Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell was similar to Kitchen Nightmares — here are the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell, ranked. In his famed reality show, the famous chef visits a failing restaurant to figure out what is going wrong, do a full renovation, update the menu, and do whatever is necessary to help them get back on track even if that involves intense arguments. In Hotel Hell, Gordon Ramsay does much the same but with small local hotels that also offer dining. Except, this time, he looks beyond issues in the restaurant to look at the service overall, cleanliness of the rooms, decor, and more.
Gordon Ramsay is one of the most recognizable celebrity chefs both from his own restaurant endeavors and from his extensive work in reality television whether he’s judging chefs, attempting to help a restaurant recover, or, in this case, visiting a hotel and giving them advice on how they can do better. The hotel world involves more than just food, although that is an aspect that Ramsay can give expert advice in, he’s also there to coach on aesthetic and hospitality services. Although this isn’t one of Ramsay’s long-running shows, it’s still an intriguing entry in his filmography and worth a watch.
15 Cambridge Hotel — Season 1, Episode 3
Gordon Ramsay visits the historic, and apparently haunted, Cambridge Hotel in New York to try to help the family struggling to make a profit, and it’s one of the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell. The owners, a local lawyer called John and his wife Tina, attempt to make the hotel business work but have a difficult time adjusting to owning a hotel over 150 years old. John controls the staff, but his micromanaging is hurting the hotel, especially in the kitchen where aspiring pastry chef Scooter is forced to serve frozen food. The episode displays Ramsay’s talents tenfold, as the owners go from inexperienced to hospitality aficionados practically overnight.
14 Landoll’s Mohican Castle — Season 3, Episode 8
The site of one of the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell is literally a massive castle located in Ohio and owned by a mother and son team, Marta and Jim, who built the castle themselves on the 1,000-acre private estate. Sadly, it burned to the ground just a few days after their insurance ended, leading to Marta and her husband Jim’s separation.
Known for hosting weddings, Ramsay put them to the test by booking a 100-person wedding to see if they could handle it. The best part? When Jim says when he doesn’t know how to cook something, he just Googles it! The castle continues to run today and is apparently doing very well, as proof that Ramsay’s tactics in the show aren’t just reality TV magic.
13 Angler’s Lodge — Season 3, Episode 1
It was the tragic loss of their son that put the owners of this Idaho hotel, located right by a great spot for fishing, into a funk. They also seemed to simply roll with the punches with a chef they knew wasn’t very good. After the decor and food makeover, Ramsay also gifted the couple with a consultant who would work with them for a month.
The couple’s passion for the lodge seems to have been reignited, and it remains open. What makes this one of the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell is Ramsay’s rarer soft side is shown, as he handles more delicate topics like loss with surprising sensitivity for the normally hot-headed chef.
12 The Juniper Hill Inn: Part 2 — Season 1, Episode 2
This Vermont-based hotel was featured on two episodes of the show as Ramsay tried to help the owner Robert, an antique dealer (think Antiques Roadshow)who was just not the best, and both of them are some of the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell. Some of Robert’s egregious transgressions included: overcharging for stays, letting his friends stay for free, not paying wages on time, and not sharing tips with the staff.
The story came to a conclusion in this second part as Ramsay made Robert realize how valuable his chef was by having him secretly make three dishes of his own that Robert liked (without first knowing who made them). Ramsay also convinced him to start treating his staff with more respect. It was quite the turnaround, once again proving Ramsay’s immeasurable skill.
11 The Juniper Hill Inn: Part 1 — Season 1, Episode 1
It’s rare that a pilot is a TV series’ best episode, but the first installment to the Juniper Hill saga is one of the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell. In the first part featuring the Vermont hotel, Ramsay was shocked to find that the owner Robert seemed to care more about his precious antiques – many of which were actually replicas, not the real things – than he did the hotel and his staff.
The episode ends with a chaotic dinner service and Robert telling the staff they don’t have to work there in response to the fact that he should be paying them! The inn reportedly went into foreclosure and later reopened under a new name and new owners. The establishment is now known as the Windsor Mansion Inn. Robert’s behavior definitively makes this installment a wild ride, which is why audiences are so keen on this particular chapter.
10 Calumet Inn — Season 2, Episode 5
Ramsay set out to assist two sisters in one of the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell, who were trying to run the restaurant their father bought for them in Minnesota. Things were so bad that their parents had to come back to work just to try and keep things going.
After dolling out some tough love and attempting sibling therapy, Ramsay ended up telling both women to go, believing the hotel was in better hands with Mandy, the general manager. The hotel is still up and running, but the sisters have since sold it to new owners. It’s one of the rare instances in which owners listen and stepping away actually helps the business, which is why this unconventional installment is one of the best.
9 Keating Hotel — Season 1, Episode 4
Gordon Ramsay visits San Diego, California in one of the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell to try to help the self-proclaimed luxury boutique Keating Hotel that is struggling to keep its doors open to guests. It’s quickly clear to Ramsay, and the audience, why the hotel is struggling once he arrives and sees the decor. The owner has spent his entire budget, and more, on turning the hotel into an Italian sports car and has neglected any basic needs for guests staying at the hotel. The installment features one of the most memorable Gordon Ramsay arguments, making the Keating Hotel episode one of the best of the series.
