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00:00I've run hotels most of my working life.
00:04So we've got 23 rooms in-house tonight.
00:07Thank you very much to all of you.
00:09So I know all too well how brutal the hospitality industry can be.
00:13That is terrifying.
00:15We've put everything that we have into this.
00:17And this year the situation truly is dire.
00:20You've got me worried about that now.
00:21I have a lot of pressure to make sure that I deliver.
00:26With businesses facing spiralling energy, food and wage costs.
00:30I have a big sense of responsibility.
00:33And customers who have less money to spend.
00:36Frankly, sweet Fanny Adams.
00:38From country pubs.
00:39Careful of the dog s***.
00:41To seaside hotels.
00:42This has got to be done for Friday.
00:44I have somebody in here Friday night.
00:46Shepherd's huts.
00:47You've got a big one.
00:49To family guest houses.
00:51Makes me think of Scarlett O'Hara.
00:53They're all in desperate need of my help.
00:55She's just pulled up and I'm terrified.
00:58I'll be getting my hands dirty.
01:00Come on, the pint work.
01:03And delivering some hard truths.
01:05I think you're bonkers.
01:07Hello.
01:08To help owners across the country get back in the black.
01:12Something has got to change.
01:14We're very silent.
01:15Why?
01:16You're the expert.
01:17Before everything comes crashing down.
01:20We're just hoping we can catch it before it's too late.
01:24That is my challenge.
01:26Should I choose to accept it?
01:27And I do.
01:32There's a couple of things here that I loathe.
01:35This time.
01:35Oh my God.
01:37Whose taste is this?
01:38An airport hotel struggling to stay airborne.
01:42We only made a net profit of £15,000.
01:45Run by a mum and dad eyeing up their retirement.
01:48What's holding you back?
01:49Holding me back.
01:50Your future.
01:51And a son feeling the pressure to step up.
01:54To lose it, I don't want to go down that route.
01:56I'm a bit worried about how on earth I can help this lovely family.
02:00There's a lot on my shoulders.
02:05Mum, are the eggs ready?
02:07No, no, no, because I'm doing it.
02:08Oh, f***.
02:11Sat on a busy road in the commuter town of Hawley is the Gatwick Turret,
02:15a budget bed and breakfast run by 62-year-old Ram, 61-year-old Ange...
02:20Hi, you all right?
02:21Hello.
02:21...and their 37-year-old son, Rye.
02:24We don't disagree about anything.
02:26Me and mum, you know, get on like a house on fire.
02:33Former mechanic Ram and airline catering assistant Ange
02:36got into the hotel trade 22 years ago.
02:38Rye was 15 when they moved into this 10-room Victorian guest house
02:42and after working in airport security,
02:45he moved back in and joined the family business a decade ago.
02:49OK, brilliant.
02:49Thank you so much.
02:50Yeah, no problem.
02:51My parents come from a generation that if it's not broken, why fix it?
02:55The carpet we've had is the same carpet we've had.
02:5822 years ago.
02:59I like white.
03:00White is good.
03:01I like this colour.
03:03This is a beautiful colour.
03:08A mile down the road is Gatwick Airport,
03:11where over 250,000 flights carry up to 46 million passengers every year
03:16for business and pleasure.
03:18That's a lot of people needing somewhere to stay,
03:20and Gatwick Turret is one of over 100 hotels,
03:23including big chain brands, fiercely vying for their business.
03:29It's not really a luxurious boutique hotel.
03:32They just want to rest their heads for maybe even four or five hours
03:35because they've got an early flight in the morning.
03:37So they don't want to spend the money here.
03:39They want to spend the money here on a holiday.
03:40Have a safe journey.
03:41Take care.
03:42Rooms generally go for 50 to 80 pounds.
03:45Breakfast is extra.
03:47Most guests, often families, stay just the one night,
03:50which nudges up overhead costs on bedding and cleaning.
03:53All the costs all adds up.
03:56Money is coming this way and going another way.
03:58This is it.
03:58You're working so hard when you check end of the month.
04:02They say, really?
04:04Wrestling with those overheads in a highly competitive market,
04:07the family are having to run the hotel almost single-handedly
04:11to keep staffing costs down.
04:13You've got to do everything yourself here, really.
04:17Otherwise, you are lost.
04:18But despite their hard work, the business is barely breaking even,
04:21and the family are struggling to pay themselves.
04:24We're running up the energy now.
04:26You can see the physical side of the business, you know.
04:29Ant and Ram have moved out from the hotel to live down the road
04:33and want to retire, but with limited savings,
04:36they're relying on the hotel's non-existent profits
04:38to see them through their sunset years.
04:41You've got to cut off time, basically.
04:43You know, when you're in the business, 22 years now.
04:46Hard-working, 24-7, you know.
04:49Not holidays.
04:53Click Insight, and it should be their earnings,
04:55and they show us all our last three months.
04:57With the running of the hotel having recently passed to Rai,
05:00it's all on him to turn things around for mum and dad
05:03to find a way of making a profit.
