Foul-mouthed owner of ‘awful’ hotel welcomes Basil Fawlty comparison
A hotelier who was branded a ‘real-life Basil Fawlty’ for his treatment of guests has hit back at what he called ‘exaggerated’ allegations against him.
John Dixon Hart, 60, was handed a suspended jail sentence on Friday for misleading commercial practices related to ads for Minster Garth, his guesthouse in Beverley, east Yorkshire.
The case arose from a slew of complaints over ‘shabby’ and dirty rooms, stained bedding, musty and tobacco smells, broken tiles, mouse droppings, dead insects and poor security.
A court heard Hart called one woman a ‘c***’ and another a ‘f***ing letch’ and ‘sponger’ after they raised concerns.
He advertised the Grade II listed hotel online as either ‘three-star’ or ‘four-star’ – but one visiting council official found a one star would be ‘flattering’ at best.
Speaking after his conviction, Hart apologised and admitted he had an ‘arrogant attitude’ over his management.
But he insisted he was a victim of fake reviews and online ‘gossip’, claiming one guest had deliberately staged a photo of a slug on their bed using one they ‘found outside or whatever’.
He also welcomed the comparison by Judge Mark Barry between himself and Basil Fawlty, the lead character in 1970s sitcom Fawlty Towers.
Hart said: ‘I think it’s a compliment because I think he’s a wonderful, hilarious man.
‘But I don’t try to emulate him. I’m my own person, obviously. I can only hold my hands up and apologise in general.’
The 60-year-old also doubled down on his attempt to clap back at the judge who oversaw his trial by telling him that ‘if you go home, you’ll find mouse droppings in your own drawer’.
He said: ‘When it’s just me running the place and doing all the repairs every day, it’s difficult to find the time to go and search where you’ve got published information and make changes to it to try and properly reflect what you are actually selling.
‘Occasionally, there’s been reviews by people who I don’t recognise and I don’t even believe they have stayed.
‘People exaggerate stories about me on social media And once you’ve got that exaggerated stuff out there, the rumours and the gossip spread.’
Hart was handed a nine-month sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting six charges relating to misleading commercial practices.
Judge Barry said he had chosen not to send him to prison so he could have another chance of running his hotel ‘not like Basil Fawlty would’.
Hart added: ‘I think the complainant in the case – although they have their valid reasons for putting in the complaint – they are not at all indicative of the general standards of the guest house.
‘It’s true, I should have been more on top of things, but with my own personal problems as well, I didn’t do what I ought to have been doing.
‘But intrinsically, I’m a decent and honest person and I don’t rip people off. And if someone turns up and they’ve genuinely got a problem, I’ll refund their money.’
East Riding Council had launched an investigation into Minster Garth during a nine-month period between 2021 and 2022.
During this time, a number of guests who stayed at the residence complained both about the state of the rooms and Hart’s conduct towards them.
The B&B was described during this period as ‘tatty and rundown’, ‘shabby’ and ‘an absolute dump’, with unkempt grounds and poor security.
But Hart admitted that Minster Garth may not have received so many complaints if his manner had been kinder.
He said: ‘I guess my inspection routine should be more stringent and will be more stringent. But it’s a 24/7 job.
‘Certainly, everything starts from my arrogant attitude.
‘If you are polite to people and friendly and kind and you listen to what they are saying and respond to it, these problems would never have arisen.
‘If someone’s got an issue with things, I realise now that I have to take it on board and apologise and accept that it’s not as ideal as they might have dreamed it would be.’
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