Breakfast at Fawlty Towers - or The Landmark Hotel, as it prefers to be known.

Below is an email exchange I had with the Landmark Hotel in London after a friend and I recently had breakfast there. I have reproduced this exchange in full to both share the story, which in itself is quite comical, or would be were the breakfast in question not so horrifically expensive, but also to highlight the sometimes very shoddy service mentality that exists in England. 

Title of the email was: Today I had breakfast at Fawlty Towers.

Luckily it was with a very good friend of mine, whom I have known for years and who has a splendid sense of humour.

Of course I do not mean the real Fawlty Towers as that was pure fiction, though John Cleese did base each story on a real experience, I mean your hotel, The Landmark.

Now to put this into perspective, I have broken my fast at everywhere from a roadside food vendor in Bombay through to the George V in Paris so I am neither snobby nor untutored in the realms of a jolly expensive breakfast.

Today I wanted a cheese, ham and onion omelette with two sausages. Not difficult but the staff member who took my order did look at me as if I had ordered newborn baby on toast!

Gareth, being a traditionalist, wanted nothing more difficult than a "full English" with two poached eggs, with a latte to wash it all down.

I got my order, all present and correct, he got three poached eggs perched on top of miniature muffins. When he pointed out the error, another baby on toast look was offered along with the solution, we'll bring the rest shortly!

On the basis that I had mine, and being very agreeable, Gareth fell hook line and sinker for the old "the rest will be here shortly ploy".

What actually happened was that about five minutes later (roughly the time it takes for poached eggs to go cold), two sausages appeared.

Five minutes later and two slices of cold ham, and a slice of cold beef appeared.

Ten minutes later, four rashers of bacon appeared, and when we tried to refuse these on the basis that it's tough to eat bacon with just the spoon they'd left us with, the staff member pleaded with us to keep it saying "you might want it later".

The purpose of this email is NOT to have the staff member disciplined, maybe a bit better trained, nor to elicit a refund of any sort (Gareth paid the £58 anyway) but to point out that we have been to your hotel for breakfast of many occasions and it has never been like this. I detest shoddy service anywhere anytime and I have to say this went beyond shoddy straight past really very bad indeed and straight into farcical.

In these tough economic times, you really ought to do better and if you want to find out how, nip next door to the cafe on the corner, there for less that ten quid for two, you'll get a brilliant breakfast with superb service.

Peter

On 8 Feb 2012, at 19:14, Agnieszka Lorek; wrote:

Dear Mr Peter Martin, 

Your email has been passed on to me in the capacity of Winter Garden Restaurant Manager. 

I am saddened to hear of the service that you and your colleague received this morning as this is certainly not the level we continually strive for here at The Landmark London and for this I apologise sincerely. 

You were in deed served by one of our trainees who has only recently started with us however this is simply no excuse. After speaking with the trainee this afternoon about the incident, it is clear there was a misunderstanding coupled with poor listening skills on our side was to blame for the scenario. 

Further training has already taken place to ensure mistakes like this do not re-occur. 

Thank you for taking the time to write and give me your feedback as it is through feedback such as yours we are able to improve. 

In order to restore your faith in The Landmark London and indeed the Winter Garden I would like to invite you for a complimentary breakfast for two in the future. 

Please contact me personally in order to do so and I will arrange a table for you. 

Once again I apologise for your recent experience and I look forward to seeing you in the future. 

Kind regards, 

James Brown 

Restaurant Manager - The Winter Garden 

My final reply:

Thank you so much for your reply.

I'd prefer it if you would offer the complimentary breakfast to the trainee who served us, as often, seeing service from the perspective of the recipient is the best way to learn.

Thanks again and we will now be sure to be back and enjoy breakfast once more.

Peter

After this I heard nothing and suspect very strongly that nothing more will ever be done.