Season 9

2012 · 10 episodes

Episodes

1The CloverAlex uncovers more than she bargains for when she visits a naturist hotel in Birmingham.
2The OaklandAlex visits an hotel and nightclub in Essex, run by a family who are simply not dancing to the same beat.
3The CaspianAlex attempts to help turn around the fortunes of the Caspian owned by Nousha Samari and her son Samander.
4The BellinghamAlex attempts to help turn around the fortunes of The Bellingham run by 24-year-old former burger-van operator, Richard.
5Mansion LionsAlex attempts to help turn around the fortunes of the Mansion Lions Hotel in Eastbourne. The owner Mr Sheikh Abid Gulzar has dreams of turning the hotel into a four-star establishment.
6The MeudonAlex travels to the Meudon Hotel in Falmouth to help father-and-son team Harry and Mark Pilgrim. The 29-bedroom country-house hotel was once a sparkling jewel on the Cornish coast, boasting 8.5 acres of sub-tropical gardens that lead down to the hotel’s private beach. But it has failed to move with the times and for too long now has been struggling with low occupancy and low profits. Alex quickly gets down to the roots of their problems. She discovers that 86-year-old Harry’s reluctance to let go of the reins has left son Mark frustrated in his role of general manager. With the old-fashioned decor and unimaginative restaurant menu only attracting elderly clientele, the hotel is facing an uncertain future. Alex worries that the family lacks the vision and energy for change. She demands an immediate clear-out of all the doilies and relics of the past to widen the hotel’s appeal, and tells Mark to star putting himself forward to become more of a leader. Can Alex help with the Pilgrims’ progress?
7The White Hart, St AlbansAlex visits a 15th-century haunted hotel in St Albans, where guests often get more than they bargained for. The 14-bedroom hotel is reputed to be the oldest in this ancient Home Counties town and, with numerous reported spooky sightings, guests often get more than they bargained for. Taking advantage of the hotel’s supernatural reputation, Jayne organises ghost tours complete with stage skeletons and cackling witches, but the haunted theme restaurant menu seems to be scaring off the guests. The McBeaths took over The White Hart four-and-a-half years ago, but with increased competition from the chain hotels, their profit margin is being tightly squeezed, and the couple are spending most of the time arguing about the right way forward. Ross and Jayne have called in Alex for her advice on how to attract more business, but they're not prepared for a sceptical Hotel Inspector who demands that they drop the haunted theme and concentrate instead on 'history not mystery'...
8Godolphin Arms HotelAlex attempts to help turn around the fortunes of the Godolphin Arms Hotel in Newquay, Cornwall which has been run by Margaret Ashwood for the last 29 years.
9Walpole Bay RevisitedAlex Polizzi returns to the Walpole Bay Hotel, a family-run establishment in Margate, Kent, that was first featured on the programme in 2009. On her original visit, she criticised owner Jane Bishop for not giving her grown-up children enough of a say in the business - and was far from impressed with the collection of bizarre trinkets that decorated the hotel's corridors. Three years on, she returns to see if the Bishops have been able to stick to her guidelines, or if Jane's bad habits have returned.
10African Queen RevisitedAlex Polizzi returns to the African Queen, an eight-bedroom floating hotel on the River Thames, three years after she first tried to help owners Andy and Bonny Cowley revive its fortunes. The couple had previously run a successful hotel on the Isle of Wight, but their new venture was struggling to attract guests - a problem Alex attributed to some uninspiring marketing and the boat's far-from-shipshape appearance. A makeover and grand relaunch party seemed to mark a turning point in its fortunes, and Alex now finds out if Andy and Bonny have managed to keep up the good work.