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00:00I've run hotels most of my working life.
00:04So we've got 23 rooms in house light. Thank you very much all of you.
00:09So I know all too well how brutal the hospitality industry can be.
00:13That is terrifying. We've put everything that we have into this.
00:17And this year the situation truly is dire. You'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**t.
00:41To seaside hotels.
00:42This has got to be done for Friday. I have somebody in here Friday night.
00:46Shepherd's huts.
00:47You've got a big one. Thank you.
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 poured up and I'm terrified.
00:58I'll be getting my hands dirty.
01:00Come on, the paint 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.
01:14You're very silent. Why?
01:16You're the experts.
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. Should I choose to accept it? And I do.
01:31I think we're going to need a bigger skip.
01:33This time.
01:34I hope she doesn't smell the seats.
01:36I don't think she will.
01:37You never know.
01:38A pair of novice hoteliers.
01:40Why on earth have you given me a family room?
01:42Well, we're going to join you.
01:44With questionable taste in interiors.
01:46We use these chairs in mental health hospitals.
01:48Just get rid of some of the s**t for God's sake.
01:51And a business at risk of collapse.
01:53We will struggle to make it through winter.
01:58Check on, buddy.
02:00Feeling good?
02:00Yeah, you.
02:02In West Sussex, 37-year-old publican and local lad, Jack.
02:07One full English for poach, one full English for scramble.
02:10And his best friend, 35-year-old chef Danny from Birmingham.
02:14No one fancies turning on the dishwasher now?
02:16No, not today.
02:18Are the new kings of the 16th century Castle Inn.
02:21There we are. Look at that. Hey.
02:24Having been best mates since they met working a ski season in 2010,
02:28buying a business together has always been their ultimate ambition.
02:34They're heavy. Must be well strong.
02:36After 15 years of friendship and been speaking about this for years,
02:41this is a big time and a big opportunity.
02:43Despite never having run a hotel before...
02:47That'd be annoying, wouldn't it?
02:49When they saw the Castle Inn, just an hour away from where Jack lives,
02:53they saw a chance to turn their dreams into reality.
02:56You want to see me do a quick swap?
02:58Can you?
03:00No.
03:01No, but I found a long hair.
03:02The boys scraped together £135,000 to take on the lease of the 20-bedroom inn
03:08that also boasts a bar and 60-seater restaurant.
03:12Oh, wow. It's a work of art.
03:15We had to beg, borrow and steal to get the deal over the line.
03:19There's a couple of government-backed loans in there.
03:21There's some family and friend loans.
03:23I sold my pride and joy in my car.
03:26They thought they were on to a winner as a business achieved 85% occupancy last year,
03:31but the boys' big gamble is now looking like it may not pay off.
03:35There's been a 40% drop in room sales and it is particularly scary.
03:40How we make it work for us is yet to be discovered.
03:44That is terrifying.
03:49And it's not only the future of the business that's at stake.
03:52Do you think it's better here or in Birmingham?
03:56Here.
03:56Danny has moved his wife Zoe and four-year-old daughter Sophia
04:00180 miles south to start a new life here.
04:03The move has been a massive sacrifice and we don't know if it's going to pay off or not.
04:08All of our savings has all gone into this.
04:11It's lovely here, isn't it?
04:13For Jack and fiancé Natalie,
04:15the hotel's struggles are impacting more than just the business's bottom line.
04:19It's also putting strain on their special day.
04:23So today, after stressing about the payroll,
04:25I pretty much didn't have enough money in the accounts,
04:27so I had to send some wedding funds to cover it.
04:31When will that be replaced?
04:33Well, I don't know.
04:34Money goes in and doesn't come out as quick.
04:38With the boys' financial futures and personal lives
04:41depending on the success of the business, they simply can't afford to fail.
04:45Our houses are on the line because if we can't pay our mortgages, there's a whole other can of worms.
04:51We're just hoping that we can catch it before it's too late.
05:02We are in Sussex. I know this area quite well.
05:06My little hotel, The Star, is about an hour away from here.
05:10The South Downs National Park is a holiday hotspot known for its rolling hills,
05:15ancient woodlands and bustling, affluent market towns.
05:19But despite 39 million annual visitors flocking to this area,
05:24the Castle Inn isn't much of a tourist attraction.
05:26I've been looking online and it seems to have absolutely terrible reviews.
05:33From I couldn't wait to get out of this place to not for the faint-hearted,
05:38it doesn't make great reading.
05:41I know it's been taken over by novice hoteliers, some of the reviews they inherited,
05:47but some are very, very recent.
05:51Mmm, this might be it.
05:53Lots of flowers on the outside, it looks positively healthy.
05:59Do you want a quick water, Jack?
