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00:00I've been a hotelier for over three decades.
00:04Please remember at all times that you're representatives of the hotel.
00:08And I know just how tough this profession can be.
00:11It's 24-7. We're just exhausted.
00:13But not once in all my years...
00:16Oh, my dear. God.
00:17...have I seen so many businesses...
00:20Everything I've earned has gone into this place.
00:22...and owners closer to the point of collapse.
00:25You are fired.
00:26It's too much.
00:28Sorry.
00:30So I'm back.
00:31Here to help rescue these flailing businesses.
00:34Can you put your belly away?
00:36It really looks like you just don't care.
00:39From hotel newbies...
00:40It's absolutely terrifying.
00:41...to traditional seaside B&Bs...
00:44On the beach like Pamela Anderson.
00:46...and village pubs.
00:48Sleeping under a pie may be a step too far for me.
00:51I wish I sensed humour.
00:52It's not my idea of fun.
00:55And I'm up against the clock...
00:57Feeling very anxious.
00:58...because they're all on the edge.
01:00Very critical situation financially.
01:03I don't like failing.
01:04I'll be rolling my sleeves up...
01:06...and getting stuck in.
01:08That's closer to nature than I've been in a while.
01:11...delivering some tough love.
01:12It's a tip for me.
01:14I don't know which bit I hate most.
01:15I'm sorry to be hurtful.
01:17I mean hello.
01:19To help these hospitality owners on the right path.
01:23I don't have any way to put a pair of knickers...
01:25...but I've got a recycling bin.
01:26...before it's too late.
01:28How are bookings?
01:29Empty.
01:34Why would you do that?
01:36This time...
01:36I don't think you're a brilliant hotelier.
01:38Yeah.
01:38Yeah, I know you do.
01:39I answer an SOS from an eccentric entrepreneur.
01:43I'll put the towels on the towel rail...
01:46...where they belong.
01:47...with a penchant for the quirky.
01:50Steepunk moon my arse.
01:51Whose boutique hotel...
01:53Shall we see the view?
01:55I mean, never have I ever.
01:58This is not acceptable.
01:59...leaves a lot to be desired.
02:01Surely even the gangs of New York...
02:04...had to put their knickers somewhere.
02:09The love of my life is this house.
02:12In the heart of the West Midlands stands Old Hall House.
02:16A ten-bedroom hotel.
02:18This is all made out of snooker legs...
02:21...and you don't see many six-poster beds, do you, like that?
02:24Owned by eccentric father of two 60-year-old Stephen.
02:29When you look up in heaven...
02:30...that's me and my daughters when we're flying around.
02:34You've got to try things.
02:36You can have a bit of fun.
02:37That's what I've done.
02:38Or a poster bed with guns.
02:40It's a boutique hotel.
02:41That's what I like to call it.
02:44This is a baggage room.
02:48All made of baggage.
02:50We don't want to be hauling, do we?
02:52But it's not earning its keep.
02:56We've got no-one in the house.
02:58Well, okay, scary.
03:00It means an awful lot to him.
03:02Because we were there as a family.
03:05He wants it to work.
03:07It was my personal home and my children as well.
03:11And we had a lovely time here.
03:13Bought from years of hard graft.
03:16I was working on the turf with my dad and DJing at night,
03:20trying to earn as much as I can to put together.
03:22I was DJing seven nights a week sometimes.
03:25And kids' parties in the day and weddings.
03:27It was just mad.
03:28There's the picture of when we bought it.
03:302001.
03:31Derelict farm.
03:33The house came with 160 acres.
03:36It was like having an off-the-scale playground.
03:40And I loved to invite my friends back here.
03:43It was absolutely amazing.
03:45Which Stephen developed into a successful events and conference centre.
03:49And just grew and grew.
03:51With a restaurant and themed bar.
03:54Look there's me knocking.
03:56Trying to get in.
03:58Providing jobs for 45 members of staff.
04:02I've done 12 breakfasts.
04:04Including his daughters Frankie and Georgie.
04:07Can you manage?
04:08Do you want me to help you?
04:09No thanks.
04:11All this he created despite enduring a hidden impediment.
04:16Do I really want to tell everybody I'm a literate?
04:18I don't go around telling everybody.
04:21Not writing or reading.
04:23I've learned to live with it.
