In 2019, Alex and Olga bought a coaching inn in need of a total overhaul. But what should have been a 6-month project turns into an 18-month struggle as they deal with spiralling costs, building challenges, and a global pandemic.

Alex has spent the last three months in lockdown in Cornwall with her family, overseeing the work at The Star from a distance. All work at the hotel had stopped temporarily, but it's back up and running. When Alex is able to travel to Sussex to see the renovations, it becomes clear just how far behind they are. Because of delays and the possibility of now having a Christmas opening, Alex and Olga move the opening until Easter 2021.

There has been plenty of progress around the hotel, including the bedrooms in the sixties block and the new outside courtyard. Interior designer Olga can start to bring her design vision together, and even afford a little time away to shop for antiques. This leaves Alex to oversee the parts of the hotel that are of more concern.