05:06I have a lot of pressure to make sure that I deliver,
05:09because that's what's going to help my parents into retirement
05:12they work so hard for.
05:16We don't want to be the leader anymore.
05:18Let Rai take over.
05:19And then you give my son a chance to take a step forwards.
05:23The sad reality that could happen,
05:26if I can't make this business profitable,
05:28or just have to sell it.
05:29And I don't think my parents will like that,
05:32because they work so hard.
05:35This is where I'm stuck.
05:38I need someone like Alex to say,
05:39look, let's make some money here,
05:42because there's a lot on my shoulders.
05:53I am just arriving in Leafy Hawley.
05:57There's a lot of business to be had here,
06:00but enormous amounts of competition.
06:03Oh, here we are.
06:08No vacancies.
06:09That's a good sign.
06:18I play cricket.
06:19It's like when you walk into the crease,
06:21ready to bat, facing your first ball.
06:24Or when I did my first boxing match,
06:25you know, you're just like waiting around,
06:27or your opponent.
06:30I really struggle with these guest houses.
06:32It's very hard to find solutions.
06:35You know, I'm sure there's probably six or seven
06:38down the street who are all offering the same thing
06:40at the same price.
06:43I suppose I shall call reception.
06:48Hello?
06:49Hello, this is Alex, Polizzi.
06:51Hi there, be right with you.
06:56Hi.
06:56Hi, Alex.
06:58How you doing?
06:59Very nice to meet you.
07:01Right, here we are.
07:02You still have the COVID screen up?
07:05Yes, yeah.
07:06It's pretty handy.
07:08Why?
07:09It's not exactly going to protect you against irate guests, is it?
07:14So, are most people coming who stay with you,
07:18transiting, flying off in the morning,
07:20you know, how does it work?
07:21Pretty much all our guests are like that.
07:23They're checking late, and they're flying out early.
07:24So, what's the occupancy like?
07:26It's around 80%.
07:27Good.
07:28Yeah, yeah.
07:29Why do you need my help?
07:32Well, profit margin's not particularly great,
07:35and parents are retiring.
07:37Right.
07:38I will look after them.
07:39Good boy.
07:40So, it's just really tight.
07:42It's a lot of effort for, um...
07:44For not much money.
07:45Not much money, yeah.
07:46I think it's a common problem.
07:48Yeah, yeah.
07:49So, is it too early, or can I check in?
07:52I can check you in right now.
07:54I'm managing my expectations.
07:56Just how budget is my budget room going to be?
07:59Don't follow me.
08:04Right, here we are, room number seven.
08:06Thank you very much.
08:07So, how much would this room be for me tonight?
08:11Single occupancy would be 69.
08:13Fine.
08:14Yeah.
08:14Okay.
08:15Yeah.
08:15Great.
08:17I'll have a look round the room,
08:18poke my nose in another couple of bedrooms,
08:21and I will come back and find you.
08:23Is that all right?
08:23Absolutely.
08:28First of all, I wish I'd brought my sunglasses.
08:31The glare of this light is fierce.
08:36Let's put it that way.
08:38This is pretty much exactly what I expected.
08:41It is very basic, but very generous.
08:44Just bottles of water, which seems like an unusual expense.
08:50I mean, that's a top brand of water.
08:53It's a very basic tea tray, so there's already a little bit of a disjunct that I'm not entirely
08:58sure about, you know.
08:59Is it this, or is it this?
09:03Only you can decide.
09:06Good luck.
09:07Good luck.
09:08Good luck.
09:08Good luck.
09:08Now we're ready.
09:09Yeah, straight to the point.
09:11That's good.
09:11That's what we want.
09:13Yeah.
09:13That's what we like.
09:14Yeah, so.
09:15Straight to the point.
09:22This makes me think of the kind of dress and gone with the wind that you'd have done
09:27a party dress out of.
09:30Scarlet O'Hara.
09:32Oh, my God.
09:34Whose taste is this?
09:36There's clearly something of a mismatch going on around here.
09:44So, there's a couple of things here that I loathe.
09:47What is the point of having a headboard in front of a window?
09:50I mean, I'm quite grateful to be spared the Guantanamo-based strip lighting.
09:54At least that.
09:57You know what?
09:58I hadn't even noticed the purple ceiling.
10:00You know, I'm kind of obsessed by the fact that this is all we shoved in next to each other.
10:09Aside from the odd purple ceiling, it feels like a lot of this place hasn't changed much
10:13since Ram and Ange moved in two decades ago.
10:17Very nice to meet you.
10:18I'm Alex.
10:19Hello.
10:19Hi.
10:19Nice to meet you.
10:20Hi, Alex.
10:21Very nice to meet you.
10:22So, tell me about how long you've had this building.
10:26We owned it for almost 22 years now.
10:29Worked here, lived there, raised the kids here.
10:32The way forward for us is really to step back now, to be honest.
10:35It's not easy, yeah.
10:37It's not, yeah.
10:37So, how long has Rai been here with you?
