Bed And Breakfast On TV Tonight on Hotel Hell

[Joey Camb]

Just watched episode two, and enjoyed it. Didn't learn a thing about innkeeping, but enjoyed it. As Eric said, "the problem wasn't the decor or the menu... it was the owners. What are you doing to fix the owners?"
This inn will no doubt experience a short-term bump in business just from the publicity, but long-term the owners have to change, and people rarely change.
And with a tip of the hat to Silverspoon, a lot of tonight's episode seemed contrived, scripted to create more drama than was really there. Whatever. As I said, I enjoyed it...except the parts where Gordon took his shirt off. Not a pretty sight..

This is what annoys me about things like the hotel inspector - ie no "what is your marketing plan? what are you doing?" lets have a look at the books what are you spending on XYZ?
its all very well giving them a template of what a bedroom should look like ie do your other rooms like this but what if they don't have any money? and thats why they look like that in the first place?

 

[Highlands John]

Just watched episode two, and enjoyed it. Didn't learn a thing about innkeeping, but enjoyed it. As Eric said, "the problem wasn't the decor or the menu... it was the owners. What are you doing to fix the owners?"
This inn will no doubt experience a short-term bump in business just from the publicity, but long-term the owners have to change, and people rarely change.
And with a tip of the hat to Silverspoon, a lot of tonight's episode seemed contrived, scripted to create more drama than was really there. Whatever. As I said, I enjoyed it...except the parts where Gordon took his shirt off. Not a pretty sight..

Just watched episode two, and enjoyed it. Didn't learn a thing about innkeeping, but enjoyed it. As Eric said, "the problem wasn't the decor or the menu... it was the owners. What are you doing to fix the owners?"This inn will no doubt experience a short-term bump in business just from the publicity, but long-term the owners have to change, and people rarely change.

I think you are right.
On occasion I've watched old editions of hotel inspector, and afterwards gone on ta to see how they are doing. Often they have a blip of good reviews, and then after a while all the old complaints start resurfacing.

 

[Highlands John]

Just watched episode two, and enjoyed it. Didn't learn a thing about innkeeping, but enjoyed it. As Eric said, "the problem wasn't the decor or the menu... it was the owners. What are you doing to fix the owners?"
This inn will no doubt experience a short-term bump in business just from the publicity, but long-term the owners have to change, and people rarely change.
And with a tip of the hat to Silverspoon, a lot of tonight's episode seemed contrived, scripted to create more drama than was really there. Whatever. As I said, I enjoyed it...except the parts where Gordon took his shirt off. Not a pretty sight..

This is what annoys me about things like the hotel inspector - ie no "what is your marketing plan? what are you doing?" lets have a look at the books what are you spending on XYZ?
its all very well giving them a template of what a bedroom should look like ie do your other rooms like this but what if they don't have any money? and thats why they look like that in the first place?
.

I think if you go into something like this you have to remember that their primary goal is to make a TV program, helping your business is secondary.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Just watched episode two, and enjoyed it. Didn't learn a thing about innkeeping, but enjoyed it. As Eric said, "the problem wasn't the decor or the menu... it was the owners. What are you doing to fix the owners?"
This inn will no doubt experience a short-term bump in business just from the publicity, but long-term the owners have to change, and people rarely change.
And with a tip of the hat to Silverspoon, a lot of tonight's episode seemed contrived, scripted to create more drama than was really there. Whatever. As I said, I enjoyed it...except the parts where Gordon took his shirt off. Not a pretty sight..

Just watched episode two, and enjoyed it. Didn't learn a thing about innkeeping, but enjoyed it. As Eric said, "the problem wasn't the decor or the menu... it was the owners. What are you doing to fix the owners?"This inn will no doubt experience a short-term bump in business just from the publicity, but long-term the owners have to change, and people rarely change.

I think you are right.
On occasion I've watched old editions of hotel inspector, and afterwards gone on ta to see how they are doing. Often they have a blip of good reviews, and then after a while all the old complaints start resurfacing.
.

I went on TA last night and looked at the more recent reviews. They have done one of the social buying deals and didn't put a quantity on how many they would sell! These guys are in never never land...sold more than they could handle or afford. Doesn't surprise me. It's another case of people thinking that innkeepers are just social butterflies and have no clue about it being a business.
Oh, and the novellas that are the owner's response are priceless. This guy is already saying that they are implementing some old ways (pre Ramsey) and they are nickel and diming people to death. They even charge tax and tip on the 'free' breakfast.
I don't think you can actually 'fix' these owners. It's sad.

