian and Gill Scott, who opened the establishment as part of their retirement plans. However, it is constantly overrun with stag and hen parties that leave a path of destruction in their wake, and the couple are reaching the end of their tether.

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.

Ruth attempts to change the fortunes of a hotel in Reading, whose owner is resistant to the idea of altering his prices. Beech House is a 15-bedroom hotel in Reading, owned by businessman Michael Bissell. Michael converted the hotel from a care home four years ago and invested around half a million pounds in the facilities, but so far he has failed to attract guests in Reading’s competitive market. The hotel has lost huge amounts of money and Michael has even had to cash in his pension to keep it afloat. “Because of the losses that I’ve made, it’s been me paying the guests to stay here,” he says. Months away from bankruptcy, he has called in Ruth Watson to help avert disaster.

Ruth meets Vincent and Lidy Van Nuyk, the Dutch owners of the 14-bedroom Safari hotel in Bournemouth. Drowning in debt and unable to carry out vital renovations on the hotel, Vincent and Lidy desperately need help if they are to turn their fortunes around. Vincent and Lidy took on the Safari after 13 years spent running a successful restaurant in Ireland took their toll on Vincent’s health. However, their hopes of a quiet life are unfulfilled: the hotel has failed to turn a profit and they have been driven to the brink of bankruptcy. The lack of money is reflected in the shabbiness of the hotel, which is in dire need of renovation. “We feel defeated,” sighs Lidy. “We want to improve, but we have no cash for it.” To save money, Lidy and Vincent do all the work themselves –including cleaning the 14 bedrooms and doing all the cooking –and are forced to live in one room. Overwhelmed, they have no idea how to pull themselves out of this hole and need someone to show them how to improve things.

For her first assignment, Alex faces the tall order of rescuing a massive 43-bedroom hotel in Wales that has seen better days. Reputedly the oldest hotel in Wales, the Castle of Brecon was once a glamorous destination for the rich and famous. Neglected for decades, it is now owned by Leon Ricci and his Russian wife, Natasha. With no previous experience in the industry, the couple admit they bought the hotel on a whim - and were even advised by an agent to steer clear of it. "He said, 'No, don't buy it - it's a well-known white elephant in the industry'," Leon recalls.

This week, Alex heads to an attractive pub hotel on the banks of the River Severn in Worcestershire. The views may be picturesque but this establishment is far from tranquil. The Lenchford Inn is managed by two couples on the brink of a breakdown. Dave and Marie, along with her brother Ian and his wife Wendy, bought the inn thinking it would be a ticket to early retirement. But the combination of four floods in two years and the owners’ inexperience has left their hopes in tatters. The nine bedrooms and 80-seat restaurant are as empty as their bank accounts and, with a ten-year age difference between the two couples, they cannot see eye-to-eye on anything.

Alex heads to historic Tewkesbury to inspect the eight-bedroom Jessop House Hotel, located just yards from the town's famous abbey. "It looks like a very pretty town," Alex says. "According to their website, I’m staying at an equally pretty boutique townhouse hotel. Can't imagine what's going wrong there." It soon becomes apparent that the Jessop's problems are twofold, as Alex discovers a business and a relationship in crisis.

The Crown Inn is owned by former care assistant Karen Lloyd who invested her life savings into opening it two years ago. All was apparently going well until a number of bad internet reviews (damn these people) turned up complaining about paying £70 a night to sleep in filth and Karen started losing money. If that wasn’t bad enough the hotel was stripped of one of its three stars by the tourist board Visit England.

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.

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?

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.

Alex’s latest challenge is the Artist Residence in Brighton, a nine-bedroom B&B run by 21-year-old student Justin. Decorated and staffed by up-andcoming artists, the establishment is designed to be a unique cross between art gallery and hotel, but it is currently failing miserably on both fronts.