04:25And that brings other strengths out in other ways.
04:27My determination is massive.
04:30That's all we're going to do now is find a driver.
04:31That's it.
04:32He'll say I have to be me again.
04:35This is his baby.
04:36He's here all day, all night.
04:39He lives on site.
04:41It's all he thinks about from the minute he wakes up.
04:44Holidays.
04:45I don't know what that word means.
04:47But Stephen's tenacity came at a price.
04:51When in 2003, he separated from the mother of his daughters.
04:56And two years later, the family home became a hotel.
05:00But 20 years on, and the hotel's failing to make a profit.
05:05It's not just bricks and mortar to us.
05:07It's more.
05:09My dad would be devastated if the old hall house didn't succeed.
05:13I think we all would.
05:19I'm heading for an establishment that calls itself a boutique country house hotel.
05:25Which already makes my hackles rise.
05:28Because it immediately makes me suspect that all is not quite as boutique as it sounds.
05:35As I have yet to find a boutique hotel that describes itself as such.
05:41Maybe my dread is misplaced.
05:43Maybe for once I am going to a truly boutique hotel.
05:47I have arrived, apparently.
05:50My initial sense of dread was probably justified.
05:58Gosh.
05:59This looks as far from a boutique country hotel than I could ever have imagined.
06:05This is enormous.
06:07In fact, where is it?
06:10There's nothing to say there's a hotel here.
06:12But I did see a sign for reception.
06:14I'll head that way.
06:19She's coming up the office.
06:20Yeah, I know.
06:21You need to sit down quickly.
06:22Oh, God.
06:32I've never seen a reception like this before.
06:35Do I dare ring the bell?
06:38Who's that?
06:42Hello.
06:43Hello.
06:43I'm Alex.
06:45Lovely to see you.
06:47Thanks for coming along.
06:48Hello.
06:48Nice to meet you.
06:48To my daughter, Frankie.
06:49Hello.
06:50Lovely to meet you.
06:51What is this place?
06:53Well, I'd like to think it is a boutique hotel.
06:56Boutique means small, doesn't it?
06:58Well, boutique means a lot of things.
07:01But boutique hotel represents top-end, luxury, and usually includes a formal reception.
07:08And this seems anything but.
07:10Am I likely to find lots of this?
07:14You might find a little bit.
07:16Quirky little bits that I've done that I can't help doing.
07:19Well, I better have a closer look at what he can't help doing.
07:24It's a very funny way to check into a hotel.
07:27That's fine.
07:28It's not terribly glamorous.
07:31Ah, so this is the hotel.
07:37Nice building.
07:40Yeah, 16th century farmhouse.
07:43Mentioned in the Doomsday Book.
07:45Really?
07:45Yes.
07:46Of course.
07:47I just hope it's as aesthetically pleasing on the inside.
07:52Okay, come through.
07:53We're in room 10.
07:54This is the special one I've got for you.
07:57What do you think?
08:03A little bit different.
08:07Ross, do you design all the rooms yourself?
08:10Well, they're not designed.
08:11They kind of evolve.
08:14How much is this room a night?
08:17200 pounds a night.
08:19Including breakfast?
08:21Yes.
08:22And when we stay in the picky barn, we get a free hat.
08:27Can I look around?
08:28Well, I'll leave you the key.
08:29Alright, thank you.
08:30Okay.
08:32I want Alex to give me some advice how I can get more occupancy
08:37so it works consistently, so I can employ all the people
08:41and pay all the bills and have a bit left over for myself as well
08:45because that's the whole point of doing all this.
08:47She might come up with some cracking results.
08:50Not mad keen on these.
08:56That's cast a veil.
09:00If that's in the wardrobe, what could be lurking under the bed?
09:04I mean, it's not my idea of fun.
09:07I mean, he's obviously someone who likes his jokes and he likes his humour.
09:12I think it's less funny than he might think.
09:18Down the corridor, the theming continues.
09:22I'm guessing this is the snooker room.
09:28And it's just kind of like, why?
09:30Then you've got kind of this horrible settee and gold brocade.
09:37It all looks extremely uncomfortable and very ill thought out.
09:45I'm beginning to get irritated and I've only seen two of the rooms.
09:50So I'll set one exceptional.
09:57Why would you do that?
09:59It's just so stupid and juvenile.
