At the prestigious five-star Majestic Hotel, guest Lionel Spalding and his dog Neil fall victim to an overflowing fountain, the result of a prank by Kyle and Brian Grant, sons of the hotel's widowed manager Robert. Though disappointed in his sons' behavior, Robert promises them a vacation in
Barbados - a trip that's already been postponed twice. However, the strict hotel owner Elena Dubrow forces another cancellation due to the upcoming Crystal Ball, where they expect a critic from the Le Monde Traveller Organization to potentially award the hotel a
sixth star. The hotel welcomes "Lord" Rutledge, a jewel thief mistaken by Mrs. Dubrow for the expected critic, who arrives with his
orangutan Dunston. Having trained both Dunston and his deceased brother Samson as theft accomplices since birth, Rutledge maintains cruel control over Dunston, who yearns to escape his criminal life. During one of Rutledge's schemes, Kyle accidentally releases a pulley, sending Brian tumbling down a
laundry chute. In the ensuing chaos, Dunston escapes Rutledge's supervision. Kyle discovers and befriends the fugitive orangutan, promising him protection. However, Dunston's presence creates havoc throughout the hotel, disrupting Spalding's exercise routine and Mrs. Angela Dellacroce's massage session. Robert, upon discovering the orangutan, hires animal control specialist Buck LaFarge to remove him. After LaFarge's initial capture attempt fails, the Grant brothers hide Dunston in the royal suite under the alias Dr. Lam Binh Ngoc. Rutledge tracks down Dunston through his substantial banana orders, ties up and gags Kyle, leaving him in a hotel bath tub, but both he and Dunston escape to the Crystal Ball. Armed with photographic evidence of Rutledge's true identity featuring Dunston and Samson, the boys alert their father. While Robert confronts Rutledge in the kitchen, the brothers search for Dunston while evading LaFarge and Mrs. Dubrow. The situation culminates in Dunston pushing Mrs. Dubrow into the celebration cake. In the aftermath, Rutledge is arrested, LaFarge apologizes to Dunston (who responds with a punch), and Robert finally stands up to Mrs. Dubrow, who fires him, while the true critic is revealed to be none other than Spalding, who, having suffered numerous indignities throughout his stay, declares Mrs. Dubrow has reduced the hotel's rating from five stars to one. Afterwards, Mrs. Dubrow's much kinder husband Victor arranges for the Grants to manage a Majestic Hotel in
Bali, where they can keep Dunston. They extend a peace offering to Spalding with complimentary accommodations, though the gesture is somewhat undermined when Dunston drops a
coconut on his head in the final scene. ==Cast==