It is the heartwarming film that has made fans laugh all over the world and perhaps even consider planning their own retirement escape . But the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 's hilarious comedy of errors is just the half of it , according to one couple who followed their dream of building a life in India . From monsoons to massive renovation bills , Britons Norman and Carole Steen have faced it all after exchanging the grey skies of Birmingham for the tropical paradise of Goa , where they took on a dilapidated building with hopes of turning it into their very own marigold hotel . Norman and Carole Steen , from Birmingham , moved to Goa to renovate a dilapidated building and set up their very own marigold hotel . If this sounds like the plot of the newly-released film , The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel , that 's because it is eerily similar - right down to the hurdles that the Steens had to overcome . Mr Steen , 61 , said : 'We first started visiting India in the 1990s and it took us that long to get over the Delhi belly . 'Squid is still off the menu for us to this day . 'When we took over the property in 2005 , it came with a whole host of problems . 'Every room needed a facelift from top to bottom . After purchasing the run-down building in 2005 , the Steens have had to contend with a host of problems and continuous maintenance . 'There was no plumbing in it at all . 'There were only two lightbulbs in the house and no bathrooms . 'It cost around £15,000 for the structural work and this involved digging a metre-deep trench round the whole house . 'Every four years we need to inject chemicals into the walls and spray every bit of timber to make sure we do n't get termites . ' From termite infestations to monsoon damage , it cost around £15,000 to take on all the structural work and 14 months to complete . The experiences of the Steens sounds much like the plot of 2011 's hit film , The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel , starring Dev Patel . When the Steens , who are both retired lecturers , took over the property , they found the roof of the building was already home to a colony of long-tailed langur monkeys . Mr Steen said : 'The langurs running around on the roof , coupled with the four-month period of monsoons and high winds , meant the roofing tiles needed constant repairs . 'The last time we had our roof done , we had to buy 1,500 new tiles . 'It took 14 long months to complete the renovation of the property and it 's one of those houses which constantly requires maintenance . ' Mrs Steen , 60 , said : 'Moving to India comes with frustrations . 'We arrived with the intention of taking over a colonial estate which is 700 years old , and it took a lot of fixing up . 'Even before we had even moved out there , we had to get through a whole host of paperwork to overcome the legalities of buying property and setting up a business in India . 'spent 10 years planning before we finally made the move . ' The pair arrived with the intention of taking over a colonial estate , but at 700 years old , it required a lot of fixing up . The sequel to the 2011 film , called The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel , brings back the original stars , such as Judi Dench . This year , the Steens are celebrating ten years in India and their beloved Casa Susegad is more successful than ever . This year , the Steens are celebrating ten years in India and their property , the Casa Susegad , is currently benefitting from a wave of renewed interest in India among UK retirees , largely due to the success of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its sequel . Carole said : ' I am a huge fan of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel . ' I took my mum to see it and told her it was a bit like my life out in India . ' I loved it . I ca n't wait to see the new film . ' In fact , the property is currently benefitting from a renewed wave of interest thanks to the release of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel . Carole also added that she was very glad that India was becoming a more attractive holiday destination for elderly British retirees . Carole said she was glad that India was becoming a more attractive holiday destination for elderly people . She said : 'While we love the country , just remember that it 's very different to the UK . When we came out here , we did n't have a camera crew or a director - all the hard work was done by ourselves . 'But as a country , India is full of beautiful gems . From the Himalayan landscape to the ancient temples , I think we will be many lifetimes over before we get bored of this place . 'We have absolutely no regrets about moving over here to start our own exotic marigold hotel . It 's definitely been worth it . '
Norman and Carole Steen , from Birmingham , have set up a hotel in Goa as a retirement retreat . The couple purchased the hotel in 2005 and faced a whole host of problems including a family of creditors . After countless renovations and £ 15,000 in renovations , the hotel is thriving 10 years on .