Fawlty Towers? "A glass of water? That'll be GBP 2 please!"

The Daily Mail (London, England), Feb 6, 2004 p3

A glass of water? That'll be £2 please!

By JAMES MILLS

ALL Sally Burchell wanted was a glass of tap water to go with her meal at a
seaside hotel.

It seemed like a reasonable request to her - but not to the hotel owner whose
extraordinary response could have come straight from a script for Fawlty
Towers.

After being told she would have to pay for a £2 bottle of mineral water as free
glasses of tap water were not on the menu, the 43-year old social worker sent a
polite letter of complaint.
Basil Fawlty would have been proud of the response penned by Anthony Cobley,
owner of the Atlantic Hotel in Newquay, Cornwall.

He wrote: 'I have read your letter and feel the need to enlighten you to the
workings of the modern world. I buy water from the South West Water Company.

I buy the glasses that the water is served in.

I buy the ice that goes in the water and I buy the labour to serve the water.

'I provide the luxury surroundings for the water to be drunk in and again pay
for the labour and washing materials to wash the glass after you have used it,
and you think I should provide all of this free of charge!

'As regards your comment that you will not be returning to the Atlantic Hotel
ever again leaves (sic) me to say that customers who only drink water and
complain about paying for it I can certainly do without.' Mrs Burchell said:
'This is like a letter from Basil Fawlty. I find it appalling that a hotel or
any other sort of business would talk to its customers like this.

'We had quite a pleasant meal at the hotel but I could not believe they would
not give out free tap water. There were a lot of us there and we spent a lot of
money on drinks between us and some people were even staying the night so it
seemed a little tight to charge me for water.

'In many places they would have put a jug of water with some ice and lemon on
the table. I was so upset I decided to write a letter to the hotel.

'The response I received is certainly not polite and it's not what I would
expect from an industry in which customer care ought to be paramount.' Mrs
Burchell, from St Austell, had been enjoying an £18.50-ahead Christmas dinner
with more than 50 colleagues from Cornwall County Council's child protection
unit when she asked for the water.

She was told she would have to pay £2 for a litre bottle of mineral water or
80p for a small bottle, despite the fact that her party were spending well over
£1,000 on meals, drinks and accommodation at the £60a-night 3-star hotel.

Mrs Burchell said she had spent £25 on drinks before asking for the glass of
water. 'We had to pay for all the wine up front in cash.

'What annoyed me was that I was ordering my second bottle of house red at
£12.50 a bottle when I also asked if I could have a glass of water. The way Mr
Cobley wrote his reply to me made it look as if I had sat there drinking
nothing all evening but that was not the case.' Mr Cobley refused to comment
yesterday on her complaint.
But a list of unfavourable reviews on a travel website suggests she is not the
only disgruntled customer.

One, headed 'the worst hotel I've ever stayed in', goes on to say: 'Water was
coming through our bedroom ceiling and a bucket placed on our dressing table.

'We were told to stop complaining and even if we left we wouldn't find anywhere
else to stay as it was August so we should just put up with it. It was the
worst holiday experience I've ever had and enormously expensive. Don' t g o t h
e r e . ' However, the hotel receives effusive praise from one anonymous guest,
apparently from Los Angeles, who says the Atlantic is ' comfortable, warm and
peaceful, too'.

He or she adds: 'I was in need of a happy vacation, and I did hope for a lovely
room, good food and service, a good locale, access to lots of lovely local
stuff, and a rapport of the soul - ocean views, a nice glass of ale at night.

'Oh, the Atlantic delivered it all!'

It was pointed out in a readers letter next day that the liquor license
granted to the hotelier stipulates that water must be provided free to
anybody who requests it.

"Baycobi" wrote in message
...
The Daily Mail (London, England), Feb 6, 2004 p3

A glass of water? That'll be £2 please!

By JAMES MILLS

ALL Sally Burchell wanted was a glass of tap water to go with her meal at
a
seaside hotel.

It seemed like a reasonable request to her - but not to the hotel owner
whose
extraordinary response could have come straight from a script for Fawlty
Towers.

"Mike O'sullivan" wrote in message
...
It was pointed out in a readers letter next day that the liquor license
granted to the hotelier stipulates that water must be provided free to
anybody who requests it.

This is new one on me. Do you have more of a reference.
Is it a local rule perhaps?

