BOGNOR BOUNCES BACK as Alex Polizzi spotlights seafront hotel
alex polizzi fronts a new episode of The Hotel Inspector that features The Navigator Hotel in Bognor Regis, airing Thursday, March 5 at 9pm ET. The 12-room seafront venue on Marine Drive West is presented as a property transformed after a concerted refurbishment by owner Kathleen Lamb. The spotlight comes as Bognor seeks to shake off a poor ranking in a Which? 2025 survey that placed the town near the bottom of Britain’s coastal destinations.
Transformation at The Navigator
The Navigator is presented in the episode as a hotel that has undergone a visible makeover. Staff and guests described bright, modern sea-view rooms and a refreshed restaurant painted in white and blue to echo the coast. Owner Kathleen Lamb, who bought the property in September 2024, says she moved quickly to tackle what she called a tired interior and to reopen jammed windows and fix fans to let light and sea air back into the building.
Kathleen Lamb, owner, The Navigator Hotel, said: “I called on Alex because I was getting a little bit out of my depth. While I had the creative ability and a clear vision of what I wanted, I was spending a lot of money and it was not coming back in. I was running myself ragged. ” She added: “Everything was dark green and brown – it felt very unloved. I’ve been working hard to put the love back into it. ” The owner has increased prices on sea-view rooms following the refit and reported improved guest feedback.
Alex Polizzi and the TV spotlight
The episode’s premise frames The Navigator as a property that was once proud and then struggling — described in the programme as “a once-proud seafront hotel now fighting for survival, with the owner drowning in debt, battling constant leaks and crumbling rooms. ” The Hotel Inspector series, first broadcast in 2005 and now in its 21st series, is presented by hotelier Alex Polizzi, who took over presenting duties in 2008. The programme visit is credited by the owner as an important factor in the turnaround.
Showtime is set for Thursday, March 5 at 9pm ET. The owners have invited the public to join them for a viewing in the hotel bar, with one post noting: “We are looking at putting a TV into the bar for anyone who’d like to come and watch with us, we have not seen it so hopefully it showcases us, and Bognor at their best. ” The owners also thanked their team for support over the last 17 months since purchase.
Local reaction and what’s next
Locals and small business owners in the town have welcomed the attention while urging a longer-term shift. Jason Passingham, owner, Heygates Bookshop, said: “Bognor is more than Bognor. ” The national spotlight on The Navigator arrives amid wider debate after a consumer group survey left the town with a low destination score and critical comments about beaches, scenery and facilities.
What happens next will be watched closely: the episode will test whether the TV exposure and the refit translate into sustained visitor interest and stronger local trading. Viewers will see whether alex polizzi‘s guidance is credited with Bognor’s revival when the show airs Thursday, March 5 at 9pm ET.
