WHEN Jason Payne returned home after his one-night stay at the Hilton in Basingstoke, UK, he was surprised to receive an email from the hotel informing him that he had been banned for life.

It was all because of a rather inappropriate comment he’d made on the hotel’s online booking form three days prior to his February 8 stay at the hotel.

Mr Payne, 35, wrote under the additional comments and requests section on the form: “There’s a large snake in my trousers. Hope that’s OK.”

He claims he never expected the staff to actually read his joke, and was quite surprised when the receptionist at the hotel started laughing when he checked in.

“It was a joke and I had no idea the staff would read it,” Mr Payne said. “(Upon check-in) the woman at the reception just suddenly burst out laughing hysterically and appeared very amused.

“I had no idea why and then she read the comment to me ... Her colleague then also laughed.”

He claims the staff members didn’t seem bothered by it at all.

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But in her email to Mr Payne after his stay, the hotel’s front office manager informed him that “we are not willing to accept that our team members are ever put into an uncomfortable situation, due to the abusive language a guest uses talking to them, writing to them or even on the booking form they fill in online”.

When asked if there were any other incidents at the hotel that could have provoked the banning, Mr Payne told FlyerTalk.com, “No. I was barely there. Even the snake was well-behaved.”

Though the Hilton Basingstoke has taken a negative view of the comment, some hotels have managed to capitalise on the often absurd comments left in online bookings to generate social media buzz.

Last July, the Woodlands Resort in Houston, Texas, fulfilled the unusual request of one of its customers who asked for three red M & Ms and a photo of bacon. “Not packages, just three single M & Ms,” the customer requested. “One for me, one for my girlfriend, and one to split if we get hungry late at night. And a picture of bacon set on the bed. I love pictures of bacon.”

Tory Enriquez, Woodlands Resort staff member, said “the viral sensation that occurred as a result of (the) post was phenomenal”.

According to Mr Enriquez, the stunt has produced copycats, including one request for a sponge in the shape of a llama.

“The guest noted they wanted the llama sponge so that they could bathe like Peruvian royalty,” he said. “As requested, a llama-shaped sponge was waiting for them in their room upon arrival.”

The trouser-snake incident is admittedly less tame than the M & M request, but has produced an online flurry. The story was originally reported to the Basingstoke Gazette by Mr Payne and then picked up by media outlets around the world.

FlyerTalk has reached out to the Hilton Basingstoke for comment, but as of deadline has not received a response.

The hotel confirmed the incident took place, according to the UK’s Metro.

As for Mr Payne, he remains unapologetic: “I find there is a universal sense of humour when the context is just a bit of a laugh, whether clean and witty or puckish innuendo … Unilaterally declaring the comment not funny is a bit imperious and gratuitous.

“The comment was a bit of Austin Powers-style sophomoric banter which regularly draws laughs.”

And when asked if he would do it over again, Mr Payne said defiantly: “Of course, probably the next time I book again at a Hilton hotel, and I bet I don’t get the same reaction.”

The hotel has since told news.com.au: “We can confirm that after learning of a comment made on an online guest reservation form, Hilton Basingstoke advised the guest that they would not accept future bookings from the individual in order to protect the wellbeing of its Team Members.

“This decision was taken at the discretion of the hotel team. Hilton Basingstoke continues to operate a legitimate pet friendly policy and the guest is welcome to check in at the many other properties in the Hilton Worldwide portfolio.”

Read more travel advice and news at Flyertalk.com.

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