This is a very "interest" specific reality show that I just love for two reasons #1 being a guest at a hotel and #2 operating a hotel. I have dreamed of buying a hotel for 30 years and would finally like to make it a reality. Started watching Season 2 and am trying to catch up on old episodes. Anthony is very direct without being obnoxious and I have learned a lot about hotels, since I have no direct experience in the industry. Looking forward to many more destinations. Am planning on booking a room at one of the featured hotels in Feb. Wanted to find out how the hotels are doing months after he has been there, but the information was difficult to find. Wish I could work for him, that would be the ultimate learning experience!
12 Reviews
Truly excellent
BarnabusRex1 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
To review Hotel Impossible, you have to go back to the beginning of this type of reality show. And that is Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares.
Kitchen Nightmares started off in the UK. Gordon would arrive at a failing restaurant, spot the failings in the business and do his best to turn it around. But Gordon being Gordon, he would often end up confrontational, shouting and swearing. A lot of restaurant owners bounced off of him not because of his knowledge and experience but because of how he conducted himself.
Then Kitchen Nightmares transferred to the US. The producers of US KN decided that what made good television was not the redemption arc of struggling small business owners finding new life, but watching Gordon lose his temper. The shows became shallow, identikit and edited to within an inch of their lives with Gordon seeming to go out of his way to antagonise people who were already at their limits. After show stories revealed that Gordon barely even bothered to turn up except to do the introduction, shout at people and do the final reveal where a lot of sponsorship names were highly emphasised. KN went from an enjoyable and homely business show with an irascible host to watching a highly sponsored and ego driven professional angry person shouting at other angry people at the end of their tether.
But KN was very successful, was part of the original reality tv boom and lots of similar shows popped up in its wake. Hotel Impossible is one of them.
Hotel Impossible succeeds impressively where US KN massively fails. First and foremost the host. Anthony Melchiorri is a hotel professional to his core. He is not Gordon Ramsey whose tv stardom has inflated his ego to the point he can't fit his head through a door. Anthony is a natural on camera but what shines through every episode is Anthony's professionalism, his depth of knowledge and understanding of business, his genuine desire to help and his love of his job and the people he meets. There are times when he comes on a little too strong and upsets people and he goes out of his way to rebuild those relationships. He actively says to them that while drama and shouting might make good tv, that's not what he is there for. In the Hurricane Sandy episodes, the owners of one Hotel practically run him off the property with threats and yet at the end he still comes back and donates thousands of dollars worth of furniture to them to make amends.
It is very clear that although the TV show makes Anthony's hotel consultancy business viable, because the hotels themselves certainly aren't paying him - he would be doing this job even without cameras. Moreover, it feels like he would be doing this had KN never existed. He's not afraid to jump in and do the menial jobs just in order to help out when an unexpected wedding turns up and even the production team will do so if there's a deadline approaching.
The stories involved are all very human. Yes there are Hoteliers who have jumped into the business without knowing what they were doing, but there are just as many family breakdowns or people trying to honour the wishes of a deceased family member which is dragging the business down. One episode features two brothers who are severe hoarders. One family has a hotel which has no hope of survival and Anthony helps them to draw a plan to sell it.
Are there manufactured parts of the show? Yes. The editing certainly tightens up after season 1 with a few fakeouts over possible drama and you can see Anthony go from trying to coach hoteliers in business meetings with tourist destinations, to instead having lots of fun experiencing the tourist destinations, and possibly his banter with his designers which is always very cute. But that said these don't affect the enjoyment of the show at all. Unlike KN which became formulaic because there's only so much that can go wrong with a restaurant, HI always runs into new situations. HI brings a successful formula but avoids becoming formulaic.
Special mention must go to the designers who do incredible jobs in a short amount of time. Blanche Garcia and Casey Noble get the most episodes and are just wonderful.
For my sins I bingewatched all of KN, UK and US. It was compulsive TV, but the US version was hollow and empty and I couldn't tell you a single memorable episode that stands out apart from Amy's Bakery. I wouldn't ever want to watch any of it again. Ironically for Gordon, his TV show is the quality of a MacDonald's meal.
Hotel Impossible on the other hand, is closer to proper fine dining. There are episodes here I could revisit again and again for the real human stories in the company of an excellent host.
Kitchen Nightmares started off in the UK. Gordon would arrive at a failing restaurant, spot the failings in the business and do his best to turn it around. But Gordon being Gordon, he would often end up confrontational, shouting and swearing. A lot of restaurant owners bounced off of him not because of his knowledge and experience but because of how he conducted himself.
