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Original poster

Things that (irrationally) annoy you when staying at other people’s homes

364 replies

NameName2023 · 09/02/2024 14:00

Currently staying at my MIL’s house for a couple of days and three things have irritated me and I need to get over it:

  1. bed - actually applies to both my SIL and MIL. Both of their spare rooms are huge, ridiculously so. Yet they only have double/kingsize beds when there is easily enough room for a super king. This is probably my issue though as we have a super king at home so I’m used to the space, rather than having to squeeze in with my 6’5”, rugby built husband.
  2. Drinks - not once have they offered anything. I’ve offered to make tea if I’ve made myself one. Also, they’ll only offer alcoholic drinks if DH is in the room (DH was getting toddler down for bed, he came in to top up the milk bottle and FIL offered him a drink, despite me being sat there without one. It’s like women can only be offered a drink once the men have!).
  3. lunch - literally nothing in the fridge for lunch today. They knew they had guests but obviously didn’t think to get food in to make sandwiches or anything. I’m breastfeeding our baby and bloody hungry. I was offered a very nutritious breakfast of Rice Krispies and thats all I’ve been offered today. DH and I are going to the supermarket later. Going to stock up on snacks.

I guess some of it is my issue but it’s just really annoyed me. I just want to be back home!

OP posts:
spanishviola · 13/02/2024 12:36

My bug bear is no bedside light so you can’t read in bed and have to get out of it to switch the light off. Also, not being offered enough food. I have been known to go out to get snacks and consume them on the way home.

Meowandthen · 13/02/2024 14:12

Gwenhwyfar · 13/02/2024 11:53

In the breakfast room you mean?
Most don't have them in the bedrooms or anywhere guests can access them freely.

Any kind of tea and coffee in rooms is rare outside the UK ime and when they do exist are mainly a kettle.

Show quote history

You must have limited experience. Good hotels across the world provide decent coffee in your room.

Meowandthen · 13/02/2024 14:13

rookiemere · 13/02/2024 07:32

It's really not a British thing not to offer hospitality, certainly in Northern Ireland we had to cut the visits to relatives and friends as we were in danger of turning into a scone ourselves as freshly baked ones wheeled out whenever and whatever time we visited. Not to mention the Irish stew provided at 2.30pm when I had deliberately picked the visit to be outside normal eating times.

Oh and @Meowandthen I have stayed in a number of 5 star and 4 star hotels over the past few years in Jersey, Dubrovnik, Tenerife and Lanzarote. The only one that provided a coffee machine was Leonardos in Chester, the rest had the usual undrinkable machine muck at breakfast and sachets of Nescafe in the room.

Good hotels provide decent coffee in the room these days. Heaven knows where you stayed but clearly nowhere any good.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Families
Meowandthen · 13/02/2024 14:14

Gwenhwyfar · 13/02/2024 11:55

"PG Tips is good tea? 🤣. It’s a cheap blend."

It's good for those of us who like strong tea. Good doesn't necessarily equal expensive.

Strong does not equal quality.

Gwenhwyfar · 13/02/2024 14:25

"Good hotels provide decent coffee in the room these days. Heaven knows where you stayed but clearly nowhere any good."

I've stayed in a lot of cheap hotels, but also 5 star hotels and outside the UK it's not common to have tea and coffee facilities in the room at all. In expensive hotels, you're supposed to call room service.
My most recent experience of the UK has been cheaper type hotels and they always have kettles and no coffee machine in the room.

Can you give examples of these coffee machines in hotel rooms and which countries they're in?

MarkWithaC · 13/02/2024 16:09

I associate coffee in the room with cheap travel hotels/B&Bs. Good hotels have a nice cafe/bar and room service IME.

Mashedorboiled · 13/02/2024 18:25

I'm in Ireland, not the UK, but agree with pp that coffee machines with pods, as well as kettles for tea, are often found in good hotel bedrooms now.
I've stayed in a number of hotels in Ireland that had them.
The hotels also had restaurants, bars and lounge areas that served tea and coffee. It wasn't an either/or situation.

Mashedorboiled · 13/02/2024 18:26

They also had room service.

Meowandthen · 13/02/2024 20:38

Gwenhwyfar · 13/02/2024 14:25

"Good hotels provide decent coffee in the room these days. Heaven knows where you stayed but clearly nowhere any good."

I've stayed in a lot of cheap hotels, but also 5 star hotels and outside the UK it's not common to have tea and coffee facilities in the room at all. In expensive hotels, you're supposed to call room service.
My most recent experience of the UK has been cheaper type hotels and they always have kettles and no coffee machine in the room.

Can you give examples of these coffee machines in hotel rooms and which countries they're in?

You’re hilarious.

Not that I need to give examples as you aren’t going to stay in such places as you clearly don’t whatever you may claim. Countries include USA, UK, Maldives, UAE, Vietnam, Oman, Malaysia.

Room service only in Kenya and Sri Lanka.

All in past few years. The guest expectation is for decent coffee these days so it is common to have a Nespresso machine or similar in rooms.

Meowandthen · 13/02/2024 20:39

MarkWithaC · 13/02/2024 16:09

I associate coffee in the room with cheap travel hotels/B&Bs. Good hotels have a nice cafe/bar and room service IME.

