To consider lveaing the following review on trip advisor

[listsandbudgets]

Can't decide whether to or not as hostess was actually very pleasant and I suspect she's a single parent struggling to keep things going. Upset though as we paid a lot of money for this. We won't be returning :(

We booked a last minute break for myself, dp and two DCs. I'd start by saying this is a small b&b and the hostess herself was very friendly and helpful. Also it was a bank holiday which might explain some of the issues.

The room was described as a family suite to sleep 4 and was £XXX. The website stated breakfast was included and that it was possible to buy dinner.

The problems started when we received a phone call at lunch time saying that although the website stated a 4pm in check in it would not be possible to book in until 7.30pm.

By that time were were on our way and knew it would be hard to find another room in a similar location so we rejigged our day and decided to go out to dinner before arriving.

On arrival we were shown our room which turned out to be so small that we could just get the travel cot in at the expense of opening the door all the way. A suite it was not. We had a short but comfortable double bed with a double sofa bed stuffed in at the bottom of it for DD. The hostess made it quite clear that she would have expected the children to share a bed if we'd not had the cot.

The blinds were broken and didn't keep the light out and the tap to the bath was broken making the bath unusable. We were told to use the shower next door - no good with a baby.

Breakfast was good although it turned out that only the continental was included - we found a bill for the cooked breakfast on our table when we came down. We had use of an excellent visitors lounge which was a saving grace as there is no way dp and I could have sat up in the very cramped room after the children had gone to bed.

All in all a disappointing experience for what was described as a luxury suite. Maybe suitable for adults travelling alone if some of the other issues were resolved.

room tip the family suite is a cramped family room

If that's your experience I'd leave it. It's honest & seems fair

Might make them improve their service a bit

Certainly leave feedback but maybe should have raised some issues at the time. Shocked re breakfast. Not on suite if next door.

I would review it as you have if that is the absolute truth.

I'd leave it - if it's like this, before long she'll have someone who refuses to pay up.

I would leave that review, you have been honest.

Myself, and a lot of people I know, use trip advisor for reviews so appreciate honesty.

I'd leave the review and think as you've written it here, without including lots of emotion or opinion, sounds fair and constructive. Just be sure to include the positives (host very friendly/helpful, use of excellent visitors lounge) as well as the negatives to ensure balance.

Just write the truth. I use Tripadvisor a lot - I would hate that people are writing dishonest reviews because of sympathy or something - especially if a lot of cash is involved.

I think it's a very factual and honest review.

You can always tell when someone has an axe to grind and posts a really ott slating of the place.

Yours isn't like that, it's one that I'd take notice of when considering booking somewhere.

I think it's worth warning other families, so go ahead.

Sounds reasonable and honest. I would leave the review.

Yes leave it. You do try to be balanced. A few things:

It's bit unusual for children to be expected to share a sofa bed is it?

I'd have queried the breakfast bill if the room had been advertised as brekkie included and not made clear what that included.

If not ensuite I'd have complained at the time

Also would have complained about late check in 7.30 is ridiculous. Were you given any money back or allowed late check out.

Place sounds shonky and people deserve to be warned!!!

Personally, While factual and not ranty, I think it's a bit long and I would skip past it. I would condense to:

Hostess was very nice, however stay not worth the money we paid. It was a small room, rather than a suite - could barely fit travel cot in. Some fixtures in bathroom broken. Only continental breakfast included. Could not check in until 7.30pm.

I think if you told the truth then that's fair enough. That's the point of trip advisor. To alert people to this sort of rip off. Because that's what it is. You paid a lot of money and deserved better. Sounds like you should have got a substantial discount. A 7.30 pm check in is unheard of. They've got some nerve!

I would want to be warned.

I'd agree with breaking it down so it's short but fair.

I like icecreamfloat's version but would mention that the check-in time was changed at very short notice by 3 1/2 hours while you were already travelling.

I like icecreamfloat's version but would mention that the check-in time was changed at very short notice by 3 1/2 hours while you were already travelling

+1

I run a hotel and would say that if that was your experience then post in full. It does sound like the room was not suitable and the cooked breakfast charging is bizarre, it is almost guaranteed to wind people up.

Reading between the lines I think a mistake was probably made: the room you booked was either poorly bought, blatantly missold, damaged in some fundamental way (possible but they probably would have told you when they phoned) or, more likely, given to someone else either in error, which happens, or perhaps because they had a room spare on a bank holiday or someone particularly shouty who didn't like the room assigned and they made a bet that you wouldn't make a fuss. The late checkin was so they had time to make the room as presentable as possible and jam the beds in. This was probably not in malice and may have just been seen as a risky way out of an impossible situation without losing any money. This was their mistake and it's what tripadvisor is for.

Tripadvisor is not the billboard popularity contest that some people think it is so a bad review is not necessarily the knife in the back that it might feel like. Most people are relatively sophisticated at reading online reviews and can realise when they just don't apply to them. This place has obviously failed to accommodate your family although I imagine a couple might have had a different experience of the same place.

Be aware of Tripadvisor Karma and write one good review of a similar place you have experienced for every bad one. Otherwise we'll live in a world of Premier Inns and coffee shops.

I'd post it - nothing inflammatory, seems like a fair review where you point out the positive as well as the negative.

Did you raise any of it at the time? I think most of the upset seems to come when people write things that could have been dealt with at the time, but they chose not to raise it and so there was no chance to put it right.

Maybe add a note to say if you did/didn't?

^^ what youmedancing says. I use tripadvisor extensively and usually can weed out replies that don't match what we need, but always appreciate other travellers' honest feedback. Please leave the fuller response too, otherwise if you put a poor star rating it's hard for other users to understand it. I contribute an awful lot on there (about 80 ratings for hotels) and have only twice posted about poor experiences - funnily enough these are the ones I got the most helpful votes on. As long as it's factual and not catty then it's entirely fair enough.

Wow, 7.30pm check-in would have been enough for me to cancel on the spot - although of course, you would then have been struggling for alternative accommodation. If this review is completely accurate, please do post it - save someone else from booking and experiencing these issues.

Definitely post that review. 7.30 checkin is ridiculous!

To be honest though I'm probably feeling rather bitter due to my own miserable weekend in a b&b. I can honestly say I will never ever stay in another b&b ever.

I hate feeling as though I'm staying in someone's home and in my experience b&b owners don't see the distinction between "home" and "business".

Definitely post the full review. I would want to be warned if considering this hotel.

Do post in full. The hostess may well respond with "you didn't mention this at the time, we could have discussed it or made it better". But why should you have to raise all of these issues? One problem might be bad luck, that poor an experience is more than bad luck.