06:00I'm nervous, excitement. Yeah, stick a couple of gins in there.
06:03No!
06:08This is lovely.
06:09I'm feeling a lot more positive than I expected to, having a little bit of reviews.
06:13The outside's window boxes are brimming with fresh seasonal flowers,
06:18a big tick for curb appeal.
06:20Danny, she's coming.
06:23Morning. Hiya, lovely to meet you, Danny.
06:25Danny, very nice to meet you. Jack.
06:27Thank you for inviting me in. I mean, it looks amazing from the outside.
06:31I wasn't quite expecting this when I walked in.
06:34Yeah.
06:35This is less charming village pub, more characterless high street coffee shop chain,
06:41with not a fresh cut flower in sight.
06:43I'm hoping I'm not going to be disappointed.
06:47Height of the season, I'm assuming that you're busy.
06:50We've got tradesmen Monday to Thursday.
06:53And then the weekends are a struggle.
06:55Room occupancy has gone way down since last year.
07:00Two weeks ago, our occupancy was down like 45%.
07:04Scary. Scary, yeah.
07:06It's scary everywhere. Yeah.
07:08But that's why you've got to make the most now while the sun is shining.
07:11Yeah.
07:11Okay, the ideal thing would be if I can go to a room, please.
07:15Let's go.
07:17With 20 rooms priced from £110 a night, I'm keen to see if the accommodation is the cause of the
07:23bad reviews and empty weekends.
07:26So, room number four is just up here.
07:30Right.
07:31Well, why on earth have you given me a family room?
07:35Well, we're going to join you.
07:39Who's top and who's bottom?
07:41Well, I usually go top bunk.
07:45That's one way to improve occupancy, but I think I'll pass for now.
07:49This isn't bad, you know.
07:51No.
07:51No, but I don't want to stay in a family room.
07:54So, do you want to show me another room?
07:55Of course, no problem.
07:56No problem.
07:57No problem.
08:01This is the wedding suite.
08:07You mustn't call it that.
08:08I think we could put some good food on a plate.
08:11We can serve a nice pint, but being able to deliver on the rooms front.
08:15We're not on track right now.
08:18What I'd love to do is I'm going to seamlessly poke my nose in everywhere.
08:23Okay, great.
08:24Thanks.
08:30Towels on a bed.
08:35Very odd combination of things.
08:37You've got this kind of old-fashioned cupboard.
08:41This truly repulsive gemonte chair with amazing brickwork.
08:46There's no identity here.
08:49I mean, basically.
08:50They haven't really worked out what they're doing yet.
08:54These rooms are fairly priced, so I can see why they work for the weekday tradesmen.
08:59But it's no surprise that leisure travellers seeking a beautiful country stay in the South
09:03Downs aren't enamoured by them.
09:07I hope what I find downstairs is a more uplifting experience.
09:12I hope she doesn't smell some of the seats.
09:14I don't think she will.
09:16You never know.
09:21Well, I'm horrified at the kind of plastic everywhere and this really ghastly sitting area.
09:29It's such a shame.
09:32There's just no charm.
09:34The boys have had six months to put their stamp on this place and I've seen no sign of that
09:39so far.
09:40Look at this.
09:41This expanse of white.
09:44God's sake, give the room some colour.
09:47It doesn't just look like a kind of canteen.
09:50It doesn't cost anything to take away.
09:55And I would suggest that they start straight away.
09:58Possibly with this.
10:01It's bleak because there's no identity.
10:05I mean, it's not even trying to have an identity.
10:08They must have seen the awful reviews online, so there is no excuse for not having improved some
10:13of these issues.
10:14I'm starting to understand why the comments range from really disappointed to a very clear
10:18I won't be back.
10:20With businesses thriving or failing through customer criticism in the online age,
10:25I want the boys to hear for themselves where their guests think they're going wrong.
10:29I've invited three couples to stay here tonight.
10:32Right.
10:33Who are leisure guests?
10:35More the kind of guests that you want to get in.
10:38I want them to tell me what's working and what's not.
10:43Okay.
10:44This is a bloody competitive market.
10:47People have no money and when they're coming away for leisure,
10:50they want to come somewhere that they have faith in.
10:53So I want us to get some good reviews saying these guys have really turned it round.
10:58Okay.
10:59My guests should highlight where Jack and Danny could improve when it comes to appealing to tourists
11:05rather than tradesmen.
11:06Oh mate, I can't believe it.
11:09Three surprise guests.
11:11But with the bedrooms in need of a quick changeover,
11:14I hope the boys can get them ready in time and avoid more bad reviews.
11:18I do worry that it could also add fuel to the fire.
11:23These glasses are a bit dirty.
