Guest wanted babbling brook turned off

A GUEST who wanted a lighthouse switched off and another who asked for the noise of a river to be turned down are among the complaining visitors listed in a new hotel guide.

A GUEST who wanted a lighthouse switched off and another who asked for the noise of a river to be turned down are among the complaining visitors listed in a new hotel guide.

At a hotel in Cornwall a guest requested no bell ringing, not realising the peals were coming from Truro Cathedral, according to the AA Hotels Guide 2000, which was released on Friday.

At a Cumbrian hotel, a couple shunned the bed and slept on the floor on ivy they plucked off the wall outside their room.

At another hotel, a German couple complained their breakfast cereal was stale after mistakenly tucking into decorative jars of dried beans and pasta.

A guest left a £5,000 cash tip for staff at a hotel in Knightsbridge in London, while another left a 3p tip "as a little something" for the hotelier and his children. An obviously attentive staff member was given a car because the number plate matched his initials. Other lavish tips have included holidays abroad and football tickets.

A guest at a Hertfordshire hotel left a £5 tip then returned two weeks later asking for it back as he was broke. A group of 20 doctors enjoyed their meal but only left a £1 joint tip.

In Scotland, one man distinguished himself by spray painting his shoes in the bath, leaving the outline of his size nine footprints. A conference organiser sent guests to their room to drink tea and coffee to avoid paying for refreshments.

The AA's hotel of the year is One Aldwych, in London. The Bonham in Edinburgh was named the best hotel in Scotland, while the Welsh award went to Sir Rocco Forte's new Cardiff hotel.