(keep reading to learn what happened)
Season: 2 | View All Season 2 Episodes
Original Episode Air Date: August 11, 2014
Hotel Chester Address: 101 N Jackson St Starkville, MS 39759
Episode Recap
Hotel Chester was a Starkville, Mississippi hotel featured on Season 2 of Hotel Hell.
Though the Hotel Chester Hotel Hell episode aired in August 2014, the actual filming and visit from Gordon Ramsay took place much earlier in mid-2013.
It was Season 2 Episode 4 of Hotel Hell.
The Hotel Chester is located in Starkville, Mississippi.
Starkville is a small historic city in the eastern part of the state, not too far from the Alabama border.
It’s also a college town, with the local college being The Mississippi State University.
In 2000, David and Sukie Mollendor bought the hotel.
Thanks to its proximity to the university, the hotel saw success when it first opened.
Unfortunately, David was in a car accident that left him bedridden for over five months.
Because of that, the hotel lost a lot of money, and the owners had to file for bankruptcy.
Things got so bad that the bank took the home, and now they are forced to live in the hotel.
It’s a really sad story, so I hope that the Gordon Ramsay Hotel Hell visit can turn Hotel Chester around.
Sukie is the chef and manager, but she had to leave her job in real estate to run the hotel.
Gordon finds the hotel but complains that there is poor signage.
David tells Gordon that he has a degree in restaurant and hotel management and doesn’t think the reason for the failing hotel is the food or management.
Of course, most owners never think the business is failing because of their decisions. Funny how that works, right?
Everything is old and needs replacing. There are cracks in the walls.
Sukie explains to Gordon that although her family owned a Japanese restaurant, she had no experience in the restaurant business.
After Gordon unpacks and settles into his hotel room, he heads down to the restaurant.
Lindsay is Gordon’s server. The menu is only Japanese, and Sukie cooks everything.
Gordon waits over an hour for his food, which is just way too long.
When the food finally does arrive, he finds it gross.
The sushi is also way too big – Gordon has a funny moment where he asks Lindsay to try to eat the sushi with him:
Sukie is upset that Gordon doesn’t like anything she made.
She runs to tell her husband, who laughs at it.
Gordon meets with Sukie and David and complains about the wait and the weird tasting food.
The owners begin to argue about finances while guests check in to the hotel.
That night the restaurant and hotel are booked for the first time in years thanks to the Gordon Ramsay bump.
Gordon watches a dinner service and see’s that most guests are waiting over an hour for their food.
Despite that, David refuses to help in the kitchen.
Gordon goes food shopping to cook the remaining customers their food.
Everyone is fed after waiting close to three hours for their food.
Geez – I would go crazy if I were waiting that long!
The following day Gordon takes Sukie and David to other local businesses to show them the correct way to run things.
Gordon says they need to cater more to their clientele and get students and parents from the university to come in.
Gordon reveals all the new changes, including an updated beer garden, modern rooms, and new signage. It all looks great.
The room that David and Sukie live in has also been updated.
The menu has also been changed and now features local favorites.
A chef and two assistants come in during the relaunch to help out.
Many locals arrive for the relaunch of the hotel.
Sukie is no longer in the kitchen, and the head chef is doing a great job.
Gordon Ramsay even offers to pay her salary until the hotel makes more money and can afford to do so, which is a super nice thing.
Before he leaves, Gordon shows David and Sukie an apartment he rented for them for six months, which is also incredibly generous for Gordon to do.
So was the Hotel Chester Gordon Ramsay visit a long-term success? Keep reading my update to learn what happened next and if the Hotel Chester Mississippi hotel is still open in 2024.
Hotel Chester Update - What Happened Next?
Now that we’ve recapped the Hotel Chester Hotel Hell episode, let’s talk about what happened after Gordon Ramsay left Starkville, MS.
Three months after Gordon’s visit, weekend business at the hotel is way up and the customers generally seem to like the changes, which you can see in the review rating.
The weekday business still isn’t great, but that’s going to be difficult for any hotel in Starkville, I think.
The improved success has helped Sukie and David get back on their feet financially.
They’ve also kept most of the changes that Gordon Ramsay made to Hotel Chester, though they made a few tweaks.
