STAYCATIONERS REVEAL THEIR HOLIDAY HORROR STORIES

The spirit of Basil Fawlty lives on: British 'staycationers' reveal their holiday horror stories The spirit of Basil Fawlty lives on: British 'staycationers' reveal their holiday horror stories

It's more than 30 years since he first graced our TV screens, but it seems Basil Fawlty is alive and well.
The worst excesses of the hopeless hotelier immortalised by John Cleese are still being repeated in holiday accommodation up and down Britain, undercover researchers found.

In one bed-and-breakfast establishment in Devon, guests were astonished when the elderly woman owner shut the bar at 10.30pm announcing: 'If you want your breakfasts in the morning, you'll have to go to bed now.'

In Blackpool, a couple were puzzled when another pair kept asking them up to their room for late-night drinks.
They finally lost their patience when they were sent a note via room service saying rooms 3, 24 and 38 would like to join them.
When they complained to reception they were told they had booked on a swingers' weekend, but nobody had told them.
In another case uncovered by researchers, a couple who booked a 'romantic weekend break' at a country house hotel were given an attic room which turned out to be infested by bees.
During the night they were woken by a buzzing noise, and one of the guests was stung. And a guest in a Morecambe bed and breakfast had to teach two hotel assistants how to make up the bed when they were sent with fresh linen after she complained about the cleanliness.

The stories were uncovered by research company Retail Active Mystery Shopping which sends out thousands of ' mystery shoppers' every year to monitor service and performance in B&Bs and hotels across the country.
Julian Chamberlain, the company's director, said: 'It may be three decades since comedian John Cleese created the befuddled hotelier Basil Fawlty for the TV series, but our reports show there are still some Fawlty Towers experiences to be had - especially in some of the smaller B&Bs.
'With the prospect of more British holidaymakers staying at home this year, it is vital that all hotels come up to standard.
'Generally, British accommodation has improved dramatically since the days of Fawlty Towers.
'But, as our reports show, there are still some areas where Basil Fawlty is alive and well.'
Hotel bosses who follow the Basil Fawlty approach to hotel management have not always come away unscathed.
Andy Hageman, 43, who runs the Mortons House Hotel in Corfe Castle, Dorset, was kneed in the groin and punched in the face after a terse response to a guest.

The hotel owner was paid thousands of pounds in compensation after Ian Peters attacked him as they rowed over a room.

Peters, a 63-year-old architect, had insisted he should not have to pay for his stay because he had been kept awake by noise from the kitchens.

But Mr Hageman refused to waive the fee, saying: 'What I can't stand about people like you is you come and stay at my hotel and expect to be able not to pay for it.'

Infuriated by the comment, Peters wrestled the hotel owner to the floor where the scuffle continued until the police arrived.

Peters, from Purley in Surrey, was then arrested and charged with assault. The hotel manager - likened to Basil Fawlty by former TV newsreader Sue Lawley - was off work for weeks as a result of the attack.

He sued Peters for loss of earnings and for the injuries he suffered. Although the case was due to be heard in a civil court, Peters agreed to settle beforehand by offering Mr Hageman a five-figure sum.