What's the worst thing a hotel has got wrong for you?

[Serendipetty]

I've been quite lucky I think.

I once had booked a late check-out and the staff knocker and woke me up. I was so annoyed as I don't sleep well anyway and had been to a festival that didn't end until about 02:00 the previous night hence paying for the late check-out in the first place!

Another time went away with a new ish partner and the loo didn't flush. Rather embarrassing. It did after several attempts but not great.

Sorry should've read, the hotel didn't communicate my late check-out to the housekeeping staff, hence them waking me up at 'normal' time to leave.

Being given a key to an occupied room 🫣

But we got a twin double instead of a twin single instead so wasn’t too much issue.

Considering I travel around Britain with my swimmer son I don’t think we’ve done too badly tbh!

Not chaging the sheets, before we arrived that is

Gross. I won't ask how you discovered that!

Room hadn’t been turned over: wet towels in shower, rubbish in the bin and bed obviously slept in and bedding all over the place.

I once woke up to someone trying to get into my room at 2 am. They had a key and the door actually opened. Thankfully, I had put the chain across the door so they didn't get in. I called down to reception and they claimed the person had identified themselves as me and had had suitable ID. The next day, they moved me to a new room in case I was being stalked (I was on a work trip in a city I had never been to before or since, so it was very weird).

And now, more than 15 years later, I still use the chain or the dead bolt in every single hotel room every single time.

Gave me the card key to a room that already had someone in it.

I had this, too - there were was looked like pizza all over them 🤢

I booked a room for a day. Check in 10 am check out 8pm. I was working nights and we were having an extension built on our house and the Builder's were doing a particularly noisy job. I'd worked an 11 hour shift and was working again that night. Whilst I was sleeping in bed during the day a member of staff let themselves into the room. It was a woman and seeing that the room was in darkness and she had woken me up she apologised but the damage was done. I was awake. No idea why she let herself in, I mentioned it to the staff on check out, not interested.

I've had most of these happen to me over the years. Worst was probably on honeymoon when the suite we'd paid for was occupied and the people in it refused to move. Instead of our large suite with direct access to the swim up pool etc, we got a small room, directly overlooking the kids pool, next to the kitchen so food smells all day long, and with a leaking air conditioning unit.

Overall I think my worst experiences though have been in hotels where they have got the temperature all wrong. Freezing cold in February, or boiling hot with air conditioning or heating you can't adjust, nor windows to open. Worst offender for this was Vienna. Melting hot, lying on top of bed without needing the sheets or blanket. No windows could be be opened, and no air con as its against country policy for certain months, but we were so uncomfortable we felt unwell our entire stay.

We booked a specific suite for our wedding night. When I checked in the day before, the "gentleman" in that room had extended his stay so they had to move us. I wouldn't let that happen now 25 years later.

Then they cocked up DH's booking for tenth anniversary and there were no rooms. Thank God he checked a few days ahead as he hadn't had a confirmation so he had time to book somewhere else.

PeriMoan

Practically a cross post!

I stayed in a hotel last week where the loo had a faulty ballcock and I had to take the cistern lid off and jiggle it to make it flush. By the time I realised I was unpacked, undressed and ready for bed so I decided to live with it.

This went on for the whole stay and I was going to tell them when I checked out. Obviously on the last day it flushed perfectly every time.

A place we stayed several years ago. When we were shown into the room, we noticed a bit of a smoky smell, especially around the wardrobe. The sheets were a sort of nasty nylon. They'd obviously had a problem with opening the door when they put the carpets in, but instead of shaving a bit off the bottom of the door they had cut a piece out of the carpet - so when the door was shut it was quite a serious trip danger. It was generally dusty and there were dead flies on the windowsill.

We decided we'd have breakfast as early as possible and leave immediately afterwards, but when we got up there was no hot water. Although it was early on a Sunday morning, the breakfast room was full - obviously the other guests had made the same decision as we had. When we checked out, we mentioned the cold water and were told by the Fawlty-esque manager that it was the fault of another guest for having an early bath. When we asked how come the system couldn't cope with that, we just got a shrug.

Unsurprisingly, I don't think they stayed in business for much longer.

Had people given the key to my room. On more than one occasion and always when I'm on my own.

Double booked the second night and my husband agreed that we would go and find a new place to stay (peak holiday season). Why he agreed we would pack up and find somewhere new I have no idea.

Given a completely unsuitable room. I cant remember the exact details but it was along the lines of booking a family room and getting a single.

That one in particular, is terrifying!

Had overbooked and didn’t have a room for me- well, I got there with a colleague late at night (we stayed there a lot) and they were super apologetic and offered one of us sleeping on the sofa in the one room they had, or sleeping on a z bed in the conference room. I slept in the conference room (access to shower/ loo in the gym next door) and they gave us free drinks on the next stay plus a hefty discount on my room

We were given a room that the previous guest had smoked in. Went into the room, room had not been cleaned and it absolutely stunk of smoke. There were cigarette ends in the waste bin and bed side tables. Management were insistent all rooms were cleaned. They saw the room with their own eyes and we're still insistent that the room had to have been cleaned. No offer of a different room. So we cancelled our booking and left to stop at a different hotel. Luckily I booked on credit card so I got my money back.

Old fashioned stately home type place when I was a child.

We arrived to a foul smell and after searching my dad found a steaming poo in a ‘chamber pot’ under the bed.

He really enjoyed telling the rather stuffy and snobbish owners.

Chamber pots in hotels? Even if you're in your 90s (I doubt it!) that seems very odd! And how gross-who'd do that?!

We once arrived at a hotel and were told that they'd overbooked and had no room for us - they gave a refund but were very "it is what it is" about the whole thing! We were staying for a Tough Mudder so all the hotels nearby were fully booked

Luckily our friends had been given a room with a sofa bed at a nearby hotel, but if it wasn't for that I don't know what we would have done!

Pre booked (like 4 months in advance) hotel over 4th July in NYC. They emailed me during the afternoon (whilst I was flying at 38000ft Mid-Atlantic) to say I needed to pay for my room or they would cancel the reservation.

Arrived at the hotel blissfully unaware, and they couldn't find my reservation. Much too-ing and fro-ing and they found me a room, quite a worrying half hour though as the city was absolutely packed for 4th July celebrations.

arrived late in the evening to a ‘family room’ which had one double bed and a toddler size sofa bed. My 6 ft 4 teen DS was not impressed!

5 star hotel, room was advertised as fits 3, I put in 2 adults 1 teen to book, all worked, booked the room. Arrived and the hotel said that yes sure fits 3, but you all are expected to use the existing double bed. No they don't have an extra bed and no room does not have a sofa bed either. They didn't see what the problem was, why can't 2 full sized adults and an adult sized teen all share a double bed?

ha cross post @Seainasive