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.

So, all hotels should have soya milk, almond milk, rice milk, whatever milk just sitting on their pantries in case a customer fancied any of them?
Quite a waste of money unless specifically asked for.

Mia, sure, the long-life dairy-free milk lasts months, but once opened only lasts days. So if they opened the carton just for you the chances are the rest would go unused and be thrown out. That's the wasteful element people are talking about.

Anyway, I think if you are going to leave a review just state that alternative food options aren't provided as standard so people need to ask in advance. As you said, the review would be a good one overall.

You think you have problems op. I stayed at a family run establishment on the south coast recently. The owner was prone to bizarre meltdowns of epic proportions. His wife, as far as I could tell, did nothing apart from talk on the phone to her friends and her laugh was the weirdest cackle you can imagine. I don't think their marriage was very happy - he often referred to her as 'my little nest of vipers'.

Breakfast was a curious affair. The waiter was was a chap who tried to speak English with an incomprehensible Spanish accent. The hotel owner clearly struggled with the language barrier and often became quite abusive towards him.

While I was there it was like a comedy of errors. I came downstairs one morning to find the door to the dining room bricked up by some apparently dodgy builders. A man was found dead in a linen basket, the apparent victim of an out of date kipper. There was a rat infestation, a kitchen fire and an elderly, somewhat racist war veteran who appeared to live there permanently.

Really op, I think you have got off extremely likely. Torquay has an awful lot to catch up on in comparison to London.

Op yabvvvu, I am relieved you recognise this but you don't seem to have taken onboard the concept that if you email ahead specific requirement that 99% in my experience of having a dairy intolerant ds of the time your needs will be accommodated at no extra expense.

If you go ahead and leave a comment regarding the lack of soy milk and veggie sausages please make sure you also acknowledge that you made no attempt to request these items before you stayed.

It's a good thing you are not German.

You're being totally U.

Why on earth couldn't you have asked for mushrooms tomatoes and beans with toast for breakfast? That's a perfectly fine breakfast.

I think it is okay to leave a review which gives 5 stars but just mentions that there wasn't as much choice if you are vegetarian & on a dairy-free diet.
You could say that you hadn't had time to call ahead but expected at least dairy free spread and some vegetarian sausage or similar option to be available.

People reading that would then know the facts and could judge and decide for themselves. I would not expect soy milk without calling ahead but I would expect a dairy free spread for the toast and probably some sort of veggie sausages or vegetarian alternative to the bacon and sausages that was on offer - most places do have that if they are four star hotels - even if they are outside London!!Lots of people prefer non-dairy spread on toast and for various reasons would not want standard bacon or sausages.

I quite often go to conferences. It's all booked ahead, including the hotel and despite being nearly vegetarian pescatarian I find plenty for breakfast. Mind you, I'm so important I'm usually a keynote speaker.

< Runs>

Just remembered the time I stayed at a Holiday Inn in central London. Requested vegetarian sausages at breakfast and was told I should have told them at check in and as I hadn't I couldn't have any. So not all London hotels are as accommodating as you may think.

Veggie sausages are shite anyway.

Yes you are being unreasonable.

You should have notified them of your dietary requirements as dairy-free milk alternatives aren't standard. Or alternatively brought your own.

I speak as a vegan :)

I was once ridiculously delighted to be offered veggie sausages at a small but delightful b&b in Ross on Wye.

Well done little lion.

Don't mention the war!

Hehe. This thread has really cheered me up.

Can't beat a batshit crazy, entitled vegan that isn't actually a vegan.

Have owned and run a 12 bedroom B&B for 2 decades and never had anyone like the Op!

There is only semi skimmed milk in the kitchen here so hope there is no one like her at breakfast tomorrow.

Sorry to say, but when we do experience 'entitled' guests in other situations they are invariably Londoners or Americans

The public are still checking out Trip Advisor reviews but the number of new reviews being posted are definitely slowing down in quantity, compared with when it all first started--people are just bored with it

Honestly I would expect anywhere serving food to at least have soy and almond milk. I don't think I've been anywhere that didn't have at least one dairy alternative since the early 90's, and I travel a lot.

You can find 4-6 packs of long life soy and almond milk that are about the size of a juice box, so waste doesn't have to be an issue. I always keep some in my pantry for unexpected guests, and I'd expect a hotel/b&b to do the same.

Ok, what I have learned from this thread is as follows:

a) almost vegan = snarfs sausages when no-one's looking

b) almost vegan = wants vegan like attention without being vegan

c) London = fully of swanky people eating hashbrowns, washing in soya milk and sniggering about how backward the provinces are

d) The Provinces = dark, foreboding places where milk comes from nipples (YUCK!) and Soya is a charcter from Lost from off of the telly box

I think that sums it up nicely

Quite

almost vegan = snarfs sausages when no-one's looking

No haven't eaten meat or fish for decades now.

Gave up eggs & dairy a couple of years ago also for ethical reasons.

Have pretty much eliminated the latter, but on rare occasions when out or at a function have to eat something with cheese in as there is absolutely nothing else e.g. work functions where there is a sandwich platter with options of only egg or cheese.

b) almost vegan = wants vegan like attention without being vegan

Actually no attention was demanded. I simply declined the breakfast options offered and stated why. I didn't ask or demand alternatives. Didn't complain. In my mind a good and forward thinking establishment at this point would have said 'no problem - we have x, y or z as an alternative'.

Almost everyone here seems to think that the latter is totally ridiculous to have thought the above. Fine. I've accepted that. There will be no complaint. In fact no mention of it at all. I simply won't be returning there.

London = fully of swanky people eating hashbrowns, washing in soya milk and sniggering about how backward the provinces are

Completely idiotic retort. A lot of things that start off in London eventually spread nationally and become accepted as normal. The Soya milk thing is probably a good example of this. All the major coffee chains now offer soya in their outlets the breadth of the UK. This wasn't always so. The fact that I can now buy a soya cappuccino anywhere in the UK from one of these chains is probably why I thought that a middling size hotel (not tiny B&B) would also now have that as standard.

The Provinces = dark, foreboding places where milk comes from nipples (YUCK!) and Soya is a charcter from Lost from off of the telly box

Another sneering and unwarranted reply. I don't think this and never will. There are forward thinking business owners all across the UK who are picking up on trends and incorporating them. Conversely there are still lots of places in London & the SE who have failed to do so. In fact I've realised from this thread that my expectations are nothing to do with my geographical location but from my own thinking as a business owner who constantly looks to provide what customers are looking for and to exceed their expectations.

I think the hotel in question will be delighted with your non return.
Your arrogance really is quite soemthing.

Oooooh! That's me told! Back of to me cave.....

Oh and the linked thread was most entertaining

She can pop back to her 5* star preference and leave us peasants to it