8 Beachfront Inn & Inlet — Season 3, Episode 7
One of the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell sees the restaurateur traveling to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This hotel on the beach seemingly had a perfect location, yet the owner Brian had no experience running a hotel and seemed to be okay with his staff partying at the bar with the guests.
From moldy food to old furniture in the rooms and an uncleaned air conditioner that was blowing allergens into guest rooms, Ramsay had his work cut out for him. Indeed, he gave up and even walked out, believing there was little hope. But apparently, Ramsay had an effect on Brian, who eventually fired the terrible chef and made some improvements to the place. The installment is a huge testament to Ramsay’s skill and influence, as at the beginning of the episode it truly seemed like there was no hope.
7 Applegate River Lodge — Season 2, Episode 3
One of the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell sees Ramsay put on the hat of relationship manager, as he somehow performs an outright miracle by getting Richard and Joanna to band together and save their business. With a pot-smoking Richard and a deep in debt Joanna, a divorced couple that still owned the Oregon restaurant together, Ramsay couldn’t believe the amount of fighting between them and their two sons Duke and Dusty, who also worked at the hotel.
Considered a party bar that keeps guests up at all hours of the night and is run by “stoners,” Ramsay figures out a way to make it work by setting up a mini music festival outside. It appears to still be open, further evidence of Ramsay’s undeniable talents.
6 Meson De Mesilla — Season 2, Episode 1
Gordon Ramsay goes to the boutique hotel in New Mexico that has a Tuscan-style aesthetic but is struggling with staying afloat. It’s a cute hotel and the boutique idea is popular, but the owner, former aspiring child-star Cali Szczawinski, has a difficult time keeping up the hotel and seems to be more interested in singing for the guests instead of taking care of them. Truly, she was one of the craziest owners on Hotel Hell.
In one of the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell, Ramsay is somehow able to shift Cali’s focus to what’s important while tackling some of her more ridiculous idiosyncrasies, such as a waver he has to sign to not damage the Venetian plaster, her three separate performance spaces, and vinyl table covers as far as the eye can see. At one point, a guest even offers Cali $100 not to sing. It’s an outright bizarre episode, which is definitely why it’s one of the best.
5 Four Seasons Inn — Season 2, Episode 6
One of the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell sees Gordon Ramsay travel to Vermont to try to help the owners of the Four Seasons Inn as they’ve let their hotel situation get out of hand and are in need of some Ramsay’s expertise. The Four Seasons Inn tries to be pet-friendly, particularly dog friendly, as they’ve got a whole dog kennel available to guests, but no one seems to use the facilities.
The hotel is also run-down and needs a makeover and employees are being underpaid or not paid at all due to the hotel’s issues. From owner Sandy giving Gordon a room with an unmade bed filled with empty beer bottles to the staff living at the hotel for free in lieu of compensation, the turnaround at the Four Seasons Inn is one that has to be seen to be believed.
4 Roosevelt Inn — Season 1, Episode 6
Gordon Ramsay attempts to help the owner of the Roosevelt Inn in Idaho who is in debt and has a failing bed and breakfast that is continuing to weigh him down. Between the $300 a night charges and the inn’s outdated decor, Gordon understands almost instantly why John isn’t getting any business.
Even though the owner is hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt he is more interested in entertaining the sporadic guests his hotel gets than attempting to solve his financial woes. Ramsay tries to get him, and the hotel, back on track, and succeeds in spades, which is why this is one of the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell. As of 2023, the Roosevelt Inn is the only hotel from season 1 that has stayed open and under the same ownership, making it one of Ramsay’s most successful rescues from the show.
3 Town’s Inn, Part 2 — Season 3, Episode 4
To say the owner of this hotel in West Virginia is eccentric is an understatement, which is why this two-parter was one of the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell. She acts like the hotel is her home, even sleeping in her office and keeping a clutter of old hats, dusty wicker baskets, and horror movie-like creepy dolls in the space offered up for sale to guests.
Karan keeps her clothes in locked guest closets, fills holes in the walls with brillo pads, and serves microwave food. In the second part, Ramsay uses a bacteria kit to test the floor with shocking results. In the end, he tries to help Karan find a new place, even paying her rent, sends her to get a makeover, and pleads with her to take some time off and spend it with her grandkids.
2 Town’s Inn, Part 1 — Season 3, Episode 3
It was the first part of this two-part episode that really got viewers hooked as they couldn’t believe Karan, the owner, and how she treated the hotel like her home, making its sheer unbelievability the reason it’s one of the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell. Not only that, but she appeared to be hoarding clothes and other items there, attempting to sell dirty and dated merchandise.
While the second part really brought things together, the shock value of Karan and how deep in denial she was made for some captivating television. Her son and his wife bought the hotel as an investment property, hoping it would help keep Karan busy after she retired from teaching. And boy, were they regretting it!
1 Hotel Chester — Season 2, Episode 4
In one of the best episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell, Chef Ramsay visited the Mississippi-based hotel, which was located right beside a college campus. One would think this establishment ran by a husband/wife duo of David and Sukie would make for a popular destination for visiting families, as well as students looking to grab a bite to eat. However, reality had different plans.
The owners were on the brink of debt. David got into a car accident and wasn’t able to work for six months, putting too much strain on Sukie. After Ramsay helped update the décor, revamp the menu to include local food, and add craft beer to the beer garden, viewers were brought to tears seeing him drive the couple to an apartment he rented for them for six months to help them get back on their feet. When last checked, the hotel remains open.