Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

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:
NowThatYoureGone · 03/04/2024 07:59

@PenguinLord whilst I do agree with your post, please please stop using my name in Vain.
It's most annoying, misogynistic and downright rude tbh.
Thank You. 🌸

Love51 · 03/04/2024 07:59

OP I've just noticed the tide has turned later in the morning. All the early risers are like "what? 6am is day time" and the people who agree with you are just getting up!

BoringName2 · 03/04/2024 08:01

Newbutoldfather · 03/04/2024 07:22

@BoringName2 ,

I find your attitude a bit strange. Firstly a fire alarm and wake up call are both some kind of software glitch (in all probability). And getting into a cold street in night wear at 1am is a lot worse than being woken at 6AM.

And yes, of course everyone makes mistakes at work, and should forgive themselves for them. For most minor mistakes, an apology should be sufficient and you move on.

It is quite childish to expect to be compensated for minor errors. 6AM is already morning, not 2am or 3am. All that happens if everyone is compensated is hotel prices go up.

Software glitch for a fire alarm? Never come across that before tbh. It's more likely to be something smoking in the kitchen, a guest room or a prank. I've been there with a 2am hotel fire alarm (and we'd only gotten in at midnight due to a delayed flight). Annoying but it's a safety thing, a mistaken wake up alarm isn't anything to do with safety.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Holidays
Partypoppers · 03/04/2024 08:02

QueSyrahSyrah · 03/04/2024 07:50

To those saying they'd expect not to be woken in an expensive hotel, the amount of variables in any hotel is so vast it's the last place I'd expect an absolute guarantee of good sleep.

You can't control what other guests do and however attentive the hotel are they can't reverse time when you've been woken up because someone has banged a door / a child has yelled / someone has given the wrong room number for a wake up call.

The best course of action for you OP would have been a nice early morning lazy shag and then drift off to sleep again. It's nobody's fault you chose to call reception and then pop to Mumsnet to stealth boast moan about it.

I've been woken in a premier inn by children running up and down the corridors and by slamming doors etc. No I would never expect compensation for that. Equally I've been kept awake in the Premier inn by noise that was their problem and was refunded.
The phone alarm is their problem op. You are entitled to feel annoyed and expect better.

YourFogLightsAreOnTheresNoFog · 03/04/2024 08:03

I would have been annoyed. 6am is early. There will be Mumsnetters who get up and go for a run before breakfast but then tucked up in bed at 9.30pm on holiday. Not for me though.

NowThatYoureGone · 03/04/2024 08:04

With regards to the OP alarm issue.
I would have been pissed of. I'm a poor sleeper and if something wakes me, that is me up for the day, regardless of time.
Although everyone is is jumping on the 6am aspect, we don't know (?) how much sleep OP had had at this point (unless I'd missed something)
I can confirm one shit sleep does indeed spoil my day.
I am not sure I'd be asking for something to appease my displeasure though. But I rarely say no to a free dessert 😋

Chikky123 · 03/04/2024 08:09

You'll have spent more time posting here and reading the replies than it would have taken to try and get back to sleep.

You asked if you were being greedy - then get sniffy when people nod and say yes you are. Hummmmm.....

Ivyy · 03/04/2024 08:09

If it was the type of alarm that you book with the hotel, and an error (human or technical) means it went off when it shouldn't, then yes I'd give feedback. Ask to speak to the duty manager, a high end expensive hotel should definitely apologise and offer some kind of goodwill gesture.

It it was the sort of alarm you set for yourself on the phone in the room, then I'm inclined to think it was left on by the previous occupants, and then not been cleared. Not sure how
it works with setting repeat alarms, and if the room cleaning staff are supposed to clear any alarms before new occupants arrive? I'd still give feedback and ask about this, it could be happening to other guests plus decent businesses usually welcome feedback. It doesn't have to be a complaint as such,

Rufilla · 03/04/2024 08:09

Of course it’s not entitled to think paying the thick part of £1000 means you can expect everything to run like clockwork and, on the rare occasion something does go wrong, however trivial, the management go above and beyond to make up for it. No, that doesn’t include flogging members of staff as someone has hilariously suggested.

As it is, I don’t stay in places like that and would be more than happy with an apology.

PoppingTomorrow · 03/04/2024 08:09

It's only just gone 8am. If what you wanted was a lie-in and they now know that they're hardly going to be knocking on your door by now with a compo bottle of wine, are they? Hold your guns.

sunglassesonthetable · 03/04/2024 08:10

Entitled?

Yes I'd feel entitled if I'd paid that much for my room.

A good night's sleep is what 900 SF's 'entitles' you to. It's what you paid for.

