In the 2010s, Gordon Ramsay was rising to fame with his reality shows on Fox. One of them was Hotel Hell, which premiered with the celebrity chef’s visit to the struggling Juniper Hill Inn, a historic mansion owned by Robert Dean II and Ari Nikki. Sadly, Ramsay couldn’t save the estate, which was closed and sold shortly after being featured on the show.
Background Info
The Juniper Hill Inn was around for more than a century, 110 years to be exact. In 1902, it was built by lawyer and politician Maxwell Evarts in Windsor, Vermont, and was used for a variety of commercial purposes.
For years, the Evarts family retained the building, which welcomed guests like Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt. The mansion has had several owners over the years.
In 2005, Robert Dean II and his partner, Ari Nikki, acquired the property for $1.6 million. They turned it into a full-fledged hotel and restaurant, but it didn’t have a good reputation among guests and locals.
Hotel Hell Appearance
Robert and Ari’s lodging was the first one to be featured in Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell in 2012. They were on the show because they were struggling financially due to mismanagement.
Many people deemed Robert arrogant, and he only wanted affluent people to stay in his hotel. One of the main reasons his business was losing money was that he frequently invited his wealthy friends to stay and eat at the inn for free.
Plus, their room and food rates were pricey, $700 for a two-night stay was out of budget for the area. Gordon discovered that Robert didn’t treat his staff fairly, even taking their tips. The chef advised that the hotel must undergo refurbishment and relaunch.
After Hotel Hell
In the aftermath of Hotel Hell, the renovated Juniper Hill Inn replaced most of the staff that were present in the episode. But even with the changes they made, the reviews of their new customers still weren’t positive.
The hotel continued to struggle and eventually closed in April 2013 because of the owner’s debt, which reached $1.1 million. Additionally, they owed $80,000 and $85,000 in overdue taxes to the city of Windsor.
Robert Dean II tried to defend his reputation online but it didn’t seem to help. Ari Nikki was arrested for assaulting a law enforcement officer months after losing the business. Hopefully, Robert sold out of his antiques to pay for Ari’s $500 bond. According to Ari’s Facebook page, they are still a couple 10 years later and live in Florida.
Current Status
The 110-year-old property was sold at a foreclosure auction. Its initial price was $1.4 million, but Kenni Lucci and Brenda Bradley purchased it for only $400,000. They planned to invest $500,000 into the hotel to refurbish it and help reclaim its previous glory.
Kenni and Brenda reopened the estate in 2016 under a new name, Windsor Mansion Inn. Apart from the looks, they improved its overall quality to make it feel like an entirely new building.
Their investment was totally worth it, as guests only had positive things to say about them. The Windsor Mansion Inn has a solid 5-star average rating from 189 reviews on Tripadvisor. The room rates are also favorable, starting at $150 per night.