11:25Someone just polished that mirror, changed the glasses.
11:27We haven't got long.
11:38We have to sell another 406 rooms to get anywhere near what they did last August.
11:43In West Sussex, six months after novice hoteliers Jack and Danny sank £135,000 into the Castle Inn,
11:51occupancy is in free form.
11:54So we're currently 65% down on August last year.
11:59After Danny moved his young family across the country and Jack invested his wedding fund to keep the business afloat,
12:06both boys have taken huge risks to realise their ambition of owning a hotel together.
12:11Are these actually guest ready, do you think?
12:13I can't even turn the light on.
12:15With that one-line reputation and tatters, they're rushing to get rooms ready for my surprise guests
12:20in the hope of getting some good reviews.
12:23Stay on there.
12:24Oh, what?
12:25While the boys get stuck in sorting out the bedrooms...
12:28Check all the condiments are on the side.
12:31Hello, good afternoon.
12:33I've headed out to investigate another area they need to ensure they're making the most of.
12:38When the nights are dark and come early, it's your locals who are going to be the lifeblood of your
12:43business.
12:44I've come to the nearby tea room to get the goss on what this lot think of their village pub.
12:50Ladies, ladies, tell me what you think of the Castle Inn these days.
12:56I haven't been in there for years. I live next door as well.
12:59The previous owners weren't very well liked and drove a lot of the local art away.
13:06Yeah. And now they've got to rebuild that relationship.
13:10Yeah, it's not that everybody wants it to work.
13:11We've got three in your space where we can all go.
13:16I think the decor at the moment, it always makes me think of like a Peckham nail bar.
13:20You know, that weird sort of art and artificial flowers.
13:23You know, you could get rid of that quite easily.
13:26I mean, that restaurant is not a place of glamour, is it?
13:29I'm going to work with them for the next couple of weeks,
13:31and I'm hoping that once I've done, I can tempt you guys back.
13:34Clearly, I'm not the only one that takes issue with the interior design.
13:39If I can fix that and encourage the boys to turn on the charm,
13:43I'm convinced we can convert this community into loyal customers.
13:48Lots of villagers hate someone you're taking over and are very fond of the old owners.
13:53And in fact, it's far from that here.
13:56There's an enormous desire for them to succeed, and they want the opportunity to use it.
14:01But before turning my attention to winning local hearts and minds...
14:05Hello, you two.
14:06Hello.
14:07I want to understand the numbers that underpin this business
14:10beyond the £135,000 the boys spent to buy the lease.
14:14What are your overheads here per calendar month these years?
14:17So, utilities, four to four and a half.
14:20OK. What is the rent?
14:2211k a month, year one.
14:24What about staffing?
14:2430, 35.
14:27With more than £50,000 needed each month just to cover costs,
14:32the pressure is certainly on to get the tills ringing.
14:35Tell me how long you can keep going as you are.
14:39Depending on how it goes in the summer, we will struggle to make it through the winter.
14:46But we know that with a few changes to make things a bit more aesthetically pleasing
14:50over time, that we can only improve occupancy.
14:54If we had the money now just to go bang...
14:56Yes, but also just get rid of some of the s*** for God's sake.
14:59I mean, honestly, is this what you want to be known for?
15:03What on earth makes you put up with it as it is?
15:07I think that you have to quite quickly make an absolutely positive stamp on the place.
15:14Something to show that this is under new management.
15:17I know what it takes to make a business work and I'm worried that you're not doing it.
15:22The lack of action here is a real worry.
15:25If this business is going to survive and then thrive,
15:28we need to start making some changes and find a way to fill those rooms.
15:33This is peak, peak money-making time.
15:35They've already missed out on May, June and most of July.
15:39Let's make sure that they don't miss out on any more.
15:42And that all starts by trying to improve the online reviews.
15:46Welcome to Bramber.
15:47Can we show you to your rooms?
15:50Follow us.
15:50I've asked my surprise guests to test drive three bedrooms to highlight where improvements could be made,
15:56to appeal to the tourist market and hopefully boost weekend occupancy.
16:00If you need anything at all, do give us a shout.
16:03Shiva and Simon are giving their ensuite double the once over.
16:07This is room 12, the room for tonight.
16:11Liz and Steve are sizing up their accommodation.
16:15It is very tight on space and the one thing that's missing is something to put your luggage on.
16:23And Adam and Sam are questioning the choice of fixtures and fittings.
16:27It seems a bit excessive having a wardrobe, floors, and bedside tables.
16:34How long would you stay here to use all this furniture?
16:40With my first day here drawing to a close...
16:43Right.
16:44..it's clear I need to push Jack and Danny to get a grip on this business
16:48and start making some much-needed changes.
