Hotel owner who can out-Fawlty TV’s Basil

BASIL Fawlty is alive and well – and running a hotel with the words “No Idiots” scrawled on a blackboard in the foyer.

John Cleese as Basil Fawlty John Cleese as Basil Fawlty

Malcolm Harper is so fussy about his guests that he has been likened to John Cleese’s popular Seventies television character. And visitors entering the Raincliffe Hotel in Scarborough are left in no doubt that they must mind their Ps and Qs during their stay.

Just like his alter-ego, who ran a fictitious hotel in Torquay, Mr Harper’s main aim is to turn his 11-bedroom domain into “an establishment of class” and he begins by subjecting each guest to an inquisition when they register.

Once they pass muster, he goes to every length to meet their needs and even apologises for the noise created outside the hotel. But woe betide any visitor who flouts the rules – any transgression is met by a swift ejection from the premises, followed by luggage.

Smaller faux-pas are dealt with “in house” by the simple process of humiliation – for the hotelier thinks nothing of embarrassing guests over breakfast.

Yet far from considering his behaviour excessive, the 45-year-old believes his approach is the only way to ensure a good calibre of holidaymaker for the North Yorkshire  seaside town.

Mr Harper insists: “I don’t mind being called Basil Fawlty, I’m making a stand for other hoteliers not to put up with bad or rude behaviour.

“Families come here for a decent holiday and that’s what we give them. We don’t want people here who spoil things for everyone.”

He proudly explained his unusual customer relations techniques. “I’ve had people banging on my door at 2am demanding that I give them a room, shouting: ‘You’re a f****** hotel, aren’t you?’

“I give people like that a piece of my mind. When people argue that I can’t throw them out I refer them to the terms and conditions on the website, which they agreed to, which says I can.

“For instance, come here and smoke inside and you’ll get shown the door. Make too much noise and out you go.

“When some of these people come down to breakfast I take the opportunity to embarrass them. Most are sorry for any inconvenience they have caused.

“Some people are blatantly out to make noise, such as large groups, hen and stag parties. Unfortunately, after a while you do start tarring people with the same brush.”

Mr Harper and his wife, Katherine, 35, have run the AA four-star Raincliffe Hotel for four years.

Without a hint of irony, the hotel’s website proclaims: “Our sole aim is to offer all our guests unrivalled comfort, value, quality and peace of mind – a 100 per cent positive experience.”

But it also makes it crystal clear that hotel rules must be obeyed. For example, any guest caught smoking is charged an extra £50 “materials and labour to clean the fabrics and furnishings”, plus further charges if any cigarette burn marks are detected.

And anyone foolish enough to smoke in their bedroom gets hit with a further £50 “fine” to cover “loss of earnings due to inability to let out the room the following day”. 

The Seventies television series Fawlty Towers was inspired by a visit to the Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay, Devon by Cleese and the Monty Python team.

Its owner, Donald Sinclair, would throw timetables at guests who asked about the next bus to town. He also criticised Terry Gilliam’s eating habits and once placed Eric Idle’s suitcase behind a garden wall because he thought it contained a bomb.

Yet Mr Harper’s Fawlty-type methods have found favour with tourism chiefs.

Pam Foden, quality manager for Visit Britain – formerly the English Tourist Board – said: “It’s an unusual approach but we would recommend that all hoteliers ask lots of questions when taking a booking. It is natural to ask questions of your potential guests to prevent troublemakers. It’s how you manage your business.”

It’s an unusual approach

Visit Britain spokesman

For Mr Harper, ensuring happiness is a serious business. “I try to promote Scarborough in a good way,” he said. “I have to grill the customers before they stay at the hotel because otherwise you lay awake all night worrying.”

And happy customers praise the hotel for its excellent food and hospitality. One contented guest wrote: “The hosts were charming. We think Malcolm would make a good stand-up comic – his stories were hilarious, and he made our stay very enjoyable.”

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