They’ve also really leaned into marketing to the university, which I think is a great decision.
Is Hotel Chester from Hotel Hell still open?
As of 2023, Hotel Chester is still open and receiving customers in Starkville, MS. Business is up after Gordon Ramsay’s visit and the hotel has excellent reviews on various review platforms.
At the time that we’re writing this, Hotel Chester has a 4.5 star rating on TripAdvisor and a 4.9 star rating on Google reviews.
Here’s a sampling of Hotel Chester reviews that were written after the visit from Gordon Ramsay – these all come from the Hotel Chester TripAdvisor page…
Review #1:
Review #2:
Review #3:
If you want to learn more, you can check out the official Hotel Chester website.
If you want to book a stay at Hotel Chester, a basic queen room will run you around $100 per night.
A deluxe king suite will cost you $232 per night, which is the most expensive room.
You can also stay in the Hotel Chester Gordon Ramsay Executive King, which will cost you around $145 per night.
Or, if you want to save a little money, you can stay in the Gordon Ramsay Deluxe King for just $136.
Here’s an example of the booking page so that you can see the prices:
Where are the Hotel Chester owners now (2024)?
David and Sukie are still the Hotel Chester owners and living in Starkville, MS.
A 2022 article from a local news publication confirms that David and Sukie are indeed still the Hotel Chester owners.
They post on Facebook regularly and seem to generally be happy.
Overall, Hotel Chester seems like a real success story for Gordon Ramsay and Hotel Hell (along with David and Sukie, of course).
Congratulations to everyone involved!
Hotel Chester was the only Mississippi Hotel Hell episode. The other nearest hotels are Beachfront Inn and Inlet in Florida and Landoll’s Mohican Castle in Ohio.
Thanks for reading!
More Information
https://www.yelp.com/biz/historic-hotel-chester-starkvillehttps://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g44030-d295308-Reviews-Hotel_Chester-Starkville_Mississippi.html
What did you think about the episode? I'd love it if you shared your thoughts on the episode in the comments below!
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And don't forget to check out the full Hotel Hell open and closed list.
Last updated: 2023-01-22 08:44
Glad to see the hotel is still open and thriving. I will plan a day trip to starkville and spend a night there.
Cool! Let us know how it goes.
Absolutely fantastic to see Hotel Chester is still kicking in 2022. Great Work Gordon and with the best of luck I wish David and Sukie the very best in moving forward with there future! From the Land Down Under!! Well done
Very happy for them. They were a very genuine couple, who by no fault of their own, fell on bad times. Seeing wealthy people help others, like Gordon, makes me think there is still hope for humanity.
A great place.
A great episode and a beautiful story.
Bravo
That sweet couple. My heart broke for them and their misfortune. It killed me to see how here in the States a medical injury could ruin you financially. I’m so happy to see that their hotel is doing well. Gordon really cared about them and showed them such respect. What a lovely episode.
Don’t you just love seeing Gordon’s more compassionate, softer side? This sweet couple truly deserved Gordon’s help.
Not a single disparaging word given to them. I loved it.
Unlike most episodes they didn’t need the classic Gordon tough love. They needed someone to show them their potential and breath new life into them. Gordon gave them exactly what they needed. They weren’t arrogant or refusing his help. They were good hotel owners who fell into unfortunate circumstances.
This episode made me cry at the end! Absolutely a wonderful and heartwarming thing for Gordon to do!
Man I am so glad they are doing well and got out of the troubles . Gordon really killed it in this one.
I think it was brilliant of Gordon to help out with the couple, I wish them well and Gordon and the couple deserve all the compliments they are having, good luck to them both, hopefully a visit one day if I’m ever in the area.
This is the first time I have ever cried with anything for this tv show. I fell in love with Gordon Ramsey with his response to the family. I’m so glad it’s a success!!!
Gordon has a hot body!
Why do we see his ass in every episode? To explain gravity ?
I love Gordon, but even I was wondering the same. Do they really have to exploit the hot Chef for ratings? No. He’s a goldmine without the cheap theatrics.
Just say NO Gordon.
Speak for yourself! I like it!
Because it’s an exceptional bum that’s why.👍👍
I wonder if it’s a stunt butt… a stand in.
Gordon would never let someone impersonate his butt!
