Diners at the next table must have had a completely different menu

[StuntNun]

DH and I booked a luxury one-night stay in a hotel as our last chance holiday without the kids before our fourth is born next month. The deal was £160 for one night in the hotel, a four-course dinner and a cooked breakfast. When we got to the restaurant we were given a menu which was rather pedestrian but we made the best of it. DH had a bit of trouble as he is allergic to prawns and two of the four starters had prawns so he was limited to soup or melon. The main courses were nice enough if a bit boring and came with a side of potato wedges, boiled potatoes, steamed broccoli and steamed carrots. I was also quite annoyed that their 'four-course' menu had tea and coffee as one of the courses. Imagine my surprise when the people at the next table were brought prawn cocktail and pate starters (not on our menu), then for the main courses they were served scampi (also not on our menu) with chips, onion rings, mash and sautéed mushrooms. I feel cheated that there was a decent menu that we didn't know about and I said to DH that I wanted to check out and go home but he didn't want me to spoil our one night to ourselves. I just feel that I have wasted the money and we could have gone out to a really lovely restaurant and spent half the money without having to arrange overnight childcare for our kids. So tell me Mumsnet, WWYD?

See alpaca!

You will be all shoulder pads and perms in no time!

Breakfast was fruit juice, fruit salad, grapefruit or yoghurt. Followed by a selection of cereals. Followed by various cooked breakfasts including an Ulster Fry or kipper. Followed by toast. All washed down with as much tea or coffee as we wanted. I had fruit salad, an Ulster Fry (two sausages, two slices of bacon, fried egg, half a tomato, potato bread and soda bread), toast and about three cups of tea.

Flipping heck that sounds good!

Did it make up for boiled potatoes?

I would have hated that BTW. Not a boiled potato fan

No fried pancake with your Ulster Fry? You were robbed...

Breakfast sounds fab. Since having kids I've found breakfasts in peace the absolute nuts. Much better than dinners. Think its because you can pack the kids off to bed and have dinner in peace but they are always there at breakfast.

I love scampi. And potato bread.

Yum!

But since tea is a course, you actually had a six course breakfast

It's really. not alot to ask surely?

staff could have offered them the option of paying extra.

Ffs some places I've eaten in have been very helpful and accommodating with regards to dietary requirements others not so but a bit of "customer service" to ensure both her and the dh had a reasonable choice of food given the allergies wouldn't have gone amiss.

I'd be annoyed top at not being given the option of paying extra.

and some of us font stay in hotels enough to know that there are different menus

Ah an Ulster fry, you must be a fellow northern irelander

Giles, I don't think it's fair to blame the staff who might have assumed OP had read the set menu before booking etc - it doesn't sound like she said anything at the time about her dissatisfaction.

Could the other table have had the bar menu? Some hotels have a restaurant menu and a bar menu but they often let you mix and match and eat one or the other in both areas. The hotel WBU if this was an option that wasn't explained to you though.

Pate, scampi, chips and onion rings sounds like a downgrade rather than an upgrade so perhaps one or more of the other party didn't want the 'posh' restaurant food and wanted the bar menu instead.

Coffee is often included as a course in a 4 course meal though, ie starter, main, dessert then coffee/mints with tea as an alternative to those who don't want coffee.

I'm glad breakfast was better.
Tbh though it's really common to get a set menu if dinner is included as part of the deal.
All you have to do is say 'I would like to eat from the a la carte menu and I'll pay separately'
I do it all the time.

We went to Berlin on a Groupon deal and the "deal" people were sat at different tables - keep the cheapskate plebs away from proper guests! We weren't allowed to look at the proper menu! Fabulous place for a weekend though.

I do often book DBB for weekend breaks and it's usually a good deal. I haven't yet stayed anywhere in the UK that hasn't let you pay extra to choose off-menu. Once I've booked, I'll phone to check if there are any restrictions and try to wangle a nice room. It does usually work so it's well worthwhile making that contact.

I don't have a great deal of experience with hotels but we were shown to a table and handed a menu with Menu at the top. There was no indication that there was another menu and it didn't say fixed price or set menu or anything to suggest that there were any alternatives. I never saw the 'secret' menu so I have no idea what was on it apart from what I saw the next table having. As we were on our coffee course when the other party came in it was too late to do anything about it. For me one night in a hotel is a luxury experience that I had to think long and hard about whether we could really afford the extravagance so I probably felt more let down than most people would in that situation. Also eight-month-pregnant hormones must have played a part.

Of course you are allowed to feel disappointed.
I think it's useful though for people to post on here how the set menu/a la carte thing works on dinner/bed and breakfast deals because it's easy to get caught out.

I often end up in hotels because my DD is a swimmer and galas are often far away and all weekend. She also has multiple allergies so I phone in advance and find out about the cheapest way to mess with the menu.
(It means there is more money for me to spend on alcohol)

It's so worth trawling the deals and then phoning. Last gala half the swimming parents were in a travelodge type place and I got DD and I into a 5* hotel for £15 more.

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Giles, I don't think it's fair to blame the staff who might have assumed OP had read the set menu before booking etc - it doesn't sound like she said anything at the time about her dissatisfaction

well staff never seem.to have any problem. remind ding you umpteen times about paying a pound and you can "upgrade" to curly fries or we have X soup and sandwich deal and for 50 extra you cab have chips.

why would they assume she knew when the only indication of someone not being aware is not asking for it.

Maybe they got a bad trip adviser review before for pushing expensive menus on those who had pre-paid?

Stuntnun, it wasn't a hotel in Buncrana was it?

a whole MONTH later?