Man banned from hotel for life for joking he had 'a large trouser snake' on booking form

A man has been banned from staying at a hotel for life for writing “There’s a large snake in my trousers” on a customer comment form. Jason Payne stayed at Hilton Basingstoke on Saturday, February 8, for a friend’s birthday. The 35-year-old computer programmer, from London, booked his room using the booking.com website. But under a section asking if he had pets he wrote the only animal he has is a 'large snake in my trousers' adding 'hope that's OK'.



He said hotel staff laughed when they read the comment when he checked into the hotel.  But on Tuesday last week, he received an email from Cathrin Wurst, the hotel’s front office manager, advising him staff would “not be able to accept any future bookings” from him. She said the hotel was not willing to accept comments that put staff in an “uncomfortable situation” and added they were neither appropriate nor funny.

She told Mr Payne: “At reception, the team members are required to confirm any requests or comments the guests have made in their bookings, which means any comment you make will most definitely get read (out), and I cannot interpret putting a comment like this on to a booking in any other way than trying to embarrass the person who will read it.” Mr Payne said: “I think she’s a fuddy-duddy, taking really what was a puckish remark far too seriously, and she has no sense of humour.



“It was a joke. The only person who was ever going to see it was an adult, and they are exposed to far worse than ‘There’s a snake in my trousers’.” In a statement, the hotel chain confirmed the incident took place and said the decision was taken “at the discretion of the hotel team”. The statement added: “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.”