 

[Generic]

Just watched episode two, and enjoyed it. Didn't learn a thing about innkeeping, but enjoyed it. As Eric said, "the problem wasn't the decor or the menu... it was the owners. What are you doing to fix the owners?"
This inn will no doubt experience a short-term bump in business just from the publicity, but long-term the owners have to change, and people rarely change.
And with a tip of the hat to Silverspoon, a lot of tonight's episode seemed contrived, scripted to create more drama than was really there. Whatever. As I said, I enjoyed it...except the parts where Gordon took his shirt off. Not a pretty sight..

Just watched episode two, and enjoyed it. Didn't learn a thing about innkeeping, but enjoyed it. As Eric said, "the problem wasn't the decor or the menu... it was the owners. What are you doing to fix the owners?"This inn will no doubt experience a short-term bump in business just from the publicity, but long-term the owners have to change, and people rarely change.

I think you are right.
On occasion I've watched old editions of hotel inspector, and afterwards gone on ta to see how they are doing. Often they have a blip of good reviews, and then after a while all the old complaints start resurfacing.
.

I went on TA last night and looked at the more recent reviews. They have done one of the social buying deals and didn't put a quantity on how many they would sell! These guys are in never never land...sold more than they could handle or afford. Doesn't surprise me. It's another case of people thinking that innkeepers are just social butterflies and have no clue about it being a business.
Oh, and the novellas that are the owner's response are priceless. This guy is already saying that they are implementing some old ways (pre Ramsey) and they are nickel and diming people to death. They even charge tax and tip on the 'free' breakfast.
I don't think you can actually 'fix' these owners. It's sad.
.

Those deals are a royal pain if you don't structure them right.
Our government expects you to tax the price of the meal, so even if it is include and "free" it's taxable. So if you buy a coupon for $30 that covers a $60 meal, you pay tax on the $30. You get a bill that says $30 + $4.49 tax = $34.49 - $30 deal = $4.49 to pay. You are then supposed to tip the employee on the full value of the meal, so 15% of $60 is $9.00, so you must leave $4.49 for the tax and then you supposed to leave $9 in tip for the employee. It's confusing, but we have it down pat. Unfortanately not all the businesses have figure out how to mark it down correctly and sometimes the staff gets stiffed because of it, with people leaving them tip on the $30 only, so $4.50.
On the other hand, when it's included as part of the deal, as in room and breakfast, the whole thing is taxable, since it's part of the room rate.
But you should still tip breakfast staff if it's clearly staff and a restaurant setup, maybe a buck or two based on the work. We used to go to a place that had a $1.99 breakfast special. We tipped more than the cost of breakfast, filling the coffee cups, the running back and forth, they certainly deserved their tips.
Then again, we also tip in the rooms, which apparently this guy's friends weren't even doing. Though, I would never have the gall to call someone up like that. I would have asked them kindly to tip the staff in the first place.
In this case, the owner is just clueless and really need hospitality lessons. That's the problem with most of these business owners, they need to be fixed. In the UK they have done this with a number of businesses (retail) called Mary Queen of Shops. In the US there is Bar Rescue, Restaurant Impossible, Hotel Impossible and Tabitha Takes Over. In Canada we have Restaurant Makeover. But the one thing they just can't fix is... the owners! It's always the owners. We get the damn AHA! moment, but it's not real. They don't get it. They don't seem to understand that it's always the owners! Fix the owners and you fix the problem. But until they get that it is them, it won't get fixed.
Go to Yelp. Go to T/A. Go to Urbanspoon and look up these businesses. About 10% seem to get it, fix it and thrive. Funny that 10%, it keeps on repeating in life

 

[Madeleine]

Just watched episode two, and enjoyed it. Didn't learn a thing about innkeeping, but enjoyed it. As Eric said, "the problem wasn't the decor or the menu... it was the owners. What are you doing to fix the owners?"
This inn will no doubt experience a short-term bump in business just from the publicity, but long-term the owners have to change, and people rarely change.
And with a tip of the hat to Silverspoon, a lot of tonight's episode seemed contrived, scripted to create more drama than was really there. Whatever. As I said, I enjoyed it...except the parts where Gordon took his shirt off. Not a pretty sight..

