Plot
At the prestigious five-star Majestic Hotel, guest Lionel Spalding and his dog Neil are caught in an overflowing fountain caused by a prank by Kyle and Brian Grant, sons of the hotel's widowed manager, Robert. Although disappointed by their behavior, Robert promises the boys a vacation in Barbados, which has already been postponed twice. However, the hotel's strict owner, Elena Dubrow, cancels the trip again because of the upcoming Crystal Ball, where they expect a critic from the Le Monde Traveller Organization who could award the hotel a sixth star.
The hotel welcomes "Lord" Rutledge, a jewel thief whom Mrs. Dubrow mistakes for the expected critic. He arrives with his orangutan, Dunston, whom he has trained as a theft accomplice since birth, as he previously did with Dunston's deceased brother Samson. Rutledge cruelly controls Dunston, who longs to escape his criminal life. During one of Rutledge's schemes, Kyle accidentally releases a pulley, sending Brian down a laundry chute and allowing Dunston to escape.
Kyle discovers Dunston and befriends him, promising to protect him. Dunston's presence soon causes chaos throughout the hotel, disrupting Spalding's exercise routine and Mrs. Angela Dellacroce's massage. After Robert discovers the orangutan, he hires animal control specialist Buck LaFarge to capture him.
When LaFarge's first attempt fails, the brothers hide Dunston in the royal suite under the alias Dr. Lam Binh Ngoc. Rutledge tracks Dunston through his large banana orders, ties up and gags Kyle, and leaves him in a hotel bathtub. Dunston escapes again and heads to the Crystal Ball. Armed with photographs proving Rutledge's identity and showing him with Dunston and Samson, the boys warn their father. While Robert confronts Rutledge in the kitchen, Kyle and Brian search for Dunston while evading LaFarge and Mrs. Dubrow. The chaos culminates when Dunston pushes Mrs. Dubrow into the celebration cake.
Rutledge is arrested, and LaFarge apologizes to Dunston, who responds by punching him. Robert finally stands up to Mrs. Dubrow, who fires him. The true critic is then revealed to be Spalding, who, after enduring numerous indignities during his stay, declares that Mrs. Dubrow has reduced the hotel's rating from five stars to one.
Afterward, Mrs. Dubrow's kinder husband, Victor, arranges for the Grants to manage a Majestic Hotel in Bali, where they can keep Dunston as a pet. They offer Spalding complimentary accommodations as a peace gesture, although the gesture is undermined when Dunston drops a coconut on his head in the final scene.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 17% of 18 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.1/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 54 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
Desson Howe and Rita Kempley of The Washington Post referred to the film by saying "it ain't half bad", and a "plucky, prank-filled family farce" respectively. Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times stated that Dunston Checks In "is a delightful and funny family film of exceptional high style", "as light as a soufflé and just as delicious", and "plays like a tribute to the resourceful, unpretentious studio productions of the past". According to an article published in the Chicago Tribune, "The cast is talented, the hide-and-seek action is silly (not killing), and the bond between a sweet little boy and the adorable ape is touching."
Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A" on a scale of A+ to F.
Faye Dunaway's performance in the film and in The Chamber earned her a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Supporting Actress. The film was also nominated at the 18th Youth in Film Awards (Young Artist Awards) for Best Family Feature Film: Musical or Comedy, and Eric Lloyd for Best Performance in a Feature Film - Actor Age Ten or Under. The film was successful at the box office in India, where it was dubbed in Hindi and retitled Ek Bandar Hotel Ke Andar (transl. A monkey inside the hotel).
