Alex Polizzi, who is known for her hospitality expertise and popular shows like The Hotel Inspector, previously faced backlash over a comment that left viewers 'fuming'.
The Channel 5 series My Hotel Nightmare offered a peek into how Alex tackled the challenge of opening her own hotel after years of advising others. However, some viewers were not impressed with Alex's management style, particularly her treatment of construction workers as she embarked on her own hotel venture.
While she had been helping her mum Olga run their family's luxury hotels in Cornwall, the show marked her first foray into owning her own establishment.
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In 2019, Alex and her mother acquired The Star Hotel, a 37-bedroom medieval inn located in East Sussex, reports OK!.
What was initially planned as a six-month project turned into a real struggle, with Alex facing unexpected challenges and rising costs. In an episode aired in 2021, viewers saw Alex supervising the renovation work at The Star. After months of delays, the hotelier finally saw a significant transformation of the rooms.
Alex's initial plan involved renovating the bedrooms in the centre of the hotel by demolishing the internal walls between the existing 10 rooms to create seven larger bedrooms.
The Star set Alex and her mum back by £2 million. However, Olga defended the cost, stating: "To get 30 rooms in East Sussex in a very pretty village, gosh this is a bargain for just over £2million."
During the refurbishment process, Alex voiced her dissatisfaction with the quality of work being done. "Mum we have an issue," she said during a phone call with Olga.
Alex was left stunned when she discovered that the builders had taken the liberty to paint a wall gold. "It's just awful," she declared.
"You didn't ask them to do this right? " she questioned her mum, before expressing her annoyance at the workers. "Builders are everywhere, with their s**t everywhere! We need to get this sorted. I can't open like this, can I? " she raged.
Viewers were quick to voice their opinions on Alex's management style on social media, with many upset about her referring to staff as 'Minions'. "I like #AlexPolizzi, but I don't think calling your staff Minions and shouting at builders on TV is a good look," one viewer remarked.
"Treating people who work for you with such utter disrespect and contempt, voted leave and now moaning about lack of staff. Karma I hope," another added.
After fixing the wall situation and completing most of the renovations, Alex managed to take some photos of the beautiful rooms and finally welcome guests into her hotel.
Despite the ongoing renovation works, Alex decided to open the hotel doors to guests. On the launch day, Alex was met with a string of disasters she absolutely loathes from botched dinner bookings to the hotel's fire alarm going off at random times during the night.
"I'm literally going to have a heart attack," she muttered under her breath. Yet, admirers were quick to compliment her exquisite hotel online: "Congratulations on The Star it looks amazing cannot wait to see it in person later on this year."
Back in October 2021, The Star in Alfriston was crowned the best hotel in the south east by The Sunday Times.