This week’s show sees Alex turn her attention to the Rutland Arms Hotel in Bakewell, Derbyshire. Set on the edge of the Peak District, the hotel enjoys high occupancy rates during the summer months, but poor organisation, bad reviews and an absence of visitors in the winter have pushed 68-year-old owner David to the brink of financial ruin.

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?

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?

Alex comes to the rescue of the Welcome Traveller Inn, located in west Wales. Despite its excellent location, this family-run business is struggling. Can any of Alex's bright ideas turn the hotel's fortunes around? Geoff, Babs, Sarah and Kirsty have been welcoming travellers to their inn for the last seven years. They have eight bedrooms, a dining area, bar and conference room. The excellent location in west Wales should mean that the family can pick and choose from local trade, as well appeal to holidaymakers. However, the facts tell a different story – one of low occupancy rates, thousands of pounds lost last year and poor online reviews. Babs has reached the end of her tether with the business and the rest of the family are scratching their heads over ideas for how to improve the occupancy rates. Additionally, the whole family admits to never agreeing on the best way to take the business forwards. The family's future is completely tied up in this business and Babs, who pays the bills, thinks she has six, maybe 12 months left to turn things around. If the business fails, Babs and her clan will lose both the business and the family home. Can Alex persuade the family to put their differences to one side and pull together to entice people back to the hotel?

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?

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.

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

Alex uncovers more than she bargains for when she visits a naturist hotel in Birmingham.

Alex visits an hotel and nightclub in Essex, run by a family who are simply not dancing to the same beat.

Alex attempts to help turn around the fortunes of the Caspian owned by Nousha Samari and her son Samander.

In Liverpool, Alex tries to reason with Patrick Duggan, a great fan of the Beatles who has bought the old house of Brian Epstein, the quartet's famous agent, in the hopes of getting rich in return - but nothing works.

Best friends Neil and John took over the Vidella Hotel in Blackpool a decade ago, but their love of practical jokes is beginning to wear thin and falling trade has started to take its toll on them. Alex Polizzi tries to turn their struggling business around, but has her work cut out to prove to the owners that a failing hotel is not a laughing matter.

Alex Polizzi visits Eden Lodge in the popular holiday and sailing resort of Falmouth in Cornwall, booking into the B&B as a guest to gain an impression of the average customer experience. She is not impressed by owners Lynn and Ziggy's self-decorated bedrooms and the condition of their indoor swimming pool, and decides they need a serious wake-up call if they are to operate at a profit.

Alex Polizzi comes to the rescue of more struggling establishments, beginning in Cornwall with 16-bedroom hotel the Fieldhead in Looe run by Julian and Gill Peck. Despite stunning sea views and a traditional approach to customer service, Alex soon finds that old-fashioned values may be the cause of the plunging occupancy rates, with a barely comprehensible booking system and an unsustainable work-life balance meaning that both the business and the couple's home life are at risk.

Alex Polizzi heads to the Devon seaside town of Torquay to try to transform the fortunes of the Harmony B&B. Dutch owners Hans and Monika have been struggling to attract enough guests through the usually profitable summer months, and are in desperate need of profits now they are faced with the winter low season. Could the couple's love of music-themed decor be putting off potential customers?

Alex Polizzi heads to the Kent seaside town of Ramsgate to help with the launch of a new venture, but discovers it is plagued by the same age-old problems. Once a summer retreat for a young Queen Victoria, the historic Albion House was facing an uncertain future until Gay and John Haines stepped in with plans to convert it into a 14-bedroom boutique hotel. However, financial disaster is looming with the million-pound budget having been blown and deadlines missed. Can Alex stop Albion House going bust before it has even opened?

Alex turns referee to solve a problem between a hotel manager and the owner, who monitors her every move on CCTV cameras from her office in Paris.

The Hotel Inspector gets a surprise when she arrives at the Harrogate Motel and discovers that it’s neither in Harrogate, nor is it a motel. But the biggest shock is that the owners are deliberately not telling their guests that the place is situated right in the middle of a muddy equine centre, complete with 50 horses!

