The Grand Hotel, Hastings
Run by Peter Mann, a former civil servant, The Grand is a 17-bedroom hotel on the sea front at Hastings. Peter has owned the hotel for 20 years but a sudden onslaught of cheap, budget hotels coming in to Hastings has meant he’s started to lose trade. He calls on Ruth Watson to help him find a way to stand out in a crowded market, but their relationship isn’t always plain sailing. Before he’s even met her he claims that they’ll have trouble if she turns up as a combination of “Darth Vader, Genghis Kahn and Gordon Ramsay”.

Beech House, Reading
Beech House is a 15 bedroom hotel just outside the centre of Reading, owned by businessman Michael Bissell. A war baby, brought up in children’s homes around the country, Michael settled in Reading as a child before starting work at the age of 15. After decades of hard work he’s become a successful businessman, firstly running Beech House as a care home for the elderly, before deciding to opt for an easier life by transforming the home into a high quality hotel. He’s invested half a million pounds in the renovation but has failed to pull in the guests since opening. For the next couple of years things have gone from bad to worse and Michael has been forced to cash in his pension to keep the hotel afloat. Months from bankruptcy, he has called on Ruth Watson, The Hotel Inspector, to rescue him from the tide of bankruptcy that is heading his way.

Butley Priory, Suffolk
Butley Priory is a stone’s throw from Ruth’s own hotel in Suffolk. The six bedroom B&B is located in an amazing 14th century building, run by musician and former model, Frances Cavendish. Frances has opened her house up to paying guests to make ends meet since her divorce, but the business has never really taken off. The unpaid bills have mounted up, so Frances has called on her neighbour, Ruth Watson, to help her out of trouble.

The Safari, Bournemouth
Run by Vincent and Lidy Van Nuyk, The Safari is a themed 14-bedroom hotel in Bournemouth. The Dutch couple bought the hotel for an easy life after doctors told Vincent that life as a restaurateur was stressing him out. But The Safari is far from the tonic they hoped. The hotel has deteriorated in a spiral of debt and disrepair. With no money, the couple are forced to live in terrible conditions in just one room. Unable to afford staff, they’ve done everything themselves, from cleaning to DIY, but the situation has become so bad, they can’t see a way out. Desperate times have led them to seek Ruth Watson’s help.

Haven Hotel, Great Yarmouth
The Haven is a nine bedroom guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, run by Elly Koopman and Rob Farrow. The couple have owned the hotel for a mere four months before they calling on Ruth for help, but they have failed to realise what they were getting into and desperately need a crash course in running a hotel if they are to survive their first year. Ruth arrives and discovers that they are keen and ambitious but they don’t know the basics. Elly is determined that Haven should be the first guesthouse in Yarmouth with a Five Star rating but Ruth wants to manage her expectations and aim for a more rational three or four stars. Ruth feels that the work they’ve done is heading in the right direction, but that they desperately need to speed up if they are going to survive the season.

Weyanoke, Eastbourne
With 30 bedrooms, The Weyanoke in Eastbourne is the largest hotel that Ruth tackles in this series. Run by Mark and Heidi Cowderoy, Ruth nicknames the hotel “The Push Me Pull You” because it’s heading in two different directions. For the past four years, Heidi and Mark have been running The Weyanoke with coach loads of OAP’s for guests. Sadly, the coach trade is dying out and only pays hoteliers a pittance, so Mark and Heidi have decided to update their rooms to attract a younger, more affluent clientele. After spending nearly £1 million on refurbishments, they’ve only completed ten rooms and have run out of cash. They’re too scared to stop booking in coaches but feel heartbroken when they have to give away their million pound rooms for £20 a night.

St Alfeges, Greenwich
If Weyanoke is the biggest hotel in the series, then St Alfeges B&B in Greenwich is the smallest with just three bedrooms. Proprietor Robert Gray started the B&B several years ago to help him keep busy and make money between acting jobs. A former antique dealer, Robert’s house is full of unusual art and objects. His bedrooms are decorated with artistic flair and his personality and wit is largely displayed throughout the house.. However, Ruth is troubled by the B&B’s website, which announces St Alfeges as “A cheap gay B&B in central London”, something she feels gives off the wrong message. But the biggest problem of all is the smell she meets when opening one of the shower doors – it’s enough to make her feel physically sick.

Woodlands Lodge Hotel, New Forest
Woodlands Lodge Hotel is a beautiful 16th century building set in the countryside of the New Forest, owned by David and Jenny Norbury and managed by John Harper. Despite its peaceful location, the hotel isn’t doing well and has recently lost its AA Rosette for dining. In addition, the founder of the immensely successful chain, Hotel du Vin, has just bought the hotel next door, a testing time for Woodlands. Ruth arrives at Woodlands Hotel and is immediately put off by its florid, 80’s French country house style, complete with floral curtains and wallpaper, even on the ceilings. With some rooms costing more than £200 a night, she’s expecting higher levels of style and luxury, but her stay reveals that the bathrooms are as outdated as the décor. The problems extend to the kitchen – the hotel had recently lost its AA rosette and its head chef. His replacement has barely had time to get his knives out and is stuck with his predecessor’s menu. With big competition moving in next door, they’ve a lot of work ahead to do to keep up.