Hotel Hell - Season 1 Episode 3 - Recap - Cambridge Hotel

In the third episode of Hotel Hell Season 1, “Cambridge Hotel,” Gordon Ramsay pays a visit to Cambridge Hotel—which is located in Cambridge, NY. The owners of the hotel, John and Tina Imhof, are in an eye-popping $750,000 debt. This hotel (which was established in 1885) is supposedly haunted by a little girl named Alice.

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If you missed Episode 2, you can read my recap here.

John Imhof (an ex military owner) and his wife, Tina, are looking to save their marriage and their hotel, which is on the brink of disaster. This hotel—which is located just a few hours from Manhattan, NY—includes 3 floors, 16 bedrooms, and a restaurant. John and Tina have zero hospitality experience between the two of them.

I’m beginning to notice a trend here as the owners of Juniper Hill Inn didn’t have any hospitality experience either. It’s no wonder why these owners are having such difficulty with their businesses!

Tour of Cambridge Hotel:

The general manager at Cambridge Hotel—Brittany Thomas—gave Gordon Ramsay a tour of the hotel. I’ve compiled a small checklist for Cambridge Hotel:

• Lobby: Moderate - it looked quite old fashioned & tacky.... there was also a creepy sign by the reception desk called, “R.I.P. Cambridge Hotel.” General Manager, Brittany, mentioned that there is a little girl named Alice who died in the hotel (in 1913) when she was just 4 years old. Ramsay described Alice’s photograph as “something out of The Exorcist.”
• Stairwell & Wall: Freaky! - there were tons of creepy pictures hanging on the wall by the stairwell. Just thinking about those pictures is giving me the creeps *shudders.*
• Guest Rooms: Poor - there was a pole bar attached to the wall, just above the bed. “It’s not a sex thing, is it?”, asked Ramsay. The linen towels were horrible, and there were holes in the bed-sheet covers. The size of the top mattress didn’t match the size of the bottom base mattress.

In their first year as owners of the hotel, John & Tina lost $350,000. In their second year, they lost another $250,000. They lost a total of $600,000 in their first 24 months as owners of the Cambridge Hotel. Wow. The worst part about it is that they have been borrowing money from their respective parents as well as their adult children.

It’s Time for Lunch:

Head chef at the Cambridge Hotel, Rich Wilson, served Ramsay frozen, store-bought pork & beans. It was cold in the middle. Side Note: The chef at Juniper Hill Inn also served store-bought food.

The apple pie looked terrible. This was microwaved. The apples were definitely raw. The apple pie was soggy, undercooked, and soaking wet.

Here’s a surprising revelation: 2/3 of the official menu is store-bought food (i.e. canned, pre-packaged, not fresh).

The Staff get a Wake-Up Call:

Gordon Ramsay gathered all of the staff members into the common area. “There’s no f***ing ghost that is scaring the guests away. It’s you (John),” said Ramsay.

Ramsay invited guests (who have previously stayed at the hotel) to inform John & Tina about how they really feel about the hotel. The guests would NOT come back to the hotel. They mentioned that the towels were dirty, that the beds were severely uncomfortable, and that the front entrance to the hotel isn’t locked during closing hours.

The 3rd floor of the hotel is a forbidden area. John & Tina have put up a sign that said, “No Entry.” Not caring what the sign said, Ramsay entered the 3rd floor anyway. It was definitely creepy!!! There was a mannequin dressed in a red dress, staring out the window. Whomever’s idea it was to place the mannequin beside the window has a sick & horrid sense of humor. If I wanted to spend the night at the Cambridge Hotel, and saw something looking down at me through the window... I would definitely think twice about entering the hotel! O_O

General Manager, Brittany, Arranges a Dinner Party:

Scooter, a 19-year-old prep cook at the Cambridge Hotel, became passionate about cooking because he was unable to play sports due to his disabilities. He’s already had two heart and back surgeries. Gordon Ramsay took John to the 3rd floor, and told him to reflect on the past, present, and future state of the Cambridge Hotel. After Ramsay locked John inside one of the rooms, John had a revelation that he can’t keep letting his hotel fall apart.

Ramsay’s Interior Designers Re-Decorate Cambridge Hotel:

Ramsay’s team of interior designers have re-decorated the Cambridge Hotel.

The front entrance of the hotel now has a LOCK. The carpets in the bedrooms have been replaced with hardwood flooring. The designers have also added beautiful furniture to the rooms. They’ve also added $75,000 worth of brand-new linen.

Ramsay gave John & Tina his own home-made apple pie recipe. The designers have also added a “A La Mode” room, so that the guests could have a place to comfortably eat their apple pies!

Ramsay also offered to finance Scooter’s entire college education.

Unfortunately, the bank foreclosed on the Cambridge hotel, so John & Tina were forced to close it down in June 2012.

Scooter’s dream of running a bakery is still very much alive. He is currently attending a catering college—which is still funded by Gordon Ramsay.

The next episode airs Monday, 8/27, at 8pm ET on FOX. Tune in then!