My Hotel Nightmare’s hospitality expert Alex Polizzi angered viewers with her comments
Hotel Inspector star Alex Polizzi has sparked controversy(
Alex Polizzi is known for her expertise in the hospitality industry and entertaining fans on shows like The Hotel Inspector, but she has previously come under fire for one of her comments that left viewers “fuming.”
Channel 5 series My Hotel Nightmare gave viewers an insight into how hospitality expert Alex Polizzi took on the challenge of opening her own hotel after years of advising others on how to do it.
However, some viewers were less than impressed with Alex’s management style in 2021 and the way she treated the construction workers on the show, when she decided to open her own hotel.
While she had helped her mother Olga run their family’s luxury hotels in Cornwall, the show featured her first venture into owning her own establishment.
In 2019, Alex and her mother bought The Star Hotel, a 37-room medieval inn in East Sussex.
What initially seemed to be a six-month project turned out to be a real struggle. Alex faced unforeseen challenges and rising costs.
In a 2021 episode, viewers watched Alex oversee renovation work at The Star. After months of delays, the hotelier finally saw a significant transformation of the rooms.
Alex’s original plan was to renovate the bedrooms in the center of the hotel by knocking down the internal walls between the existing ten rooms, creating seven larger bedrooms.
The Star has given Alex and her mother £2 million back. However, Olga justified the cost by saying: “To get 30 rooms in East Sussex in a really nice village, gosh, this is a bargain at just over £2 million.”
During the renovation, Alex expressed her frustration with the quality of the work being done. “Mom, we have a problem,” she said during a phone call with Olga.
Alex was stunned to discover that the builders had taken it upon themselves to paint a wall gold. “It’s just awful,” she exclaimed.
“You didn’t ask them to do this, did you?” she questioned her mother, before taking out her frustration on the workers. “Builders are everywhere, with their s**t everywhere! We have to fix this. I can’t open up like this, can I?” she fulminated.
Viewers were quick to share their thoughts on Alex’s management style on social media, with particular anger over her referring to staff as ‘Minions’. “I like #AlexPolizzi, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to call your staff Minions and shout at builders on TV,” said one viewer.
“Treating the people who work for you with such total disdain and contempt, voting for furlough and now complaining about understaffing. Karma I hope,” another chimed in.
The Star Inn at Alfriston by Alex Polizzi was named the best hotel in South East England by The Sunday Times(
After the wall was repaired and most of the renovations were completed, Alex was able to take some photos of the beautiful rooms and finally welcome guests to her hotel.
Despite the ongoing renovation work, Alex decided to open the hotel doors to guests.
On opening day, Alex faced a number of setbacks she hates, from making the wrong dinner reservations to the hotel’s fire alarm going off and on throughout the evening.
“I’m literally going to have a heart attack,” she grumbled.
However, fans took to social media to praise her beautiful hotel: “Congratulations to The Star, it looks fantastic and I can’t wait to see it in real life later this year.”
In October 2021, The Star in Alfriston was named the best hotel in the South East by The Sunday Times.