This "Am I entitled to a free glass of water" is a common question
on legal groups and the answer has always been a resounding no.
(there was even someone who complained that the place that
they wanted to hold their wedding had a 'mineral water only'
rule which also got the legal thumbs up (personally I'd have said
"I look for another venue, thanks!")

tim



"Baycobi" wrote in message
...
The Daily Mail (London, England), Feb 6, 2004 p3

A glass of water? That'll be £2 please!

By JAMES MILLS

ALL Sally Burchell wanted was a glass of tap water to go with her meal at
a
seaside hotel.

It seemed like a reasonable request to her - but not to the hotel owner
whose
extraordinary response could have come straight from a script for Fawlty
Towers.

It was pointed out in a readers letter next day that the liquor license
granted to the hotelier stipulates that water must be provided free to
anybody who requests it.

This is new one on me. Do you have more of a reference.
Is it a local rule perhaps?

This "Am I entitled to a free glass of water" is a common question
on legal groups and the answer has always been a resounding no.
(there was even someone who complained that the place that
they wanted to hold their wedding had a 'mineral water only'
rule which also got the legal thumbs up (personally I'd have said
"I look for another venue, thanks!")

There was a big scandal about a few years back concerning nightclubs
refusing to serve tap water and getting rid of the cold tap in the bogs. The
result was people started dropping like flies from dehydration all around
the country.

Baycobi wrote:
However, the hotel receives effusive praise from one anonymous guest,
apparently from Los Angeles, who says the Atlantic is ' comfortable, warm and
peaceful, too'.

He or she adds: 'I was in need of a happy vacation, and I did hope for a lovely
room, good food and service, a good locale, access to lots of lovely local
stuff, and a rapport of the soul - ocean views, a nice glass of ale at night.

'Oh, the Atlantic delivered it all!'



Nobody from Los Angeles would ever use the adjective "lovely" or comment
on something in England being "warm" or even know what a "glass of ale"
is. The "anonymous guest" is obviously a local shill with a cash
interest in the hotel.

John Bermont
--
------------------------------------------------------
* * * Mastering Independent Budget Travel * * *
http://www.enjoy-europe.com/
------------------------------------------------------

"freeda" wrote in message
...
It was pointed out in a readers letter next day that the liquor license
granted to the hotelier stipulates that water must be provided free to
anybody who requests it.

This is new one on me. Do you have more of a reference.
Is it a local rule perhaps?

This "Am I entitled to a free glass of water" is a common question
on legal groups and the answer has always been a resounding no.
(there was even someone who complained that the place that
they wanted to hold their wedding had a 'mineral water only'
rule which also got the legal thumbs up (personally I'd have said
"I look for another venue, thanks!")

There was a big scandal about a few years back concerning nightclubs
refusing to serve tap water and getting rid of the cold tap in the bogs. The
result was people started dropping like flies from dehydration all around
the country.

OK, but I find it hard to believe that the rules for a night club
license is the same as a liquor license for a restaurant.

tim

http://www.atlanticnewquay.co.uk/ima...mposition4.jpg

For a picture from the hotel's website showing the range of toupees allowed
to be worn in the restaurant.

"Baycobi" wrote in message
...
The Daily Mail (London, England), Feb 6, 2004 p3

A glass of water? That'll be £2 please!

By JAMES MILLS

ALL Sally Burchell wanted was a glass of tap water to go with her meal at
a
seaside hotel.

It seemed like a reasonable request to her - but not to the hotel owner
whose
extraordinary response could have come straight from a script for Fawlty
Towers.

After being told she would have to pay for a £2 bottle of mineral water as
free
glasses of tap water were not on the menu, the 43-year old social worker
sent a
polite letter of complaint.
Basil Fawlty would have been proud of the response penned by Anthony
Cobley,
owner of the Atlantic Hotel in Newquay, Cornwall.

He wrote: 'I have read your letter and feel the need to enlighten you to
the
workings of the modern world. I buy water from the South West Water
Company.

I buy the glasses that the water is served in.

I buy the ice that goes in the water and I buy the labour to serve the
water.

'I provide the luxury surroundings for the water to be drunk in and again
pay
for the labour and washing materials to wash the glass after you have used
it,
and you think I should provide all of this free of charge!