10:39He actually got involved with the business in 2014.
10:43Yeah, that's right.
10:44But this last two years is taking more seriously now.
10:47So, if you want to exit this place, we need to pass on all the information.
10:52Okay.
10:53Well, I'm looking forward to working with you very much.
10:55I appreciate that.
10:56Thank you so much.
10:58First impressions are, it's exactly what it says on the tin.
11:03You know, very few frills.
11:06It's hard to see how there's room for these kind of traditional family places anymore.
11:12And really, they only survive because they are cheap.
11:14I mean, I hate to be brutal, but I'd rather go and say it's a big chain hotel than here.
11:20If Rai can't turn things around, selling the hotel may be their only option.
11:26If someone comes as a right offer, would you consider selling it?
11:29Well, we'd like, we'd quite easy.
11:32What's holding you back?
11:33Holding me back, your future.
11:35We had a good life.
11:37You know, I want to think about your future.
11:38You'd like to see this pass into the next generation and keep the, you know, family business going.
11:44It's not an easy decision.
11:45No.
11:46No.
12:00This is Gatwick Turret Hotel, just a mile from the airport, boasting some interesting room stylings.
12:07Oh, glitter.
12:10Everything that glitters is not gold.
12:12Despite high occupancy, they're making almost no money.
12:16This business needs a lot of updating.
12:19Otherwise, it's just not worth it.
12:20We will just sell up and say goodbye to it.
12:25Overworked owners, Ram and Anja, are desperate to retire.
12:29Bye.
12:30But that relies on their only son, Rai, either making the business profitable or giving up and selling the place.
12:36If you lose it, hopefully it won't come to that and we will keep fighting until, you know, until we
12:43can't really.
12:45Some big changes are required to keep this family business alive.
12:51Aha.
12:52Hello.
12:53Hello.
12:54Explain to me the funny mismatch of styles that are in this hotel.
12:59I got the idea online with the purple ceiling.
13:03I thought I'd just give it a go.
13:04I don't mind the purple ceiling.
13:06Oh, really?
13:07There's lots of things I mind more than the purple ceiling.
13:09Let's put it that way.
13:10Okay.
13:10I mean, I can't understand why you've got a bed with its headboard against the window.
13:15Yeah.
13:15I can't understand this, which has completely nothing to do with anything else.
13:20It's a conflict of my ideas with my mum's.
13:22Ah, now.
13:23So, you know, if you...
13:23So, what's your mum and what's you?
13:25That's you, I know.
13:26Yeah.
13:27And this is you.
13:28I want things to look a bit more Instagramable.
13:30I've got some ideas, even for this room.
13:32Go on, what would you do?
13:33I'll knock this wall out.
13:34I'll put a steel beam.
13:37Maybe put a bathtub here.
13:41A nice king-sized bed, perhaps.
13:44I think you're bonkers to even think of that.
13:48The market is incredibly price-sensitive.
13:51Yeah.
13:52Rye shouldn't be thinking about expensive extensions.
13:55He needs to be making sure every penny counts.
13:58And when I arrived at the hotel, I spotted an instant fix to help with that.
14:03Rye's massive car park, where guests can leave their cars before grabbing a bus to the airport.
14:09So, you've got an enormous car park.
14:13Yeah.
14:13How many cars can you park here?
14:1520.
14:16OK.
14:17We charge £8 a night for the car parking.
14:20Because car parking around here is really expensive, isn't it?
14:23Yeah.
14:24But not a lot of people know about the guest houses here that we do on-site car parking.
14:27I think it's a good add-on for the business.
14:30A brilliant add-on.
14:31I don't disagree with you.
14:33Parking at Gatwick Airport itself is around £30 a day.
14:36So, I think Rye's badly under-sending himself at £8.
14:39Right now, his 20-space car park averages 7 to 10 cars a night.
14:44With only 15% of his customers actually using it, we can definitely up that.
14:49But, first things first, I want to dig down into the numbers.
14:54What kind of percentage profitable are you?
14:56We don't make huge margins.
14:58I'd have thought you were a liar if you said you did.
15:01In our previous year, we did a turnover of a quarter of a million.
15:05Yeah.
15:05But we only made a net profit of £15,000.
15:08They had a turnover of a quarter of a million pounds, but made only £15,000.
15:13That's a paltry 6% profit.
15:15Even a budget hotel should be making 15% or £40,000.
15:20I'm sure that quite a lot of your profitability goes on commission, doesn't it?
15:24Yeah, I mean, a big chunk of our bookings are through the agency.
15:28Is it 18% that they charge?
15:30They charge 15.
15:31But tell me about what it costs you to put on in a room.
15:33Each room costs around £4.20 for the linen.
15:37There's tea, coffee tray, a bottle of water.
15:41Expensive water.
15:42Mum didn't like it.
15:43I wouldn't put a very expensive bottle of water in the room.
15:46I agree with you.
15:47Yeah.
15:48Go on.
15:48So what does it cost?
15:50£3.20.
