It’s hard to believe that the British series Fawlty Towers as made over 20 years ago. It is equally hard to believe that only 12 episodes were ever made.

It’s a tribute to the skills of the cast and to the writers that they managed to tap into our collective psyche. The Fawlty Towers cast was led by John Cleese, who played Basil Fawlty.

The Inspiration for Fawlty Towers
Cleese and fellow actors from the cast of Monty Python’s Flying Circus stayed at the Gleneagles Hotel while filming. Their stay there was so dreadful, that it provided the inspiration for Fawlty Towers. Basil, the now infamous hotelier, was based on Donald Sinclair, owner of Gleneagles.

Sinclair famously threw Eric Idle’s briefcase out the window because he thought there might be a bomb in it. He treated other guests equally as badly. Talking about Sinclair in an interview, Cleese described him as “wonderfully rude”.

John Cleese had his character’s mannerisms down to a tee. Basil’s silly walk and his bumbling incompetence struck a universal chord. Chat to people about the show, and they all seem to have their favourite episodes and lines. Fawlty Towers is still widely regarded as one of the best examples of British humor today.

Basil Fawlty is Alive and Well in Hotels Around the World

Business travelers who have experienced a hard day’s night at the hands of an arrogant and insensitive hotelier, can identify with the goings on at Fawlty Towers. I’ve stayed at quite a few dodgy hotels. Each one is indelibly imprinted on my mind. Each one would have made Basil proud… very proud.

In one British hotel, where the plate of kippers was literally thrown onto the table, I had to look twice to check the name of the hotel. No, it wasn’t Fawlty Towers. With his delivery style, my particular Manuel could have been practising for the British discus championship. He may have even been in with a chance.

As travelers know only too well, sometimes the service can be so bad that it actually is funny. You just have to laugh.