16:51Every minute has to count.
16:53They're not actually being as proactive as they need to be.
16:57The obvious painful scenario is the stuff that we was already well aware of.
17:02I don't know.
17:04We should have just done it.
17:14MUSIC PLAYS
17:17Check on, chef.
17:19For one full English with one of your finest poached eggs, please, Callum.
17:25It's the morning of my second day in Brambo.
17:28How was your breakfast, guys?
17:29It's really not.
17:30Is it all right, yeah?
17:31And before I check in with my guests to gather their opinions...
17:35Morning.
17:36I need to decide where I think the most pressing area for improvement is,
17:40but not on an empty stomach.
17:43Hi, darling.
17:43Hello there, you've been looked after.
17:45Can I have smoked salmon and two poached eggs?
17:47Yeah, absolutely.
17:50I am struggling with what to do here.
17:52Maybe if we get this front of house area right, it will encourage locals and visitors like.
17:59There we are, smoked salmon and poached eggs.
18:11Absolutely no complaints about breakfast.
18:16But will my guests be equally enthusiastic about their overnight experience?
18:21All right, opinions about the rooms, please. You first.
18:24I think what it needs is a little bit of TLC. You know, bedside lights didn't particularly work. Nothing really
18:32matched. It just needs fine tuning.
18:35We were saying in our room, we'd take the wardrobe out and then just a couple of bag stands.
18:39It's like, say, if you're staying for one night or two, you're not unpacking your bag and putting all your
18:43stuff away just so you can put it back in your bag tomorrow.
18:46As I suspected, the bedrooms are lacking the refinement required to appeal to a leisure guest, but nothing we can't
18:52address.
18:53What did you think of this space?
18:56It's very wedding-y. I think it's really incongruous to the front of the building.
19:00Yeah, it's just too stark. You know, silk flowers and a few sort of dusty old ornaments that really could
19:07go in the bin.
19:08Yeah, they're going today. Don't worry.
19:11I know people have said these are like wedding chairs, these really heavy ones.
19:15We use these in mental health hospitals because then people can't throw them at you.
19:20That's a new low. That's an expected low.
19:23Fair to say there's some bigger issues downstairs.
19:26If I'm going to convince these guests to post some positive reviews, this seems the sensible place to make the
19:32biggest impact.
19:33I'm going to invite you back and hopefully you'll approve of the changes and certainly you'll see a lot less
19:39fake flowers.
19:42Luckily, we've actually got each other through this because otherwise, I don't think I could have took that complete pounding
19:49alone.
19:49No.
19:50With guest feedback loud and clear, it's time to stop talking and start taking action.
19:56Let's get rid of the plastic plants.
19:58Let's do it.
19:58Yeah.
20:02You got that one.
20:04God, they're so heavy.
20:09Hey, it's like at the wedding. I nearly caught them.
20:16Much better, isn't it?
20:17Oh, mate.
20:18Love it.
20:21God, darling, there's a lot here.
20:23You could do your own little jungle corner.
20:25Risk assessment, hard hat.
20:38There's quite a lot of plastic here, isn't there?
20:40This is just from this room.
20:41I know. Amazing.
20:42But actually, it already looks better.
20:46Stripping out the plastic plants is a great start, but it's clear we need to go further than my budget
20:51will stretch if Jack and Danny are going to move this business forward.
20:56I've got a thousand pounds I can give you.
20:59It's up to you now to decide what on earth we're going to do here.
21:05With families to support, mortgages to pay and even an imminent wedding on the line, I'm aware that asking the
21:11boys to raise more funds is no small thing.
21:15What can we do? Can we find any money?
21:17If we had all the money we needed, then of course we could throw people in there to fix it.
21:22But if Jack and Danny really want their dream project to work, they're going to have to give it everything
21:27they've got.
21:29What I'm absolutely convinced about is they can't keep on just putting one foot in front of the other and
21:34hoping that something's going to change.
21:35Can we raise it? Can we get to that point? It's just how deep is the pit that you want
21:39to go into?
21:43Hello. So, what have you decided?
21:48Yeah, we're in, yeah. We're ready for it.
21:50Good. How much do you think you can beg, Warren, steal?
21:53We're going to try and get 5k together. Good.
21:57I want to use that extra cash to inject the restaurant with the personality it's totally lacking.
22:02We will make it go as far as it possibly can. You're going to have a lovely new dining room.
22:08To bring the locals back, I want Jack and Danny to go door to door to invite the villagers in
22:13to see the changes we make together.
22:15I definitely think you should have A, meet the owners evening. I want you front and centre of this, showing
22:21that there's a kind of fresh wind blowing through the castle in Brambagh.
