(keep reading to learn what happened)
Season: 2 | View All Season 2 Episodes
Original Episode Air Date: July 28, 2014
Monticello Hotel Address: 1405 17th Ave Longview, WA 98632
Episode Recap
Monticello Hotel was a Longview, Washington hotel featured on Season 2 of Hotel Hell.
Though the Monticello Hotel Hotel Hell episode aired in July 2014, the actual filming and visit from Gordon Ramsay took place much earlier in mid 2013.
It was Season 2 Episode 2 of Hotel Hell.
The Monticello Hotel is located in Longview, Washington.
While Longview is in Washington state, it’s actually closer to Portland, Oregon than it is to Seattle, Washington.
In fact, it’s less than an hour drive to downtown Portland, which makes Monticello Hotel a nice spot for people looking to escape the city.
The Monticello Hotel building was built in 1923, making it one of the oldest buildings in town.
At the time of the Hotel Hell episode, the hotel is owned by Phil Lovingfoss.
The owner’s mother worked at the hotel when Phillip was a young boy.
When he was older, Phillip bartended at the hotel and fell in love with the owner, who was thirty years his senior.
He inherited the hotel from her when she passed away.
He seems to like older women, as his current girlfriend, Ginger, is also much older than him.
In addition to being his girlfriend, Ginger is also the general manager at the hotel, so the two run Monticello Hotel together.
The hotel only has four suites available because Ginger and Phillip’s things take up the rest of the rooms…which is odd.
They utilize the small motel next to the hotel and call it the north wing.
Gordon Ramsay arrives and is impressed by the size of the hotel.
He sees a lot of cars in the parking lot and assumes there is a car show.
Vanessa, who works at the front desk, informs him those cars all belong to the owner.
Gordon sees the employee of the month board hasn’t been updated in years.
Gordon’s room is in the motel, not the hotel. He refuses and is taken to the main building.
The room is hideous. He finds that all the decor comes from Ginger and Phillips’s home, including the mattress.
Vanessa shows him how the other rooms are used as storage areas.
Gordon meets with Phillip and Ginger and notices Phillip is decked out in diamonds.
The building is worth $5 million, and Phillip inherited nearly $10 million from the previous owner, so he’s not doing too poorly.
Ginger and Phillip think the staff is taking advantage of them.
Gordon goes to the hotel restaurant for dinner and is served by Debbie, working there for 12 years.
The chef in the kitchen says everything is either canned or frozen. Gordon sends his meals back to the kitchen.
Overall, it seems like Phillip is in charge of the kitchen, not the chef.
Phillip also has a drinking problem and received a DUI before Gordon arrived. More on this later.
After his meal, Gordon Ramsay meets with the kitchen staff and the owners.
They tell Gordon they are overworked. There also is not enough staff.
Gordon takes the staff to his room and takes out a black light, showing them bodily fluids and burns.
The staff began to get emotional after being shown the disgusting state of the room.
Gordon is upset that the owners live a luxurious lifestyle but do not give their staff the wages they deserve.
That evening, Gordon sleeps in the tub instead of the bed.
Gordon takes the owners with him outside the next morning to meet with customers and get feedback.
The customers complain about cleanliness. They also are mad they stayed in the motel when they paid for a hotel experience.
No one said they would come back to the hotel.
Ginger tells Gordon she is worried about Phillip’s drinking. They plan an intervention for him.
While all of that’s happening, Gordon Ramsay’s crew are hard at work on improving the hotel.
They have freed up a few of the suites and added new furniture. They offer room service from their new menu.
Gordon leaves the staff with a new employee of the month board.
So was the Monticello Hotel Hell episode a long-term success? Keep reading to learn what happened next and if it’s still open in 2023 and beyond.
Monticello Hotel Update - What Happened Next?
Now that we’ve recapped the Monticello Hotel Hotel Hell visit, let’s talk about what happened to the hotel after Gordon Ramsay and his crew left Longview, Washington.
