In a series known for chaos, razor-sharp improv, and legendary break-character moments, The Carol Burnett Show still has sketches that take things to a whole new level — and “Tim Conway Stays in the Worst Hotel Ever” stands among the best of them. It’s the kind of clip where, within seconds, you understand why the studio audience is already howling with laughter.
The sketch begins with Tim Conway as a worn-out traveler dragging himself into a rundown motel after what seems like the longest, worst day imaginable. All he wants is a quiet place to sleep. Instead, he encounters what may be the strangest hotel manager in TV history — a man with an empty stare, bizarre logic, and customer service so bad it practically defies the laws of reality.
“How much is a room?” — “Depends… are you sleeping in it?”
One of the most quoted lines comes almost immediately. Tim politely asks how much a room costs. The manager pauses, then responds with total seriousness:
“Depends… are you sleeping in it?”
The audience erupts. Tim freezes. The manager nearly breaks character. It’s pure comedic gold.
A motel with rules that make absolutely zero sense
The hotel manager proudly introduces the “features” of the establishment, each more ridiculous than the last:
- a bed tilted at a 45-degree angle
- lights that flicker like a haunted nightclub
- a toilet that flushes using a rope outside the room
- a door that doesn’t guarantee privacy — or functionality
- and the warning: “Don’t lean on the walls. They’re… not safe.”
With every line, the audience can be heard getting louder. Tim bites his lip, trying desperately not to laugh.
Tim enters the room… and immediately wants out
When the manager leads him to the room, the camera pulls back to reveal a disaster that looks like a hurricane met a scrapyard. Clothes everywhere, broken furniture, objects scattered in impossible places — it’s a masterpiece of visual chaos.
Tim steps inside… pauses… and instantly steps back out as if he’s touched something radioactive. The crowd erupts again, cementing the moment as a defining highlight of the sketch.
Tim tries to adapt — and fails brilliantly
Determined to make the best of it, Tim investigates the room:
- He leans on the wall — the wall shifts.
- He turns on the light — the bulb spasms wildly.
- He sits on the bed — the bed slides away like it’s escaping him.
His expression is priceless: a defeated stare that silently asks, “How is this my life?” The audience applauds, loving every second of his comedic suffering.
Why the sketch remains iconic decades later
This sketch captures everything that made The Carol Burnett Show a television treasure:
- a simple setup executed brilliantly
- flawless physical comedy
- Tim Conway’s deadpan reactions to absolute nonsense
- improv moments where everyone teeters on the edge of breaking
- a premise so absurd, it never gets old
It’s the perfect reminder of the show’s brilliance — you don’t need elaborate effects or extravagant props. Sometimes, all you need is Tim Conway and the worst hotel ever imagined.