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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think the hotel were out of order with valentines stay/room?

582 replies

Hotelhorror · 17/02/2026 13:30

I had a night away booked with my boyfriend on Saturday (the first time we had stayed overnight with each other).

It was a modern hotel with a glass window to the bathroom which was supposed to turn opaque when a button was selected. It was apparent this wasn’t working.

We went downstairs to reception to ask for it to be fixed, receptionist said they’d send someone to take a look. Maintenance man came up and said it was a common issue but he didn’t have the part needed (and wouldn’t have it until midweek) so he accompanied us back to reception again saying they’d give us another room.

The receptionist said there was no alternative rooms available as the hotel was full due to valentines and when this happens, couples have ‘seen it all before so just laugh about it’ and enjoy their stay.

I said this wasn’t acceptable and asked for the manager - who did appear from the back office but basically doubled down and said there was nothing they could do. She did offer us a voucher for a drink each in the bar (really!!) as a ‘goodwill gesture’.

As we had traveled some distance we decided to stay, and used the communal loos in the reception area whenever there was a need (luckily there was no need to in the night).

I found them thoroughly dismissive and am awaiting a response to my formal complaint to head office.

AIBU to find these customer service standards appalling?

Image attached of what I mean (this isn’t mine but from another review of same hotel of people unhappy with the set up)

To think the hotel were out of order with valentines stay/room?
OP posts:
SugarPuffSandwiches · 18/02/2026 19:58

YourTidyGreyRobin · 18/02/2026 18:44

I'm sorry that you do not feel comfortable enough with your own partner.

🤣
Thanks for your faux concern, but we're good 😁

WhataboutBarb · 18/02/2026 19:30

I have been married for 12 years, had two children (where I pooped in front of my husband) and had norovirus, where he found me blacked out surrounded by bodily fluids. BUT these were unavoidable situations. I do not want to see him on the toilet or vice versa
I would 100 percent complain again, talk about ruin the romance !!

Thebigarsedbitch · 18/02/2026 19:27

bobkelso · 17/02/2026 13:59

Meh, I don’t really know what you want if the hotel is full, a full refund mentioned above seems excessive and it’s kind of up to you what you made of the night away rather than letting the toilet spoil things.

Personally, I couldn’t care. When (now) DH and I went on our first holiday we both got hit with dodgy stomachs at some point so spent a lot of time in the bathroom, which meant that one wonderful day I had to stand and pee in the shower next to him as he couldn’t get off the toilet to let me pee. 20
years on it’s not done us any harm.

Well sadly, we can't all be a Slack Alice. Your low standards are your own business but some of us set the bar a bit higher!
.

muggart · 18/02/2026 19:12

poor response from them. You aren’t a prude because you don’t want to take a dump in front of your bf on valentines day.

time for an accurate review on google and trip advisor i think.

FancyBiscuitsLevel · 18/02/2026 19:11

Increasingly this seems to be a design in hotels, is it cheaper or something? Who wants this?!

DH and I have been together for 25 years. I have not witnessed him shitting and I’m not interested in starting that on a romantic getaway.

rosyvalentine · 18/02/2026 19:07

YANBU. I stayed in a Hoxton Hotel with my adult DD recently in London and the bathroom had frosted glass. The loo was directly in front of the door so you could see the other person sitting on the toilet. Awful. Honestly, who needs that? Ridiculous design feature.

browneyes77 · 18/02/2026 19:04

I would hate this. As would my DP.

We may have been together 12 years but we still like our privacy when using the toilet!

I wouldn’t want to see him taking a shit and he wouldn’t want to see me! Some things are better left unseen.

Hotels response is piss poor.

I’d be leaving them a very negative review, seeing as how they opted not to resolve your complaint when you gave them the opportunity.

auserna · 18/02/2026 18:59

Hotelhorror · 18/02/2026 16:54

I have had an email response today.

In short - they back the hotel for their handling and said all advertised facilities were available (the bathroom screen is not referenced on the booking details).

They said the first colleague I spoke with attempted to inject some light hearted humour and had not anticipated I wouldn’t appreciate this. They then said the colleague ‘noted your acquaintance did appear to see the funny side’.

They also quoted my check out time and said I made full use of the room.