Overall, some wild stuff went on, both the hotel itself and with Phillip, so you’ll want to read to the end!
Let’s talk about the hotel first, though, and then we can get the other stuff.
Is Monticello Hotel still open after Hotel Hell?
Monticello Hotel closed around 2017, which means that it survived for around three years after the Monticello Hotel Hotel Hell episode aired on TV.
The restaurant business had closed earlier in 2014, so things had been going down hill before that.
At the time of its closure, reviews for Monticello Hotel were mixed after the visit from Gordon Ramsay.
Here’s an example of some TripAdvisor reviews that were written after the visit from Gordon Ramsay…
Example Review #1:
Example Review #2:
Example Review #3:
What happened to the old Monticello Hotel Longview WA property?
Since the show has aired, the hotel has changed hands four times.
Most recently, the building that housed Monticello Hotel was sold for $8.22 million in 2020.
The sellers had purchased the property a couple of years before and invested millions into renovating the old Monticello Hotel Longview, WA building.
As of 2023, the old Monticello Hotel Washington location has been turned into apartments.
In total, the building offers 68 apartment units.
It still has the big Monticello Hotel sign at the top, though.
Here’s a Google Maps street view shot that shows what the building looks like as of July 2019 (it hasn’t been updated for a while, but that’s after the hotel closed).
Most of the apartment units seem to be studios/one bedrooms that cost around $1,400 per month.
Here’s an example of a studio unit’s Zillow listing.
There are also some restaurants and cafes on the bottom level. I believe one of them is called Monticello Hotel, which is what the new Monticello Hotel TripAdvisor page refers to.
So while there’s no hotel there anymore, people will at least get to enjoy the beautiful historic building.
What happened to Phillip Lovingfoss from Hotel Hell?
Unfortunately, Phillip seems to still struggle with alcohol and he’s had several run-ins with the law since the Monticello Hotel Hotel Hell episode.
In 2015, he was arrested for an alleged DUI and hit and run.
While that case was ongoing, Phillip seemed to have some issues with the judge.
As a result, he was sentenced to 90 days in jail for intimidating the Cowlitz County judge who was handling his case.
I’m not sure what Phillip has been up to since then. He has millions of dollars, though, so I’m sure he’s not doing too badly.
There are some people who think the Monticello Hotel owner dies after the episode. I’m not sure where that comes from as I can’t find anything about Phillip Lovingfoss passing away.
I think this is just some weird Google thing – there’s no obituary or anything, so I’m not sure why people are searching for this.
I wish Phillip the best with overcoming his issues with alcohol.
If you want to see another Washington Hotel Hell episode, check out our Lakeview Hotel update from Season 3.
Thanks for reading!
More Information
https://www.yelp.com/biz/monticello-hotel-longview-5https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g58569-d2011344-Reviews-Monticello_Hotel-Longview_Washington.html
What did you think about the Monticello 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: 2023-01-22 09:44
I think that Phillip seems to be struggling with his homosexuality; and I feel that it is either his struggle to stay in the closet or perhaps he had issues with his mother when he was younger that has caused him to be attracted to women older than his mother. He appears to struggle with low self esteem and over compensates by trying to dress up his image using $. He seems to struggle managing himself, so will not be successful managing others. And because he has shown zero interest in ‘fixing’ himself, getting clean and facing reality, I suspect it will take him truly hitting rock bottom and losing everything before he does.
I hope that he seeks God before its too late, because it is only with God’s help that he will ever be able to find true peace.
I agree with you 100%.
I thought exactly the same thing… he’s gay and hasn’t come out yet. Hiding behind the fact that he dates much older women. It’s like his cover. Using his money to hide behind and treating his staff like dogs is a narcissistic behavior.
What an unfounded opinion. Don’t equate alcoholism to homosexuality. It’s asinine.
No one equated alcoholism to sexual orientation you twat. They pointed out much deeper issues shown and displayed through his mental acuity during the episode and his inability to process conflict and attraction to women twice his age which is a sign of sexual trauma early in life. Educate yourself. Jesus. Talk about an asinine statement. Maybe think before you speak…sorry (type)!
