To give a family run Hotel a Poor Review

[MistressMia]

I stayed at a family run hotel earlier this week in the Midlands and while on the whole it was a nice place a few things bugged me, notably the vegetarian / vegan option or lack off.

It was only 1 night with breakfast included.

Perhaps I'm just too used to London standards, but it really amazes me that things like soya milk / soya yoghurt are not available as standard.

I'm not fully vegan, but haven't drunk milk for ages now, so couldn't have the breakfast cereals.

The hot breakfast consisted of bacon / eggs / beans / mushrooms & grilled tomato. I don't eat eggs. Don't usually have a problem as used to having the option of hash browns. and other veggie alternatives.

AIBU unreasonable to expect establishments to fully cater for those with different diets ? It really peeves me off, considering the charge is the same and veg options don't cost more.

What do you hope to achieve by writing the review? I doubt that the hotel will suddenly start supplying soya milk as the vast majority of customers won't want to drink it so from their point of view it would not be cost effective. Considering that you didn't give them any notice anyone who reads the review is going to think you're unreasonable..

Why dont you stay in London because clearly you lack the imagination to travel anywhere that doesnt have your every need catered for without any consideration, compromise or effort on your part

Nasty comment.

The OP isn't 'fussy' or 'petulant' or being a 'twat about London'. A lot of people on here are being twats about vegetarians/vegans/people who live in London.

I've stayed in lots of places around the UK that offer at least some veggie options. A choice between a full breakfast and a full veggie one is quite standard, IME.

Personally I'd say in my otherwise good review that you'd have liked/expected a cooked veggie breakfast to be on offer.

I'd let the other stuff go but ask about it next time I booked somewhere. Even if you book at short notice it's worth asking, to avoid this kind of dilemma afterwards.

My mouse is actually a faggot sparkling

I only drink almond milk. I wouldn't expect it in a hotel in London never mind (gasp) The Midlands! I'm sure a small hotel would have got it in for you if you'd asked before arrival.

Thank you OnlyLovers

You've articulated everything I meant to say much better than I did.

It's a worry derxa he's having a meal in Birmingham before he gets to us I hope he manages ok, I am sure he will be glad to get home to normal food.

at faggot mouse Bit

Jeez why not say you had dietary requirements the night before, people can't read your mind.

BitOutOfPractice: "I'm from the midlands so I'm typing this on a computer made entirely from lard and black pudding so excuse any typos"

Laughed so loud I scared the cat.

I always take my chilli Doritos and galaxy caramel with me, then, no matter where I am, I can eat shite.

Oh and since I'm Scottish I find it useful to carry a deep fried mars bar, can't trust you lot down south with your new fangled soya muck

"A hotel or restaurant is in business to provide a service and make money. By tailoring their offering to appeal to as a wide a variety of market segments surely makes good business sense."
Strictly speaking, they 're in business to make money BY providing a service. And if vegans account for 0.0025% - 'less than 1%' of the market, additional costs purely for such a small market segment aren't likely to be good business sense.

You live in a small pocket of London with enough vegans to make catering to them profitable. But you need to take on board the numbers, not just for the provinces but for the London outside your small neighbourhood.

Finding irn bru down south used to be a bugger i always carried my own supply

I own a small regional hotel, and we do not have vegan alternatives on the standard menu. If asked at the time of booking we would be happy to provide these. We publish our menu, and state special diets can be catered for with notice.

It is a little unreasonable to expect small establishments to be able to cater for very restricted diets without notice. It isn't unreasonable to go on-line to complain about this so long as you are fair.

The logistics of running a hotel are quite complicated and margins are tiny. What you are asking for doesn't sound like a big deal, but to a small establishment is a complete headache.

mrsjayy

Good girl, much better than soya

Did you at any point say that you were vegetarian?
I have gone through your posts but I may have missed it but when they took your breakfast order did you say either ' Ian a vegetarian' or 'I am a pretend vegan'?

I think you have had plenty of variety and you are a whinger.

I

Stay in hotels quite a bit and usually struggle with breakfast. Seems it's too much to ask for to have a veggie alternative to sausage and bacon. I once requested a cheese and mushroom omelette - surely not unreasonable - and clearly heard the chef shout "for fuck's sake! A fucking omelette?!" when the order went in. I'd paid over £200 for the night so wanted to eat something worthwhile next morning!

I travel a lot with my DC who both have multiple allergies. Have done for over a decade

To be honest I would never assume and just rock up anywhere and expect them to cope. Almost everywhere I book includes 'do you have any special requests or requirements" as a part of the booking process. Even mentioning it when booking in in the evening gives them half a chance. It's not rocket science.

I'm in Glasgow. Whenever I visit here I marvel at how superior it is to London when it comes to food and drink.

Anyway, if you want dairy-free (or anything other special dietary thing) it's easy enough to ask in advance.

Only on p.5 but I'm from London and not a moany, up my own arse vegan!! Stop with all the hatin' on London!

oncemore It's interesting hearing the perspective of a hotel owner.

I understand margins etc are tight and I am not saying that every single conceivable option should be catered for as standard.

I can't understand though why you couldn't or wouldn't keep things that IMO are now pretty mainstream such as soya or nut milks or frozen foods as a back up for guests. They don't have to be opened until specifically requested.

Not everyone has the foresight or sometimes the time to request ahead.

Same with restaurants. I get that veggie options will be limited compared to non-veg ones, but at least either change the options a lot more frequently or do something a bit different - preferably both.

Any establishment doing the above would stand out and get a reputation and recommendations for having such a great range and it would pay off in increased custom. I would happily pay extra.

'I've stayed in lots of places around the UK that offer at least some veggie options. A choice between a full breakfast and a full veggie one is quite standard, IME.

Personally I'd say in my otherwise good review that you'd have liked/expected a cooked veggie breakfast to be on offer.'

And they did. She just didn't like what they had on offer and is being fussy and frankly, rather silly.

12 hours was plenty of notice to inform them she wanted soya milk.

Not everyone has the foresight or sometimes the time to request ahead. Unless you are turning up at the hotel unannounced you are looking ahead. You ask when you book.

Stop with all the hatin' on London! Mia started it!

You could always suggest to them that they keep a carton of soya milk in the freezer.

You could always leave a good review if you were otherwise happy but just put at the end that there was no soya milk so future guests may want to request it if needed and thag the vegi option at breakfast was slightly limited. It doesn't have to be a bad review because of one small thing. Point out the good bits and then be constructive over anything which you think could have been a bit better.

I save my bad reviews for dirty places, rude staff, noisy music blaring from the bar when I'm trying to sleep, place being overrun with noisy guests screaming down the corridors at 3am. That sort of thing.

Well, I am not a fan of a grilled tomato (although I will, at a push, eat tinned toms). I'm also not a fan of mushrooms at breakfast unless I have cooked them in half a packet of butter and made them crispy. I'm not a fan of a bean and I dislike fried eggs. However, I fucking love bacon and sausage. Therefore, I am declaring myself a nearly carnivore.

Next time I go to a hotel, I will kick off royally because they have not catered for my nearly carnivorous status. Whilst there are foods there that include meat which I enjoy very much (sausages and bacon), I'm not fucking satisfied that there isn't a 22oz slab of Waygu steak cooked rare and bloody. Therefore, despite there being foods that I could eat and I admit to enjoying, I don't believe I have had a sufficient breakfast and am being diddled out of my value for money by those no good, stinkin' omnivores.

Case closed. OP, you're bloody unreasonable and every stereotypical thing that is wrong with London