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Original poster

Posh hotel un-asked for alarm at 6 - compensation?!

696 replies

hellsBells246 · 03/04/2024 05:21

Staying in a v posh hotel. Think 900 Swiss francs per night...

Just got woken up by a bloody alarm. Picked up phone and got a recorded message saying we had asked for a 6am alarm. We hadn't!! It woke us both and now we can't get back to sleep.

Rang reception, who were puzzled about the alarm but not v apologetic.

AIBU to think they could offer a small gesture to apologise?? Eg a free bottle of wine?! Or AIB greedy and mistakes happen?!

OP posts:
BananaLambo · 03/04/2024 05:23

You want a bottle of wine for an accidental alarm? Really?

NewMe2024 · 03/04/2024 05:24

I think you’re being very optimistic!

LeoTheLeopard · 03/04/2024 05:26

I also think you are being greedy.

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Holidays
Highlighta · 03/04/2024 05:27

Do you give out free wine every time you make a mistake?

thesleepyhoglet · 03/04/2024 05:31

I thought you meant getting out of bed and traipsing outside for a fire alarm type thing. No. Just get on with it

WandaWonder · 03/04/2024 05:31

Nice try, sure they may fall for it the op another example of the way the world is heading 'it's all about me'

Trez1510 · 03/04/2024 05:34

If I were you, I'd be demanding one night's cost deducted from the bill. People who make errors as so freaking tiresome and really need to be taught to be responsible 24/7/365. 🙄

Snowyymum · 03/04/2024 05:36

I can empathise with you. I am so irritated when customer service is poor/ staff don’t acknowledge impact of their mistake. I get that we all make mistakes- but sometimes we try and ‘make up for it’. I do understand posters suggestions that it’s just an alarm- but equally for all the hotel know the prospect of a lie in could be why you booked the room
I don’t think you are greedy- a cheap bottle of wine costs £7 or a desert from kitchen a few pound. It would have just shown they acknowledged impact

Original poster
hellsBells246 · 03/04/2024 05:37

Oh wow. I wasn't expecting such vitriolic replies! Right, thanks. Clearly I was being too optimistic ... and greedy.

Cheers 👍🏼

OP posts:
Nagado · 03/04/2024 05:39

I think this is a perfect example of what people mean when they talk about ‘compensation culture’ having gotten out of control. It was a mistake. They happen in expensive hotels too. You haven’t been financially impacted. You seriously want to be compensated for a couple of hours sleep? Aren’t you embarrassed that thought even crossed your mind?

And perhaps if you’d just hung up and rolled over instead of sitting up and phoning down to reception to complain, you’d have found it a lot easier to get back to sleep.

Original poster
hellsBells246 · 03/04/2024 05:39

It was a shock. I initially thought that something was wrong with the Dc, who are in another room. And we can't get back to sleep!

I know, first world problems...

OP posts:
Mushroo · 03/04/2024 05:43

I don’t think YABU! Especially having paid so much.

I HATE being woken up and I would be annoyed. A token gesture would go a long way in this scenario to show the hotel cares. It’s just hospitable. Even just a note from the hotel manager apologising would be fine, just some kind of gesture.

Downunderduchess · 03/04/2024 05:43

I might mention it when checking out when/if asked how my stay was. If the response wasn’t satisfactory to me then maybe mention it in a review (trip advisor etc.). That happened to be the only way I was compensated for a very below par stay at a five star hotel a few years ago. At checkout they murmured apologies but nothing else. Until I posted evidence/photos on social media, which I had also showed hotel staff prior to leaving. I ended up with a fair refund. To be clear it wasn’t one small thing it was several.

WandaWonder · 03/04/2024 05:44

Annoyed yes, feeling entitled to something no

Stickyricepudding · 03/04/2024 05:45

Greedy and entitled

user1492757084 · 03/04/2024 05:47

An apology is good enough.
You are too precious.
Think about where you are waking up to; it's an obscure First World problem that many would hope to experience.

Gunpowder · 03/04/2024 05:47

I’ve worked in a posh hotel and we would have been incredibly apologetic and absolutely given a bottle of wine for this. I would ask to speak to a duty manager.

MissingMoominMamma · 03/04/2024 05:50

user1492757084 · 03/04/2024 05:47

An apology is good enough.
You are too precious.
Think about where you are waking up to; it's an obscure First World problem that many would hope to experience.

“Rang reception, who were puzzled about the alarm but not v apologetic”

Nagado · 03/04/2024 05:52

Mushroo · 03/04/2024 05:43

I don’t think YABU! Especially having paid so much.

I HATE being woken up and I would be annoyed. A token gesture would go a long way in this scenario to show the hotel cares. It’s just hospitable. Even just a note from the hotel manager apologising would be fine, just some kind of gesture.

So a ‘sorry for the inconvenience’ over the phone wouldn’t be enough? You’d want a bit of grovelling in writing as a minimum?

This whole thing is just bloody awful; this idea of ‘my experience hasn’t been absolutely perfect in every way so give me something to make up for it’. It’s so grabby and distasteful.

Not19foreverpullyourselftogether · 03/04/2024 05:52

I was woken at 7am by my hotel ‘doorbell’ this morning, jumped put of bed, but nobody there. Irritating but not worth complaining about.

Nagado · 03/04/2024 05:54

MissingMoominMamma · 03/04/2024 05:50

“Rang reception, who were puzzled about the alarm but not v apologetic”

Show quote history

Which is very different from ‘not at all apologetic’. They just didn’t apologise to the desired standard.

INeedToClingToSomething · 03/04/2024 05:56

I would be fuming had this happened to me. It would completely spoil the night for me and I would be exhausted all the next day. I go to a hotel to relax not to woken at the crack of dawn. I would also expect some sort of compensation for being woken early. Obviously people/organisations make mistakes, but if a customer has been inconvenienced or disturbed or their experience ruined, they should look to apologise and compensate appropriately. As the OP has said a bottle of wine or a small amount off the night's charge.

Theoldwoman · 03/04/2024 05:59

Greedy and mistakes happen.

Does everyone expect something for nothing these days.

chillywaters · 03/04/2024 06:05

How entitled.
Managed to pay 900 Swiss francs per night and looking for any excuse for a bit of compensation. Prime MN CF😂

Mumoftwo1312 · 03/04/2024 06:14

I don't think you're being cheeky at all. They'll probably suggest something at breakfast time, they're just leaving you to sleep now.