You're not staying at a youth hostel. The money implies luxury.

Did you get what you paid for?

IkeaMeatballGravy · 03/04/2024 08:10

You would have recieved kinder responses if the hotel was a budget hotel. Mumsnet has a weird reverse snobbery thing going on.

I used to work for a budget hotel (think purple, comfy beds) and we would offer partial refunds on far less reasonable complaints.

napody · 03/04/2024 08:11

I think posting at 5.20am has skewed the initial replies! I am an early bird but don't think you're being unreasonable- it might be a very eagerly anticipated lie in which is a big part of the treat.

sunglassesonthetable · 03/04/2024 08:13

Since it's only just gone 8am I'd give them a chance to make good.

AnImaginaryCat · 03/04/2024 08:14

I think you might need to let it go or it'll ruin your stay that you've been looking forward too. It's the kind of forgiveness that benefits you infinity more than it will the other party. (Which in this case whether you do or don't let it go wont affect the hotel in any shape or form.)

However, if you do want to mention it to the hotel staff again, first I'd suggest spending a bit of time - seeing you can't go back to sleep - thinking about how it happened. We can presume - seeing reception know nothing about it that it's the type of alarm you set yourself.

I'd strongly recommend finding out first if it was your children who did it as a joke. Otherwise only other option is previous room occupants or the room cleaning staff for reasons unknown.

sunglassesonthetable · 03/04/2024 08:18

The whole point of this thread is that this has happened at a ludicrously expensive hotel.

What are you paying them for if not a great nights sleep?

notacooldad · 03/04/2024 08:21

We got evacuated from our holiday apartment along with others on Sunday night due to a false fire alarm. We were fast asleep. Oh well things happen. It didn't occur to me to ask for compo!!

Imisscoffee2021 · 03/04/2024 08:21

As a hotel is there to primarily house you and give you a good, comfortable might sleep, if I was awakened abruptly by an alarm made in error by the hotel I'd not be thrilled, and if I was in customer services at the hotel I'd probably offer a complimentary breakfast and coffees etc as more of a relevant apology as its morning, just to see you through the day as a nod that they know you had less sleep due to an error on their part. Particularly because it's a pricey hotel, this is usually standard.

LookItsMeAgain · 03/04/2024 08:21

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.

You would have loved the night we stayed in a hotel in Northern Ireland and we got woken up not once, not twice but THREE separate times during the night by fire alarms going off in the hotel.

Did we get anything other than an apology - no.

Were we expecting anything other than an apology - no.

Pireck · 03/04/2024 08:23

If you're staying in Switzerland could it be a case of a mistranslation or something you accidentally marked on a form?
I do agree that it is very annoying to be woken early. I never really expect to get the best night's sleep at hotels though, nothing is ever as good as your own bed which is why holidays are exhausting..

Allshallbewell2021 · 03/04/2024 08:24

I understand your frustration but human error is the norm in life.

I would put in the feedback form what the impact was and I would hope for a sincere apology.

I do think expecting compensation is a slightly aristocratic mindset but there is clearly a sense that people have of paying for a 'perfect' experience.

You need good staff to give good service and fewer staff are having to do more work across this sector.

sunglassesonthetable · 03/04/2024 08:24

*You would have loved the night we stayed in a hotel in Northern Ireland and we got woken up not once, not twice but THREE separate times during the night by fire alarms going off in the hotel.

Did we get anything other than an apology - no.

Were we expecting anything other than an apology - no.*

Wow. Bet you're re booking there. Was it 900 a night?

IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle · 03/04/2024 08:26

Newbutoldfather · 03/04/2024 06:33

I was once in a slightly less ‘posh’ hotel, only about £500/room/night when we were woken up by a fire alarm and evacuated onto the cold street at 2am, including my sons who were about 8 and 9 at the time. It turned out to be a false alarm.

I was annoyed but compensation wasn’t even on my agenda.

Except that's not remotely similar to what happened here so completely irrelevant.

wpuleeeeto · 03/04/2024 08:26

This is a situation where you just put your big girl pants on, go to reception, make a complaint and see what they do. Putting it to MN to be unpicked to the Nth degree blows it up into something entirely unnecessary, bringing out the pearl clutters, bleeding heart social activists suddenly outraged on behalf of hotel workers' rights and angry mobs. Those who don't care wouldn't do anything, those that do, would, you care, so just go do something about it.

Fingeronthebutton · 03/04/2024 08:27

Your showing that your not used to staying in up market hotels.
If you were you would not talk about the price ( bad form) and you certainly wouldn’t ask for bottle of wine as an apology 🤦🏼‍♀️

Swipe left for the next trending thread