A HELPING HAND

The turning point came when Artist

Residence featured on Channel 5 ’ s The

Hotel Inspector , with presenter and

renowned hotelier Alex Polizzi providing

some much-needed advice on how to

run and improve the business . Charlotte

and Justin had no prior experience

of the industry and were juggling the

day-to-day runnings of the hotel at

the same time as studying degrees ,

but Polizzi gave them the foundational

tools needed to successfully operate

the business .

Bigger Sea View room , Brighton

She helped the pair focus on the

business , turning it from a hotel in which

This left Justin , aged 20 at the time , with a seaside guesthouse in need of improvements , but with no funds to get

housekeeping documents were being scribbled down on a piece of paper to a smooth operation that would not only

guesthouse into a successful hotel

the work done .

expand over the next few years , but

business as an impressive feat , but

As a result , Justin came up with

also receive numerous awards . Charlotte

20

that wasn ’ t enough for Justin and Charlotte Salisbury . By 2018 , this

the idea to put an advert on Gumtree calling for artists to decorate the

recalls : “ It was amazing . She is such a renowned hotelier , and she has really

hands-on husband-and-wife team

property ’ s rooms in return for board

helped us a lot . I think Justin and I were

will have transformed a struggling

and lodgings . “ It all spiralled from there

quite in awe of her at first .”

business into a thriving hotel group

really ,” says Charlotte , “ some of the

All the profits that the pair earnt

comprising five properties .

designs were great , and some of them

from the hotel during those first

The Artist Residence story began

were quite dodgy .”

few years were poured back into

almost a decade ago , in circumstances

The haphazard nature of the

refurbishing it and adding new facilities

that Charlotte describes “ all very

decoration process left it with mixed

- turning it into a small townhouse hotel

accidental ”. In 2007 Justin ’ s mother

reviews , but a desire to improve and

with positive reviews from both guests

purchased a guesthouse in Brighton ’ s

take on constructive criticism would

and critics alike .

Regency Square , but before she had

soon turn this rundown property in

These early years were not always

time to refurbish the property she

Brighton into a successful , and growing ,

easy for the young couple . Charlotte

was severely injured in an accident .

hotel concept .

says there were many moments when

they thought it was going “ terribly ”, and

they often asked each other : “ What

have we done ?” But their determination

to succeed is inspiration for any

independent hotelier who is looking

to expand their portfolio . “ I think it ’ s

about having the grit to see it through ,”

Charlotte says , “ as well as listening to

constructive feedback and taking it on

board rather than being too emotional

about what you ’ ve done with the

property ”.

ARTISTIC TOUCH

Artist Residence , Oxford

Since those bumpy early years , the Artist Residence has opened two