(keep reading to learn what happened)
Season: 1 | View All Season 1 Episodes
Original Episode Air Date: September 3, 2012
The Roosevelt Inn Address: 105 E Wallace Ave, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
Episode Recap
The Roosevelt Inn was a Coeur d’Alene, Idaho hotel featured on Season 1 of Hotel Hell.
Though the Roosevelt Inn Hotel Hell episode aired in September 2012, the actual filming and visit from Gordon Ramsay took place much earlier in 2012.
It was Season 1 Episode 6 of Hotel Hell.
The Roosevelt Inn Bed and Breakfast is located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
The inn is located inside an old school building and it has a great historic look – you can see it in the picture above.
John Hough is the owner alongside his wife Tina and daughter Lorien.
In an interesting twist, John was actually one of the students at the Roosevelt Inn back in
John also works as the chef at the restaurant inside the inn.
Gordon does not like the exterior of the Roosevelt Inn and says it is reminiscent of a funeral parlor.
There is a foul smell inside the building coming from the dogs.
There are old pictures on the wall of when the inn was a schoolhouse.
Gordon is then shown a ballroom that went under an expensive renovation four years ago even though the room looks dated and old.
John, the owner, tells Gordon that they have only been at 20% occupancy.
Gordon’s room costs over $300 per night and is very pink, so Gordon starts to get an idea of why the hotel isn’t packed all of the time.
John informs Gordon that he can get violent if a guest upsets him and leaves upset with Gordon.
After finding dust coating every inch of the room, Gordon meets with John and Tina.
Tina tells Gordon that her husband bought the inn without her consent.
They owe over one million dollars to the inn after buying it for $700,000.
The family is now living in the attic of the inn because of the financial difficulties.
John is too casual about their troubles, and the couple has started seeing a counselor.
The inn hosts a murder mystery event, and Gordon comes down to watch it.
The inn hosts these types of murder mystery events every month.
The inn only made $200 for the night, and everyone who came was not staying at the hotel.
Gordon tells John he needs to get his priorities in order and should be booking rooms instead of performing.
I agree – even just getting one suite booking would already make more than hosting the entire event.
The next day Gordon eats in the restaurant.
There are other patrons in the restaurant, and everyone eats off the same fixed menu.
There are many complaints about the dish. The shrimp cocktail is too watery, and the salmon is sent back.
John cooks an undercooked egg for Gordon.
Gordon invites the owners to his room and informs them he had to sleep on the couch instead of the bed.
Other guests are in Gordon’s room and complain to the owners.
They complain about the food and say they would never stay at The Roosevelt Inn again.
John says he is opening up his mind and that he and Tina had no idea things were this bad at the inn.
Everyone is given goggles, and a black light is turned on, showing body fluid on the linens.
Tina begins to cry because of how bad the situation is.
Gordon goes down to the ballroom, and Tina tells him the room is only used two times a month, but they have a wedding planner.
Gordon meets with the wedding planner, and she says the room’s décor makes it hard to sell.
John and Tina have a deep conversation, and John admits he needs to change.
There is a new menu being prepped by Gordon that will involve home-cooked meals.
As part of The Roosevelt Inn renovations, they are given glassware for the dining room that costs over $50,000.
Gordon finally booked a wedding that evening as their relaunch event.
The wedding was a success, with every room in the inn booked.
When Gordon leaves, he gives the Houghs a hug and things seem to be looking up for the hotel.
So was the Roosevelt Inn Hotel Hell episode a success?
Keep reading our update to learn what happened next and if the hotel is still open in 2025 and beyond.
The Roosevelt Inn Update - What Happened Next?
So – was The Roosevelt Inn Hotel Hell episode a success?
Let’s talk about what happened after Gordon Ramsay left Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
In general, the hotel seems to be doing quite well after Gordon’s visit.
The Houghs are also still running mystery events, and John even has the same costume that you saw on the Hotel Hell episode.
However, they’ve also tried to sell the hotel, though the deals fell through.
Let’s talk about the most important question on your mind and then I’ll dig into the sale history and show you some examples of reviews from The Roosevelt Inn.
Is The Roosevelt Inn still open after Hotel Hell?
As of 2023, The Roosevelt Inn is still open and serving customers in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
However, the original Roosevelt Inn owners have been trying to sell the hotel, so it might be operating under new ownership from what you saw on the Hotel Hell episode.
I’ll talk about the sale history in more depth below, as there have been some twists and turns.
However, as far as I can tell, the Roosevelt Inn owners are still Tina and John Hough as of April 2023.
For now, they’re still listed as the owners on the hotel’s website:
The hotel is also still hosting murder mystery events.
For example, here’s an April 2023 Facebook post at the hotel that advertises the last interactive murder mystery event of the season – you can see John Hough still wearing his costume and running the event.
I’ve blurred the pictures for copyright reasons but you can find the actual pictures on Facebook.
