AIBU to complain to this hotel?

[GetSomeGumption]

I'm staying in a British seaside hotel with my parents. It has been a tough few years and we have gone on a 2 night break, my dad has paid near £600 for a single and double room (which I am horrified about as I prefer a premier inn or an air B&B for quality for money).

My parents are on a different floor to me and since we arrived yesterday more and more furniture has been appearing in the hallway that leads to their room. There are signs up apologising and explaining that they are doing up rooms. Half an hour ago we went up to bed, I had to get something from their room, and discovered mattresses 3 deep, tables, chest of drawers along the hallway and blocking a fire extinguisher.

My parents are very stoical and are not impressed but won't complain. I've come back to my room and tried to ring the duty manager to discuss the risk if there was a fire, to be told by the person on the phone that there is no manager on duty and "I expect you're wanting compensation? Why are you ringing at this time of night?"

AIBU to complain to this hotel? My DPs will be mortified when I tell them. I feel unsettled since Grenfell and couldn't have gone to sleep without raising the issue knowing that I have family sleeping on that floor.

(Also as a side, this is why I avoid British hotels. I shouldn't have to be querying their fire evacuation plans!)

[MargaretRiver]

Take photos, lots, time & date stamped

[MumsOnCrack]

Take loads of photos and complain about the fire risk

[GetSomeGumption]

We have done Margaret!

I should have said- I wasn't phoning for compensation at all. Genuinely concerned about fire escape route, all that lovely flammable soft furnishings in between them and the fire escape and the extinguisher blocked in.

Didn't think I would need to explain myself to the hotel.

[Notknownatthisaddress]

£600 for a single and double room, for 2 nights?!

Fuck me.

[GetSomeGumption]

Notknown- I was equally flabbergasted. My sweet DF tries to find somewhere nice for us, not realising that in the UK hotels £££ doesn't necessarily equal better.

[NanooCov]

You wouldn't be unreasonable to complain about the obstructions or the attitude of the person taking your call.

I don't get your comment about "this is why I hate British hotels" though. In general, I've always experienced a more concerned attitude to health and safety in the UK than pretty much anywhere else I've travelled.

[GetSomeGumption]

Ah sorry if I've offended with that comment. I just mean they cost a fortune and you don't get what you should for the cost- like a clear fire escape route or a shower curtain in your bathroom, but that's another story and concerns my room.

[numbmum83]

£600 for 2 nights ! Wow !
We've just booked a double, a single and a travel cot in a b+b in Blackpool for a night during the lights £65 . Sometimes paying more doesn't always mean a better service or a better experience.

[LouHotel]

By law for every 100 guests their needs to be 1 member of staff and a licensee on site if its a 24 hour service hotel. Their telling a big fat whopper of a lie by saying their's no manager or their in breach of protocal.

[LouHotel]

Is this a chain or independent?

[GetSomeGumption]

That sounds fab numbmum, and far more up my street!

[GetSomeGumption]

Hi Lou, I spoke to a member of staff who said his hands were tied as to what he could do as it was only him on tonight and there is no manager until 7am.

It seems to be a chain of a few hotels around here.

[Patriciathestripper1]

Jayzus it's not a Brittania hotel is it?
We had an awful stay there see photos. Really shabby room crappy hallway. Grim just grim. Emailed hotel and they were not bothered one jot, couldn't care less! Would never stay in one of theirs again'

[Ontheboardwalk]

Is it room only or a dinner bed & breakfast deal? £600 is a lot of money.

I often go and drive my parents away for a weekend. It annoys me as a single room I end up with the closet under the stairs. I'd happily pay for double room but as parents want the dinner deal I don't get the opportunity.

I'd complain about their room though and ask they be moved. One weekend they were put in a room, next to the smoking staff room, that was only separated by a fire door.

I went to reception and they immediately got upgraded to a suite. One thing about the older British hotels, they have some lovely suites.

Ask to speak to the manager first thing in the morning.

[KoalaDownUnder]

That's appalling. So disrespectful of their guests, who've paid top dollar. I'm quite angry for you!!

[GetSomeGumption]

Patricia (love the name btw) it's not but blimey, the state of that room!

Breakfast is included too. I'm in a tiny single room with barely enough room to swing a cat but it's clean and functional so it's fine for me.

I think the thing that I'm most annoyed by is the accusation that I'm complaining for compensation. I stressed on the phone that I'm not, I'm concerned about safety. I also (politely) pointed out that I shouldn't have to highlight to them the dangers of blocking a fire extinguisher.

[TheMysteriousJackelope]

Phone down again and ask to have your parents transferred to a new room that doesn't involve navigating an obstacle course to get to it.

Take photos of the blocked fire extinguisher etc. and send them to whoever is responsible for fire safety in that town.

[User02]

You could try calling the local fire station and advising them of the corridors being blocked and fire extinguisher being behind furniture. Just looking for their opinion. They might show up.

[GetSomeGumption]

I've got to get some sleep. I've been assured that the member of staff will go up and have a look and that the manager will call me when (s)he gets in at 7am.

I will update tomorrow!

[CrabPots]

I work ina hotel and those room pictures are dreadful. We would close the room and not sell it.

The fire risks are huge, OP. I don't think some people relies how quick a hotel can go up.

Hope you get a resolution this morning.

[Notreallyarsed]

£600 for two nights is DP and I have just booked two nights, dinner bed and breakfast for £289 (and it's a "upgraded" room as part of the deal), I'm stunned at £600 for a standard double and single with breakfast.
And YANBU at all OP, fire safety in large buildings with lots of people should be paramount. The compensation comment was very rude.

[coddiwomple]

"I expect you're wanting compensation? Why are you ringing at this time of night?"

for that single comment, I would now ask for compensation!
You were absolutely right to contact them, it doesn't sound very genuine or serious if you wait until you leave, then they would have told you that you were not that bothered....

For something like £150 a night, you would expect better, and rightly so. You are not unreasonable at all to complain, and complain strongly about the rudeness of the comment. Guests might be more uneasy and worried about fire safety since the Grenfell tragedy, at the very least hotel staff should be aware, show understanding and being rude is not acceptable.

[KoalaDownUnder]

"I expect you're wanting compensation? Why are you ringing at this time of night?"

for that single comment, I would now ask for compensation!

Yeah, me too!

They've got a cheek, charging top dollar and then treating guests like that. Apart from the safety aspect, who expects to be renovated 'around' in a 6-star hotel?!

[kalinkafoxtrot45]

Cheeky buggers! I'd be on the phone to the authorities first thing. Treating fire safety like that isn't just idiotic, it's criminal negligence.

[Floellabumbags]

I'd have been tempted to set off the fire alarm.