'Real-life Fawlty Towers' hotel completely destroyed after being set on fire TWICE

Peter Stevens
Wed, 08 Apr 2026 03:43:38 +0000

A Torquay hotel has been completely destroyed after being "deliberately" set on fire twice in two days.

The Sherwood Palm Hotel went up in flames as Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Services attended the scene.

The service initially deployed four fire engines and an aerial ladder.

As the blaze continued, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service sent around 90 firefighters to the scene.

A spokesman said the three-storey hotel was structurally unsafe and had been "100 per cent destroyed" by the fire, which had a "deliberate cause".

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Multiple floors within the building, as well as its roof, completely collapsed in the blaze.

Devon and Cornwall Police urged locals to avoid the area due to the large amount of smoke.

It said: "Please avoid the area for the time being. The advice is for residents, and particularly those nearest to the hotel, to close all windows and doors to prevent any health issues."

Investigations are now underway into the derelict hotel.

They added that it was done with a "deliberate cause".

The lodgings have been described by locals as a "anti-social behaviour magnet", with a series of attacks, including a previous fire in March 2024 and was forced to close for three months in October 2025.

The former three-star establishment now has a 2.3 rating out of five on the popular holiday review site TripAdvisor.

One 2019 review said he was "greeted with an overwhelming smell of damp pensioner" upon entering the hotel - calling it a "real-life Fawlty Towers".

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A 2024 one-star review said Basil Fawlty must have found a "new establishment".

And another said at the time the hotel was "closed for good" and refusing to issue refunds for "non-existent bookings".

One more recent review described the hotel as "filthy".

They said: "The hotel is so run down, we didn't expect much as we didn’t pay much but the rooms should be cleaned with fresh towels every few days as there is nowhere to hide them.

Another added: "This place is not even fit for a human to stay in. Toiletries were advertised as part of the stay…Nope NO toiletries. There is no proper view from your room. All views overlook garbage. Mould in the shower."

But some did have good experiences with the hotel, with one saying they stayed for four nights and it "was OK".

"It had a new bathroom, the bed was comfortable and it was clean. In its day it must of been a great place to stay. Just needs a lot of TLC to bring it back to where it once stood," they said.

Anyone with information or CCTV or doorbell cameras encouraged to forwarded by Devon and Cornwall Police who are set to investigate.