The Hotel Inspector
| The Hotel Inspector | |
|---|---|
 Title card from Series 4 onwards | |
| Starring |
Ruth Watson (2005–07) Alex Polizzi (2008—) |
| Narrated by |
Richard Vranch (2005) Mark Halliley (2006—) |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 11 regular + 4 returns |
| No. of episodes | 98 (as of 8 September 2015) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes (inc. adverts) |
| Production company(s) | Twofour |
| Release | |
| Original network | Channel 5 |
| Original release | 29 September 2005 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows |
The Business Inspector The Restaurant Inspector |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The Hotel Inspector is an observational documentary television series which is broadcast on the British terrestrial television station, Channel 5, and by other networks around the world.
Since 2008, each episode sees celebrated hotelier and businesswoman Alex Polizzi visit a struggling British hotel and try to turn its fortunes by giving advice and suggestions to the owner. Between 2005 and 2008, Ruth Watson was featured in this role.
Summary
The series began in late September 2005 and was an instant ratings hit; the show attracted 2.5 million viewers at its peak and this prompted Channel 5 to commission another series. The second series was broadcast in July 2006, followed by a third series in September 2007. The show won a Royal Television Society Award in November 2006.
Accompanied with the third series, an additional complementary series, The Hotel Inspector: Unseen ran on Fiver (now 5*), one of Channel 5's digital channels, immediately after the main show. It showed unseen footage, including video diaries shot by the hoteliers, revealing their reactions to the inspector's opinions.
After three series of The Hotel Inspector, Ruth Watson left a message on her website stating that she would not be filming another series, despite being one of the channel's most watched shows. Watson subsequently signed an exclusive contract with Channel 4 and fronted shows such as Country House Rescue and Ruth Watson's Hotel Rescue (which is similar in format to The Hotel Inspector).[1]
Hotelier and businesswoman Alex Polizzi, the niece of Sir Rocco Forte, took over as The Hotel Inspector for the show's fourth series, and has remained in this role since. Polizzi has also hosted three other series: the first in which she inspects and improves failing family businesses (BBC Two's The Fixer), a second in which she explores her ancestral Italy (Secret Italy), and a third in which she auditions head chefs for various hotels and restaurants (Chefs on Trial).
A twelfth series of the show has been commissioned. One of the hotels that will feature in Series 12 will be the Edwardian Hotel in Blackpool.[2]
Episodes
Spin-offs
The format of the The Hotel Inspector has since been used twice for other series for Channel 5, both of which recreate the concept of an expert visiting and suggesting improvements for failing commercial ventures. In March 2010, The Business Inspector was broadcast, starring Hilary Devey, who advised struggling small businesses on how to become successful. In June 2011, The Restaurant Inspector was broadcast, starring Fernando Peire, who advised struggling restaurants on how to achieve higher profits, with a second series which broadcast in 2012.
References
- ↑ Dowell, Ben (28 November 2007). "Watson checks in to Channel 4". theguardian.com. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ↑ Miller, Julie. "Channel 5 commissions Twofour to produce Alex Polizzi’s Italian Islands & The Hotel Inspector". Channel 5. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
External links
- The Hotel Inspector at channel5.com
- The Hotel Inspector: Revisited at channel5.com
- The Hotel Inspector at the Internet Movie Database