'As regards your comment that you will not be returning to the Atlantic
Hotel
ever again leaves (sic) me to say that customers who only drink water and
complain about paying for it I can certainly do without.' Mrs Burchell
said:
'This is like a letter from Basil Fawlty. I find it appalling that a hotel
or
any other sort of business would talk to its customers like this.

'We had quite a pleasant meal at the hotel but I could not believe they
would
not give out free tap water. There were a lot of us there and we spent a
lot of
money on drinks between us and some people were even staying the night so
it
seemed a little tight to charge me for water.

'In many places they would have put a jug of water with some ice and lemon
on
the table. I was so upset I decided to write a letter to the hotel.

'The response I received is certainly not polite and it's not what I would
expect from an industry in which customer care ought to be paramount.' Mrs
Burchell, from St Austell, had been enjoying an £18.50-ahead Christmas
dinner
with more than 50 colleagues from Cornwall County Council's child
protection
unit when she asked for the water.

She was told she would have to pay £2 for a litre bottle of mineral water
or
80p for a small bottle, despite the fact that her party were spending well
over
£1,000 on meals, drinks and accommodation at the £60a-night 3-star hotel.

Mrs Burchell said she had spent £25 on drinks before asking for the glass
of
water. 'We had to pay for all the wine up front in cash.

'What annoyed me was that I was ordering my second bottle of house red at
£12.50 a bottle when I also asked if I could have a glass of water. The
way Mr
Cobley wrote his reply to me made it look as if I had sat there drinking
nothing all evening but that was not the case.' Mr Cobley refused to
comment
yesterday on her complaint.
But a list of unfavourable reviews on a travel website suggests she is not
the
only disgruntled customer.

One, headed 'the worst hotel I've ever stayed in', goes on to say: 'Water
was
coming through our bedroom ceiling and a bucket placed on our dressing
table.

'We were told to stop complaining and even if we left we wouldn't find
anywhere
else to stay as it was August so we should just put up with it. It was the
worst holiday experience I've ever had and enormously expensive. Don' t g
o t h
e r e . ' However, the hotel receives effusive praise from one anonymous
guest,
apparently from Los Angeles, who says the Atlantic is ' comfortable, warm
and
peaceful, too'.

He or she adds: 'I was in need of a happy vacation, and I did hope for a
lovely
room, good food and service, a good locale, access to lots of lovely local
stuff, and a rapport of the soul - ocean views, a nice glass of ale at
night.

'Oh, the Atlantic delivered it all!'

In article . net,
John Bermont wrote:

Baycobi wrote:
However, the hotel receives effusive praise from one anonymous guest,
apparently from Los Angeles, who says the Atlantic is ' comfortable, warm
and
peaceful, too'.

He or she adds: 'I was in need of a happy vacation, and I did hope for a
lovely
room, good food and service, a good locale, access to lots of lovely local
stuff, and a rapport of the soul - ocean views, a nice glass of ale at
night.

'Oh, the Atlantic delivered it all!'



Nobody from Los Angeles would ever use the adjective "lovely" or comment
on something in England being "warm" or even know what a "glass of ale"
is. The "anonymous guest" is obviously a local shill with a cash
interest in the hotel.

John Bermont


good catch

Jenn wrote:

He or she adds: 'I was in need of a happy vacation, and I did hope for a
lovely
room, good food and service, a good locale, access to lots of lovely local
stuff, and a rapport of the soul - ocean views, a nice glass of ale at
night.

Nobody from Los Angeles would ever use the adjective "lovely" or comment
on something in England being "warm" or even know what a "glass of ale"
is. The "anonymous guest" is obviously a local shill with a cash
interest in the hotel.
John Bermont

good catch

I wouldn't be too sure. How many Brits use the word "vacation" to
describe their holidays?
I for one am so in-tune with British culture, having been to the UK so
many times and having watched British television shows since I was a
child, tend to drop right into Brit-speak whenever I am in the UK, or
am speaking with British friends. Trucks quickly become lorries,
elevators become lifts, and I would always ask for a "pint" in a pub,
never a "beer".

K
http://www.regimechangeusa.org/

Baycobi wrote:
One, headed 'the worst hotel I've ever stayed in', goes on to say: 'Water
was coming through our bedroom ceiling and a bucket placed on our dressing
table.

And, adding insult to injury, when they went to check out the next morning
they found that a £2 charge had been added to their bill for the water that
dripped into their room.

miguel
--
Hundreds of travel photos from around the world: http://travel.u.nu/