Edited

That's really poor. I don't suppose they advertised the en suite any more than they advertised the bed, but you just assume there will be one, and that it will have pillows, sheets and a duvet on it.

Fwiw I would have hated that situation.

EmeraldShamrock000 · 18/02/2026 18:55

Completely ridiculous overreaction. I would not use it to poo personally light or not.

ParmaVioletTea · 18/02/2026 18:52

It's a terrible response. You could quote that response in your review.

And then go onto their corporate website & find a named person in charge of Customer Relations, and cc your email to the CEO.

ThiagoJones · 18/02/2026 18:47

YourTidyGreyRobin · 18/02/2026 18:44

I'm sorry that you do not feel comfortable enough with your own partner.

I feel very comfortable with my husband. I don’t want to shit in front of him and I don’t want him to shit in front of me.

YourTidyGreyRobin · 18/02/2026 18:44

SugarPuffSandwiches · 17/02/2026 13:41

Been with DH for absolute years and I wouldn't want a loo that you can see each other on either!.
YANBU

I'm sorry that you do not feel comfortable enough with your own partner.

ReadingSoManyThreads · 18/02/2026 18:43

I'd be FUMING at that response @Hotelhorror

Please don't let it drop, you've been given some good advice since your last update. I'd be going back to them regarding their unprofessional response.

I'd also report them to Trading Standards, and write scathing reviews online.

How dare they make such a comment about your "acquaintance". Utter cheeky bastards.

Cosyblankets · 18/02/2026 18:38

Falloutgal · 17/02/2026 20:57

You stayed in a budget village hotel, hardly a romantic get away. Just a cheap bed for the night so I wouldn't be too surprised that something was broken.

A village hotel is not a budget hotel. And even if it were a budget hotel I'd still want privacy in the bathroom

fetchacloth · 18/02/2026 18:33

UnctuousUnicorns · 18/02/2026 17:20

It's unbelievable just how low some people's expectations are, it really is. 🤷‍♀️

I agree, frankly I'm shocked at some of the comments on here. 😐
It's like a race to the bottom, no pun intended.

rainbowsandraspberrygin · 18/02/2026 18:29

What hotel chain is it?

Buffs · 18/02/2026 18:25

Hotelhorror · 18/02/2026 17:44

It might be budget by the standards of your average six figure earning Mumsnetter, but I can assure you there was nothing budget about the price.

Name and shame them OP. Their responses were disgraceful.

RampantIvy · 18/02/2026 18:23

Could you complain to Trading Standards about this?

Buffs · 18/02/2026 18:21

Omg I would have died of embarrassment if I’d had to put up with that with a new boyfriend. I think it’s completely unacceptable having a loo with no privacy from the living area. YADNBU

Freda69 · 18/02/2026 18:18

I’ve been with my husband 40 years, and we would both hate it. I would demand a refund and I’d want to know who on earth designs such ridiculous hotel rooms.

Waterbaby41 · 18/02/2026 18:17

Hotelhorror · 18/02/2026 17:00

I’m not going to bother arguing the toss with them any further. They’ve made me feel like a prude for daring to feel uncomfortable with it.

Well, I, for one, thank you. I have just cancelled a 3 night booking because you raised this issue. 👏👏

Alittlewordinyourear · 18/02/2026 18:16

I’ve been married forty years and husband was with me during birth of my three kids and I would not find that acceptable at all. Who wants to see someone else sitting on the toilet , even worse a bout of the runs etc. I’d give them a really bad review everywhere I could

rainbowsandraspberrygin · 18/02/2026 18:14

Their response is awful OP. So demeaning.

regardless of price - if they have a silly screen that doesn’t work then they need to offer a solution.

I find it all very patronising. Probably the same people laughing at the “budget” hotel. Disgusting.

blubberyboo · 18/02/2026 18:08

YANBU

they could have at least taped it over with bin liners rather than laugh and make patronising comments.

Clearly their imagination is limited to shite design and not at all to practicalities

EmmaSummerHat · 18/02/2026 18:05

I stayed at village hotel in Bristol but was on my own for work. I did a video call to DH and he said how the bathroom window would be my idea of hell 😆😆 I loved it on my own though. If the set up is like where I was there wouldn’t have been much in the way of outsiders seeing in because of the industrial park opposite, (that glass was frosted too)

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