Hotel Chester - Hotel Hell Update - Open or Closed?

In this Hotel Hell episode, Gordon Ramsay visits Hotel Chester in Starkville, Mississippi.

Hotel Chester was bought by David and Sukie Mollendor in 2000.

Prior to buying the hotel, David travelled the world as a hotel inspector for about 39 years.

During the early days, the 36 bedroom hotel was a real success as it is located close to Mississippi University.

David was in a car accident, which crushed his feet.

He was bedridden for almost 6 months.

The hotel began to lose so much money that the couple had to file for bankruptcy.

The financial losses were so bad that the bank foreclosed on their home so they had to move into the hotel.

As they couldn’t afford payroll, Sukie had to leave her job in real estate.

She took over as chef and temporary manager.

Sukie has no experience and the hotel is suffering as a result.

Gordon gets lost on his way to the hotel and asks a group of students for directions.

They describe the hotel as easy to miss but they know the hotel as it is next to their campus.

Gordon finally arrives at the hotel but complains about the lack of a proper sign for the hotel.

David explains that he graduated with a major in hotel and restaurant management after serving in Vietnam.

David doesn’t think the reason for the hotel’s decline is the quality of food or service or the state of the hotel.

He reveals that the rooms haven’t been retouched for the past 10 years.

The walls are cracked and the furniture is old and rough with scuff marks.

The carpets need replacing and the room is bland.

Gordon asks Sukie about her experience in the kitchen.

Sukie grew up with her parents, who owned a Japanese sushi restaurant in Washington DC.

She has no experience in cooking herself.

Gordon unpacks then goes down to the restaurant to eat and orders from Lindsey, one of the servers.

He finds out that all the food they serve is Japanese and is cooked by Sukie.

After waiting for over an hour, Lindsey finds Gordon sleeping on a couch.

He wakes to go eat his food, which he found disgusting as it is greasy and has a weird taste.

Sukie is frustrated that Gordon doesn’t like any of the sushi she made.

She goes to tell David, who laughs at the whole situation.

Gordon asks Lindsey, who also works as assistant manager about the issues the hotel is facing.

Lindsey says around twelve guests visit the restaurant on a busy weekend.

Gordon meets with the couple and complains about how long it took to cook the foods, the taste and weird combinations.

David states that the business is $900,000 in debt, which Sukie says she had no idea about.

While the owners argue about the finances of the hotel, guests begin to check into the hotel.

The hotel and restaurant is filled for the first time in many years.

Gordon observes the dinner service of the hotel.

He isn’t surprised to see that the guests haven’t being served after waiting for over an hour.

Sukie is having trouble in the kitchen but David won’t help her.

Gordon learns from her daughter that Sukie has been struggling ever since David’s accident.

While David had been forced to step back the hotel has been in a state for the past two years.

Gordon heads over to a local supermarket to pick up some ingredients to cook the waiting customers some food.

He cooks them sliders to help finish off the service.

Finally, everyone is fed, after about three hours of waiting for food.

After the service, Gordon learns that the family live in the handicapped room of the hotel since the accident.

David had broken ankles and his back was broken and he has been recovering for the past 5 years.

The next day, Gordon takes the couple to some local successful businesses.

They say they serve hundreds of students on weekdays and more on weekends.

Gordon explains that the secret lies in drawing in the students of the university.

In order to be successful, they have to tap into the community.

Gordon reveals changes to the hotel.

These include new signage, modernized rooms and the beer garden has also been given a makeover with craft beer on tap.

There is also a revamped room for David and Sukie.

The menu has also been changed featuring local food.

They've created the Gordon burger, which would be appealing to the students.

A new chef and two assistants are brought in.

They will help with the re-launch of the hotel’s restaurant and training the new staff.

Gordon offers to pay her salary until they can afford to pay themselves.

With word out about the hotel’s new look and service, young locals arrive.

The room and beer garden impresses everyone as does the Gordon burger.

Without Sukie in the kitchen, the new head chef is doing a fantastic job.

They are making great food and getting it out in a timely manner.

Before he takes his leave, Gordon takes David and Sukie out for a drive.

He shows them an apartment that he has rented for them for six months.

They no longer have to live at the hotel.

The couple were flabbergasted with the number of ways Gordon has helped and the new start he has given them.

What Happened Next at Hotel Chester?

Hotel Chester is open.

Since Gordon’s visit, guest bookings at the hotel has gone up.

The guests are enjoying the improvements that have been made.

With the new menu and beer garden, the hotel has become a local hit with the college kids.

The new buzz around town shows the hotels now bringing in thousands of guests every weekend.

The couple now work as a team.

They have kept most of Gordon's menu but made some changes.

The Gordon burger is still very popular.

Yelp reviews and Trip Advisor reviews since Gordon visited are mostly very positive.

There are compliments about the friendly and helpful staff, the beer garden and the breakfast.

Planning a visit to the hotel? Check out their website for further information.

Hotel Chester aired on August 11 2014, the episode was filmed in June 2013 and is Hotel Hell season 2 episode 4.

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