15:51£3.20.
15:52Yeah.
15:53And probably two quid of that is the water.
15:55Adding to the cost per room are roughly £6 on housekeeping, £9 towards the £350,000 mortgage,
16:03£24 on utilities and taxes, and £9 commission for those pesky online booking sites.
16:09So the grand total of that, my dears, is 56 quid.
16:15Yeah.
16:16Lucky, lucky you, all this work.
16:18And all this headache.
16:20And you're making a profit of about £4 a night per room.
16:23That's great, yeah.
16:24Not quite enough to retire.
16:25Yeah.
16:26Minus.
16:26Frankly, sweet Fanny Adams.
16:28Yeah.
16:29So there is obviously a problem.
16:33Do you pay yourselves?
16:35£1,000 each.
16:36£1,000 each?
16:38Yeah.
16:39Yeah, yeah.
16:40Gosh, darling, I mean, I'm surprised the government allow it.
16:42You're not even making minimum wage.
16:44Yeah, no, no.
16:47Have you tried putting up the room rates?
16:50Well, we put the room rates up, then they don't sell.
16:52The room rates that we sold 22 years ago are pretty much the same as they are now.
16:55But in the olden days, you weren't being paying 15% commission.
16:58Exactly that, yeah.
17:00The other realistic thing, which is like the nuclear option, is to spend two years and pay
17:05as much as you can of the mortgage and then sell it and make some money.
17:09Yeah.
17:10What weds you to this business?
17:12I don't know what to do afterwards, you know.
17:14It's going to take a lot of reinventing.
17:16But, darling, you're young and it's possible.
17:19Is this place what you consider your pension?
17:22That's what I was thinking.
17:23Yeah.
17:24So we either need to make more money or sell it off.
17:28Yeah.
17:29I'm going to go and sleep on it.
17:31I don't often deal with hotels who have to be so focused on one type of customer.
17:36It really feels like there's no wriggle room here.
17:41I'm a bit worried about how on earth I can help this lovely family.
17:45It's quite a difficult conundrum.
17:48You know, they know that they can't put up their prices and they almost have 100% occupancy.
17:53And those are the two things you can alter to make more money.
17:56So I'm going to have to be inventive.
18:00Hopefully, a decent night's sleep might help me come up with some solutions.
18:18Poor Brandy, look at you.
18:20Oh, look at his face.
18:21He's not allowed in here.
18:24I sat remarkably well.
18:27So I can't really complain.
18:29I mean, it's just not a destination.
18:33It's just a transient spot.
18:36And we all sometimes need handy places like that.
18:40But maybe there's a way of making it more of a destination.
18:43I've had a few ideas.
18:45I mean, I've got to come up with a solution for them.
18:48And a solution that they can afford.
18:51A first thought is to make things around here more useful for those transient customers.
18:55And that brings me, tastily, to breakfast.
18:58Good morning.
18:59Morning.
19:00Thank you so much.
19:01That looks lovely.
19:04So I'm alone here in the dining room.
19:07Do people usually have breakfast or not have breakfast?
19:10Sometimes we can have 10 breakfast a day.
19:12Then sometimes it's not even one.
19:14It depends on the flight as well.
19:16Okay.
19:16I understand that.
19:17Enjoy your breakfast.
19:18I will.
19:20Cooked breakfast is £10.95, serving between £7 and £9.
19:24But that's only earning them around £35 a day.
19:28More flexibility for those earlier flyers could help.
19:31It's absolutely delicious.
19:33The other thing I spy is their posh coffee machine, which they serve for free.
19:38That feels like another missed opportunity, but I'll get to that later.
19:42I've got a bigger plan to pitch.
19:44I've asked my host to meet me in their grand floor family bedroom.
19:48I've hatched a scheme that feels a little like making a deal with the devil, but as ever,
19:53I'll do whatever it takes.
19:55Come on in, my darlings.
19:58So, this is a conundrum, isn't it?
20:00I think there's a few basic housekeeping things that you could do, which are that every time
20:04someone books a room, you could email them and make sure that this is the positive choice
20:09for where they park.
20:10And I also think you could put up your car parking prices a bit.
20:13But I'm wondering whether we do a gimmick, which I don't normally go for.
20:18Okay.
20:18Which is, to try and encourage families to book here, I'm wondering if we could make
20:25it like a first-class cabin.
20:28So, they walk into this room, and the children's bed would be like a fold-out, you know, like
20:33you do when you're going in a first-class cabin.
20:36We could do little fake passports that the children get stamped at the front desk.
20:40And this would make it a bit more glamorous, nicer room, so you could charge a bit of a
20:45premium for it, whether it was with or without children.
20:48I think that's a fantastic idea, if we can advertise that a bit more.
20:52And also, it might just see if there's room in the market just to tweak the prices, because
20:58actually, that bottom line thing is very intractable.
21:02Yeah, I agree.
21:04Okay, well, we'll give it a go.
21:05I will do my best for you.
21:07And when I come back, I hope we'll have got rid of the very expensive water.
