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SWINGERS AND BEES'' NEST: THE LOW POINTS OF BRITISH HOTELS
24 July 2009
Swingers and a bees' nest: the low points of British hotelsSwingers and a bees' nest: the low points of British hotels
A couple who found their room had a bees' nest and a pair unwittingly booked into a swingers' weekend are just some of the low points found by research into Britain's B&Bs and hotels.
The recession may be encouraging more people to take their holidays at home, but the research by Retail Active has revealed that some could find their break is more Fawlty Towers than four-star luxury.
The research company sends out thousands of 'mystery shoppers' every year to monitor service and performance standards in bed-and- breakfasts, shops, restaurants and hotels.
Director Julian Chamberlain said they asked their mystery guests to report on some of their worst hotel horror stories from the last 12 months.
In one, a couple booked in for a 'romantic weekend break' were given an attic room in a country house hotel.
But after being woken by a buzzing sound and shouts of 'I've been stung', they discovered they were sharing with a bees' nest.
In Blackpool, a pair of researchers were puzzled when a couple kept asking them up to their room for late-night drinks, and were later 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.
Bed-and-breakfast guests at a Devon hotel were astonished when the elderly woman owner strode into the bar at 10.30pm and announced: 'If you want your breakfasts in the morning, you'll have to go to bed now', and closed the bar.
Another researcher told how she found herself teaching two schoolboys how to make a bed when they were sent with fresh linen after she complained about the cleanliness in a Morecambe B&B.
'Our mystery shoppers complete hundreds of B&B and hotel assignments every year so we get to visit more hotels than most people would see in a lifetime,' Mr Chamberlain said.
'There are certainly some horror stories out there.
'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 and we are helping companies to maintain high standards - but, as our reports show, there are still some areas where Basil Fawlty is alive and well.'
The Telegraph Published: 11:27AM BST 24 Jul 2009
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