The Hotel Inspector

For other uses, see Hotel Inspector (disambiguation).

The Hotel Inspector
Title card from series 4-8
Format	Documentary
Starring	Ruth Watson (Series 1–3) Alex Polizzi (Series 4–8)
Narrated by	Mark Halliley
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of episodes	48 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	46 min
Broadcast
Original channel	Channel 5
Original run	29 September 2005 (2005-09-29) – present
External links
Website

The Hotel Inspector is an observational documentary television series which airs on British terrestrial television station, Channel 5. The series is also broadcast by networks around the world.

In each episode a celebrated hotelier (Ruth Watson in series 1–3; Alex Polizzi in series 4–8) visits a struggling British hotel and tries to turn their fortunes by giving advice and suggestions to the owner.

Summary

The series premièred in autumn 2005 and was an instant ratings hit, the show attracted 2.5 million viewers at its peak and this prompted Five to commission another series. The second series aired in summer 2006 and this was followed by a third series in autumn 2007. The show won a Royal Television Society Award in November 2006.

Beginning with the third series, an additional complementary series, "The Hotel Inspector: Unseen" ran on Fiver (now 5*), one of Five'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 Five's most watched shows. Watson has subsequently signed an exclusive contract with Channel 4 and fronts shows such as Country House Rescue and Ruth Watson's Hotel Rescue (which is similar in format to The Hotel Inspector).

Hotelier Alex Polizzi, niece of Sir Rocco Forte, took over as The Hotel Inspector for the show's fourth series. Alex announced in The Telegraph in July 2011 that series 8 would be her last. Channel 5 are now seeking a replacement.

Episodes

Main article: List of The Hotel Inspector 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 Spring 2010, The Business Inspector was broadcast, starring Hilary Devey, who advised struggling small businesses on how to become successful. In Summer 2011, The Restaurant Inspector was broadcast, starring Fernando Peire, who advised struggling restaurants on how to achieve higher profits.

External links

• The Hotel Inspector at channel5.com
• The Hotel Inspector: Revisited at channel5.com
• The Hotel Inspector at the Internet Movie Database