Hotel bumped us to another hotel at midnight!!

I’d argue that the hotel is in breach of contract as you had already partially checked in as a group booking and on that basis, I’d kick up a fuss with them and escalate the complaint.

I was a front desk manager for years, and this is very common, although also I suspect, an error by the hotel.

Hotels overbook all the time, usually it works out and there are enough no shows/cancellations to mean that nobody has to go elsewhere, but sometimes everybody does show up and then you're stuck and somebody has to go.

What I expect the hotel has overlooked is that a) the guests were actually already there and had partially checked in and b) the room was part of a group who had checked in the night before. If I was on that desk I would have bumped somebody else to save spitting the party up, but they mustn't have joined the dots.

As others have said, it depends if your friends actually checked in.

When I’ve arrived too early for a room, I’ve always checked in, and then left my luggage in their luggage room, so they know I’m definitely coming. If your friends didn’t formally check in, then the evening shift will have come on duty and assumed they were a no-show.

Checkin is usually by 6 pm and you need to tell them if you will be later. After that you would be classed as a no show and the room released, unless backed by a credit card guarantee

Had the officially checked in when they first arrived? I don’t know how common it really is but I’ve heard that if you’re checking in very late you should tell the hotel and make sure they make a note because they don’t want a no show.

We suggested at the very least they cover our bar bill while we waited for the taxi to take our friends off to another hotel, but no, not possible apparently.

They didn’t want the group getting even more pissed and rowdy

It often happens. Hotels are like airplanes. A lot of times, particularly when busy they will book say, 110% of the rooms, knowing that most of the time, some people won't turn up.

You tuirned up before normal checn in on Friday, so the rooms were not ready. You left. In the time you were away, the hotel filled up with other guests. So when you did arrive to check in at 11, there simply wasn't a room to give. Most hotels have an arrangement with another hotel to cover this, which is why half the party was moved.

It's really shit, but it's a regular thing. They should have been open to some form of compensation though.

The hotel they were moved to…. Part of the same chain?

Its not happened to me, but yes, in some circumstances the latest guests are moved to another hotel.

Sounds weird, they weren’t expecting the third room to also check in on Friday were they? That’s the only thing I would understand is if they thought it had been a no-show? But odd not to have said this when you attempted check-in at noon.

Unreasonable on the hotel’s behalf.

No

My spidey senses tell me the hotel don’t want any of you as guests!