Sunday, July 16, 2006

Fawlty Towers gets a 4-star facelift

Like Monty Python, Fawlty Towers holds a special place in the hearts of geeks everywhere.

Fawlty Towers gets a 4-star facelift

"Check into the Hotel Gleneagles in Torbay these days and you will no longer be confronted with out-of-date kippers or senile Majors. For despite inspiring cult TV comedy series Fawlty Towers, the property has undergone a £1m refurbishment and plans to relaunch as a four-star boutique hotel.

"Under new ownership since February, the hotel's luxury facelift has ushered in a new ground-floor swimming pool and al fresco dining area, a luxurious lounge and a conservatory. Ceilings have been raised and Italian chandeliers installed, while over 40 skip-loads of rubbish have been removed.

"The character of Basil Fawlty was inspired by a former manager at the hotel; he gave John Cleese and the Monty Python team a frosty welcome when they booked in 1971. The ferocious host berated them for not holding their knives and forks correctly and threw one of their briefcases over a wall believing it could be a time bomb."