10:03The hotel is split across three floors,
10:06with themed rooms all on the lower two floors.
10:09This one is apparently the steampunk room.
10:13As offensive as I find this.
10:15What the hell is it doing next to this?
10:20It's badly conceived and badly executed.
10:23He's falsely advertised this as a boutique country house hotel.
10:27And actually, it's starting to make me really cross.
10:32So we see the view.
10:37I mean, never have I ever.
10:43Pillows, z-beds, linen, and...
10:47This is not acceptable.
10:50Steampunk room in my arse.
11:04Right, tell me about this weekend.
11:06Members of the public are not booking the weekends up.
11:09I've answered an SOS from 60-year-old entrepreneur Stephen.
11:14Scary times.
11:15Whose boutique country house hotel in Coventry
11:18is more hammer house of horrors.
11:21I mean, I'm glad it's not in my room,
11:22because I wouldn't close eyes all night.
11:27So far, I've seen four of the ten rooms.
11:30This whole experience is getting strained by the second.
11:34And I've been told that the honeymoon suite is upstairs.
11:38Oh, my God.
11:44It's brown, which is not ideal for honeymoon suite.
11:48You can't open any of the cupboards,
11:50because the bedside table's in front of it.
11:53It's like this was designed by someone
11:55who's never stayed in a bedroom.
11:59Ah, the blue light of love.
12:02It's not functional, for one thing,
12:04but it's also in no way romantic.
12:07The thought that he's trying to flog this
12:09as the honeymoon suite is horrendous.
12:12The man has two daughters.
12:14I challenge them to come and spend their wedding nights here.
12:26Why would you put a jacuzzi in a bathroom like this?
12:30I mean, start off by redoing the tiling.
12:32The blinds, the awful, disgusting grouting
12:36in the shower, the ceiling, unremitting misery.
12:45Having had a snoop around the so-called Boutique Country House Hotel,
12:49I want to discuss my findings with Stephen,
12:52if I can find him somewhere in this enormous establishment.
12:57What else would I expect in the cave bar but a caveman?
13:01Welcome to my little cave.
13:03Do you get paid extra for this?
13:05I would just do it because I love it.
13:08This is like Stephenland.
13:11The only thing I'm here to comment on is the hotel.
13:14So I'm going to focus on that.
13:16I love the bar.
13:17You look very handsome in your caveman outfit.
13:20But we have to sit down and talk properly about the hotel.
13:25Yeah?
13:25Yeah, yeah.
13:27From what I understand, the public bar and restaurant,
13:32700-seater conference centre,
13:36wedding and events marquee,
13:37and the 16 glamping pods are all money makers.
13:41So this is the bit you're good at?
13:43Yeah.
13:44My goodness.
13:45It's an empire you've created.
13:47But, you know, you feel really responsible for all your employees.
13:52Yeah.
13:52With 45 now...
13:54Gosh.
13:55..it's quite a lot of pressure on you that you've got to keep all this going
13:58so they can all live their lives as well.
14:02Which makes me even more determined
14:04to ensure that the hotel can bring in the money too.
14:07So, the accommodation's the bit that you're not making your profit on.
14:12Do you know what your occupancy is annually?
14:1523%, which is low.
14:18Scarily low.
14:20An annual occupancy of 23% means Stephen is losing money every single day.
14:27So 50% probably is breakeven and 60% is making money.
14:31Right, yeah.
14:32By my calculations, if you sold all the rooms,
14:36let's say 60% occupancy,
14:39that would turn over 275 grand.
14:43So I think you kind of ignore it at your peril.
14:46Okay.
14:47You advertise it as a boutique country house hotel
14:50and what you find when you're on site,
14:51there's a slight disconnect.
14:54If you go into that steampunk room and you open the curtain
14:57and you see into the...
14:59Yeah, yeah, yeah.
15:00...the **** hole where there's all the pillows and the linen
15:02and the half of bed and the...
15:04I mean, it feels like no one really loves it.
15:07You know, Granny's spare room.
15:09Did you see Granny?
15:11I didn't like Granny.
15:12Didn't you?
15:13No.
15:15That hole was there.
15:16I didn't build that hole.
15:17No.
15:17That hole was there.
15:18But you didn't have to shove a...
15:20Well, what else would you put in it then?
15:21You've asked me to help you improve your accommodation.
