hello everyone hope you're having the most fantastic day today welcome to the film
insight channel for today's video we're going to discuss even more hotels featured on hotel hell
and reveal why they succeeded so sit back relax and without further ado let's get right into the
content guys layla's riverside lodge formerly known as four seasons in if you pay peanuts
you get monkeys if you pay nothing you get four zero it's not a business joke layla's riverside
lodge in westover vermont in the southern green mountains was the culmination of a lifelong dream
for sandy mcdougall he'd acquired it in 2011 for 1.15 million but after just two years running it
he was bleeding money it took gordon Ramsay's intervention to save the inn and credit to
mcdougall he took Ramsay's advice and ran with it because of that layla's riverside lodge is still
open it's still a dog friendly hotel with a dog kennel although it now has 16 guest rooms where
it previously had 14. but what has made the inn successful the answer to that is mcdougall himself
he stands out as one of the most grateful owners in the show's running when Ramsay unveiled the
warm welcoming renovations to the inn mcdougall was moved to tears anyone who watched him could
see the gratitude in his eyes his kennels felt brand new spacious carpeted and filled with
brightly coloured toys for dogs Ramsay even bought his dog rumpole to meet layla mcdougall's dog whom
the inn was named after and mcdougall that lovely man burst into even more tears after seeing his
gorgeous new kennels he was overcome with emotion but even better is that he managed to carry the
spirit of that day forward he went from being the clueless timid innkeeper who exclaimed good
christmas when Ramsay revealed bodily fluids on his bed linens to being a gracious host
that is now mentioned frequently and fondly in online reviews with 4.5 stars over 134 reviews
on tripadvisor and 4.6 stars across 111 reviews on facebook layla's riverside lodge is a treat guests
love the older homier ambiance of the inn coupled with the unrivaled hospitality that mcdougall and
the staff offer they also rave about the food great tasting home-cooked farm-to-table dinners
served family style in a cozy room while a huge fireplace crackles with the smell
of burnt firewood and finally the location plush green fields in the summer and snow in winter set
on 4.5 acres in the southern green mountains of vermont activities around the lodge are abundant
skiing and snowboarding on mount snow trekking the outstanding trails of the snow and stratton
mountains plus fishing and riding the area is an outdoor enthusiast paradise while the lodge is a
great place to unwind afterwards i badly want to go there now mcdougall has clearly capitalized
on the location and has found his passion as an innkeeper but dogs are an added bonus that adds
to the liveliness of layla's riverside lodge what a fantastic place to be unfortunately layla passed
away in september 2021 at 13 years of age before her death she and her companion stella would roam
the inn greeting guests and spreading joy in conclusion the combination of a great location
and a determined owner who just needed a leg up is what keeps layla's riverside lodge ticking room
prices at the three-star layla's riverside lodge range from 179 dollars to 379 dollars a night
towns inn operated every mouth was full of grease because it was so cooked in the
microwave and that's the way we do it people say that we we've got the best food in town
now you're sounding slightly bizarre the best food in town towns inn is located in one of america's
most celebrated small towns harpers ferry in west virginia just 60 miles from washington dc
while it's not entirely surprising that layla's riverside lodge is still open this one comes as
a surprise to me the portrayal of this inn and its owner karen townsend on hotel hell
was downright inhospitable in the show townsend was a soft-spoken deluded hag and a hoarder
but the worst thing about her was gordon Ramsay finding out that she had diarrhea on his bedroom
carpet and she never even cleaned after herself probably because there's crap on the floor
probably could be what does that mean could be my first shift here you were in the bathroom
you had to exit on the floor there have been times when i have had diarrhea but it doesn't
happen very often Ramsay found townsend's fecal matter on his bedroom carpet picture that if i
found that in my room i'd be demanding a refund and a profuse apology and afterwards despite
appearing to be thankful on the show townsend said in a 2017 interview that she didn't care
for Ramsay's renovations which she estimated cost less than twenty thousand dollars and didn't match
the inn's aesthetic neither was she thankful for the cottage that Ramsay rented fur out of his own
pocket because it was impractical to travel back and forth to the inn daily can you imagine the
cold-heartedness of this carpet [ __ ] Ramsay had even gone so far as to rent out a cottage for her
because she used to sleep on a board with sheets and quilts i cannot bear this woman's complaints i