Then Kitchen Nightmares transferred to the US. The producers of US KN decided that what made good television was not the redemption arc of struggling small business owners finding new life, but watching Gordon lose his temper. The shows became shallow, identikit and edited to within an inch of their lives with Gordon seeming to go out of his way to antagonise people who were already at their limits. After show stories revealed that Gordon barely even bothered to turn up except to do the introduction, shout at people and do the final reveal where a lot of sponsorship names were highly emphasised. KN went from an enjoyable and homely business show with an irascible host to watching a highly sponsored and ego driven professional angry person shouting at other angry people at the end of their tether.
But KN was very successful, was part of the original reality tv boom and lots of similar shows popped up in its wake. Hotel Impossible is one of them.
Hotel Impossible succeeds impressively where US KN massively fails. First and foremost the host. Anthony Melchiorri is a hotel professional to his core. He is not Gordon Ramsey whose tv stardom has inflated his ego to the point he can't fit his head through a door. Anthony is a natural on camera but what shines through every episode is Anthony's professionalism, his depth of knowledge and understanding of business, his genuine desire to help and his love of his job and the people he meets. There are times when he comes on a little too strong and upsets people and he goes out of his way to rebuild those relationships. He actively says to them that while drama and shouting might make good tv, that's not what he is there for. In the Hurricane Sandy episodes, the owners of one Hotel practically run him off the property with threats and yet at the end he still comes back and donates thousands of dollars worth of furniture to them to make amends.
It is very clear that although the TV show makes Anthony's hotel consultancy business viable, because the hotels themselves certainly aren't paying him - he would be doing this job even without cameras. Moreover, it feels like he would be doing this had KN never existed. He's not afraid to jump in and do the menial jobs just in order to help out when an unexpected wedding turns up and even the production team will do so if there's a deadline approaching.
The stories involved are all very human. Yes there are Hoteliers who have jumped into the business without knowing what they were doing, but there are just as many family breakdowns or people trying to honour the wishes of a deceased family member which is dragging the business down. One episode features two brothers who are severe hoarders. One family has a hotel which has no hope of survival and Anthony helps them to draw a plan to sell it.
Are there manufactured parts of the show? Yes. The editing certainly tightens up after season 1 with a few fakeouts over possible drama and you can see Anthony go from trying to coach hoteliers in business meetings with tourist destinations, to instead having lots of fun experiencing the tourist destinations, and possibly his banter with his designers which is always very cute. But that said these don't affect the enjoyment of the show at all. Unlike KN which became formulaic because there's only so much that can go wrong with a restaurant, HI always runs into new situations. HI brings a successful formula but avoids becoming formulaic.
Special mention must go to the designers who do incredible jobs in a short amount of time. Blanche Garcia and Casey Noble get the most episodes and are just wonderful.
For my sins I bingewatched all of KN, UK and US. It was compulsive TV, but the US version was hollow and empty and I couldn't tell you a single memorable episode that stands out apart from Amy's Bakery. I wouldn't ever want to watch any of it again. Ironically for Gordon, his TV show is the quality of a MacDonald's meal.
Hotel Impossible on the other hand, is closer to proper fine dining. There are episodes here I could revisit again and again for the real human stories in the company of an excellent host.
I wonder....Anthony is an Expert
braquecubism16 September 2020
Anthony is an Expert. He knows exactly what a Hotel needs, and how to fix anything. no doubt.
Season 8 Episode 3 Anthony helps a non profit wild animal refuge in Arkansas, Abused Bear, Big Cats, Lions, Tigers. they even have a rare white Tiger, Tigers are the most endangered. Bears are abused bec they can be enslaved & foced to perform. By increasing revenue, they can continue to feed & give sanctuary, and save more animals. Warmed my heart. Anthony Do more. There ar other wildlife refuges.
