Fighting The Germans - A Fawlty Hotel
GOLDEN rule of tabloid reporting No. 231b: all miserabilist hotel proprietors shall run a Fawlty Towers-style operation.
So here is the Mail’s story (“Fawlty of Weymouth”) of Joe Doyle, the owner of the Dorset resort’s Hotel Berkeley.
The story goes that while on a charabanc to God’s waiting room, Mr Doyle’s guests were insulted, embarrassed and ridiculed. And, peculiarly for the aged, not ignored.
Ernie Page, 81, was one holidaymaker taking advantage of the £140 a head four-day trip. Says Ernie of Doyle: “His attitude was disgusting.”
And these the words of a D-Day veteran! (We refer to Tabloid Rule 1943 that states that all elderly persons should have their war records brought into play on the understanding that they did not fight the Germans for shoddy service. Indeed, had they wanted punctiliousness and better trains, they should, perhaps, with hindsight, have sided with Hitler.)
Bette Bailey, 75, (wartime record unspecified) recalls approaching Mr Doyle on the matter of hot water. “When I told him what my problem was he replied, ‘I don’t now what you’re worried about – you look clean enough to me.’”
A compliment no doubt. But Mr Doyle did not leave it there. “He said: ‘The sea’s over there. If you want a wash go and jump in the sea and have one there!’ I stared at him, speechless, and he said that if I didn’t like it I could pack my bags and go home.”
She goes on: “I wasn’t sure if I had got the hotel name wrong and that it wasn’t Fawlty Towers,” says Berry, now revealed to be a retired crown court civil servant.
And then there is Eric Dyke, 74. He’s a retired BBC construction manager. He was refused his soup starter on account of arriving late at table. He complained. Mr Doyle is said to have ranted and raved. Like a madman, no doubt.
So the hotel is to be closed down by the inspectors? Eric, Betty and Ernie have been caught trying to sneak in non-residents to their rooms at night? It was hamster soup?
Er, no, no and no. Mrs Patricia Doyle, the Mail’s Sybil, says Mr Dyke was rude to her gusts and reduced a 15-year-old waitress to tears.
Says he: “All our customers are treated the same, but those wishing to treat us with disrespect will be treated likewise.”
She then laughed like a draining septic tank and set fire to her hair…
Posted: 27th, February 2007 | In: Tabloids Comment (1) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
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April 17th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
I am part of a Duo namely “SOLID GOLD DUO” at The Berkley Hotel and have known them for a few years and they are not as the paper said.
They are the most loving and loyal hotel owners I know, they treat all of there guests with respect and do everything they can to make them feel welcome.
Joe Doyle is a great man, we watch how he talks to the audience whilst doing a quiz before we perform our show and he is great with them.
What Ernie, Bettie and Eric said was twisted lies.
Joe has a sence of humour and was only trying to make Bette laugh and it wasn’t said as what She had written to the papers.
Eric did arrive late and as far as I can remember, he was offered an alternative starter because the soup had been removed from the kitchen and disposed off as they were on the second course and they needed the Space (Like any other Restaurant Kitchen would do)
And as for Ernie, Joe has never spoken to any off his guests in the way he describes, as Joe treats his guests with respect.
DID YOU KNOW THAT ALL 3 OFF THESE COMPLAINERS WERE FRIENDS? THEY SAT TOGETHER ON THE SAME TABLE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE HOLIDAY!
(sounds like a conspiracy to get a refund or just plain nastiness to me)
Believe me, they are good people, you only have to speak to anyone of there many many guests who have stayed at the hotel and forget listening to false stories by media attention seekers.
Thanks
Brett