15:23Yeah, okay, I'll get that.
15:24So I'll listen to that.
15:25And I'm giving you my advice.
15:27Yeah, and I'll...
15:27My point is that I think it's a confused offering.
15:32Who's in charge of the hotel?
15:34It feels like you've got a daughter doing a really good job on Christmas.
15:38Like...
15:39You've obviously got a daughter doing rather well in the kitchen.
15:43Who's in charge of the accommodation?
15:45Nobody, really.
15:47It does kind of look after itself.
15:50Why?
15:51Because I've got...
15:52You know, it's not the most valuable...
15:54It does need a bit of what I'd call passion putting back into it.
15:59Yeah.
16:00Well, I assume that's why I'm here.
16:01Exactly.
16:02That's why I thought, who's the passionate person I could find?
16:05I'm definitely passionate.
16:06And you popped up, so here we are.
16:08I'm definitely passionate.
16:09I'm really passionate about accommodation.
16:12And rooms should be a really profitable part of your business
16:15because the costs are so low, apart from linen and keeping them clean.
16:20Those rooms should be filled every single night of the week.
16:23No, I get it.
16:25It's empty.
16:27I don't think you're a brilliant hotelier.
16:29Yeah.
16:29Let me give you...
16:30I'm going to give you some advice and then whether you take it or not, it's up to you.
16:33Okay.
16:35It's been a little bit more fiery than I thought, but she wants to get a point across that,
16:40you know, you haven't got it right in the hotel.
16:43And I haven't, and I admit that.
16:54Make a cup of tea then.
16:58Well, I hope she slept well.
17:05The mattress in this bed is super comfortable, but to my shock and horror, there is no mattress protector on
17:13this bed.
17:14No shower mat, nowhere to put a wash bag down.
17:18Surely even the gangs of New York had to put their knickers somewhere.
17:24No blinds on the windows, nothing.
17:27So I'm exposed to the public view at all times, which made getting ready this morning quite interesting.
17:32For my £200 night stay, breakfast is included at the restaurant on site.
17:39But for the life of me, I can't find a menu in the room to tell me what's on offer,
17:43so I'll have to take my chances.
17:46Good morning. How are you?
17:48I'm very well, thank you.
17:50Is it possible to have eggs royale, but without the muffin?
17:54Not a problem at all.
17:55Perfect.
17:58I hate cooking poached eggs.
18:00They never go well for me.
18:01Actually, I quite like the restaurant.
18:04You know, I'm not going to change the man's taste.
18:06All I'm here to do is try and improve his hotel.
18:13Thank you so much.
18:16I can't understand why an entrepreneur like Steven
18:21isn't advertising the restaurant in the rooms with at least a menu.
18:25Things just don't add up.
18:27Hi, morning.
18:29Hello, ladies.
18:30Hello.
18:31Maybe Steven's daughters Frankie and Georgie can enlighten me.
18:36I want some gossip.
18:38What is your dad like to work with?
18:41He's fun.
18:42Yeah, he's fun.
18:43Yeah.
18:43He's absolutely crazy.
18:47But it's just him as a person.
18:49And if he didn't come up with the ideas, it wouldn't be here.
18:52We wouldn't be here.
18:53I'd like to hear from you what you think the issues are in the accommodation as it is.
18:57Well, it needs updating and it needs to look after and there's no one looking after it ever.
19:04Yeah.
19:34Maybe.
19:34Maybe.
19:35Maybe.
19:36Well, yeah.
19:37Or just a house.
19:38Because it's not really a hotel, is it?
19:40There's no porter.
19:42There's no real reception.
19:43Yes.
19:44Yes.
19:45Housekeeping seems to happen as and when they kind of, you know, feel like it.
19:49Yeah.
19:49So I think, possibly, we've got to reduce people's expectations and improve the product.
19:55Do you think that that's a fair assessment?
19:57Yeah.
19:58Yeah?
20:00Despite leaving school with no qualifications, Stephen has clearly worked his socks off to
20:06build this business and he is desperate to ensure all his staff, particularly his daughters,
20:12have security.
20:13And with a staffing bill of two million pounds a year, every single element of his operation
20:19must be profitable, including the accommodation.
20:22So, it's up to me to put Stephen on the right hotelier path.
20:27I'm not trying to ruin your fun, okay?