many he gives 10's of thousands of dollars of service & linens, comuter systems, website. Some need money to fix things, $250K, they'll renovate 1 or 5 rooms with s template to do the rest. pools outdoor, lobby's event/ball rooms often mold, bed bugs, killer bees. Season 7 eposode 3. the guy who is a supervior/manager housekeeping. he stands over the women while they clean, and is creepy witha creepy smile. He thinks he is a "cool dude". he looks like he has a toupee (admits it) with a villian mustache dyed black. He looks like a villian out of a Mel Brooks Gene Wilder comedy. they let him go. Season 6 Episode 7, Anthony is in Panama, to a hotel that is far from the city, beautiful black sand & Ocean . Roads are closed, and in bad condition. he takes a taxi and it breaks down.. yes the Hotel should have shuttle., Built 15 yrs ago, by a man & his family. Isolated, but Touist Industry is growing in Panama. Anthony said he was in the Air Force. Not much of a trooper. whined & complained. sure,bad for a guest. The taxi driver owner, after Anthony complained about fumes, & oil. that the roads destroy the cars. when it breaks down he is so rude to the driver. He has lost his car & his livlihood. Anthony walks in 92 degree heat in a suit & tie. I think he was very unkind & showed no empathy to the taxi driver & it really offended me. Season 4 episode 5- Hollywood Liberty- is such a disaster, not safe, fire hazard, plumbing problems, no management, unclean rooms, bio hazards left in the room. worrying about the dirty, ugly & I am sure uncomfortable rooms & lobby are lipstick on a pig (I like pits) Anthony is arguing with the new owners, or didn't have the building inspected. and bought as an investment without any back up capital. worrying about the lobby or upgrading the rooms, back mold. bad pipes, wiring that can and has caught fire. really. they fixed 1 room. I live in Los Angeles, they really don't put up with unsafe, unsanitary hotels and public hotel rooms. tourist coming to stay are in for a rude shock.
L.A. health and safety wouldn't hesitate to close down a flophouse like this. On line it's still listed, with some bad reviews, the same owners? Anthony convinced, finally, the couple owners, to shut it down for 6 months, and get bank loan against the property to renovate to standard. saying it would be worth 6.5 million and they could be out of debt in 2 years. they never ran a hotel and bought it without any inspections, took the owners word that the building was up to code. L.A. code inspection is fierce. I can't believe it. Hired a manager who had no hotel experience. From what Anthony was showing, he has an obligation to report the hotel. before someone gets hurt or killed. I guess Hollywood has some shady flop houses. Someone on line called it a by the hour motel. and maybe Hollywood police & housing turn a blind eye. this made me question what this show is really doing.
season 5 episode 5, Nova Scotia, CA, a crumugeon wants Anthony to "create a brand" that he would use for this & 4 other hotels. this man may need help, but he has money to pay. Anthony says, it costs $1MillionUS to brand each of the 4 hotels, and this guy expects him to do it in 4 days. He is brisk & arrogant. and angry. the Hotel is below standard. He has a much younger girl "friend" who is sales manager with no experience. and a new General Manager who doesn't have say over the sales Mgr. Clearly, this takes months, and it a very very skilled (I think Anthony could do it) valuable & highly paid skill. Tripline today has some very good & some very bad reviews.
The producers must review who they choose to help. so even if Anthony is surprised (or is he a producer)? there have to be 1Ks of applicants. So it's a bit hokey. Episode 6, she has a lot of real estate, but doesn't want to sell bec times aren't the best, to upgrade her hotel. Anthony insists she has to.
Season 8 Episode 3 Anthony helps a non profit wild animal refuge in Arkansas, Abused Bear, Big Cats, Lions, Tigers. they even have a rare white Tiger, Tigers are the most endangered. Bears are abused bec they can be enslaved & foced to perform. By increasing revenue, they can continue to feed & give sanctuary, and save more animals. Warmed my heart. Anthony Do more. There ar other wildlife refuges.
many he gives 10's of thousands of dollars of service & linens, comuter systems, website. Some need money to fix things, $250K, they'll renovate 1 or 5 rooms with s template to do the rest. pools outdoor, lobby's event/ball rooms often mold, bed bugs, killer bees. Season 7 eposode 3. the guy who is a supervior/manager housekeeping. he stands over the women while they clean, and is creepy witha creepy smile. He thinks he is a "cool dude". he looks like he has a toupee (admits it) with a villian mustache dyed black. He looks like a villian out of a Mel Brooks Gene Wilder comedy. they let him go. Season 6 Episode 7, Anthony is in Panama, to a hotel that is far from the city, beautiful black sand & Ocean . Roads are closed, and in bad condition. he takes a taxi and it breaks down.. yes the Hotel should have shuttle., Built 15 yrs ago, by a man & his family. Isolated, but Touist Industry is growing in Panama. Anthony said he was in the Air Force. Not much of a trooper. whined & complained. sure,bad for a guest. The taxi driver owner, after Anthony complained about fumes, & oil. that the roads destroy the cars. when it breaks down he is so rude to the driver. He has lost his car & his livlihood. Anthony walks in 92 degree heat in a suit & tie. I think he was very unkind & showed no empathy to the taxi driver & it really offended me. Season 4 episode 5- Hollywood Liberty- is such a disaster, not safe, fire hazard, plumbing problems, no management, unclean rooms, bio hazards left in the room. worrying about the dirty, ugly & I am sure uncomfortable rooms & lobby are lipstick on a pig (I like pits) Anthony is arguing with the new owners, or didn't have the building inspected. and bought as an investment without any back up capital. worrying about the lobby or upgrading the rooms, back mold. bad pipes, wiring that can and has caught fire. really. they fixed 1 room. I live in Los Angeles, they really don't put up with unsafe, unsanitary hotels and public hotel rooms. tourist coming to stay are in for a rude shock.