I was wondering the same thing and didn’t know they show it in every episode! This is only the second episode I’ve seen, and I love Gordon Ramsay, so it’s not that I have any objection to seeing his bum. I just didn’t think it had anything to do with the hotel or anything else, and was just there to keep everyone watching. It’s kind of a step down I think, I mean for him and his reputation; he’s usually all about business and has no patience for people who don’t take it seriously, yet there he is, showing off his bum in the middle of Hotel Hell! As pretty as it is, it just seemed like a cheap gimmick in the middle of a very good episode.
This is my favorite episode of HH . I’m so glad there still open . They deserve it. The one thing that stands out in this episode from the others is that the owners don’t have an attitude that everything they do is right and Gordon is wrong. They embraced change, some don’t and that’s why they fail. Thanks Gordon for saving this couple. When they walked through that door of the apt, I was floored. Still wiping tears ! Well done Mr Ramsay !
This was my favorite episode and I’m so glad they are still open.
What set them apart was that they had previous hotel experience, a loving relationship with each other and their families, whom had each other’s best interest at heart. The owners also understood that because they were “close” to the hotels issues, they may be viewing it with bias and welcomed an outside perspective. His comment to Gordon in the beginning “we are going to embrace your changes and change very little” showed their commitment.
I’m so glad Gordon helped this couple, that the hotel made it through all the COVID shutdowns and that they are still doing well.
The absolute best episode of Hotel Hell ever. Lovely family and well deserving of help. Great to see it’s a success.
I am seriously crying from finding out that, unlike most of the Hotels on Hotel Hell, this one is still open. I am happy for the sweet family who runs it. They were so genuine and really did want and deserve the help.
Just stayed here in early August – even stayed in the Gordon Ramsay room (it was great)! Very pleasant place with a lot of charm. I love old hotels. They sold the operation of the restaurant (called Magnolia Social) to someone else to run. Seems like a good idea. Didn’t have a chance to eat there but will on a return trip (our son is attending MS State).
Thanks for sharing your experience! Glad the place is still doing well.
So glad to read the the hotel is still in business.Gordon Ramsey really helped the couple get back on their feet.
How wonderful it is to see such hard workers get rewarded! And who could be more deserving!?!
I’m so happy to see that there are still people in the world that work hard but still put their marriage and family first! Hopefully someday I will get over that way to visit.
As far as Ramsey goes… it just goes to prove that foul mouth or not, his heart speaks even louder than his words. Great episode!
THIS was my absolute FAVORiTE episode of all-time!! This couple and their family deserved that! What dolls they ALL were! They’ve suffered so much.
I was thrilled Gordon did so much for them!!
Best Show EVER!!!!!!Bravo!!!
Way to go Gordon! ( I’m not crying!) xoxoxo
I love Gordon’s ass
Yes he’s awesome!!
shes talking about his actual buttocks
I love seeing this episode and glad to see it’s a success still. Gordon has a high heart and really was genuine when he said he was going to help them out. I knew he was going to get them their own place and that was such a blessing. Keep up the great work Hotel Chester
This was my favorite episode of this series by far. Nice family, not dysfunctional, addicted, lazy, or crazy who just needed a bit of help. Gordon was at his best here. It must have been a breath of fresh air knowing that his money, time, and efforts weren’t going to waste, which happens all too often on his fix-it shows. I mean, sure TV gets made, but it still must hurt when the owner doesn’t care and is going head right back to hell the moment that Gordon walks out the door.
Wow, what an unkind thing to say.
That’s mean to say…
Can someone tell me how to report that comment? Guys a total t**t and needs to be removed from as many platforms as possible!
Apparently the beer garden and restaurant were sold in 2021, opened as Magnolia Social, but then closed I believe in 2022 https://www.pressreader.com/usa/starkville-daily-news/20210604/281479279343764
Thanks for sharing! I will add this to the update.
It still appears as part of the hotel on hotels.com
Where did the money come from for all the renovations ?
Just wondering 🤷♀️
“Who pays for Hotel Hell renovations?
The show pays for the renovations. But it is a bit more complicated than that. The renovations work like commercials.
They show the companies that do the renovations. So the companies get their products advertised. Some products are donations from companies that want to be promoted.”