(keep reading to learn what happened)
Season: 3 | View All Season 3 Episodes
Original Episode Air Date: June 21, 2016
Lakeview Hotel Address: 104 E Woodin Ave Chelan, WA 98816
Episode Recap
Lakeview Hotel was a Chelan, Washington hotel featured on Season 3 of Hotel Hell.
Though the Lakeview Hotel Hotel Hell episode aired in June 2016, the actual filming and visit from Gordon Ramsay took place much earlier in late 2015.
It was Season 3 Episode 5 of Hotel Hell.
Lakeview Hotel is in Chelan, Washington.
If you’re not familiar with Washington geography, Chelan is a small city of about 4,000 people.
It’s located on Lake Chelan, which is in the middle of the northern part of the state.
It’s right by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, which has some absolutely beautiful scenery.
Lakeview Hotel is an adult-only hotel with an ice cream parlor and restaurant.
The owners are Brent and Afni McDonald.
Local bush fires and debt are causing the hotel to decline, which is why the Lakeview Hotel Hotel Hell episode exists.
Gordon Ramsay arrives and waits for the valet but is greeted by Brent, who offers to park his car.
Inside, the hotel is covered with dust.
Brent tells Gordon they have just reopened because they were on vacation for a few weeks.
Gordon is taken to his room which is supposedly the best room in the hotel.
The room has no remote control for the air conditioner, and the filter is only cleaned twice yearly.
Gordon orders lunch items such as the soup of the day, a bacon burger, a turkey patty, and a teriyaki burger.
The food is disgusting; the soup is canned, the burger is too thin, the turkey is too salty, and the teriyaki burger has too much cheese.
There is no local wine on the menu, and when asked why Brent tells Gordon that restaurants own the wine; that is his direct competition.
Gordon stays to watch a dinner service.
Many menu items are unavailable, and the guests are unhappy with their orders.
They are also upset to hear the food is frozen and not fresh.
Brent tells Gordon there is nowhere locally to get a fresh burger.
Gordon then goes to a competitor’s restaurant and brings back a fresh burger to show Brent. Awkward haha.
The owner’s son worked at the restaurant but was fired by Brent due to his drinking problem.
Gordon confides in Brent about his brother’s drug addiction.
Gordon takes a UV light to the bed and floor when he gets back to his room.
The room is covered in fluid, which is always a fun surprise.
Brent breaks down to Gordon about his son, saying their relationship fell apart when his ex-wife remarried.
He also has a daughter and grandchildren he does not speak with
The locals meet with Gordon and tell him that even the staff have negative comments about the hotel.
Someone says their friend was a server who witnessed Afni do unhygienic practices in the kitchen, wiping off food from the garbage and serving it.
They do not offer free samples from the ice cream parlor, and the locals are upset they didn’t help much during the wildfires.
During this meeting, Gordon’s staff renovated the hotel.
There is now a wine menu featuring local wine along with a sommelier.
The guests are happy with everything, especially the ice cream samples.
Gordon wanted Brent to change the hotel to a family-friendly one, but Brent refused because he thought the children would be too noisy.
So while Brent and Afni did implement some of Gordon Ramsay’s suggestions, they didn’t follow through with all of them.
They would also soon go back to their old ways, as you’ll see in a second.
So was the Lake View Hotel Hotel Hell episode a success?
Keep reading our update to learn what happened next and how this Chelan, Washington hotel is doing in 2024 and beyond.
Lakeview Hotel Update - What Happened Next?
Now that we’ve recapped the Lakeview Hotel Hotel Hell episode, let’s talk about what happened to the hotel after Gordon Ramsay and his crew left Chelan, WA.
First off, Brent and Afni MacDonald did not seem to have a good experience on Hotel Hell, as shared in this interview with the Yakima Herald.
Brent said they played up the drama, but he knew that “I am going to be painted as a bad guy.”
Brent also had issues with Gordon’s advice:
Most of the ideas he came up with didn’t work.
We did some of the things he said not to do, and they work great.
…
Gordon doesn’t understand this area.
But of course in the show, he is always right.
Here are Brent’s final thoughts:
It was a fun experience.
Would we do it again?
No.
Is Lakeview Hotel from Hotel Hell still open?
The Lakeview Hotel closed in the summer of 2021, which is about five years after the Lakeview Hotel Hotel Hell episode aired on TV.
I can’t find the exact reason for the closure, but a lot of the Lakeview Hotel reviews from 2020 and 2021 detail some pretty bad behavior, so I’m guessing that had something to do with.
Here’s a sampling of those reviews:
1 star TripAdvisor review from October 2020:
DO NOT BOOK HERE. RUDE RUDE RUDE I tried to book a room for October and the site glitched and booked a same day check in.
I called immediately.
I spoke with Brent the owner.
I was assured my card would not be charged.
I was charged.
I emailed him the confirmation as he requested and I told him that my husbands work notified us we could not travel after all.
So I would not be booking.
This was all within 3 hours and my card had not been charged yet.
No response to my email.
I noticed my card was charged when paying my bill yesterday.
I reached out to him. He said I don’t remember that.