20:30I promise.
20:30Because, obviously, it's really important to you, but what's important to me is making
20:34this a functioning place.
20:36I don't want Stephen to lose his themed rooms, but they do need to be comfortable and practical.
20:42Donny, I'm on the ground floor getting dressed.
20:45Do you not think that you need something to protect your modesty?
20:49Possibly.
20:50Like a half-blind, at least.
20:52You know, you are quite exposed here, does it not?
20:55I suppose if you're stood here naked, yeah, you could see everything.
20:59Yeah.
20:59But also, when you go into a bathroom, where do you put a wash bag down?
21:04What's a wash bag?
21:05Well, when you go away...
21:06Oh, you mean that...
21:07Do you take a toothbrush?
21:09Yeah, yeah, that's a wash bag, is it?
21:10Yeah.
21:10Okay, I missed it.
21:11I forgot.
21:11This showman has concentrated so much on his gimmicks, he's missed the basics.
21:17Actually, I like this room more than any of the other rooms.
21:20Apart from the mannequin in the wardrobe, which I feel no need for at all.
21:25Shall we go upstairs?
21:26Come on, then.
21:27Some of this really awful modern art.
21:30Oh, my little cherubs.
21:31It was just a laugh.
21:33Come with me.
21:35If there's one room that needs not just a makeover but a rebrand, it's the downright depressing honeymoon suite.
21:43You call it a honeymoon suite, it has brown walls.
21:48Brown walls.
21:49Brown walls.
21:49I mean, would you enjoy to have your wedding night in this fine room?
21:53I've never found the right lady to ask.
21:56The bathroom.
21:58It's a bit depressing, isn't it?
21:59Yeah, I haven't been up here for a while.
22:02I rest my case.
22:05I've left it alone a bit too long, so I need to get my finger on the pulse and get
22:09it back.
22:15Cold.
22:15Rugging up.
22:17I'm ready.
22:17Let's go.
22:18Stephen's empire is enormous, and I spent last night pondering on how the hotel could integrate more into it rather
22:26than being the afterthought.
22:28Little gap. Let's go through here.
22:30I've asked Stephen to show me what specific activities he runs here.
22:34We do lots of things in here, segways, axe throwing down there, archery, laser clay, and 2-2 rifles.
22:44In this age of social media and sustainability, experiences given as gifts have become big business.
22:52And the tour has sparked an idea.
22:57Milk, dear?
22:58Please.
22:59Say when.
23:00That's it.
23:03Right.
23:04I'm sure that we can fill your accommodation by selling it as a package that includes dinner in your restaurant,
23:11breakfast, and a combination of maybe three activities for small groups to better market what you've got.
23:19You've just pointed out mainly the bleeding obvious, but, you know, sorry.
23:24It is.
23:24It's obvious.
23:25It is the bleeding obvious, but then why didn't you bloody notice it?
23:29Yeah.
23:31After today, I won't return for a month, so I want to ensure Stephen's central focus in my absence is
23:38the accommodation.
23:39I would like you to promise me.
23:42Here we go.
23:45Not eternal, undying devotion, but I've seen what you've achieved here. Just need you to turn your gaze with your
23:51guise, with enthusiasm.
23:54Yeah, I've got plenty of that, yeah. I can do that.
23:56Yeah?
23:56Yeah.
23:57Yeah.
23:59Now, your girls told me that you used to have a nice woman called Barbara, who used to look after
24:04it, and she retired.
24:05Yeah, long time ago, yeah.
24:06And since she's gone, it's been nobody's responsibility.
24:12No, it hasn't really, I suppose. It's cleaned and changed the sheets, but that's it really, I suppose.
24:18But darling, I'm sure you'll agree with me. Someone needs to make sure that everything's done to your standards.
24:24So you need to think about who's going to be in charge, yeah?
24:27Have I got to remember all this?
24:29I'm sure I can send you an email.
24:31Can you?
24:31Yeah.
24:33I'm a big believer in under-promising and over-delivering.
24:37So I think we need to dial down the boutique country house hotel thing.
24:41So how would you do that?
24:43Well, I think by not calling it a hotel.
24:45Well, I don't agree about calling it a house, because a house is where you live.
24:49Well, you're calling it Old Hall House Hotel. I mean, what we also have to make sure that you have
24:55in every room is the breakfast menu, the dinner menu.
