The celebrated hotelier Ruth Watson visits and assesses the site of a planned hotel, guest house or bed and breakfast, and offers advice and support to the new owners. Watson identifies weaknesses in the preparations of the new establishments, and then sends the new owners to various hotels in the UK to improve their skills. Watson also fronts Country House Rescue for Channel 4, which sees her turn her attention to struggling country houses and their owners. Watson has previously starred in The Hotel Inspector, a documentary series for Five of a very similar format to Ruth Watson's Hotel Rescue, but with existing struggling hotels, rather than new start-ups.