just can't even while there may have been truths to her statements her lack of gratefulness is
really grating and solidifies her character as a bitter old lady but alas towns in is a success
today according to reviewers who've met her there townsend is a well-liked presence at the inn given
everything i've said this is quite a surprising turn of events and i'm a ghost in disbelief
but if she could act happy on the show about the renovations who knows what other two-faced tricks
she can pull the reviews are head-scratchingly good with four stars across 274 reviews on
tripadvisor 4.2 stars across 142 reviews on expedia and 8.6 stars on hotels.com townsend
is a great place to hang your cloak it even won a 2021 trip advisor travelers choice award
guests are pleased with the inn's cozy rustic and quaint feel that comes naturally to it as it is
approximately a 200 year old building the location is fantastic the inn lies at the confluence of the
potomac river and shenandoah river which gives guests easy access to amenities and activities
the inn is also a five-minute walk away from the appalachian trail and a three-minute walk
away from the harpers ferry amtrak station shops restaurants museums are also close by and cyclists
can enjoy riding the popular chesapeake and ohio canal towpath the inn is quite popular with bikers
and hikers i myself would want to visit except that i'm scared of townsend [ __ ] in my room
but the reviews do say that townsend and glenda the manager are wonderful hosts
the inn is however rather small with only nine guest rooms the room's prices range from 79 to 180
judging from the reviews it has the advantage of a great location similar to layla's riverside lodge
it's in the heart of the town at a scenic location with everything close by with such unique location
advantages and even some half decent management it's hard to see how the towns inn could fail
hotel chester what's wrong with the hotel that's a question we're not sure we don't think it's a
quality issue neither for our rooms or our food and beverage this episode was very wholesome
because the couple that owned the hotel were genuine folks and like mcdougall from layla's
just needed some help and were willing to accept it wholeheartedly sookie and david molendore had
bought the 36 roomed hotel chester in 2000 but a series of disasters would be full them leaving
them teetering on the edge the first tragedy was when david got into a car accident that crushed
his feet broke his back in two places i broke both of my ankles and back in two places and left him
bedridden for nearly six months the second would be when the family declared bankruptcy
and eventually lost their home in foreclosure this sorry state of affairs is how gordon Ramsay found
them when he traveled to starkville mississippi home of the mississippi state university the
mullendores were 900 thousand dollars deep in debt and Ramsay had never wanted to help two people so
much as these two thankfully his plan did help the hotel is still open today and is still run
by the couple so what makes the hotel chester a thriving business while the hotel has a drab
and dreary red brick exterior that makes you feel like you're walking into a prison's headquarters
the interior is charming enough that you can put aside the gloomy facade with 4.5 stars across
200 reviews on tripadvisor at a 9 out of 10 score across 165 reviews on hotels.com the hotel chester
is a great place to put your feet up for a couple of days guests love the charm of the hotel which
is unlike what you may find in a chain hotel the food is great and the rooms are well maintained
the prices too are affordable with most rooms going for about a hundred dollars per night
which is a great deal its central location in the heart of historic downtown starkville is
another big plus due to easy access to restaurants cafes shops and entertainment on main street the
mississippi state university campus is also only a 27-minute walk away giving the hotel a large ready
supply of potential guests furthermore dave and suki are amicable and gracious hosts frequently
mentioned by reviewers which means they must be doing something right their kind heart showed when
in 2020 dave announced the hotel chester would be offering a three-month lease program for students
and staff at mississippi state university who may not have wanted to sign year-long leases
for an apartment this was an option that at the time would have been a great assistance to those
unsure of their accommodations due to the pandemic ramsay's influence on the hotel is also tangible
as the hotel still offers the gordon burger which remains a popular treat for diners
ramsay's beer garden addition has been a delight to many customers over the years
in short what made this hotel successful are david and suki's hard work kindness and willingness to
listen and to take ramsay's advice while offering fantastic affordable and charming facilities
amenities and services the hotel chester is an excellent hotel with a good heart at its core well
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