21:10Yeah, I'll try to drink it all.
21:12Okay.
21:13I think these changes will give a holiday atmosphere from the moment guests arrive and
21:19could let me up this room's rate from £80 a night to maybe £120.
21:24Plus, if this works, they could turn other rooms premium, too.
21:28I was feeling very anxious about it until I thought of something that we could try.
21:33And now I've got a project to get my teeth into, and I will.
21:37As always, there's lots to do before I come back, you know.
21:41And I've got a lot of other projects on, so it's never straightforward.
21:44But I'm glad I've got a plan to go at.
21:55All right, here we go.
21:57Ready?
21:58Okay.
21:59If Ry's parents want to retire, change is needed here fast.
22:03I've left the family with a load of all-important homework...
22:07All right, do you want to take the headboard?
22:08I'll take the headboard.
22:09...to realise our vision of an airline-themed room for the lucrative family market.
22:14Get it all rubbed down and change...
22:16Let's go to a charity shop.
22:17As well as clearing out the dated mismatched furnishings,
22:20I've also asked Ry to make more of one potential goldmine.
22:26Alex recommends that I should be upselling my car parking.
22:30So everyone who books now will get an instant email saying,
22:35do you know that we offer on-site car parking?
22:37And Ry's upping the parking rates from £8 to £10 a day,
22:41still way below airport rates,
22:42which I hope will add 20% to their desperately low margins.
22:47Over in our would-be premium room,
22:49I've told the family to put an old friend out of its misery.
22:52My parents are quite passionate about neck curtains.
22:55That's for you, to look after.
22:57So seeing that go, I can see it in their eyes.
23:00They're not sure about it, but for me, I like these big windows.
23:02I like to see them.
23:04Replacing the old window fittings with frosted decals
23:07gives a brighter, more modern look.
23:09Every single detail is crucial
23:11if we want to bring in the revenue to save this family business.
23:15To lose it, I don't want to do that.
23:18It's become a part of us as much as we become a part of the business.
23:23It's taken us four hours to just fit one.
23:25How long it's going to take us to do the rest?
23:28This is a high-pressure situation.
23:30It's now or never.
23:31You know, it's do or die.
23:45Change is in the air
23:47at the financially challenged Gatwick Turret B&B.
23:50My team have been busy on our new airline-themed room
23:53and I'm keen to check in.
23:55It is a mere two weeks since I was last here
23:58and I have a lot to do in a very short space of time.
24:03You know, it isn't my usual bent
24:05to suggest that someone should make a themed room.
24:09Normally, I'm taking theming out of everything,
24:11but it's got a two-pronged effect.
24:13It will help them hopefully stand out from the crowd
24:16and it will allow them to charge more money
24:19and hopefully make more profit.
24:21This is a tough one.
24:23That premium room could earn them an extra £40 a night,
24:26as much as £14,000 a year.
24:29But before I lend a hand with that makeover,
24:31I want to work on the heir to this empire, Rye.
24:35Hi.
24:35Morning, Alex.
24:36Hi.
24:37How are you?
24:37I'm great, thank you.
24:38A lovely day.
24:40Yes.
24:40Brilliant out there.
24:41Fantastic.
24:42Parking, let's start with that.
24:43Yes.
24:44Have you put up your prices at all?
24:46Yes.
24:46Oh.
24:47We now charge £10.
24:49Very good.
24:49And the car park is a lot busier than before.
24:52Do you have a figure to put
24:54the amount of money you've made on parking?
24:56£350, since we last met.
24:58Oh, that's two weeks ago.
25:00Yeah, exactly.
25:00You no need to thank me, dear boy.
25:02It's an absolute pleasure to have been a sister.
25:05Yeah, absolutely.
25:06That's £150 more than they were making before.
25:09Across a year, that could add up to nearly £4,000
25:12of additional pure profit.
25:15So, that's one reason to be cheerful.
25:17But what about that bloody water?
25:19Ha-ha!
25:20Um, much better.
25:23Yep.
25:24What's your cost difference from what it was?
25:26So, we're saving over £2.
25:28We're saving a lot more.
25:29Every pound counts.
25:30Every pound counts, yeah.
25:31It's mad, but that could save them up to £10,000 a year.
25:34And I definitely think there's profit to be made
25:37in the breakfast room, too.
25:39Right, so, the obvious thing is to make some money
25:42out of your coffee machine.
25:43Yeah.
25:44Which costs you how much a cup?
25:45£45 a cup.
25:47OK.
25:48If you had a kind of coffee machine
25:50that you could charge people for...
25:51Yeah.
25:52...then you'd make a nice little sideline.
25:54Yeah, I think it's a great idea.
25:55There are so many smart little touches
25:57that can make a hotel more profitable,
25:59and I've arranged for us to meet with the local hotelier
26:02who has that nailed.
26:03This is Oaktree Lodge, run by former flight attendant David.
26:08Hello, David.
26:09Very nice to see you.
26:11My friend, Rye.