1 star TripAdvisor review from August 2020:
They overcharged me by 600 dollars!
When I called to get this mistake fixed, the man at the front desk was incredibly rude and talked down to me.
He offered to let me cancel the reservation since we hadn’t even been to the hotel yet and I said yes, based on this conversation I would like to cancel.
He YELLED at me – “good for you!” AND THEN HE HUNG UP ON ME.
Still waiting for a refund…
1 star TripAdvisor review from July 2020:
I wouldn’t recommend staying here.
The hotel doesn’t have any designated parking or valet service.
We finally found parking and got our bags inside.
The hotel entrance is a restaurant.
There was no hotel staff and only restaurant staff and we had to wait for a long time with our bags in the entrance of restaurant.
It was very awkward.
Finally someone came and gave us a key but didn’t offer us any information on the property or assistance getting bags to the room(stairs only no elevator).
The hotel is really weird.
The carpets are extremely dirty and stained.
The chair in our room was badly damaged and nothing seemed very clean.
If you call the front desk noone answers.
They claim to have a wine rack and wet bar but don’t even provide a wine opener.
It was difficult to get one from the restaurant.
It was just not a comfortable stay and the cost was very expensive compared to other spots in Chelan that offer more amenities and a better experience.
It doesn’t seem like much has changed from the time they were featured on Hotel Hell.
Basically, when you read the reviews, it’s no surprise that Lakeview Hotel closed.
What happened the Lakeview Hotel Chelan, WA building?
As of 2023, the old Lakeview Hotel Chelan, WA location is occupied by a new restaurant/hotel named The Landing.
The Landing moved into the space in summer 2021 and took over from the old Lakeview Hotel owners.
The Landing still has the hotel portion, as well as a popular bar/restaurant with live music. There’s also a spa and ice cream parlor.
Reviews for the new hotel seem much better than Lakeview Hotel as it has a 5 star rating on Yelp and a 4.3 star rating on Google Reviews.
Reviews for the hotel portion aren’t quite as good as it’s Booking.com rating is 7/10, but it’s still not bad.
If you find yourself in Chelan, Washington and you want to check it out, rooms will run you $250-$300 per night, so it ain’t the cheapest hotel out there.
Overall, while Gordon Ramsay wasn’t able to save the Lakeview Hotel, the old Lakeview Hotel Washington location seems to at least be getting put to good use.
If you want to see another Washington Hotel Hell episode, you can check out our Monticello Hotel update from Longview, WA.
For some other nearby episodes, you can also check out these posts:
- The Roosevelt Inn in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
- Applegate River Lodge in Applegate, Oregon
- Angler’s Lodge in Island Park, Idaho
Thanks for reading!
More Information
https://www.yelp.com/biz/lakeview-hotel-chelan-3https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g58395-d2273879-Reviews-Lake_View_Hotel-Chelan_Washington.html
What did you think about the Lakeview Hotel Hotel Hell 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: 2023-05-02 06:44
So many owners of these hotels need mental health help as much as they need help in running a hotel & restaurant. I felt sad for Afni who seemed to want better for Brent & their family. Brent just couldn’t get out of his own way.
Far too many people want to run a restaurant in spite of having zero restaurant business at all. If they don’t learn real quick, they aren’t likely to make it.
One of my nieces wanted to buy the restaurant next door to my office. I told her that she shouldn’t consider it until she has at least two or three years experience as a cook, two or three years experience as a waitress, and at least four or five years managing a restaurant. She doesn’t understand that liking to eat at restaurants does not make her qualified to run a restaurant.
Fortunately, someone else bought the restaurant next door. They had no experience and lasted about two years before they closed their doors. Their only experience was that the wife worked as a cook in the school cafeteria. They are down to a handful of customers a day. The last time I went in there, the only good thing on their Taco Plate was the beans. Everything else was garbage. Many around here don’t think they will last four or five months. I don’t understand how they will last until Christmas.
The restaurant business is a tough business with tight margins. It’s not a business for people who would just like to try it out.
And forget “good will”. In nearly every case, that should count as being worthless.
I see Afini of being a purchased wife. She wasn’t happy at all in that marriage.
You know exactly what he‘s doing in Mexico by himself for a whole week. It’s disgusting
losing $30K/mo and he goes on vacation, only in America
Exactly what I thought! Who goes on vacation when you are losing 30k a month!
While watching the Gordon Ramsey series , now being screened on UK TV, I always try to predict whether each hotel featured is still here in 2023.
The hotel owner clearly thought he knew best and reluctant to take advice. (So why did he contact the programme for help in the first place?)
Also, the idea of creating a hotel with ice cream parlour that excludes children “because they are noisy”, is ridiculous.
What age group are the biggest consumers of ice cream? Children of course.
The establishment deserved to fail and I am pleased a new establishment with new owners thrives there now. I bet it is to the relief of the local community and visiting tourists.
I also find the idea of an ice cream parlor that bans children hilarious! Haha. Thanks for commenting.