Business for the hotel seems very good and the reviews are consistently positive.
I’ll share some real examples of The Roosevelt Inn reviews below.
It has a 4.5 star rating on TripAdvisor, 4.6 stars on Facebook, 4.6 stars on Google Reviews, and generally similar reviews on other hotel platforms.
They also named a suite after Gordon Ramsay as a thank you for his help and in recognition of the hotel’s appearance on Hotel Hell.
If you want to learn more or book a visit at the Roosevelt Inn Idaho location, you can go to the official The Roosevelt Inn website.
As of 2023, the cheapest room rate is around $99 per night, though it depends on your dates.
If you want one of the suites, you’ll pay more like $300 per night.
Overall, The Roosevelt Inn is the only hotel from Hotel Hell Season 1 to remain open as of 2023, which makes this one of the most successful Hotel Hell rescues by Gordon Ramsay.
The Roosevelt Inn for sale history
The sale has a bit of tumultuous history.
They originally started trying to sell the hotel around 2018 or so.
They asked for a whopping $3.1 million for the hotel and eventually got an offer for $3 million, which they accepted in late 2020.
The Houghs last day as the Roosevelt Inn Owners was supposed to be March 22, 2021.
However, the deal for the sale later fell through.
In that first sale attempt, which happened around April 2021, the new buyer couldn’t meet the deadline for closing, even after the Houghs extended the deadline multiple times.
After having that deal fall through, they re-listed the hotel for sale and the Roosevelt Inn sold again in March 2022, according to Zillow. This time, the deal is for $3.3 million.
However, it seems like that deal also might have fallen through and the hotel is now listed as “Off Market”.
The Roosevelt Inn reviews after Hotel Hell
As I mentioned above, The Roosevelt Inn reviews generally seem to be quite positive after the Hotel Hell episode.
On the Roosevelt Inn TripAdvisor page, it has a 4.5 star rating on over 549 reviews, which includes reviews from both before and after the Roosevelt Inn Gordon Ramsay visit.
Here’s a sampling of a few reviews that were written after Gordon’s visit, including the responses from the owners when relevant…
Review example 1:
Review example 2:
Review example 3:
While most of the Roosevelt Inn reviews are positive, here’s one negative review to give some balance.
What happened to the Roosevelt Inn, Idaho owners?
John Hough and Tina Hough, a husband and wife duo, were the original Roosevelt Inn owners that you saw on the Hotel Hell episode.
However, as I mentioned in the update above, John and Tina Hough have been trying to sell the hotel, though it seems like all of the deals have fallen through so far.
However, if they’re able to finalize the deal, they plan to move away from Idaho and live in Texas, where they plan to spend more time with their children and grandchildren.
Again, this is a real success story. John and Tina were able to successfully run the business for almost a decade before trying to cash out and moving into what should be a very comfortable retirement.
Congratulations to them and kudos to Gordon Ramsay for the rescue.
If you want to see another Idaho Hotel Hell episode, you can check out my update for Angler’s Lodge in Island Park.
Other nearby hotels include Lakeview Hotel in Chelan WA, Monticello Hotel in Longview WA, and Applegate River Lodge in Applegate OR.
And if you want to share your thoughts on the Roosevelt Inn episode, you can do so using the comments section below.
Thanks for reading!
👉 Read other Season 1 updates:
- Previous episode – River Rock Inn update
More Information
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g35418-d286833-Reviews-The_Roosevelt_Inn-Coeur_d_Alene_Idaho.htmlhttps://www.facebook.com/TheRooseveltInn/
What did you think about the episode? I'd love it if you shared your thoughts on the episode in the comments below!
You can also click the buttons below to share this post!
And don't forget to check out the full Hotel Hell open and closed list.
Last updated: 2023-04-30 08:50
I loved the episode and checked out the hotels website
There is no mention of Gordon Ramsey or his visit anywhere on their site and none of the suites or rooms is named after him.
Just come across this strange episode. Ive just said to my partner I bet I see him in the future on a crime programme. Ive never watched a more disturbing thing. Off being sherlock Holmes making his wife dress up in that hideous dress. Proper creepy pants
haha that’s the first thing I thought too!! After he said a couple violent quips (“I’m known to be violent” “people get hurt”) I thought, hmmm I don’t recall any stories of past Hotel Hell owners committing murder but the show is older, so…
John comes off as a genuine, potential psychopath.
I did a basic internet search of his name because I was curious if he ever flipped out and hurt anyone, as he often referenced.
Guess what?
Also, arrested in 2010 (4/5 years before filming) for threats of violence with a gun.
See https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/may/19/hard-times-lead-avista-threat/
Also, a former sheriff deputy…
Shocker… (/Sarcasm)
I feel like I know where he was January 6th lol
The dude is prlly as liberal as u are
I have never heard of anyone living in Coeur d’Alene accused of being a “liberal”.