26:12Good to meet you.
26:12Nice to meet you.
26:13I have warned him.
26:14He may be feeling a bit envious by the end of today.
26:17This has meant as inspiration.
26:19Come, follow me down.
26:21Like Rye, David caters to Gatwick Airport travellers,
26:25with guests leaving at the crack of dawn.
26:27But he's opted to be super flexible with their breakfasts.
26:32People go in early in the morning.
26:34We offer this packed breakfast.
26:37Oh, jeez.
26:38And in there, you've just got cheese and ham croissant,
26:42fresh fruit, cereal bar,
26:45and I just put a little biscuit in there.
26:47Compared to Rye's 5% profit,
26:49David's making 21% every year,
26:51partly because he encourages customers to book direct
26:54rather than through online travel agents or OTAs.
26:58What percentage of your bookings come through an OTA?
27:01I would say about 20% through an online booking platform.
27:06Wow.
27:07Yeah.
27:07That's impressive.
27:09In contrast, Rye gets 80% of his trade through the OTAs,
27:13but David has focused on creating a premium experience...
27:17Come on in.
27:19..that lets him charge a bit more per room
27:21as well as building loyalty with returning direct customers.
27:25Hopefully, when people walk into the room,
27:28they notice little things like the sweets at the side of the bed.
27:31So many comments.
27:33People say, I love your sweets.
27:34It's really thoughtful.
27:36Yeah.
27:36And if people would park here with us,
27:38I'd like to leave just a goodie bag in their car for the journey back.
27:42And in there, two bottles of water,
27:46mini cheddars, a bag of sweets and business cards.
27:51Ah, the all-important...
27:54The all-important business card.
27:55We get a lot of people who say,
27:57we are recommended to you.
27:59People who are sat next to somebody on a plane coming back,
28:03oh, where did you stay?
28:04Yeah.
28:04Or, you know, people next to them on a sunbed.
28:06It's amazing what people talk about on holiday,
28:09but it works.
28:10Thank you, darling, for your time.
28:12I really appreciate it.
28:13You're very welcome, and good luck.
28:14Yeah, thanks so much.
28:19Was that useful?
28:20That was brilliant.
28:22There's so much in there that I can take from and learn.
28:25The fact he's so thoughtful to his guests,
28:27and he'll remember that.
28:29Yeah.
28:29He'll take it with the journey, and he'll always come back.
28:31Which is what you want.
28:33Yeah.
28:33And I think, ultimately,
28:34that's what really makes a difference to his bottom line.
28:37It's really inspired me.
28:40So even a transitory spot
28:42can feel personal enough to stand out.
28:45Plus, inspired by David's dodging of booking site commissions,
28:48I've got another suggestion.
28:51When people come,
28:53you get them to fill out their details,
28:57and then if they book directly with you,
29:00you can give them a cheaper price.
29:02Anyone booking through an OTA
29:04is going to cost you 15% at least.
29:06Yeah.
29:07So someone booking with you directly
29:09will save you money,
29:10so you can afford to give them a bit of a discount
29:12on the published rate.
29:13Okay.
29:14Rye's losing £25,000 a year to the booking sites.
29:17If all those guests book direct,
29:19even with a 5% discount,
29:20he could be saving a fortune.
29:23That's a brilliant idea.
29:24I think I needed some sort of incentive
29:26to get people who do fly from Gatwick frequently
29:29to come back and book direct with us.
29:31Good.
29:32Yeah.
29:32He's starting to learn, this young man.
29:35Time to check in on our airline-themed premium room.
29:39Hello.
29:40How's it going?
29:41Yeah, good, I think.
29:42Aha.
29:43The film looks great on the windows.
29:45That already is going to make a big difference.
29:47Pull down a blind.
29:48Let's have a look.
29:49Oh, that's a thing of beauty.
29:57Oh, that's a thing of beauty.
30:19And you'll go, oh, why did I not think of this?
30:22Reviews are everything,
30:23and this will be our new rooms first.
30:25But the clock is ticking.
30:27We'd better get it cleared for the carpet fitters.
30:29Right, let's go.
30:31Where are we going?
30:31Uh, in my bedroom.
30:33Lovely.
30:39I feel as if this place has been in stasis for ages.
30:44Mind the pint work?
30:48Nice and clean.
30:49I'm hoping that I've started showing them the way.
30:52You know, just a bit of energy,
30:55a bit of enthusiasm,
30:56a bit of vim and vigor.
30:58I just want to...
31:01Go.
31:04If we can pull this off,
31:05it could be the miracle this family need
31:07to keep their business going.
31:09We were hoping that the carpet fitters
31:11were going to come today,
31:12but I don't think they'll manage it.
31:15So I'm now a bit more anxious than I was
31:18because it's all timed quite tight as it is.
31:22Plough bravely on.
31:23What's the option?
31:26I have to have faith, don't I?
31:36It's my penultimate day in Hawley,
31:38and I'm relieved to say
31:39that the carpet fitters were in bright and early,
31:42and our new fold-out furniture has been delivered.