Since when have random internet users become psychologist? Just because you read some articles or watch youtube videos on the topic, doesn’t automatically make you an expert. What if the owner was straight? Alcoholism doesn’t just mess with you physically, but mentally and can drastically change your behavior. Of course, you don’t want to be proven wrong since that would hurt your ego on the subject. The most simplest explanation, is usually the best explanation.
Dating older woman does not equate to homosexuality, not sure where yall got that from. and yall way out of left field
Stop trying to push your imaginary friend on people
I don’t see homosexuality; I see gold-digger. A man who grew up with his Mom working there and deciding then that he wanted to own the place, then years later while working as a bartender woos the elderly owner into marriage. This isn’t someone who is struggling with his sexuality, this is a narcissistic predator who was willing to sleep his way into becoming a millionaire and owner of a historic landmark.
bro how tf do you come to the conclusion he’s gay just bc of the way he looks? and stfu about your stupid god omg why do you christians have to bring your religion into EVERYTHING 💀
why do you christians have to bring religion into EVERYTHING omg
I agree!
Amen.
How does having sex with older women mean someone is homosexual? Unless of course you know their situation or are generalizing that older women can’t have sex at all.
Such an odd conclusion to come to. It’s almost as farfetched as me saying you’re projecting.
LOL!
I remember watching the episode when it was 1st on and thinking Phillip is battling against not just alcohol but his sexuality.
He has no respect for his staff , the hotel Monticello, his own health.
Look at me, look at my cars, look at the jewellery!
Totally agree with other comments he displays narcissistic behaviour.
Several DUI cases, the episode only mentions one the day before Gordon arrived.
90 days prison sentence for assault on a Judge hearing his case on another DUI after Gordon left.
Shame it’s no longer a hotel but apartments
I love Gordon Ramsey that’s all
The misconception is because the owner of the restaurant inside the hotel which was owned separately after the episode aired died
Phillip Lovingfoss. What a useless, worthless being. Such a waste. Feeling sorry for all those poor souls near and around him. If you are one of those by some weird cosmic chance, reading this comment right now, please run. Run as fast as you can, as far as you can, and never ever look back.
Philip is probably my least favorite owner on this show to date. I know alcoholics are usually in denial and great at lying, but it grates on my nerves to watch. I’m not sure about everyone’s comments about closeted homosexuality – he definitely had some effeminate behavior and mommy issues, p likely some sort of trauma that causes him to drink…but also seems like an arrogant, self-centered gold digger.
Thanks for doing all these updates – I’ve been bingeing the series and always want to know where they are now!
Bingeing the series as well! It’s so good, but this episode was definitely disappointing. Phillip is slowly but surely throwing all the millions away to cars, booze and probably now legal fees. So sad.
Found this in a Reddit post:
“Oh so I asked my wife about the bartender. His name is Grant. And he did better than land on his feet. After he got the bar job the Montecello went up for sale due to Lovingfoss’ bullshit. Here’s the cool bit.
Grant rented the restaurant space and now runs/owns the restaurant on the ground floor he once bartended in and it’s doing phenomenally well too:
https://www.grantsatthemonticello.com“
Cool thanks for sharing! I will add this to the update when I get a chance.
Sadly, Grant passed away not too long ago. He had been beaten and left for dead in the middle of the street by some jealous drunk. Truly a heartbreaking story..he was a really nice guy who always had a smile on his face.
I love watching these shows and reading the updates. Grants looks like a place I’d go and visit if I was ever in the area. Looks classy and well kept. I hope the food is just as good. It’s so unfortunate what happened to Phillip and how he might have thrown it all away, but I’m glad someone like Grant at least was able to preserve some of it at least for the community.
Gay, even closeted gay, is not a mental illness. Do better. You sound ignorant. My diagnosis (ahem) of Phillip is that he’s a narcissistic a-hole like the majority of people with millions of dollars that they didn’t earn