22:26And you think go direct to them? You know what? If you try it, you won't know.
22:29Yeah. I also want the boys to try making the seating area in the bar somewhere locals might actually want
22:35to sit in this downstairs area.
22:38You could make it a bit more kind of pubby, you know, one area where there's a kind of little
22:43soggy bit.
22:45Lastly, I want to boost bookings in the underperforming bedrooms.
22:49I think we need to look at dinner, bed and breakfast packages.
22:52Okay.
22:53It's a brilliant way of making sure that you try and fill some of the rooms that you're down this
22:58summer.
22:58Yeah, that's exciting.
22:59Yeah, yeah.
23:00It's been a pleasure.
23:01Lovely.
23:01Thank you so much for all your help.
23:02Thank you, Alex.
23:03Pleasure.
23:04Feels like there's a bit of a plan in place and that's what we didn't have before.
23:08I'm so glad that Danny and Jack have decided to put some money in,
23:12so I've got a chance of really making that as nice as possible.
23:15Now, it's a question of speed and of making decisions really quickly.
23:20All we can do is try.
23:33In West Sussex, change is finally afoot at the Castle Inn,
23:38where I've wasted no time in getting the decorators in to breathe new life into the tired downstairs interiors.
23:45Is that all right, mate? Happy with it?
23:47Yeah, yeah. I'm loving the purchase.
23:50I also asked best friends and first-time hoteliers, Jack and Danny,
23:54to sort out the pub's ugly seating area and start putting their own stamp on the place.
24:00Sit with Pulitzer on this couch.
24:01I wanted them to create a cosy snug to help entice the locals in.
24:06We haven't quite thought this all the way through.
24:09So far, they've spent £800 on six second-hand sofas and chairs.
24:15As I know from my own place, the secret to making a space like this work
24:19is all about creating defined individual areas, mixing and matching the furniture,
24:24and softening it all up with complementary cushions.
24:28Shall we pull some of these out?
24:29Start again.
24:30And then start again, yeah.
24:32We should have actually done a little plan on paper first.
24:39With £135,000 already invested, plus Danny relocating his family and Jack dipping into his wedding fund,
24:46the pressure is mounting to make their dream of running a hotel together work.
24:50Jack's given it a lot of time, which is having a toll on our personal life,
24:56because he's constantly busy and preoccupied and not very present at the moment.
25:02It is scary, because everything we've got, money and love, is going into this project.
25:07So, yeah, hopefully it pays off.
25:13Getting more heads on beds is what the boys need to help their business survive.
25:21Rooms is where the real profit is, and we are now in the height of summer,
25:25and if they can't fill the rooms now, they're going to have a very sad and weary winter ahead.
25:31So I've asked Jack and Danny to meet me in nearby Eastbourne.
25:35Hello, hello, and welcome.
25:38To show them a hotel I think could offer some inspiration
25:41for addressing the feedback my guests gave about their bedrooms.
25:45Shall we go in? Let's go and have a look.
25:50Come on in.
25:55It is a really simple room. There's nothing extraneous.
25:59There's not a wardrobe anywhere, you'll notice.
26:01Yeah.
26:02Because most people don't even bother to unpack.
26:04If you do unpack, you need a hanger and a hook.
26:07Yeah, I actually like the hanging thing, yeah.
26:09Yeah, it's cool.
26:09The main thing in your rooms is that we need to get rid of furniture.
26:13Space is what people really want and what people pay for now.
26:16Yeah, yeah, it's true, yeah.
26:18Do you see why it's good to come here?
26:19It's simplistic and clean.
26:21Yeah.
26:22And effective.
26:23Love it.
26:24Yeah?
26:25Adopting ideas from these practical but stylish spaces
26:29could help the boys better appeal to the weekend crowd
26:32without alienating their current tradesman market.
26:35Right.
26:36But filling the rooms is about far more than just interiors.
26:41You said to me that you weren't busy and that there'd been a serious decline
26:44from when you bought the hotel.
26:45So you've got to capture people's attention.
26:48I find dinner, bed and breakfast deal really effective
26:51because then they're also going to drink.
26:52Yeah.
26:53On current pricings, with two people spending £45 each night on food over two nights,
27:00two nights in the standard double would cost £440.
27:03Let's suggest that you then apply a 12% discount.
27:07It means they'd be getting something for £387 that would have cost them £440.
27:13Yeah.
27:14Yeah.
27:14With around 70% gross profit on food and 85% on rooms,
27:18the profit for the business would still be strong.
27:22Over two nights, you'd make £305 before they've ever had a drink.
27:26I do like the dinner, bed and breakfast.
27:28Everybody loves knowing that end result is capped other than their drinks.