L.A. health and safety wouldn't hesitate to close down a flophouse like this. On line it's still listed, with some bad reviews, the same owners? Anthony convinced, finally, the couple owners, to shut it down for 6 months, and get bank loan against the property to renovate to standard. saying it would be worth 6.5 million and they could be out of debt in 2 years. they never ran a hotel and bought it without any inspections, took the owners word that the building was up to code. L.A. code inspection is fierce. I can't believe it. Hired a manager who had no hotel experience. From what Anthony was showing, he has an obligation to report the hotel. before someone gets hurt or killed. I guess Hollywood has some shady flop houses. Someone on line called it a by the hour motel. and maybe Hollywood police & housing turn a blind eye. this made me question what this show is really doing.
season 5 episode 5, Nova Scotia, CA, a crumugeon wants Anthony to "create a brand" that he would use for this & 4 other hotels. this man may need help, but he has money to pay. Anthony says, it costs $1MillionUS to brand each of the 4 hotels, and this guy expects him to do it in 4 days. He is brisk & arrogant. and angry. the Hotel is below standard. He has a much younger girl "friend" who is sales manager with no experience. and a new General Manager who doesn't have say over the sales Mgr. Clearly, this takes months, and it a very very skilled (I think Anthony could do it) valuable & highly paid skill. Tripline today has some very good & some very bad reviews.
The producers must review who they choose to help. so even if Anthony is surprised (or is he a producer)? there have to be 1Ks of applicants. So it's a bit hokey. Episode 6, she has a lot of real estate, but doesn't want to sell bec times aren't the best, to upgrade her hotel. Anthony insists she has to.
My fave new reality show
aidawilder25 July 2012
I think this is one of the best new reality shows on t.v. for the following reasons:
1. Real people with real issues - no staged fighting, arguing, etc. 2. It's like a travelogue - we get to visit quaint, charming family- owned businesses that are struggling despite the owners bet intentions.
3. And the host is a hoot! His expressions are priceless! A real professional, who sincerely appears to want to help without condescending and disrespecting those who seek his help. What a change from those other shows were people get suckered in and then are treated disrespectfully and - I am sure! - are prodded by producers and host to make asses of themselves for the sake of "drama.
My husband and I are seasoned national and international travelers and business owners that cater to the public, much as these hotel owners do. It's sad to see how many people get into the this business thinking that it will be fun... thank goodness for Mr.Melchiorri and his staff. I sleep a little better in hotels now knowing he's out there... and knowing what to look out for!
We are making a list and plan to visit a couple of these during the year - even if only to cheer them on!
1. Real people with real issues - no staged fighting, arguing, etc. 2. It's like a travelogue - we get to visit quaint, charming family- owned businesses that are struggling despite the owners bet intentions.
3. And the host is a hoot! His expressions are priceless! A real professional, who sincerely appears to want to help without condescending and disrespecting those who seek his help. What a change from those other shows were people get suckered in and then are treated disrespectfully and - I am sure! - are prodded by producers and host to make asses of themselves for the sake of "drama.
My husband and I are seasoned national and international travelers and business owners that cater to the public, much as these hotel owners do. It's sad to see how many people get into the this business thinking that it will be fun... thank goodness for Mr.Melchiorri and his staff. I sleep a little better in hotels now knowing he's out there... and knowing what to look out for!
We are making a list and plan to visit a couple of these during the year - even if only to cheer them on!
Hotel Impossible
philhernon25 July 2012
Number one "fix it" show on TV. Anthony has an innate sense of the micro management business......which helps bring in macro changes to the physical structure or the staff. He has a way of disarming aggressive contractors and decorators while calming the hyper sensitive owners or marketing directors.
Blanch is Anthony's interior designer extraordinaire. She can transform a room on a budget and budgeted time. She is scrappy enough to not take his tough love approach to heart and even gives some back with a Brooklyn twist.
This is a can't miss show.Watch him work his magic and apply it to your business or.......life. You will be neither be bored nor disappointed.
Blanch is Anthony's interior designer extraordinaire. She can transform a room on a budget and budgeted time. She is scrappy enough to not take his tough love approach to heart and even gives some back with a Brooklyn twist.
This is a can't miss show.Watch him work his magic and apply it to your business or.......life. You will be neither be bored nor disappointed.
