Table talk
1. It's not so good to talk The unfortunate businessman who was charged £451.21 by the Palace Hotel, Manchester, for phone calls that would have cost him £20 from a public call box, caused the hotel a little embarrassment last week. In an effort to soften the blow, Principal Hotels' public relations machine went into overdrive, blaming the bill on a computer error and issuing a statement that included the following gem: "Mr Burke, a frequent business traveller, was not criticising the Palace Hotel, rather he was highlighting an issue which the hospitality industry is keen to resolve." Spread the blame, chaps, spread the blame.
1. Marriott guests go batty Bats will be among the guests at the new Marriott near Manchester when it opens in October. The hotel, clearly taking wildlife seriously, called in the country's leading bat-man when it found out some rare breeds were living nearby. It took his advice and built several bat-houses in the hotel roof and in nearby trees, where the bats may sleep and procreate comfortably. Rather like the human guests, in fact.
1. Bugged by the millennium At last the truth can be told. Stakis has admitted placing bugs in its hotel bedrooms. But sadly the bugs in question are not James Bond-style listening devices, sordid attempts to spy on its guests' sexual activities, or some nasty strain of cockroach. In fact, the infestation consists of blue, fluffy toys which offer guests the chance to win prizes, including £2,000 in cash. Seems they have something to do with the "millennium bug", but as with so many of these promotions, it's hard to tell.
1. Choose your words carefully An intriguing line catches my eye in the pre-opening publicity material for the International Festival of Chocolate, being held in London's Royal Horticultural Halls in November. "Top chef Eric Deblonde of the Four Seasons Hotel," it says, "will demonstrate his infamous chocolate menu." I'm not sure that Monsieur Deblonde will appreciate the description, which makes him sound like some kind of modern-day Lucrezia Borgia.
1. Split-second reaction saves landlord's cash Pub landlord Michael Gaunt, of Descartes Vineyard in Coombe Hill, Gloucestershire, has been a silly boy. According to a piece in the Daily Mail, he left a bag containing £2,500 on his car roof and promptly drove off. Gaunt's blushes were spared by an honest chap driving behind him, who noticed £10 notes raining from the sky and hurriedly gathered them up, splitting his trousers in his haste. The landlord got all but £100 of his money back and, as a reward, has generously offered his saviour a complimentary meal and a new pair of trousers.
1. If you can't stand the heat… How many chefs know what is measured in Scoville units? None, probably, but all know the effect of too many Scovilles in a dish, since they measure the level of peppery heat. I learn this after reading that a Californian restaurant is offering a pepper sauce some five times hotter than normal. But in the litigious society that America has become, the restaurant is insisting that anyone wanting to eat the sauce must sign a bodily damage waiver form before tucking in.