27:32And that's how we can massively upsell and make all the money anyway.
27:36Massively upsell.
27:37With plans for package deals done and dusted...
27:40Let's go.
27:41Now I want to put the ideas for refreshing the bedrooms into action.
27:45Right, come on.
27:47So back at the castle, it's out with the old and in with the new,
27:50as Jack has already dipped into his wedding fund,
27:53I've recruited his fiancée to help direct how that money is spent.
27:58Hi.
27:59I'm Alex.
28:00Hi, Natalie.
28:01Very nice to meet you.
28:02Very nice to meet you.
28:02You've got rid of all the crap.
28:04Yes, that's what I've been up to.
28:06Yay.
28:07Natalie is clearly a woman after my own heart and I'm keen to keep that momentum going.
28:12I've got a mini makeover that I would like to do just to show you how different a few touches
28:18can make.
28:20Inspired by our visit to Eastbourne this morning...
28:22Come on.
28:23And with a budget of only £300, I want to address the issues my overnight guests raised to improve both
28:30the feel and functionality of this space.
28:33Here I have two new chairs, a luggage rack and some lamps and I just want to see how much
28:41nicer we can make the room by first of all getting rid of this great enormous thing.
28:45Can we just put it in the corridor for you?
28:47Yeah, no problem.
28:48To me?
28:49I reckon we slide it.
28:51Ready, three, two, one.
28:57Okay, we've got chairs to assemble and a luggage rack to take out.
29:03We've got the easy stuff.
29:06Like the bra?
29:07They're proper nice heavy lampshades, darling.
29:10The moment you go to a cheap hotel, you know it's a cheap hotel because the lights don't have heavy
29:15bases.
29:16Yeah.
29:16How are you getting on?
29:17Well to go as you are, I'm not very good at this kind of thing.
29:19So if I do it before you, it would just be pure fluke.
29:23And I think this is a really useful way of showing them how quickly you can change a room
29:28without much money and just with an eye to detail.
29:33It's always nice to have two chairs when two people are sharing a room so that they each have an
29:38area
29:38to put their stuff on and you never have things all in the line.
29:46Now, I think the room looks enormous.
29:49It feels like you can breathe.
29:52Previously, the array of ugly furniture made this room feel cramped and cheap.
29:57Now there's acres of space, a more coherent look and some classier finishing touches.
30:03Even just moving the wardrobe out, the minute you walk in, it's more inviting.
30:06The lights here now look more premium.
30:09They were £60 each.
30:10Chairs were £50 each.
30:12The luggage rack was £65 and the coat hooks were £22.
30:17Literally in 10 minutes flat and with £300, we've transformed this room.
30:21Not only is the space nicer to look at, it should also offer a more enjoyable guest experience
30:26and, critically, better reviews.
30:29Well, that's one room done, 19 to go.
30:32With only one day left with the boys, I want us to finish with a bang.
30:37I think we're going to need a bigger skip.
30:38Not only are my overnight guests returning to rate the changes, I also want Jack and Danny
30:44to really sell the new vision to the locals.
30:47We are going to invite them in for a relaunch party.
30:50Let's blind them with the breadth of the ambition.
30:54Yeah, I love that.
30:54I think people really like that.
30:56But all this change is worth nothing if the boys don't see an improvement in their bottom line.
31:01I really want you to try out and sell on some of these packages,
31:05because 20 bedrooms are going to be the bit that make you solid money.
31:09Yeah, the rooms in this day and age are what drives it.
31:12Good.
31:13So we've got to get it sorted.
31:14Right, see you in four weeks.
31:16Thank you. Thank you very much.
31:17Bye.
31:28It's a day before the final event.
31:31And while my team raced to get the dining room ready for the big reveal.
31:35Right, let's do this first batch.
31:38Jack and Danny are heading out to try and bring the villagers of Brambagh back on side.
31:43There is not a lot of local support at the moment.
31:47I'm Jack. There's a little invite here.
31:49We're doing a bit of a relaunch, a rebrand of the Castle Inn Hotel.
31:53You know, that's really hard to build back up.
31:55We're fully against that.
31:57Lovely to meet you. Take care.
31:59If they can't convince the locals to give the castle another chance,
32:02the boys' dream of running the pub together could turn into a nightmare.
32:06You know, if we come out summer into the winter months without the trade, we won't make it.
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32:20You'll indulge with dinner both nights, an afternoon tea and a round of golf.
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32:51I feel like we need to get this looking a bit better.
32:54In Bramber, West Sussex.
32:55Yep. Bit of cleaning.
32:57It's the day of my final visit to the Castle Inn.
33:00A bit of mist a bit.
33:01Yeah.
33:03Kids colouring it in.
