The Hotel - Episode Five - Indian Night
IN the latest episode of the Channel 4 reality show The Hotel, set at the Grosvenor Hotel in Torquay, manager Mark has had a brainwave as he continues to attempt to broaden The Grosvenor's horizons and attract new guests.
This time it's an Indian themed night, with Indian dancing, Indian singing and a lavish Indian feast, in an attempt to attract repeat business from Indian families.
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Mark Jenkins. Picture by Channel 4
Mark throws himself into the spirit of the evening, plumping for authentic Indian dress and plastering his face with brown make-up, to the horror of reservations manager Alison, and the amusement of his Indian guests.
The show has been a huge hit for Channel 4, regularly attracting up to two and a half million viewers.
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However, not everyone in Torbay is a fan. The bay's tourism chief has warned that reality should not be mixed up with the Basil Fawlty-style antics of the Grosvenor team on TV (see separate article. The link is to the right of this story).
Some of your Tweets:
We asked readers if the programme made them more or less likely to visit Torquay.
All of these Tweets were received during the episode.
gisellepvfc @ThisisSDevon nothing can put me off the english Riviera x
raineyrays @ThisisSDevon puts me off
The_Chloe @ThisisSDevon If people are put of going to a place because of a programme about one hotel it's pretty pathetic #TheHotel
ElliotDarby @ThisisSDevon if I didn't live in Torbay #thehotel would defiantly make me want to visit! The shots they show of Torquay are fantastic!
glesgagirlie 8:06pm @ThisisSDevon I wud visit the groSvenor.... If mark was still there :)
PaulzBlogz @ThisisSDevon It doesn't put me off Devon at all. The show is about the hotel, not Devon! It just happens to be in Devon
Danny_dodd @ThisisSDevon I live here. It makes me want to leave forever, even more than usual.
dabigdug @ThisisSDevon wouldn't go near it .....
conelraduk @ThisisSDevon it was fine until the racism and blacking up
snakey_boy @ThisisSDevon of course its great entertainment and funny makes Torbay look beautiful. Free advertising as well! #thehotel
KrazyKaz @ThisisSDevon makes me wanna visit but defo not stay at #thehotel lol #madhouse
cmccausland @ThisisSDevon puts me off.looks like being in a timewarp.
gdelotzy @ThisisSDevon I really want to stay at #thehotel !! I've been looking at potentially coming this summer.
traxoid @ThisisSDevon #thehotel I'm going there next month!!
STYLISA “@conelraduk: @ThisisSDevon it was fine until the racism and blacking up” - Agreed!
SimonPaver “@ThisisSDevon: Does #thehotel make you want to visit Torquay or does it put you off?” It's fine, as long as I don't have to stay there!
STYLISA @ThisisSDevon It doesn't put me off, but I seriously hope that not everyone thinks 'blacking' themselves up is approp
anthonysargent @ThisisSDevon most of Torquay's hotels are pretty poor. #TheHotel
SFEddo @ThisisSDevon would still visit giving #TheHotel a very wide birth.
benmorby @ThisisSDevon #thehotel its inoffensive and mildly amusing , bit like torquay really
dorsetescape Visit England to promote the South West thisisdevon.co.uk/Visit-England-… via @ThisisSDevon #SouthWestEngland #tourism willsmith700 @ThisisSDevon I'd consider visiting. The show is about the Hotel, not the area! KevWhitt @ThisisSDevon I'd visit purely for comedy value. It's like Faulty Towers gone wrong. #TheHotel PinkCollarIoM @ThisisSDevon Both! Fantastically awful but kind of makes you want to visit. Brixham @ThisisSDevon How can you not Love Devon! AliBear70 @ThisisSDevon the programme made us want to visit reality was a decrepit hotel and none of the TV cast still working there, Liked Torquay adeplimmer @ThisisSDevon always daydreaming of Babbacombe Downs and a pint of HSD in The Buccaneer! richardkendall @ThisisSDevon there is some fabulous footage of the bay. Makes me homesick. A break from cringing at the rest of the show! #thehotel We also asked what you thought of manager Mark painting his face for Indian Night? alisonsdixon @ThisisSDevon brilliant, he tries his hardest!
2 Comments
by kraygerson
Monday, January 28 2013, 1:03PM
“I actually felt a few pangs of sympathy for Mark during last night's episode. For once, he'd had an idea that worked quite well. But too little, too late, for Mark. And then when he looked wistfully at Mr Anand's Bentley...
I also felt a little bit sorry for the Indian chef, having to cook for Gulu Anand and his daughter, Dipna. No pressure! For those who don't know, the Anand family own and run the aptly named 'Brilliant Restaurant', in Southall, west London. My family and I had the pleasure of dining there and meeting them a couple of years ago. Nice people. Superb food.
A good, enjoyable episode.”
by SidneyNuff
Sunday, January 27 2013, 7:06PM
“As Channel 4 and Mr Jenkins think it is funny to do a nazi goose step with you finger as a hitler moustache to publicise this 'Faulty Towers' experience. I wonder what they will think appropriate for this episode. Looks like fake tan and funny accents night as we head back to the early 70's. My sides are splitting already, Not.”