Hotel Hell featured three seasons of the infamous yelling chef, Gordon Ramsay. Instead of insulting people for their incompetence in the kitchen, Gordon took his insults elsewhere: to some of the worst hotels in America.
The show features Gordon Ramsay visiting struggling hotels to help owners get their businesses into shape. Like guests, Ramsay deals with moldy rooms, offensively dirty rooms, terrible food, and god-awful service. With a mighty rage, Gordon gets hotel owners and to work. For some hotels, the fruits of his labor pay off but others are not as lucky. These are six hotels featured in Hotel Hell still open today and four that have closed.
Open: Roosevelt Inn
When Gordon Ramsay stepped foot in the Roosevelt Inn he could tell how outdated it was. The hotel also had an unpleasant smell to it, which is never a good sign. After meeting the owners, Ramsay discovered that they served guests low-quality frozen foods and often yelled at guests if they upset them. This was a huge no-no.
Ramsay implemented some minor changes that made a difference. He revamped the inn's menu to homestyle meals and renovated the hotel's ballroom, a great source of revenue for events. These changes have helped keep the hotel afloat and now guest reviews are glowing. Business improved so much that the hotel owners named a suite after Ramsay.
Open: Monticello Hotel
Monticello Hotel is one of the oldest buildings in Longview Washington. Owned by an alcoholic with a DUI charged, the hotel's business suffered until Gordon Ramsay stepped in. Gordon was unimpressed with the hotel's high prices, the terrible state of the rooms, and awful food. He got down to business and even pulled out a blacklight to show the owners how dirty the rooms were.
Overnight, Gordon completely renovated. He implemented room service and new menus. Today, the hotel remains open under new ownership, new staff, and has undergone a renovation.
Open: Anglers Lodge
Anglers Lodge is a family-run business hand-built by its very owners. located in Island Park, one of Idaho's prestigious fly fishing areas, the views from the lodge are stunning. On the outside, everything looks pristine but the inside is a different story. The hotel's rooms are dusty, the kitchen staff is unorganized, and the owners are overbearing and passionless.
To help spark the owner's passion, Gordon and his team stepped in, giving the lodge the makeover it deserved. When they finished, the rooms looked rustic complete with light, inviting colors. Gordon also created a new menu and taught the staff to cook food with care. As a result, the family's passion for hospitality was rebuilt and Anglers Lodge remains open.
Open: Beachfront Inn & Inlet
Who can go wrong with a beachside property? Apparently the owners of Beachfront Inn & Inlet can. On Hotel Hell, this beachy inn was a mess. Though situated on a beautiful Florida beach, the hotel struggled with terrible service, disgusting, and poorly cooked raw food. The rooms smelled damp, old, and musty and were decorated with 15-year-old furniture.
Gordon redesigned the rooms and created a smaller menu. Outside, Gordon utilized space to create a beach club for guests. Today, the hotel is doing well. The owners implemented a curfew for loud party-goers (one of their biggest complaints), bought new furniture, updated their menu, and landscaped the property.
Open: Landoll's Mohican Castle
The Mohican Castle is owned and operated by a mother and son duo. Though the castle grounds are serene, before Gordon's visit, work needed to be done. The castle was filled with dust and ancient-looking furniture. Inside the rooms, guests encountered loads of dead flies and cigarette buds.
In the kitchen, the owner, Jimmy cooked meals by googling recipes. With no formal training as a manager or chef, the meals and the service was sloppy. Gordon changed this by urging the owners to hire a head chef and showed them how to improve service. Since his visit, the hotel has undergone renovations and now has a new head chef, resulting in great reviews and bookings.
Open: Applegate River Lodge
Before appearing on Hotel Hell, the Applegate River Lodge needed help. Owned by a family that just couldn't get along, the hotel and its service was in shambles. With dirty rooms, bad customer service, and terrible reviews, it needed a miracle.
Gordon was horrified by the filthy rooms and the loud hotel bar. After this terrible experience, Gordon told the family they needed to clean up their act. To improve the hotel, Gordon gave the lobby and rooms a makeover. He also implemented an online booking system, an outdoor music area, and glamping accommodations. Today, the hotel remains open with mixed reviews.
Closed: Vienna Inn
The Vienna Inn was an Austrian themed hotel owned by a dysfunctional couple rumored to be swingers. The hotel was in awful shape and staff treated poorly.
When Gordon Ramsay stepped in, he could not believe his eyes. The hotel was cluttered with strange trinkets, creepy decor (taxidermied animals included), and tacky wallpaper. The kitchen served expired food including two-day-old chicken, and the service was unprofessional. Gordon tried to implement a makeover and online booking system but as soon as he left, the owners went back to their old ways. The hotel closed in 2017 due to a fire.
Closed: Juniper Hill Inn
This mess of a hotel was poorly managed by elitist snobs. Though the hotel and rooms were beautiful and filled with history, the hotel owners cluttered rooms with antiques and expensive paintings, their main attraction for guests (who they overcharged).
The hotel was so poorly managed, staff waited to receive paycheques for weeks and were underpaid. As soon as Gordon Ramsay saw how the hotel was run he was utterly disappointed. Still, Gordon did his due diligence and renovated the hotel's dining room. Afterward, there were some improvements but despite Gordon's efforts, the hotel went into debt and closed.
Closed: Cambridge Hotel
The 150-year-old Cambridge Hotel in New York was supposedly haunted by a girl named Alice. Though an interesting story, the hotel was run-down. The rooms were filled with dead bugs, dust, and were decorated with outdated furniture, old linen, and horrible wallpaper. The food served was not fresh, tasted awful, and was cold. The hotel's claim to fame, their pie a la mode (apple pie with ice cream), was also terrible.
To help the Cambridge Hotel, Gordon modernized rooms and replaced old sheets and towels. He even gave the kitchen staff his own pie a la mode recipe, which (of course) turned out to be a hit! The Cambridge Hotel foreclosed in 2012 and was turned into an assisted living home.
Closed: River Rock Inn
As soon as Gordon steps foot in the River Rock Inn, he sees that it is very dated. When taken up to his room, there are bugs and cockroaches everywhere and Gordon is forced to sleep in a sleeping bag for the night because of all the stains on his bedsheets.
During his stay, Gordon teaches the clueless hotel owner and staff how to run the inn. He also plays matchmaker and hands the very single and lonely hotel owner a woman's number before departing. Despite Gordon's visit, the River Rock Inn wasn't so rockin' after all. It closed in December 2014. The silver lining? It opened back up under the same owners with a new name, The Laurel Country Inn.