33:05With my overnight guests returning to check out the changes, plus a locals relaunch event,
33:11there's a lot riding on today being a success.
33:18Danny's moved his young family halfway across England to come and launch this venture with Jack.
33:25They've begged, borrowed money from everybody that they can possibly think of to make this work.
33:31The reality is, there's a lot at stake.
33:34With local trade and occupancy way down,
33:38and the bar and restaurant areas a mismatched mess,
33:42I'm hoping to finally see some positive changes.
33:47Aha!
33:48Oh, hello!
33:49Good morning!
33:50What are these?
33:51A concoction of different aged Chesterfields.
34:00Not entirely so that I approve.
34:02It's a bit Doctor's Waiting Room.
34:04Not quite to my taste, but it's still an improvement on the very basic tables and chairs that were here
34:09before,
34:10so I'm going to stay optimistic.
34:13How has business been?
34:15Have you tried doing package deals?
34:16Yeah, so we put the one you suggested live.
34:19Yeah.
34:19We sold a few of those.
34:21June we were £20,000 down on room sales alone last year.
34:25Yeah.
34:25July we actually popped up by about £1,000 more than last year.
34:29Yeah.
34:30So that's great, thank you.
34:31Making the summer season pay is essential to surviving the winter,
34:35so I'm delighted my package deals have helped up room sales and their income.
34:40So that's all quite positive?
34:41Yes.
34:42Can I please see your lovely new dining room?
34:44You can indeed, yeah.
34:45I'm very, very excited.
34:47Let's go.
34:49On my first visit here, the restaurant was stark and uninviting,
34:53stuffed full of tacky plastic plants and clashing tables and chairs.
35:01Ooh, this looks lovely.
35:05Now it's a warm and inviting eating area with fresh greenery and pops of colour that bring the space to
35:11life.
35:13Are you pleased is the main thing?
35:15Yeah, I didn't know what to expect and it's probably better.
35:22I love the colour and the panelling.
35:25We've got these lovely chairs, rechargeable table lamps.
35:29Yeah, I love that.
35:30We've used your old vases but they no longer have fake flowers in them.
35:34This is a really nice room.
35:36It had no real identity and now you've given it a bit of life.
35:42With the downstairs interiors now delivering on the promise of the pub's charming exterior,
35:47I'm hoping these changes will help fix more than just the aesthetic appeal.
35:51The first thing we've got is my original guests who came today, coming and having a look again.
35:56So I'm hoping that you'll get some good feedback immediately.
35:59I love good reviews, hopefully.
36:01Last time my guests were here, they pointed out quite a litany of things that they didn't like about the
36:07place,
36:07which we have tried to tackle.
36:10Having overhauled the restaurant and refreshed a bedroom,
36:14I'm hoping the changes can convince them to post complimentary reviews that might tempt customers to book.
36:22Possibly you choose somewhere with lots of good reviews than somewhere with lots of terrible reviews.
36:31It looks really nice, much more homely and inviting really, I think.
36:37It looks really clean and bright and fresh.
36:40Definite improvement on the chairs, you wouldn't get these in hospital, I don't think.
36:45It's an unusual compliment.
36:50Those reactions are music to my ears.
36:53This way, ladies and gentlemen.
36:55Hopefully the boys hear the same positive noises about the updated bedroom.
37:01Follow us.
37:04So no huge decorative changes, but now we've got a place for luggage.
37:11There is some sturdier lamps.
37:14We've got rid of the big wardrobe to make it feel a bit more open and then change the chairs.
37:20Small things, but hopefully impactful.
37:22It looks a lot more modern.
37:26I'm hoping my guests have seen enough to reward our efforts and share their opinions online.
37:32So, my dear friends, do you think that there has been enough of an improvement here for you guys to
37:38write us a nice review?
37:40Yes.
37:41Yeah, absolutely.
37:43Good.
37:44Last time on the price that you were charging for the rooms, it was a bit of a push, but
37:48this time I really would feel I've got value for money.
37:51Yeah, excellent.
37:52Great.
37:52That's nice, isn't it?
37:55That's an incredible result.
37:57And with my guests already writing up their reviews, I'm hoping the castle's improved online reputation will help boost business.
38:04It was nice to have the honest feedback from them last time, and the fact they can see the changes,
38:10they're going to leave good reviews, all we can ask for them.
38:13There were some talks of booking on the way out.
38:14I hope so, yeah, filling up.
38:18But my returning guests aren't the only people we need to impress today.
38:23Should be enough.
38:24Yeah, 100 people.
38:25You all right?
38:26Yeah, that'll do, isn't it?
38:27Light snacks and crudités.
38:29If this business is going to thrive through the winter, it also needs the backing of the locals.