31:46Hello, my darling.
31:47Hello, my darling.
31:48Hiya.
31:49Ta-da!
31:50Oh, I like these.
31:51Yes, looking good in here.
31:53Look at this.
31:55Ta-da!
31:58Ta-da!
32:00That's very nice.
32:01Yeah.
32:03I mean, isn't that nice?
32:05Very nice.
32:06Beautiful.
32:06And then the pièce de la résistance.
32:09Oh, my goodness.
32:10There's a turret here.
32:12Oh.
32:12That way, turret, sleep well, fly well.
32:15Oh, that's good.
32:16Isn't it?
32:17Yeah, yeah.
32:18What we have basically done
32:19is quite a big change on quite a big room
32:22for about one and a half grand.
32:24So there's no need for Rye to knock down walls.
32:27Our new fold-out chairs give the room plenty of space.
32:30But there's still lots to do.
32:32Let's go.
32:33Some of the more tasteful furniture is being reused.
32:36All right, OK.
32:37The Chuckle Brothers are back.
32:38That's it, yeah.
32:39To me.
32:41I've got a family coming in to road test the new product.
32:45And I really want it to be as nice as it can possibly be.
32:48It's very chic, actually.
32:50There is quite a lot still to do.
32:52I don't want them to arrive, but they're still faffing.
32:55It's always last minute.
32:57Lastminute.com is my whole life.
33:07Good.
33:09All right.
33:12Ta-da!
33:14Come and see the room.
33:17The old, thoroughly depressing family bedroom
33:20has been transformed.
33:22The cramped conditions, awful curtains,
33:25and mismatched decor are gone.
33:29In their place are modern fittings,
33:33posh carpet, and handy new furniture
33:35that can be an armchair or a child's bed.
33:38The all-new airline-themed family room is ready for take-off.
33:42Well done, Alex.
33:43Very nice.
33:44It gives you a little point of difference,
33:46and I think that's very nice.
33:48This is good.
33:48Really?
33:49Good.
33:50Very cosy.
33:51Very nice.
33:57I'm going to leave Ryan and his parents until the morning.
34:00This next step they need to take on their own.
34:05The family are just about to ride to road test the room,
34:08and I suppose what I really want to find out
34:11is if this is a premium product
34:13that's worth a more premium price.
34:16I don't know.
34:17I want us to get a good review from this family
34:19and know that we're on the right track
34:21so that all the efforts have been worthwhile.
34:43At the Gatwick Torrid Hotel,
34:45it's a moment of truth
34:46as our four guinea pigs,
34:47Lauren and Bradley,
34:48and their children,
34:49Logan and Lily,
34:50arrive to road test our new premium room.
34:53And Rai's got some surprises for them at the check-in.
34:56Hi.
34:57Hi, how you doing?
34:58Good, thank you.
34:59We've got a little passport for you.
35:01Before I give you your room,
35:02I think you need to check in.
35:04Passport.
35:05I'm hoping these memorable little details
35:08will encourage return customers.
35:11Well, welcome to the turret guest house,
35:14and you'll be staying in the turret air premium one suite.
35:18Here is your room key.
35:21Have a lovely stay.
35:23Bye-bye.
35:23This is the advantage of being independent.
35:26You'd never get this kind of individuality
35:29in a big chain hotel.
35:32Ooh.
35:34That's nice.
35:36What do you think?
35:38You like it?
35:39Yeah.
35:40Can you help me?
35:42Yeah?
35:43You want to go?
35:44Wow.
35:45Oh, that's cool.
35:47Oh, that's good.
35:50Wow.
35:52Straighten her.
35:52I knew it.
35:54The kids seem to approve of our new room's theming,
35:58and there's another add-on to come
36:00that'll help with our publicity.
36:03Concierge.
36:04This is your case. Hope you have a good night sleep. You've got a nice little sticker here. Oh, brilliant.
36:10There you go.
36:11You want to stick this on your bag?
36:13Go on then. There you go.
36:16Try it aside.
36:18There we go. If you want to go around the baggage belt, you know what turns yours now. Perfect.
36:23I've asked our guinea pigs to record the experience of their stay.
36:27Are we having a good time? Yeah.
36:32How easy was that? What do you think? Is it comfy?
36:37Yes. I'm six, by the way. Goodbye.
36:45Are you comfy? Yeah.
36:47Ready for bed? Yeah.
36:49Cool. Say night. Night.
36:59Good morning. Do you have a good sleep?
37:03What would you like to have?
37:04Cousin.
37:05Yes.
37:06Okay.
37:07So you're welcome.
37:08I am back here in Gatwick for my last day. I've had a family to stay in my new room.
37:15This is for you.
37:17I'm hoping that they're going to agree that it is a premium quality room and it deserves a premium price
37:24tag.
37:29Good morning. Hello.
37:31Hi.
37:32Hello, hello.
37:33You were the first people to stay in the new room, so I'm dying to hear what you thought of
37:38it.
37:39I absolutely loved it.
