Man banned from hotel 17 years ago is finally allowed back

Man banned from hotel 17 years ago is finally allowed back

Guys. How much do you love sausages? Enough to be banned from a five-star hotel in the name of sausages?

Well 17 years ago, Nick Burchill experienced just that – a ban from a five-star hotel because of a suitcase full of pepperoni sausages.

Yes, we’re serious.

Burchill was staying at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, Canada, and left his room window open to keep his pepperoni from going bad. Cue 40 sick seagulls ruining the hotel room, thus leading to the ban.

But now, he’s been allowed to return!

In a letter of apology, Burchill wrote that he was staying at the luxury hotel for a business meeting and had planned to send the sausages to his friends in the Navy, according to mirror.co.uk

He left the window open to keep the pepperoni cool, only to come back from a stroll to find a flock of seagulls wrecking his hotel room in pursuit of the sausages.

We’ve all been there, right?

“I remember walking down the long hall and opening the door to my room to find an entire flock of seagulls in my room,” he recounted in a Facebook post.

“I didn’t have time to count, but there must have been 40 of them and they had been in my room, eating pepperoni for a long time. In case you were wondering, Brothers’ TNT Pepperoni does NASTY things to a seagull’s digestive system.

“As you would expect, the room was covered in seagull crap. What I did not realise until then was that seagulls also drool. Especially when they eat pepperoni.”

Sounds like a party to us. Obviously, the hotel staff were not impressed.

Upon entering his luxury room, Burchill found the curtains, lamps, and coffee tables completely trashed and ruined. The bed was also a mess, as was the floor. In a sea of frustration, Burchill threw a shoe at one of the seagulls.

But overall, he told CBC that none of the birds were harmed.

“One was just bouncing around on the windowsill and I was kind of losing my temper at this point, so I took off one of my shoes and I threw it in the direction of the seagull, and both the seagull and the shoe went out the window,” he said.

And as if the commotion wasn’t bad enough, the incident happened during the late afternoon, when the hotel was hosting high tea. When Burchill got back from retrieving his fallen shoe, someone from housekeeping had arrived and was none too pleased.

“I can still remember the look on the lady’s face when she opened the door,” he said. “I had absolutely no idea what to tell her, so I just said ‘I’m sorry’ and I went to dinner.”

After dinner, his belongings had been moved to another room, and after check-out, Burchill and his employer were told that they were no longer be welcome at the Fairmount Empress.

But after Nick wrote his open letter to hotel management, where he explains that he’s “matured” and “served his time” during the lengthy ban, director at the Empress, Ryan Rearden, reviewed his apology and lifted the ban.

And if that’s not a nice happy ending on hump day, we don’t know what is.

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

Fairmount Empress pepperoni sausage seagulls

Latest News

  • Famil

TravHost launches expert hosting service to transform industry famils

TravHost offers a pioneering service bridging the gap between media professionals, travel agents and tourism organisations, addressing the demand for exceptional famil hosts. Founded by seasoned travel media professionals Fiona Harper and Carolyne Jasinski, TravHost is poised to revolutionise the way tourism organisations and travel companies approach famils. With decades of experience in tourism and […]

  • Tour Operators
  • Travel Agents

Book big and bag a spot of the TTC Tour Brand’s Top Achievers’ Famil

TTC Tour Brands’ Top Achievers Famil incentive is back, rewarding top-selling agents with the chance to embark on an unforgettable trip to a destination that remains a secret – for now. Agents who have sold any Luxury Gold, Insight Vacations, Trafalgar, Costsaver and Contiki, from 1 December 2024 to 14 March 2025, go into the […]

  • Business Travel
  • Conferences

New Zealand International Convention Centre to open in February 2026

The New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) has announced it is opening its doors to New Zealand and world conferences and events in February 2026. The long-awaited NZICC is set to transform New Zealand’s conference and events industry, boosting visitation and the wider economy with its world-class facilities. Located in the heart of Auckland’s CBD, […]

  • Cruise
  • Events

AmaWaterways invites AU/NZ travel trade to An Evening with AmaWaterways events

AmaWaterways has announced the dates of its upcoming An Evening with AmaWaterways events for travel advisors, just over a year after it entered the Australian and New Zealand markets. Dedicated to travel advisors, the events will be held in six cities and will be hosted by AmaWaterways’ regional sales managers, plus feature a presentation from […]

  • Destinations
  • Tourism

Mooloolaba cruise season boosts Sunshine Coast tourism and trade

Mooloolaba is set to welcome a series of cruise ships through February and March 2025, significantly boosting local businesses and tourism to the Sunshine Coast. Their arrival is expected to create a vibrant atmosphere and provide a substantial economic uplift to the region. Viking Sky kicks off the season on Sunday 8 February, with 930 […]

  • Food & Beverage

Little Pete Brewing opens first of its kind open-air bar

Little Pete Brewing has opened a new open-air bar at 543 Step Rd, Langhorne Creek, a must-visit South Australia destination for a drink with a view. The first-of-its-kind open-air bar sits on 8ha, surrounded by vineyards and paddocks, with the Bremer River flowing nearby and framed by majestic ancient river red gums. “We always felt […]

  • Events

CENTREPIECE is set to make a splash at AIME 2025

CENTREPIECE is set to make a splash at AIME 2025 with a one-of-a-kind activation that showcases their world-class event capabilities to inspire event planners and decision-makers. CENTREPIECE is located in the heart of Melbourne & Olympic Parks, Victoria’s epicentre for live sports and entertainment and home to world-renowned venues including Rod Laver Arena, AAMI Park, […]

  • Destinations
  • Tourism

NYC Tourism + Conventions announces two exciting new events

NYC Tourism + Conventions has announced ‘NYC Off-Broadway Week 2025’ and ‘Value Family Activities’ events lined up for this year. NYC Off-Broadway Week 2025 2-for-1 ticket sales for this event have begun with this season’s program featuring 29 Off-Broadway performances, including 18 new participants. The twice-yearly program runs from 17 February through 9 March with […]

  • Events
  • Tourism

Jeju wins bid to host 2028 Asia-Pacific Microscopy Conference

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has successfully secured the 14th Asia-Pacific Microscopy Conference (APMC14) for Jeju in November 2028. This was achieved in partnership with the Korean Society of Microscopy, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju Convention Bureau, and Jeju International Convention Center. Korea was selected as the final host after strong competition at the 13th […]

  • Cruise
  • Food & Beverage

Oceania Cruises sets new standard for onboard dining: one chef for every 10 guests

Oceania Cruises, renowned for The Finest Cuisine at Sea, has set a new standard for onboard dining with an exquisite new menu evolution in The Grand Dining Room. Launching on its newest 1,200-guest ship, Allura, in July 2025, the reimagined menus introduce over 270 brand-new recipes, from curated Signature Eggs Benedict breakfast selection to a chic French […]