Hotel Hell - Season 1 Episode 2 - Recap - Juniper Hill Inn, Part 2
In the second episode of Hotel Hell Season 1, “Juniper Hill Inn, Part 2,” the owners of the hotel—Robert and Ari—receive a much needed wake-up call. Gordon Ramsay’s team of interior designers re-decorate Juniper Hill Inn, Robert & Ari learn to treat their staff as equals, and the hard-working employees are finally paid at the end of the episode.
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Last night, we learned that Juniper Hill Inn—which is located in Windsor, Vermont—is seriously bleeding money (at an astounding $200,000 a year). At first impression, the hotel didn’t look very welcoming or homely. The common area/lobby looked more like an art museum. Robert and his partner, Ari, have definitely alienated themselves from the rest of the town because they feel “superior” to just about everybody else.
During last night’s episode and the first half of tonight’s episode, I wondered WHY Robert and Ari pursued a career in the hospitality business.... because they just didn’t seem all that friendly, relatable, or approachable. Robert and Ari’s communication with their hard-working staff was virtually non-existent... which explains why the employees haven’t been receiving their paychecks on time.The Staff Reveal More Secrets:
The Estate Manager at Juniper Hill Inn—Ryan Rediker—revealed more shocking secrets to Gordon Ramsay. Robert & Ari have a slew of friends over the hotel... but here’s the twist: THEY STAY FOR FREE.Frustrated with Robert’s shady biz, Ryan says to Ramsay, “Robert walks around like he’s a king, and everybody else are a bunch of hicks.”
Juniper Hill Inn is losing $15-20,000 a month because Robert & Ari let their friends stay at the hotel for free. In November & December of 2011, 49 rooms were given out for free.... and their friends didn’t even pay for the meals.The First Confrontation with Robert:
Ramsay confronts Robert in his motor-coach (an RV). Ramsay told Robert that “he hasn’t got the balls to call his friends and ask them for tips.” In an effort to prove Ramsay wrong, Robert calls one of his friends (who stayed at the hotel in November & December)... but this phone-call backfired on him. Robert was caught in a lie. His friend said on the phone, “Well, I left the money (tip) with you!”This phone-call was all the proof Ramsay needed to know that Robert has been stealing his staff’s tip money. Then, Robert uses the worst psychology ever by stating that he had been “taking their tips to motivate them to work harder.” Um.... WOW! That makes no sense to me. At all.
Ramsay becomes too frustrated and angry with Robert that he exits the motor-coach.The Second Confrontation with Robert:
Ramsay goes back to the motor-coach to confront Robert for the second time. He lets Robert know that he didn’t come back for him, but he came back for the sake of the employees. Ramsay wanted to know how much the antiques, oil paintings, and silverware—which are stored in the basement—are worth. Robert guesstimates that his belongings are worth $300,000.Meeting with an Auctioneer:
Ramsay invites a head auctioneer, Amy, to look over the junk. It turns out that most of the belongings are in poor condition, and some of them aren’t even originals—they’re just copies of the originals. Amy mentions that all this junk will only be worth $25,000. So, Ramsay’s “Plan B” (for getting an influx of cash) won’t be happening. Ramsay lets Robert know that, “I don’t think you realize that you’re staff is miserable. They don’t like Ari’s barking, you bitching. It’s not a nice atmosphere for the staff, currently. They’re not pigs that live in the basement.”Previous Guests Give Robert & Ari a Wake-Up Call:
Previous guests who have stayed at the hotel reveal their true feelings about Juniper Hill Inn.None of the paying customers would come back to the hotel because it doesn’t include basic necessities such as, friendly greetings (i.e. hello, goodbye) or a check-in area.
Robert has a revelation, and is truly sorry for the way he’s been acting for the last few years. Ari, on the other hand, is stone-faced cold. Ari isn’t much of a people person. He’s very bitter.The Old Switcheroo:
Ramsay asked the head chef at Juniper Hill Inn, Giulian, to cook two separate piles of food: one pile from Robert’s menu (more expensive), and one pile from Giulian’s own, creative imagination (more affordable). Here’s the twist: Ramsay tells a white lie to Robert. Even though Giulian cooked all of the food, Ramsay tells Robert that “he cooked the more affordable food”, while “Giulian cooked the more expensive food.” After Robert tastes both dishes, he mentions that he likes Ramsay’s dish better. Ramsay tells Robert that Giulian was the one who cooked both dishes.Robert has another epiphany. He feels regret over treating Giulian so poorly. He quickly apologizes to Giulian saying, “I’m willing to do everything I can to make this work.”
Later in the episode, Robert gathers all of his staff members into the common area. He gives a sincere apology, “Sorry for your paychecks being late, sorry for taking your tips, sorry for not communicating.” His staff quickly forgave him.New and Improved Juniper Hill Inn:
Gordon Ramsay’s team of interior designers have edited the hotel. The ugly, tacky bar from the common area/lobby is gone. Instead, Ramsay’s team created a brand new “blue bar.” This bar is located in its individual room for the purposes of becoming a local communal attraction. The hideous sofas from the dining room have been replaced with dining chairs. Also, Ramsay’s team has added simple signs such as, “Reception Desk,” “Bedrooms,” and “Blue Bar” to the hotel.The most important factor is that the plumbing issue has been taken care of! Let’s be real... nobody wants to sleep in a place that smells worse than a skunk.
The meal prices have been drastically lowered, and the bedrooms no longer cost a fortune. Everything is more affordable now.
Robert & Ari pay their staff! Hooray!
At the end of the episode, Gordon Ramsay rewards Robert with a “Diamond Collection Award” for the new and improved Juniper Hill Inn.
Overall, I’m glad Robert and Ari had a revelation. They finally realized the severity of their hotel situation. I hope they continue to surround themselves with positivity, and I really hope that they will continue to pay their staff on time.
I love happy endings.
The next episode airs Monday, 8/20, at 8pm ET on FOX. I can’t wait to watch it!