37:40Oh, good.
37:40Yeah.
37:41I think it's great.
37:42It gives you sort of holiday vibes from the very second that you step into the room.
37:46Oh, God.
37:46You're so nice, darling.
37:47I mean, I could have written that line for you.
37:50I'm so pleased.
37:52Great.
37:52And what did you think of the fold-out beds, kids?
37:55Good.
37:56I'm glad.
37:57If you were going away, where would you like to be flying off to?
38:00Turkey.
38:01Oh, I love it.
38:02Interesting.
38:03International traveler.
38:04Right then, time to talk cold, hard cash.
38:08What would you be prepared to pay for a room like that, do you think?
38:11I was thinking about 150, maybe even up to 180 for sort of peak times.
38:16Because we think that our price point would be £120.
38:20Okay.
38:20Yes.
38:21That's better feedback than I could have hoped for.
38:23And taking inspiration from the Oak Tree Lodge, we're adding to our premium family experience
38:28with complimentary goodie bags.
38:30This is an idea that we've got for kids before they go to the airport.
38:35One for you.
38:37Just a croissant and a juice in case you need a little pick-me-up.
38:40And one for you, young lady.
38:44At my suggestion, Ry's going to take a similar approach to breakfasts, with takeaway boxes
38:50for early risers.
38:51I always knew more flexibility would help.
38:54Plus, he's finally got that coffee machine sorted at £2 a cup.
38:58Yeah, so people can actually pay while they're wanting a coffee before they head to the airport, or just during
39:03the day.
39:04So I've just got to keep bringing in the caffeine.
39:07But none of this matters if you don't get the word out there, and this is where the novelty of
39:12our new family room helps.
39:14I've invited Mark to come in, who's a journalist working for Sussex World and Surrey World.
39:20They have quite astonishing readership, and I'm hoping that he's going to help me promote the new Premier rooms and
39:28generate some traffic to Ry's own website.
39:32And that'll be crucial if we're going to save that 15% commission charge.
39:38I've come to visit the new premium turret air room, and as you can see, it's really cool.
39:43So it's got wonderful little touches, like you get these on the back of an airport seat with the instructions
39:50in.
39:51If you're looking for a stay before you fly away and you want to get the kids excited, why not
39:56stay here at the Gatwick Turret in the hallway?
39:59So maybe Gatwick Turret has finally broken out of its holding pattern. Let's see what the finances say.
40:07It's come down to a numbers game, hasn't it? It's all about a pound here and a pound there.
40:12So let's say, for example, the room that we've just done is £99.
40:17If you add £15 a child for two children, the base rate it is is £129.
40:23Then you're suddenly making, by my calculations, with 85% occupancy, you're making about £11,000 profit a year.
40:33A year? Yeah.
40:34So £11,000 profit for just one room, with the option of turning other rooms premium too.
40:39That's a nice prospect for a hotel crawling by on £15,000 profit.
40:44And if they can keep on with the car park, be more flexible on breakfast and encourage more returning customers
40:49to book direct, that could add up to a six-figure sum.
40:53Definitely a wake-up call for us.
40:57You know, what you've done in that room, we're going to do some rooms. Yeah, I really like that idea.
41:03When I first met Rye and his family, the talk was of preparing a retirement plan for mum and dad.
41:09At the moment, there's not enough money for them to retire.
41:13So it's essential that they spend the next few years working really hard, all of them together, to ensure that
41:19there's a proper retirement fund.
41:20If they can achieve the changes I'm suggesting, mum and dad could retire within the next few years, leaving Rye
41:27to stand on his own.
41:28I think what I learned in this process is that premium means better interaction with your customers.
41:34Yeah.
41:35You know, make them feel special and starting their holiday here at the guest house rather than at the airport.
41:39That's a brilliant tagline, start your holiday by staying with us. A genius idea, darling.
41:45I'm hoping I've inspired Rye enough and given him the tools he needs to succeed. Time will tell.
41:50All right, my darlings, it's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you, Alex. Thank you for your help. Bye, Sam.
41:56Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Bye-bye. See you soon.
42:01It's been a great journey from start to finish. The tarot actually got some attention that it needed.
42:06I'm really chuffed at what we achieved in such a short period of time.
42:12This has been a really difficult one to work out what to do.
42:16To be busy and not to be making money is a kind of unusual problem.
42:22I think I just need to remind the family to analyze everything, to work out where they could make a
42:28better margin.
42:29Hopefully, this is a plan that they can take forward.
42:41Hi, Alex. Just an update since you left.
42:44We've been making an extra £140 a week in our breakfast room for the takeaway boxes.
42:50Also, we've been getting some great feedback on our premium room.
42:53We've got some great press and there's a whole article here about how we've updated our rooms and being more
43:01engaged with our guests.
43:02The business is now heading in the right direction.
43:08We'll be at work right now.
43:09We've got some great stuff here, everyone.
43:10And, listen, I'll see you next week.
43:30I'll see you next week.
43:32I'll see you next week.
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