A family-run B&B once described as “the worst place ever” has seen its fortunes reversed following the help of Channel 5’s Hotel Inspector.
Guests at Westward Ho! in Clifton Crescent, Folkestone, previously noted it had “strange odours and dampness” and more than half of reviews online described it as “terrible”.
It resulted in TV hotelier Alex Polizzi visiting the site six years ago in a bid to restore its reputation.
The episode featuring the 13-bed guest house overlooking The Leas aired for the first time on Channel 5 in June 2018.
During the show, viewers saw the departure of the hotel’s live-in managers following their strained relationship with owner Jon Huxley - who inherited the building from his mother.
But it also saw 52-year-old Mrs Polizzi give Mr Huxley advice about where to improve the hotel, plus some TLC in the form of refurbishing one of its family rooms.
However, in order to see whether her guidance about the “unloved hotel” had been truly noted Polizzi returned last year.
Her visit aired last night (May 30) for the first time in an episode of The Hotel Inspector Returns.
Upon arriving, she described the exterior of Westward Ho! as “considerably smarter” compared to her first visit.
Yet she explained the hotel was continuing to receive a number of mixed reviews from guests.
Some described it as featuring ”bad beds and bad breakfast”, while others labelled it as an “utter squalor” with its breakfast room “dirty”.
But owner Mr Huxley revealed the hotel’s occupancy has increased from 70-80% to 95%.
The solidity brought about by Mr Huxley’s daughter, Kimberley, being manager meant its almost “immaculate” family room was seeing the family rake in up to £145 per night when it had previously been as low as £20.
Mr Huxley added the hotel’s double-bed prices have been equally as strong at about £75.
The increased room rates have been helped by him purchasing The Portland Hotel in 2019 - a 10-bedroom B&B just 500 yards away in Langhorne Gardens.
It has meant the two hotels have turned over more than £500,000 in 2022 alone.
However, Kimberley admitted guests can be “disappointed with the breakfast offering” - something echoed by Polizzi who said it was still a “tired and underwhelming space”.
She also admitted the decor in some bedrooms could have been more impressive due to style errors concerning some of its desks and “office blinds”.
But Polizzi, who has presented The Hotel Inspector since it aired back in September 2005, acknowledged she was “not unhappy” and was “pretty impressed” in general with the hotel’s performance.
She said significant improvements to fixing the damp breakfast room and its subsequent smell has led to it now becoming a “functioning” space.
Her departing gift was to spend £300 on a range of kitchen accessories.
Polizzi explained adding new cotton tablecloth and grey-themed tableware added a modern “chic” to the breakfast room in a bid to “transform” it.
She also explained to Mr Huxley how it was wiser to ignore negative reviews about the hotel rather than reply to them.
It came after he was found to have sent one reply to a customer saying: “If you book here again you will be turned away”.
Yet Mr Huxley insisted he was “looking forward to putting her advice into practice”.
Meanwhile, the episode also included Mr Huxley’s third hospitality purchase last year - which KentOnline reviewed in March 2023.
He added The Windsor, directly next to The Portland, to his hotel ranks having bought it for just £200,000.
