Into Happy Havens by Dennis Coates is a scrumptious English cream cake choc full of anecdotes and buffoonery so typical of the style set by Tom Sharpe in his heyday. Dennis has created a wonderful satire of the hotelier world as if run by Inspector Clousseau, Basil Fawlty and those responsible for Bottom in Hotel Paradiso.
The manager in question is Martin Hammond of the Happy Haven Hotel chain and questionable his prowess is to the point of WTF is going on, which he displays to adequate effect. Follow his antics as he reveals in lurid detail how not to run a hotel.
The humour is crisp and often below the belt and this reader will never ever stay in a hotel again. If I went into detail I would be here forever procrastinating upon the devious tactics employed by members of this once proud profession now left in tatters by this thorough expose.
Suffice to say, Dennis has lampooned his own experiences in the trade to great effect.
So without further ado I dub this fine tome FIVE VENERABLE STARS and highly recommend it to all lovers of farce.