I think it will be entertaining to watch...just like the other "hotel impossible "reality series is.
However targeting B & B's hits closer to home and I worry that people will begin to think that ALL or MANY B & B's are like that. I find that people think as little as possible and make unfair assumptions about all kinds of things.
Statistically not many people stay in B & B's in the 1st place so few people have B & B experiences (good or bad) as compared to the larger hotels and restaurants that the other reality series' target. Everyone knows that bad hotels & restaurants exist, but they also know that the ones we see in the reality series are the exception not the rule. If they are really bad they don't survive, hence they ask Ramsay and other experts for help.
Those of us who run clean, well run B & B's are successful because we do things right. I believe that is the case for most B & B's.
This series has me worried that people will shy away from B & B's as a result..
OK, I'll admit that I am not a big fan of reality TV and rarely, if ever, watch it or most FOX programing. But, do you really think that the people who do watch Hotel Hell think it is "Real"? It is, after all, just scripted entertainment, and may not have much in the way of truth to it. I can't see anyone with half a brain making a decision about whether or not to stay in a B+B actually basing their decision on a program like Hotel Hell. And frankly, those who do think that realityTV programs reflect reality, are probably not the people who would choose to stay in a B+B anyway.
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Real or not...sadly, many or most people are hugely influenced by what they say & hear in the media.
They consciously or unconsciously think that there must be at least some truth to what they see and hear.
I don't think these type of programs are good for our industry. We all make so much effort to make the experience wonderful for our guests. It is sad that the good and positive things in life don't rate high enough to make a reality tv show. Wouldn't it be so nice if they did.
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So, do you think that people will think it's because they are a Gay couple running an inn?
And that's my point, I don't honestly think that people will judge all B&Bs in this way, in the same way that I don't think they judge all restaurants that way because of his restaurant shows (though I will be the first to say that I much prefered his UK restaurant show where you actually saw him get into the numbers with the owners, something that seems to be skipped in the US version.)
My perspective, he's doing a specific business that is being badly run and pointing out where things are going wrong. Gordon Ramsay doesn't seem to care that it's a Gay couple, doesn't seem to care about anything other than running the business right, profitably and he understands that employees are the backbone of a company. To me, he's doing it right.
And yes, I'm a fan and I still want to meet him. His instructions on how to make scrambled eggs is still one of the best classics I have ever seen.
I don't think his foul mouth is agressive for the most part, it's interjection. Of course, if they ran this in Canada, after certain hours they wouldn't even need to bleep him.
Reminds sometimes of shows like Restaurant Makeover or Restaurant Impossible, sure they revamp the menu, sure they fix the decor, but the problem wasn't the decor or the menu... it was the owners. What are you doing to fix the owners? Are you showing them how to calculate food costs? Are you showing them that they have to pay for food that they eat or take? Are you making sure that the employees are properly paid, that you provide them with a meal so they are ready and able to serve all night? Are you showing someone how to replace you if you are sick or need vacation, etc etc etc. The piece that doesn't make it to TV because it's not photogenic.
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