Alex visits The Hotel Continental in Harwich, Essex, a quirky 14-bedroom hotel that overlooks the beach and boasts unique, individually designed rooms

Alex Polizzi returns to help a couple with their beach-front business in the Merseyside resort of Southport. John and Mel opened a craft ale bar and started renovating the flats above it into a hostelry despite having no experience. With the residence more of a building site than a boutique hotel, Alex has to get stuck in as the first guests are due in a matter of weeks.

Near the historic city of Bath, business partners Rowena and Mike are running a boutique hotel that is on the brink of going under. Operating the property more like a home than a hotel, Rowena's hospitality means the business is running at a huge loss, so Alex Polizzi attempts to teach these hoteliers how to turn a profit from their customers.

Alex Polizzi heads to Colliters Brook Farm near Bristol, to try to make sense of owner Richard's struggling business and help make his dream a reality. After being forced to run a makeshift B&B from the farmhouse instead of his original plan to renovate an old barn on his property, Richard has been trying hard to get his dream back on track, but crippling debts have led to him being stuck in a rut, with no clear direction. Alex can see huge potential the farm, but getting Richard to pull everything together and maximise his profits proves one of her toughest challenges to date.

Retired couple John and Ilona spent thousands on this ten-bed hotel, but occupancy is below 10%. Alex has a plan.

Owned for the past 25 years by John and run by his daughter Emma, they have cluttered the 31-room establishment with tat and lost sight of who their customers are. Recently, bookings have taken a sharp decline and to make matters worse John's wife Jacquie - once the life and soul of the hotel - has been forced to retire due to illness, leaving Emma to run the place alone.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Alex is called to the Grenfell Arms in Maidenhead, Berkshire, a pub with 8 bedrooms and a restaurant. It’s run by Jamie,who can’t get staff and is doing all the jobs with the help of his Mum Sandy.

Alex Polizzi heads to the LG Thai Derm Spa and Guest House in Loughborough, where she tries to help out first-time hoteliers, husband and wife Hasmeeta and Bharat. When the couple took over two years ago, they fell in love with a unique Thai-themed business that boasts a Thai spa with treatment rooms, a 24-seat Thai restaurant and 10 guest rooms. The business survived the pandemic - but at huge cost, that includes dirty rooms, a broken spa and chaotic management.

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

The Hotel Inspector visits Caer Beris Manor; run by former Dubai real estate agent Omar and his wife, Kim, along with Kim's publican parents, Pete and Angie. Despite their inexperience in the hotel industry, the family have high-minded ambitions for their business, dreaming of offering fine dining and a five-star experience at a three-star price. But having barely survived their first full season, the reality is that the family have bitten off more than they can chew.

Alex Polizzi faces a race against the clock to stop a wannabe hotelier from losing everything before she's even opened the door, as single mum Claire tries to launch a bar and hotel in the north east seaside town of Redcar.

Alex Polizzi sets out on a rescue mission to revive a stagnant pub, known as the The Kings Arms in Scalford, and tackles a fractured relationship before it breaks the whole business.

Alex Polizzi travels to historic visitor attraction Stump Cross Caverns deep beneath the Yorkshire Dales, where the family business is facing an uncertain future.

Michelle and her husband Mimmo’s café, located by a stable yard in a tiny Somerset village, isn’t making a profit. The Italian-inspired food they serve is great but there’s very little footfall at the location and the exhausted couple are both working long days for the paltry salary of £2.26 per hour. This predicament calls for a dramatic solution but will Alex's suggestion be a massive gamble that pays off for the couple?

Mark and Liz recently took on Sea Air Bed & Breakfast, a seven-bedroom 1930s former hotel in the seaside village of Chapel St Leonards, near Skegness. The couple invested every penny of their savings to fund the new B&B and start a new life beside the seaside. Can The Hotel Inspector help the couple realise their lifelong dream?

Alex Polizzi comes to the rescue of Rachel, whose luxury lodges site in Oxfordshire is haemorrhaging money and at serious risk of closure.