The competition begins at Oaklea Barns Guest House in Merseyside, where Mandi Magee and partner Paul Green think their impeccable standards will wow their rivals. Ian Nicholls from Sleeperdorm Backpacker Hotel in Newcastle loves his room but is perplexed by plastic on lampshades, whereas Mark Toole and partner Natalie Allcock from The Parsonage Hotel and Spa in York are thrown by a loose loo. During an exercise in falconry, Dave Rogers and partner Sanchia Crossley from The Guest House Worsthorne in Lancashire cry foul when chirpy Mandi rules the roost. At breakfast, Mandi makes it clear she thinks she can't be beaten, but Dave and Sanchia say they'll rise to the challenge.