24:59You know, let's sell the two products to each other.
25:01They're there in the kitchen. I've seen them. No one's updated them or put them in.
25:05That's because no one's responsible for it.
25:07Yeah.
25:08Then let's do one room, so you can see that it can be really nice guest accommodation, and be practical,
25:15and still retain an element of fun that you like.
25:18Excellent idea.
25:20Yeah?
25:20Yeah.
25:21Well done.
25:23I've got something I said I'd promise you. It's your own hat. See if it fits.
25:30They are gorgeous. Look at that. Perfect. Thank you for all your help.
25:36The challenge for him is to refocus his attention. Otherwise, it's always going to be the bit of a business
25:41that drags the rest back.
25:53Good morning question.
25:54But what have you done?
25:56Are we okay to come in in a little bit earlier for tomorrow then?
26:00Yeah.
26:01Despite being a self-made man, Stephen has never been able to read or write.
26:06i went to school every single day i went to computer lessons it just doesn't go
26:10in i keep trying but i'm not wired up that way of course it's held you back in other ways
26:15you can't type the invoices you can't read the magazine you can't write down different things
26:20use a computer it's not been an easy ride it's tricky although he's battled this obstacle all
26:27his life stevens created a successful restaurant and events business but his hotel is failing you
26:35want to make it work and i'm very scared of it not working what's the occupancy looking like
26:40absolutely quiet okay we can't afford to carry on empty to me to you come on
26:51i'm back in coventry after leaving stephen with strict instructions to have
26:56laser-like focus on the rooms for the past four weeks
27:01last time i was here i challenged stephen to finally put someone actually in charge of the
27:06building someone whose feet could be held to the fire if things weren't done properly if people
27:12complained i need that focus back on the rooms to make sure that they finally start paying their way
27:19and i'm excited to see how he got on with my suggestion to rethink the honeymoon suite
27:24because i won't be the only visitor today i have invited some guests to stay tonight
27:31and i'm really hoping that the rooms are ready we've just got to get this done yeah very nervous
27:44very well thank you slightly behind schedule okay are you dropping the word hotel we've changed the name
27:55heart house what you think to go in with heart of england we thought that was it all brings it
28:02together on your advice obviously because i wasn't going to change the name i love it oh that's good
28:08brilliant we've been on it the room is looking good now i can't wait to see right then shall we
28:14go and
28:15have a look at the room you sold me the money we're changing the room from the honeymoon suite to
28:24the
28:24woodland suite oh i like that oh that's much more appropriate
28:33gone is the brown paint carpet and curtains replaced with a fresh new look still on a theme but i'm
28:41pleased to see no gimmicks actually i really like it good
28:50this is a step above isn't it very posh isn't it stevens followed my suggestion to lose the ginormous
28:57jacuzzi dated tiles and shoddy shower the bathroom's now contemporary stylish and practical it's lovely
29:06i love the double sink loads of room to put stuff on i suggest that we get out of everyone's
29:14hair
29:14so they can have some chance of finishing this off yeah i'm over the moon about the new rebranded
29:22master suite i'm pleased that alex likes it it's a relief to me yeah however i still haven't spotted
29:29any sign of a housekeeper during my last visit i had a brainwave to increase occupancy in the rooms
29:39i asked stephen to look into wrapping the accommodation in with activities on the site
29:45for small groups his team have been working on it but have come to a dead end
29:51so what are the sticking points cost ends if we were to price it individually to put a package together
29:58it would cost quite a lot of money just to be absolutely clear these shouldn't be individual
30:05packages this should be five plus because then it makes some economies of scale i would prefer 10.