You are very out of date. We’re not talking a crappy kettle and sachets of Nescafé.

Mashedorboiled · 13/02/2024 22:18

@Gwenhwyfar
A couple of examples from me for hotel bedrooms with nespresso machines or similar.
The Hotel Europe in Killarney
The Westbury Hotel in Dublin
Both are 5 star.

LadyGAgain · 13/02/2024 23:26

MarkWithaC · 13/02/2024 16:09

I associate coffee in the room with cheap travel hotels/B&Bs. Good hotels have a nice cafe/bar and room service IME.

I think you're a little out of date!!

sunglassesonthetable · 14/02/2024 09:14

*Quite happy to be ignorant about a drink I don't consume.
We can't be experts in everything.
@Gwenhwyfar
*
Oh that's not really true is it?

You know it's the coffee snobs who don't like instant and that being used to a real cup of coffee ( pretty standard these days ) is the same as fussing over brands of tea.

You know loads ! 😄

ChChChCheckinItOut · 14/02/2024 12:14

Stayed in a Travelodge in Central London in August and that had a pod coffee machine. Not exactly the Ritz.

blinkofaneye90 · 14/02/2024 12:22

Absolutely everything.
I will never get 'snug' comfy as its just not my bed
I feel like I have to get dressed before going downstairs.
House temp not to how I like it
None of my creature comforts around me
When I go home I crawl in around 11/midday and just feel like dirty stop out, even though I've only stayed at my mates house and I am 50 !
It's just not my bed/my house/my comfy place
and I look around and think the house is a bit meh grime wise, when you look really closely

Meowandthen · 14/02/2024 20:08

sunglassesonthetable · 14/02/2024 09:14

*Quite happy to be ignorant about a drink I don't consume.
We can't be experts in everything.
@Gwenhwyfar
*
Oh that's not really true is it?

You know it's the coffee snobs who don't like instant and that being used to a real cup of coffee ( pretty standard these days ) is the same as fussing over brands of tea.

You know loads ! 😄

She knows loads? You flatter her! 😄

Gwenhwyfar · 15/02/2024 19:55

Meowandthen · 13/02/2024 20:38

You’re hilarious.

Not that I need to give examples as you aren’t going to stay in such places as you clearly don’t whatever you may claim. Countries include USA, UK, Maldives, UAE, Vietnam, Oman, Malaysia.

Room service only in Kenya and Sri Lanka.

All in past few years. The guest expectation is for decent coffee these days so it is common to have a Nespresso machine or similar in rooms.

Show quote history

I stay in continental Europe quite often in all types of hotels. I've stayed in very nice hotels with work in the far east so it's not like I haven't travelled at all, even if I'm less well travelled than you. Never seen a coffee machine in the room and this includes 5 stars like the Hilton.

Meowandthen · 15/02/2024 20:05

Gwenhwyfar · 15/02/2024 19:55

I stay in continental Europe quite often in all types of hotels. I've stayed in very nice hotels with work in the far east so it's not like I haven't travelled at all, even if I'm less well travelled than you. Never seen a coffee machine in the room and this includes 5 stars like the Hilton.

Show quote history

Just stop digging. You are wrong. Or lying.

No one cares.

Gwenhwyfar · 17/02/2024 11:09

No one cares, but you keep arguing with me lol.

Zone2NorthLondon · 03/03/2024 16:09

Expectation we go to bed at 9pm
commentary if we eat …loud tsk and eating again comments
refusal to put on heating ( they’re not skint)
1 tea offered per day
The children being told to BE QUIET !!!! When they’re actually quietly playing

43ontherocksporfavor · 03/03/2024 18:22

Recently been to Dublin and Seville in 4 star and 3 star hotels- both had coffee pod machines in the room .

bringincrazyback · 03/03/2024 23:12

Zone2NorthLondon · 03/03/2024 16:09

Expectation we go to bed at 9pm
commentary if we eat …loud tsk and eating again comments
refusal to put on heating ( they’re not skint)
1 tea offered per day
The children being told to BE QUIET !!!! When they’re actually quietly playing

I'm getting in-law vibes from this one, am I right? 😄

PinkyPinkyPinky · 04/03/2024 00:45

It’s amazing how inhospitable many people are.

I went to stay with a friend. Quite a lot of travel. When I arrived there was literally no food in the house. So we go out to supermarket to get some food which we both cook. She suggests going half on the food for dinner. She was a negative moany person too I found out!

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 04/03/2024 09:57

MinnieMountain · 09/02/2024 14:17

The fact I can’t make coffee when I wake up stupidly early as usual.

I won’t stay anywhere where I can’t feel comfortable to wander into the kitchen even at 3 am (I don’t sleep well) and make myself a cup of something. So that rules out anyone but close family and the sort of very ‘easy’, very old friends who know they’re welcome to do the same at our house.

Deathraystare · 04/03/2024 10:24

@spanishviola

Really hate the no bedside light (family ). Well there was one but I could not see where you go to put it on. Did not want to put big light on in case it woke anyone. I got back in but was confused with the layout and bashed into the wall!

My brother later told me the switch was above the bed head. I could not see it!

Also, no bins in loos?