Just watched episode two, and enjoyed it. Didn't learn a thing about innkeeping, but enjoyed it. As Eric said, "the problem wasn't the decor or the menu... it was the owners. What are you doing to fix the owners?"This inn will no doubt experience a short-term bump in business just from the publicity, but long-term the owners have to change, and people rarely change.

I think you are right.
On occasion I've watched old editions of hotel inspector, and afterwards gone on ta to see how they are doing. Often they have a blip of good reviews, and then after a while all the old complaints start resurfacing.
.

I went on TA last night and looked at the more recent reviews. They have done one of the social buying deals and didn't put a quantity on how many they would sell! These guys are in never never land...sold more than they could handle or afford. Doesn't surprise me. It's another case of people thinking that innkeepers are just social butterflies and have no clue about it being a business.
Oh, and the novellas that are the owner's response are priceless. This guy is already saying that they are implementing some old ways (pre Ramsey) and they are nickel and diming people to death. They even charge tax and tip on the 'free' breakfast.
I don't think you can actually 'fix' these owners. It's sad.
.

They even charge tax and tip on the 'free' breakfast.

Some counties require that the tax be paid on the 'free' breakfast. Some innkeepers have a line item that shows the tax.

 

[JBloggs]

[COLOR= rgb(51, 51, 51)] Stark Lessons from “Hotel Hell”[/COLOR]http://bit.ly/P399jY

 

[Arks]

Episode 2, the Cambridge Hotel, Cambridge, NY A few thoughts:

• Why does Gordon insist on appearing shirtless in every episode? I do not find it a pretty sight, but he must have some data showing that women like it or something. I don't.
• What a magnificent-looking old building. Hard to believe they only have 16 rooms open. It looks so much larger.
• Clueless owners, as usual.
• A shame the bank forclosed and auctioned it off a few months after the episode was filmed. I guess the owners waited too late before getting help.
• $75,000 for new linens and towels for 16 rooms? What???

 

[Kay Nein]

Episode 2, the Cambridge Hotel, Cambridge, NY A few thoughts:

• Why does Gordon insist on appearing shirtless in every episode? I do not find it a pretty sight, but he must have some data showing that women like it or something. I don't.
• What a magnificent-looking old building. Hard to believe they only have 16 rooms open. It looks so much larger.
• Clueless owners, as usual.
• A shame the bank forclosed and auctioned it off a few months after the episode was filmed. I guess the owners waited too late before getting help.
• $75,000 for new linens and towels for 16 rooms? What???

.

Stepping into the shower naked & partially blurred was completely unnecessary! It's not like they need the extra nudity to boost ratings.

 

[Joey Camb]

Episode 2, the Cambridge Hotel, Cambridge, NY A few thoughts:

• Why does Gordon insist on appearing shirtless in every episode? I do not find it a pretty sight, but he must have some data showing that women like it or something. I don't.
• What a magnificent-looking old building. Hard to believe they only have 16 rooms open. It looks so much larger.
• Clueless owners, as usual.
• A shame the bank forclosed and auctioned it off a few months after the episode was filmed. I guess the owners waited too late before getting help.
• $75,000 for new linens and towels for 16 rooms? What???

.

do not get me started - last episode on hotel inspector was going "yes Im going to spend £25,000 doing up the bridal suite WHAT!!!!! (ie $50,000) hotel inspector did a fab job including whole new bathroom for £6,000 ($12,000)
Your budget people is not a target!!!! this would then mean you could do a whole lot of other rooms!
DUH!!!!

 

[Joey Camb]

Episode 2, the Cambridge Hotel, Cambridge, NY A few thoughts:

• Why does Gordon insist on appearing shirtless in every episode? I do not find it a pretty sight, but he must have some data showing that women like it or something. I don't.
• What a magnificent-looking old building. Hard to believe they only have 16 rooms open. It looks so much larger.
• Clueless owners, as usual.
• A shame the bank forclosed and auctioned it off a few months after the episode was filmed. I guess the owners waited too late before getting help.
• $75,000 for new linens and towels for 16 rooms? What???

.

Stepping into the shower naked & partially blurred was completely unnecessary! It's not like they need the extra nudity to boost ratings.
.

I can confirm its definately not something I want or need to see! ha ha