38:34We've got to make sure that they feel loved and wanted, and that Jack and Danny try and encourage this
38:40to become the hub of Bramboa as it once was.
38:44With the villagers arriving in their droves for the Meet the Owners event...
38:49How are you doing?
38:50Hello.
38:50Hello.
38:51I'm Alex.
38:52..it looks like the boys' outreach efforts have paid dividends.
38:56It is above expectations, the turnout.
38:58After all of the money, time and effort that's been put in, it's nice to see the place packed.
39:04Now it's up to me and the boys to turn on the charm.
39:08Hello.
39:09Thank you so much for coming out.
39:10And convince this crowd that the castle is the place to be in Bramboa.
39:15If we have like a week or a weekend where we're offering something special, then you'll be the first to
39:20know.
39:21Paul, Dave and Charles.
39:24Lovely to meet you guys.
39:27They're young and ambitious, the owners, and that's what it means.
39:30We want them to do well, we want them to do well.
39:32I think what Jack and Danny have done at the castle has been absolutely brilliant, and we really do want
39:38them to succeed.
39:40We're living in the village, we need somewhere where we can come.
39:43Cheers.
39:45Over the years, it was sort of a little bit unfriendly.
39:49And now I feel like we've got something back in the village which is really important to us.
39:54And it's not just the locals that are loving the new look castle.
39:58What do you think to the changes in the roof?
40:01I love it.
40:02It's amazing.
40:03It's beautiful.
40:04Sophia, what do you think of the changes in the roof?
40:09Having uprooted their family from the Midlands, it seems like the risk Danny and Zoe took to make
40:14this business happen has been rewarded.
40:17Today definitely cemented that it was the right decision for us, and yeah, we're excited for the future.
40:22It's so nice to see it, it's so busy.
40:24I know, it needs to be like this.
40:25With a packed house lapping up the boys' hospitality.
40:29I'm just going to get our speech.
40:30All that's left is for them to say a few words to sell their vision for the future.
40:39Guys, welcome.
40:40Thank you very much for coming.
40:43We're excited to take this pub on its next chapter.
40:47What's always mattered most to us is simple.
40:50Good food, a glass of something special and a proper warm welcome.
40:54With a castle, we want to bring that spirit back.
40:57But it's mainly about the people.
40:58You guys and us that are actually going to once again make it a hub of the village.
41:05I encourage every single one of you to remember they haven't been here very long,
41:10but they definitely have their feet on the right path.
41:12And I would like to raise my glass to you both for what you've achieved so far.
41:17Well done. Thank you. That's lovely of you.
41:23That's about as satisfying a conclusion to my final day here as I could have hoped for.
41:29And while the locals eat, drink and are merry, all that's left for me to do is to say my
41:34farewells.
41:35You know what? It's been such a pleasure working with you. I really enjoyed it.
41:39Well thank you very much.
41:41Thank you very much.
41:41You've helped us understand elements of the business that we had no idea about.
41:46And you've helped us kind of iron out a bit of a road map really.
41:49I wish you all the best of luck.
41:51Thank you. Thank you very much.
41:54Thank you so much.
41:57Bye. See you later.
42:01When I first arrived here, the castle was on the slide
42:05and Jack and Danny's ambition of running a business together was hanging in the balance.
42:10Now with a totally transformed downstairs,
42:13a tranche of positive reviews to attract weekend travelers
42:16and the local community on side again, the boys should take this place from strength to strength.
42:22If we get it firing on all cylinders, which it's very capable of now,
42:27then it's going to be everything that we wanted.
42:29I think the dining room looks great. I think the locals really warmed Jack and Danny.
42:34And I just hope I've put their feet on the right path.
42:37You know, you often need a scary woman to come along and tell you to do it.
42:43Just bloody do it.
42:44I mean, it is still early days, but I think they're going to be okay.
42:59Hi, Alex.
43:00Hi, Alex. Hope you're well.
43:01Hope you're well.
43:02Just wanted to say thank you very much for everything you and your team have done here at the castle
43:06in Brambo.
43:08The locals have been raving about the changes, the food offering and the new Neckle.
43:14The vibes around the village are great.
43:17We've noticed a strong traction in repeat customers and new ones.
43:21Thank you very much for your support. Hopefully, see you soon. See you soon.
43:30It's the unmissable drama everyone's talking about.
43:34Power, the downfall of Hugh Edwards. Stream now on 5.
43:38We have a Dara O'Brien double tomorrow at 9 as he looks into the secrets of the sun,
43:43without looking directly at it, of course.
43:46True crime next tonight on 5. The Wire, forensics murder. Stay with us.
43:52The Wire
43:53The Wire
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