to be mightily pissed off with this hotel?

[peeveddoesntcoverit]

So I've stayed in this London hotel 1 night every week for the last year. I had a booking for last night, but couldn't make it due to the trains from Sheffield to London all being cancelled. I only found out that all the trains were cancelled late on Sunday night, and even then the train company said some later ones might be running. But when it got to Monday morning, all were cancelled.
The train company offered me a refund straight away, but the hotel won't allow it. So this morning they've charged me the full amount (£150) even though I had no way of getting there. I called at 9am yesterday when I found out that all the trains were cancelled to try to cancel the booking, but the cancellation policy cutoff was 2pm on Sunday (before I even knew the trains were cancelled).
I understand the cancellation policy is there, but surely for a customer that's spent thousands of pounds there over the last year they don't have to be such sticklers.

Their loss!

Can you claim it on company expenses ( or is it a private visit)

I would email the manager and explain. It maybe they have an automated system.
I too would be really cross.

YANBU to be annoyed. I'd point out that their policy is likely to cost them £xxxx in lost business as you stay on a weekly basis and will henceforth find somewhere else to stay.

It's not their fault you couldn't get there whereas it is the train conpany's, so it's not a fair comparison. I think it's a bit mean of them, but you're not entitled to anything.

I'd definitely write to the manager/head office about it and see of they'll do anything. Be polite, they might back down. Explain that you have spent X, intend to spend Y, but won't feel able to continue giving them business because of the way they've implemented their policy.

I would be finding another hotel pronto and telling them that. They're very stupid if they apply this rule to such a regular visitor.

It is a company visit, so I can expense it (I think). And I already called the hotel itself and they told me the same thing.
I've also left them Facebook and twitter messages that have been completely ignored.

I worked in hotels for years. Our policy was all bookings were non refundable if they had not been cancelled 24 hours before check in time.

This was not set in stone and there were times when we refunded guests due to bad weather.

My advice would be email the hotel manager directly - call reception to get his/her email address. Try and avoid any correspondence with reception because they will be very difficult.

Explain the circumstances to the manager and explain that you stay with the regularly and enjoy it etc. Be polite and ask outright for a refund. If they decline, ask if your booking can be transferred to another date and go later in the year.

They should refund you if you speak to management directly.

Hth

In their defence, you could have got there, and they had the room available for you.

However, I agree they probably should refund you. And I wouldn't use them again.

They are right to charge you in line with their cancellation policy . You are right to ask for it to be waived for 'goodwill' and book elsewhere if they don't.

If you can expense it does it matter that much?

it's the merry dance of cancellation charges, god I don't miss my job

Travel insurance ?

Thank you all, and I totally agree that technically they don't have to do anything. I just thought as a loyal customer etc. etc.
Or even if I wasn't a regular, they could do it just to show a bit of compassion...

Anyway, hopefully I can expense it and then just flounce off and take my custom elsewhere!

It's the meanness and lack of anything approaching respect for a long term customer isn't it?

Was it just an unthinking / too junior reception person? Can you take it higher up pointing out how much money they've now lost themselves over the next 12 months?

With all due respect, I am not sure that any big hotel chain really care about £150 a week from one person.

Sorry to be blunt, but it is true. They couldn't care less about losing your business, unless its a small private hotel, it's peanuts to them.

Sadly alexa is probably right.

If you were to flounce, in their eyes your room will simply be occupied by someone else once a week instead of you, who will pay the £150 ... instead of you.

A shame, but that's the way of the world.

So it could be worth saying to them that, not only will they lose your business, they'll lose all future business from your company