Renowned hotelier, restaurateur and author Ruth Watson continues her mission to reverse Britain’s reputation for poorly run hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs. In tonight’s instalment, Ruth visits the heart of Greenwich, South-East London, to meet actor hotelier Robert Gray and assess his three-bedroom B&B.
Actor Robert Gray turned his home into St Alfeges B&B five years ago to maintain the cashflow between acting jobs. A former antiques dealer, he has filled his house with unusual art and objects and decorated with flair and personality – but he is the first to admit that the ‘shabby-chic’ look is starting to look just “shabby”. “I think we need a facelift,” he confesses.
Enter Ruth Watson, who will assess St Alfeges and come up with a plan to keep it performing to a full house. Upon arrival, Ruth is not impressed by the B&B’s exterior – a lack of signage makes it difficult for guests to know that they are in the right place, and massively overgrown bushes make it hard to even get to the front door.
Ruth finally manages to get inside and have a chat with Robert about the B&B’s problems. She confesses that she is troubled by his website, which announces St Alfeges as a “cheap, gay B&B in central London”. “If ever there was a more tacky message than that, I think you’d be hardpressed to find it!” she says, adding that his description may alienate straight guests and give off the wrong message. Ruth approves of the bedrooms’ décor, but is concerned that only one has an en-suite bathroom. Inside the en suite is an unpleasant surprise: an awful smell emanating from the shower. “Something has died in there!” she exclaims. “That is just evil!”
Despite these issues, Ruth thinks that St Alfeges has a lot of potential and sets about helping Robert to remedy the problems. He agrees to add a discreet sign in keeping with the building’s character, and tidy up his “madcap garden”. He also resolves to revamp the B&B’s marketing by changing the website wording and applying to be included in a prestigious guidebook – ‘Alastair Sawday’s Special Places to Stay’. Inclusion in this guide to idiosyncratic and individual places will bring in more guests who would appreciate the hotel’s unusual charms, and Ruth also thinks that offering a unique service to guests would help. Her idea is for Robert to offer guided tours of Greenwich – which would utilise his acting skills and his knowledge of the area.
As far as the bathroom situation goes, Ruth has a dramatic suggestion: knock the tiny bedroom and its neighbour into one, which would give Robert two large en suite rooms and allow him to charge more. But when she returns a few weeks later, she is unimpressed to discover that Robert has decided to install a tiny en suite in the smallest room. “Oh Rob, come on...” she pleads. “This is silly.”
A few days later, St Alfeges is a hive of activity: Alastair Sawday himself is coming to stay to see if Robert’s B&B is good enough to be included in his guidebook. A new sign has been painted; the garden is tidy and work is going ahead on the new en suite. He fully expects another battle with Ruth about the tiny room: “I can’t wait!” says Robert grimly. However, when Ruth sees the finished product she grudgingly admits that it looks pretty good. But what will Alastair think – and will Robert’s efforts be enough to land one of the coveted places in his book?
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