Love this show
psbagley7 August 2012
One of the best and most entertaining reality shows to date. I love Anthony & Blanche-- both so informative and creative. I hope this show stays on the air for more than one season. I also learn so much about the hospitality industry and what to look for in a well run property.
Hotel Impossible is a great reminder of the importance of excellent customer service and how easy it is to obtain. Some of the areas that seem like "no-brainers" are the areas that are totally overlooked by the owners. It's fun to come up with a good solution before Anthony explains it to the property owners.
To the staff of the show-- keep up the GREAT work!! The show is great advertising for the properties and I can't wait to stay at some of the hotels featured on the show.
Hotel Impossible is a great reminder of the importance of excellent customer service and how easy it is to obtain. Some of the areas that seem like "no-brainers" are the areas that are totally overlooked by the owners. It's fun to come up with a good solution before Anthony explains it to the property owners.
To the staff of the show-- keep up the GREAT work!! The show is great advertising for the properties and I can't wait to stay at some of the hotels featured on the show.
I recommend the series - and that says much
bps34 January 2019
Starts well
MrMcMurphy16 March 2015
Starts well. Interesting properties, owners, and conflict. But quickly gets boring.
Pros: The host, Anthony Melchiorri, is pretty good. He's got that confidence and competence that these kinds of shows require. BUT, he does overdo it sometimes, and it gets a little tacky (like pretending to throw up, and touching disgusting stuff unnecessarily).
Another Pro is Blanche, the designer. She's attractive, and has a fun personality.
Cons: After the first few episodes, it's just boring people with depressing and weak properties.
What could make the show better? - More lively people (further away from death). - More prestigious, or at least interesting, properties (not the dime-a-dozen Inn crap that every town has 20 of). - DRAMA!!! (the best thing about these kind of shows is when the deadbeats get set straight!.. Anthony is too easy on the deadbeats).
Pros: The host, Anthony Melchiorri, is pretty good. He's got that confidence and competence that these kinds of shows require. BUT, he does overdo it sometimes, and it gets a little tacky (like pretending to throw up, and touching disgusting stuff unnecessarily).
Another Pro is Blanche, the designer. She's attractive, and has a fun personality.
Cons: After the first few episodes, it's just boring people with depressing and weak properties.
What could make the show better? - More lively people (further away from death). - More prestigious, or at least interesting, properties (not the dime-a-dozen Inn crap that every town has 20 of). - DRAMA!!! (the best thing about these kind of shows is when the deadbeats get set straight!.. Anthony is too easy on the deadbeats).
Nonsense.... not real stuff...
jlvergae8 July 2015
Entertaining it is: depressed and clueless hotel owner, dirty rooms, bad food; Anthony arrives, applies some though-love techniques, owner cry, but then Anthony sends his good friends decorator to re-paint the whole stuff and add some nice pillows. Add a bit of stress (Can you do this in 4 days? Yeah, no problem, we all work during the night with a smile). Then everyone is happy and hugs. Reality is that hotel requires more than cleaning, smiling reception, and cosmetic make-over like new paint, blankets and garden seats. Hotel requires well functioning airco, maintenance, insulations, roof repair, 24 hours staff, military precision with rooms cleaning, room pricing management, and good advertising beyond inviting some people attracted by Anthony's camera. And this, my friends, require LOADS of money. Well, that's the case for all dumb restaurant and hotel "reality" shows which spruce up with some celebrities. This is all illusions.
Good but sometimes rude
blueangelwcloudsamy9 September 2019
Only on the second season but the first season was great. Although on the second season he is a lot ruder and it's hard to watch sometimes.
I don't like when he's ripping, tearing and throwing things. Like someone else said he seems to just think it's okay to be rude since he's giving them stuff and sometimes he gives a lot of stuff.
Need some episodes in 2020
dylanmprosser11 May 2020
Chauvinistic pig, Overplays everything. Boring. Tedious.
Top1c3xot1c15 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Who gave this high ratings are liars. Cant believe how he's so disrespectful to the hotel that he actually rips stuff off the wall, throws stuff around, lays on tables, very condescending to owners/managers, trying to get them help for alcoholism, take a breath test to prove a point that he was unable to drive but it backfired he was .05, instead of just finding someone else, takes samples of the smell, takes a sample of bed bugs, its all about chauvinism and the complete shock value of how he treats the hotel because he thinks that because he's paying for repairs, or its all going to be repaired, that its somehow OK of his over the top attempts to make good television. Now who's the one with bad ratings I hope someone comes along with TV Show Impossible and helps you because believe me you need it!
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