Yeah it’s literally insane. That guy deserved to fail. Anytime I see people NOT take advice from Gordon who’s willing to throw his time and money at them… Makes me feel emotionally cheated. “Look at that…”
That’s not accurate. It was the fact no samples of ice cream were offered. Children were welcome in the restaurant and in the ice cream parlor.
You’re right I was misremembering a bit. But it’s still weird to have an ice cream parlor at a hotel that doesn’t allow kids.
they were only allowed for the show genius. the old man kicked us out after the film crew stoped shooting. bag
Not sure who ‘us’ is. You weren’t there, most likely.
Drop the attitude, little boy.
I think a lot of these people call for help with the delusion that they only need to have Gordon update a few of their rooms and some decor and they will succeed without having to change their ways. Like with the Calumet and those two spoiled brat sisters. They said they thought that Gordon was going to be “nice to them”. They obviously thought that Gordon was going to take their side and their views about all the staff and feel sorry for them.
I am fairly certain that with most of these delusional people, it’s all about the free upgrades.
No surprise the hotel closed. Brent is a jerk. How can anyone losing $30,000 a year insist that they are doing fine?
These shows are all the same, except I don’t think we saw Gordon’s ass on this episode.
Alfini needs to divorce Brent.
Who is Alfini?
It was 30 grand a month, not a year.
Imagine my shock when the ACF tried to open a hotel and it failed. People who hate kids shouldn’t have businesses that cater to the public. The public INCLUDES children. Get it through your child hating hearts. Families do at least the majority (even if it isnt a large majority) of the vacationing. Families vacation, and no one wants your creepy child hating. Glad to see you are gone. There is a place in Scottsdale AZ that has been serving ice cream for literally like 80 years. Because it’s a freaking tradition. And families stay at hotels nearby to take their kids to this ice cream shop. Morons. Hate kids from your living room shaking your fist at SpongeBob ffs
Where in this episode did it say the owners hated children?
That odious owner doesn’t have to SAY IT!!!
It’s a NO CHILDREN ALLOWED hotel!!!! (with an Ice Cream Parlor – HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!)
Marc
Welcome to 2023 Karen, families do not = the majority of vacationers.
so u have to show id as proof of age or adulthood when entering that hotel just like when u enter a bar or a club stupid
Watching these Hotel Hell shows is entertaining, in a weird way. They’re kind of like watching a train wreck. Worst of all are the black light, and orange glasses, scenes where bodily fluids, and blood, show up in disgusting detail. Just thinking about all the potential nastiness on hotel duvets, bedspreads, and pillows gives me the heebie jeebies and makes me never want to stay in a hotel again.
That’s a bit of a stretch. If you’re so worried about all hotels being that way, which, from your comment about a pillow making you never want to stay in a hotel again, simply buy black-light goggles, and do an inspection. Don’t be dramatic about it.
Man I dunno who hurt you, but taking it out on people offering genuine opinions on the internet isnt a great way to work through it.
They baited you, and you took it. Look at their comments, it’s obvious what Niko was doing, and you fell for it.
With most episodes of HH, you at least get some sense of transformation or realization from the owners. A hint that they’ve maybe seen the error of their ways. A little something that sort of tugs at the heartstrings. Even if they do end up reverting back to their old ways. This is particular episode has a completely heartless/soulless feeling about it. There was no real connection with anyone; no humanity. Even when Brent was talking about his family issues, I didn’t feel an ounce of pity for him because you already know that his problems are of his own making, and his family is estranged for their own protection.
I think this is one HH where Mr. Ramsay should have walked away before investing in hotel owners whom you know weren’t going to change, appreciate, or respect what was being given to them.
That’s exactly what I thought! Just as he walked away from Amy’s on KN, he should have walked away from this self hating misogynistic liar as well. All he did was lie, right from the start, and lied with a straight face, looking Gordon in the eye. There’s no way to help someone without a conscience. He couldn’t make any human connection, had no interest in the people where he lives, and went on vacation without his wife, so he could enjoy himself for a week before she joined him. His kids won’t even talk to him. Gordon should not have wasted his time.
Brent is a jerk and I’m glad it shut down. Those poor employees
Brent just was his own worst enemy.
Guy came from money clearly. Self centered fella, only worried about “ME”. Getting it in while his family is 35 hours away while hes pounding it out in mexico with some girl off grinder. I mean good for him, but bad for the family ordeal.
As other said, delusional folks. This is why it is closed. Was a beautiful place from the looks of it.
I live a little over an hour away from Chelan, in Eastern WA farm lands, and my jaw literally hit the floor when he said there was no where in Eastern WA to get fresh meat for burgers.
Even further inland than Chelan we get fresh meat and fresh seafood, and local wines! I’m not surprised it shut down, he was delusional about himself and his abilities to run the hotel.
People like Brent just cannot change. He said in that linked article that it was all just an act, that he and Afni acted for the show. And that those stains on the bedding was planted. And the most absurd: they only did the show to help the community! Wow.
This is why I love Gordon Ramsay. He calls it like he sees it, and can sum people up at light speed. He knew from the get go that this guy was lying, deluded and in denial. Brent spun a complete tale of bullshit in that linked article. Go check it out if you haven’t yet, it’s worth the read.