In this Hotel Impossible episode, Anthony Melchiorri visits the Dude Rancher Lodge in Billings, Montana.
Dude Rancher Lodge is owned by Virginia Carlson
She bought it in 1991 on a whim.
They have struggled to make payroll and their mortgage since competing hotels popped up around them.
She is now considering selling the hotel to try and recover some money.
Anthony arrives and he marvels at the old history of the architecture and sees a historical sign.
Inside, he loves the historic feel but the front desk is ugly.
There is a security risk as the cash register and room keys are easily accessible.
He is taken to their most expensive room and the historical feeling turns sour as the decor is dated.
There is an old television and an ugly bedspread.
The bathroom is ugly with mismatched flooring.
The amenities are a coffee machine and there is no ironing board.
He calls the front desk and the phone is not answered till the 7th ring.
Nancy on the front desk brings up the iron thinking she is being helpful.
However, she has left the front desk empty showing that she is not properly trained.
Anthony decides to meet the owner and the General Manager Todd.
It is clear they are both at fault for the problems at the hotel.
The staff are not trained so Todd has to micromanage them.
Virginia has not been paying Todd regularly so he is not motivated.
Todd has not been depositing his paychecks to save the hotel some money.
Anthony meets with the staff who love the hotel but have no idea it is in trouble.
They are motivated for the hotel to be better so Anthony has something to work with.
After the meeting he finds Todd doing some maintenance work outside.
Anthony informs him he should not be doing the time consuming busy work and he should be leading and delegating.
The interior designer Blanche is brought in to work on the front desk area and the hotel room including the bathroom.
Anthony sits with Todd and MJ the director of sales.
She complains she cannot sell the rooms that's why she does not bring in customers.
Both Todd and MJ feel attacked and MJ pulls her mic, wanting out of the show.
Anthony has to send the cameras away and calm her down.
They are able to have a productive conversation about marketing the hotel and moving forward.
Checking in on Blanche she is very busy in the two spaces that she is working on.
Anthony comes across some negative reviews online and confronts Virginia.
She thinks their one star rating is an error.
Anthony meets with the locals on the road and asks for their perception of a 1 star hotel.
She is shocked to find out how her hotel is perceived due to its rating and how they actually perceive it, which is higher.
She is losing business due to the negative ratings.
The next day, Virginia is making calls to try and improve her ratings.
Anthony is making some business contacts for the hotel.
He takes Virginia, MJ and Todd to a microbrewery to try and create a partnership.
They taste some beers to choose their signature flavour.
Next, they go to an authentic ranch to create another partnership.
They agree to set up a tour package just for them and they go on a tour themselves.
Back at the Lodge, Todd has made a plan for training staff and monitoring revenue.
Anthony is impressed and more confident that he is serious about changing.
Blanche is almost done with her work in both spaces.
Anthony quickly checks in on MJ.
She has also been to work setting up appointments for potential long term corporate bookings.
Anthony checks in on Virginia and she is proud to announce the hotel is now a 3 star rating.
Anthony advises her on pricing as 2 star hotels charge $90 and she charges just $76.
They need to raise their room rate to meet up with competitors.
Volunteers are prepping the outdoors.
Anthony checks in on Blanche and she is doing the finishing touches steaming bedsheets and putting up artwork.
Anthony has planned for a Wagon market for their hotel once a month to draw in people.
It is also an opportunity for them to taste their chosen signature beer.
Anthony takes all 3 to see the finished work.
The front desk has been redone to match the decor with deep wood and an acceptable height.
It elevates the room.
Blanche is introduced and they tell her their happiness with what she has done.
They are shown the room and it looks a lot better.
The bathroom has been redone with proper laminate flooring that matches the room.
Anthony celebrities by branding a barn door outside.
What Happened Next at Dude Rancher Lodge?
Some time later, occupancy has increased by 20%.
Virginia is remodeling 12 more rooms.
MJ has booked 5 new corporate accounts.
Dude Rancher Lodge is open.
Reviews after the show are mostly positive with praise for the location and food.
They have had complaints about the air conditioning.
Click for more Hotel Impossible episodes
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Previous episode - Newport Spa and Whirlpool Suites
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