A DUTCH hotel that has earned a name for itself with an advertising campaign celebrating its awfulness has brought out a related book . The Hans Brinker in Amsterdam chirpily claims to be the worst hotel in the world, although Gulliver would love to see some accompanying evidence. A video eco-tour refers to all the various absences (lift, spa, gym, attentive staff) that confirm the Hans Brinker's accidental environmental credentials. And slogans such as "It can't get any worse. But we'll do our best" encapsulate the hotel's attitude to self-promotion.

This is all a pleasant antidote to the self-regard of most hotels. And the method has been successful enough for the Hans Brinker to pursue the theme for ten years. Still, wacky humour only takes you so far, and recent guests have not been too impressed if comments on TripAdvisor are anything to go by. (The gist is that the Hans Brinker is not very pleasant, but hey, it's cheap.)

Shouting one's fault from the rooftops makes an interesting marketing ploy, and not one that the travel industry is familiar with. Still, we're all for a bit of honesty and Gulliver can think of several companies that might benefit from a similar campaign. Ryanair, anybody?

(Photo credit: Hans Brinker)