A liberal former sheriff that threatens people with guns and is a shit to his wife?
WTF is the planet you live on?
No big suprise. The guy is a loose cannon. Why his wife would stay with such a dope is beyond me. A lazy crazy dope.
Thanks for sharing the arrest link. I wasn’t surprised based on the way the writer described both John & the Inn.
Not only was this the most poorly written article but it pretty much went out of the way to ensure no one will stay there or buy it. Think the writer had a vendetta.
I try to always keep it positive and I double-checked again and I only said nice things about the hotel. Maybe you’re confusing my recap of the episode with my personal opinions? I can’t change what Gordon experienced on the show.
You did a hit piece & you know it. You went out of your way to paint both the owner & the hotel in the worse light possible. You purposely included negative information that had nothing to do with the show.
Based on reader comments he sounds like a massive jerk but as a ‘reviewer’ you were not able to show impartiality.
https://cdapress.com/news/2021/mar/04/roosevelt-inn-sells-3-million/
Guess they finally sold out.
This deal actually ended up falling through and wasn’t completed.
I will go back and check to see if they were able to finally sell it – I know they were still looking for a buyer after the first deal fell through.
Poor Tina. If John would just embrace his truth and life his life as the gay man he so obviously is, so many things would be better for them.
Lol, I thought the same thing. When she said they still sleep together it was confusing at first, but then I thought,”Well, she knows she’ll never have to have sex with him, that’s gotta be why”.
I’m not so sure he’s gay, but he’s definitely a selfish jerk with no conscience. How could he do that to his wife? He didn’t even consult her before buying it. I knew a guy like that once, and he was the only one who mattered in his universe. He used to study peoples’ reactions so he could try to copy them, and appear as if he cared. He used to repeat lines he had heard other people say, and was so sure he was getting away with appearing to be “caring,” and had the same reaction as this guy did, when he was put on the spot – he’d just laugh as if everything was a big joke. No conscience at all. I used one of Gordon’s favourite expressions, told him to f—k off, and never looked back.
Keating Hotel is still open from Season 1 from what I read so I don’t think it’s the only hotel to stay open. Most of the others were sold to new owners but are technically still open.
The Keating Hotel closed in March 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and hasn’t reopened since then. I have a post about it here:
https://realitytvupdates.com/hotel-hell/the-keating-hotel/
I know that it’s still listed on various booking platforms, but there’s no room availability for any dates if you check.
It might be reopening, though, so I will update the post if The Keating does reopen.
how many times does the writer of this article start a paragraph with “However?” buy a thesaurus
7 times in a 1,800 word article doesn’t seem like that much!
However, you are entitled to your own opinion.
However, I am also entitled to disagree.
However, I hope that we can still be friends after this.
That’s the least of the horrendous grammatical errors! Plus the reply to you is petty & childish.
I’m sorry you feel that way.
However, I try to keep things fun and light on the website, so let’s all have some fun!
With all the smarmy, asinine comments left on this article, it seems like the only one with an agenda is you. Nowhere on this page is the writer being nasty or unfair to the hotel or its owners. I wouldn’t be surprised if “Samantha” is actually John.
Another Gordon Ramsay show means another repeat visit to my favorite crystal ball/website!😁😂 Always fun!
John is creepy. Like John Wayne Gacy creepy. He’s probably bisexual and in the closet with his sexuality.
What is wrong with you sickos. Anytime a man isn’t stereotypically masculine, he must have gay tendencies. How disturbed are you?
The weird hing about your comment here is that he IS “stereotypically masculine” -misogynistic, self-involved, focused on his own wishes and needs and expecting his wife to take care of him in the manner that he dictates, seeing violence as the go to answer, etc.
Of course, that also is the weird hing about the bizarre comments claiming or speculating that he;s gay/bi.
The guy acts like a sociopath.
He is just the typical old stock up there in the pacific northwest before millennials existed. they’re awkward people.
I was really rooting for these guys and hoped they’d have sold the place and be settled by now.
Although I live in the UK. I’ve visited the States a few times, and I know how things work there.
The prospect of being 1.3 million in debt when they’d already sold their home and both cashed in their 401k was absolutely terrifying to me.
I don’t think I could’ve slept at night.
Unfortunately, in the age of the internet, some people think it’s funny to leave fake reviews because they didn’t like the owner through watching the programme.
After reading the reviews, it’s easy to spot some of them.
Some also like to leave a disingenuous one star, because they weren’t allowed into their room two hours early. When,they knew their check-in is at three.
It just baffles me that people don’t realise how much they’re screwing with another humans livelihood. Have some common decency and don’t be an a$$ hole because you didn’t get your own way.
I really hope the come out of this with something for their retirement. John, just seemed a bit eccentric, and I don’t he was altogether a bad guy.
We’ve seen worse on the show, much worse.