30:12selling experienced packages to a group means the fixed costs for example the expense of an activity
30:18instructor are divided between the guests which leads to a bigger profit overall instructors start
30:25from around about 150 pounds per day right let's say it's 200 pounds a day if you divide that up
30:31amongst
30:3110 people and then you double it it's about 40 pounds and we're trying to make sure we make money
30:38so let's say 50 quid a day for activities that seems quite reasonable doesn't it at that price stephen
30:45would make 300 pounds on the activities for a group of 10. now we need to add in the price
30:51of a room and
30:52dinner which both have a large markup so it's 140 pounds a night for one plus 40 pounds for the
31:00dinner
31:00breakfast is already included plus the 50 pounds for the activities as a dinner board breakfast and
31:08activities package for a group of 10 it would cost each guest 230 pounds that seems extraordinarily
31:16reasonable it's a really easy way to sell bedrooms you start them off at a 10th min price where you're
31:22still making money upsell the food they might want a better package yeah the vip package or something
31:27i'm vip everything yeah steven's getting it this is just the basic package and you can add on from
31:35there the trend for activities and experiences shows no sign of slowing it could be really lucrative if
31:43he sells it properly and to stress test this idea i have a group on the way let's hope steven
31:51likes surprises
31:52i have arranged some guests to come and stay really tonight they'll stay in here and i would have
31:59liked them to stay in our new woodland suite a lot to do um no let's try and make this
32:08happen up there
32:08okay good oh he took that well considering how much still needs to be done in the woodland suite
32:15and before the guests arrive i want to check the essentials which were lacking on my last day
32:20mattress protector do you think a mattress protector's on yeah check it
32:28mattress protector is not on okay well they didn't do that but we did do the windows look
32:33oh the film on the windows no only that one because i didn't want to do the front of the
32:38house
32:39why not because it makes it look like a toilet
32:43we still don't have a menu i have where is it probably in the drawer what drawer where
32:52darling no one's checking it go and find whoever it is who's going to be in charge of making sure
32:59that
32:59the menus are in here there's a mattress protector on the bed the few basics and in the meantime i'll
33:05put
33:05the towels on the towel rail where they belong where's the mattress protector it's not just this room
33:15that needs a mattress protector it's every room you know it's all very well saying menus are here where
33:22are menus smack on the wrists but uh we're on it thanks see i knew they were ready just just
33:32never put them
33:33in i don't think you actually understand the idea that i need someone who is actually in charge of running
33:40this as rooms
33:53i'm at the newly named hot house to help entrepreneur stephen and his daughters reignite passion for a forgotten
34:00part of the business he might struggle with reading and writing but it was just a farm and he's built
34:07it up
34:08to what it is today it's actually a shame that the one part isn't working the old farmhouse is now
34:15a dead weight in stephen's otherwise thriving portfolio i'm convinced that having a housekeeper
34:21in place responsible for this accommodation will change its fortunes and i'm pleased to say stephen's
34:28employed one this is kate who is now looking after the house nice to meet you and with guests arriving
34:37any minute i'm going to take this opportunity to brief kate on the importance of her new role
34:43what i would really like is someone who takes ownership of this because i think there's lots
34:48of people rushing in and out and someone has got to be the person to pull it all together it's
34:54just
34:54been left it's just been left it really shows just a little a fresh eye on the situation so that
35:00is your challenge okay should you choose to accept it i accept it and what better way for kate to
35:08start
35:08than to welcome the guests i've booked in hi guys welcome to heart house uh i've got some keys for
35:16you here i've got three rooms for you i hope you enjoy your stay thank you thanks that's good
35:24oh wow i believe that the key to the accommodation success
35:31is to market experience packages to small groups i've never had a four poster bed so i've organized one
35:38group to stress test my idea yeah really nice room anything unusual is all part of the adventure
35:46oh wow oh my gosh i did not expect that that scared me oh my gosh
35:55it's weird but i like the concept of it it's yeah it's different can't get the fact there's a man
36:00under
36:00my bed to be honest oh that's nice like the woodlandy feel and it's thumbs up for the finished woodland
36:09suite
36:15i was about yeah the bed's complete
36:31it's my final day with steven and i've got one last reveal for him i have arranged for
36:39representatives from groupon and from wonder days coming oh that's good so let's see where we get to
36:45e-commerce companies like these started up around 15 years ago as a one-stop shop for subscribers to
36:52access top deals on activities travel and experiences i think this is just the kind of
36:58site and the range of stuff here is perfect for what they're interested in good stuff
37:07gift experiences are now worth three billion pounds to the uk economy
37:12it's an enormous market to tap into and the company reps i've arranged are well placed to help uplift
37:18steven's dire occupancy rate the whole point is to try and fill the house so hopefully they can bring
37:25some work to us fingers crossed people are always looking for experiences whether it's sourdough making
37:31or clay pigeon shooting and we just have to tap into that very lucrative market
37:39and on that note it's time for my guests to head off to enjoy their new experiences please my friends
37:48your very low-key transportation awaits i hope you have a lovely time enjoy yourself
37:56so darling just to remind you the things i'm obsessed about no towels on beds the gift experience reps
38:04will be here any minute and there's a lot at stake can we make sure that all rooms have menus
38:11yes
38:12so we need to bring our a-game so matt abby patricia this is steve our genial host thank you
38:21for coming
38:21along do you want to explain what do your businesses do how do they work we come from purely a
38:27gift
38:27experience point of view so our customer base is heavily led on women buying gifts for loved ones
38:32in the form of an experience so they're looking for more of a memory than a product our customers come
38:37to
38:37us looking for an experience something new to do we have over five million subscribers that's great
38:42now that's really helpful we thought it might be worthwhile going and showing you the grounds first
38:48jump on let's go
38:55right we found them experienced platforms work on commission so there's no
39:00upfront risk for steven oh that's so cool and with subscribers at their fingertips
39:06they can market packages to millions at just the touch of a button oh well done he's good
39:18hey so far so good you think they're enjoying it i think they're enjoying it
39:22shall we get kate in to show the room well i know the history kate's not been here that long
39:26so i don't know whether that is a good idea no one except you cares about the history oh thanks
39:31but
39:32okay i mean honestly i'll do as i'm told good thank you
39:40with kate showing off the house i'm desperate to know how the experience package went down with my
39:46guinea pig guests did you have a good time yeah it was absolutely amazing uh probably one of the best
39:51days i've had in a long time to be honest oh i'm so pleased i really enjoyed the archery yeah
39:55brilliant
39:57clearly rolling the accommodation in with the on-site activities has hit the bullseye
40:06now i think the big test and one that i'm not quite so confident about is what the professionals are
40:13going to say so what did you think of the accommodation abby mark and patricia represent
40:19two major experience platforms if they believe stephen's activity packed site and accommodation
40:25could be turned into giftable getaways then he could be quids in very quirky it gives like a small
40:32in type of feel yeah but with all of the amenities that actually you do have in a much bigger
40:36property
40:36so on that side of it we loved it do you think that this is something that you might be
40:40able to
40:40work with absolutely yeah i think um there's so much variety here i think it's perfect for us and
40:46it will be perfect for our clients somebody looking to stay in the hotel would take advantage of the
40:50restaurant it's going to be additional revenue on the experiences and on the property ultimately so
40:54that you will see good growth there this is wonderful news maybe you could have a conversation
41:01privately with steve and see where you go from here the specifics of the commission are a
41:06closely guarded secret between the platform and the hosts so reaching a deal is now up to steven
41:12thank you for your time and for your enthusiasm i really appreciate it thank you thank you for having
41:17us i'll be really interested to hear the upshot of his discussions but i think it looks like it
41:23might work there please i'm very pleased indeed i had a really positive feedback from both
41:32wonder days and green ball excellent and so i now feel much more confident about the direction of
41:39travel and that we've taken the right path well that's exciting news fingers crossed positive
41:43thinking and all that and my gosh you're so brilliant oh there is that bit i totally forgot
41:49to say thank you yeah it was my family home and i think i probably did leave it a little
41:55bit and
41:55what are you doing business you get swept away on this hamster wheel of work and you needed a little
42:02bit of attention and we've given it in now and with kate and the rest of the team i think
42:05it's going to
42:06fly the house is one bit of a business that hasn't been paying its way and i'm absolutely positive that
42:12it will start to now thank you for your help and uh your advice it has been a joy and
42:19a pleasure i feel
42:21that alex has put the passion back in the house it's been very emotional hear that tears to my eyes
42:27heart house now is you know back on the map and let's keep it up there it's been a long
42:33time yeah
42:33i'm very pleased that there is a revenue stream that he hasn't thought of yet and then i've brought
42:38his door it's a feather in my cap
42:47hi alex how the devil are you it's been an exciting time here at heart house we've recently
42:53partnered with some brilliant experienced platforms uh companies and i'm very happy to say we've sold
42:5926 yeah 26 packages uh that demand is absolutely fantastic and the other big news is we've recently
43:08hosting a group that's booked out the entire house we've had some really positive feedback which is
43:14absolutely fantastic
43:39so
43:42you
43:43you
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