Aibu to turn this customer away?

[QuandryQueen]

I've name changed as I'm a regular and this is a work related question and I don't want it linked to my usual account.

I work at a Hotel and what with the Christmas break was the most senior person there yesterday and will be this afternoon and evening. I don't know what decision to make!

A customer reserved a room to arrive today and I noticed yesterday they have put a comment on the booking to say they are bringing their dog. We don't accept dogs except service pets. They booked through a travel agent/Web site rather than direct. I have been off prior to yesterday so not sure if others have seen the note or not. There's nothing in the booking to show that anyone has tried to get in touch with the guest.

I messaged them through the site they booked (a from hotel message not a personal one!), and highlighted where it says on their confirmation that pets are not allowed.

I have no other way of communicating with them. As of yet we have had no response.

What do I do?

1. message again, not knowing if they will see it?
2. if they turn up with the dog turn them away?
3. if they turn up with the dog let them just keep the dog in their room?

They've pre paid and booked a month ago so it's pretty crap that none of us have seen the note before now, but it is well hidden in amongst all the other data on their booking.

What do I do??

I'd be extremely upset if I turned up to a hotel which was No Dogs to find a dog there
I am allergic and DD is petrified of dogs after seeing a dog attack

I think you run the risk of upsetting other customers

I never know whether it's discreet or discrete!

If your policy is no dogs I'd stick to that. What are you going to do if the thing barks constantly or how do you explain to guests who have adhered to your policy and perhaps put their dogs in kennels that you're prepared to break the rules for some customers.

what BillSykesDog said, I'm afraid. With bells on.
I used to work in a central London 5 star hotel.** One of the big 5 or so. FOH staff would check EVERY booking several times a day to amend requests/booking changes. This should have been picked up the day the reservation was made, not a month afterwards... What if the added request had been to make sure that the guest did NOT go in a room that had previously had dogs in it because of a life threatening allergy?
Of course there a a lot of ifs and buts but you will have to suck this one up I think and if it is impossible to rehouse them elsewhere then bite the bullet and allow the dog, with a complete balls out explanation to any guests that complain that it's due to an administrative error.
Going forward it at least means you've picked up a useful bit of insight into your staff's thoroughness, which you can use to have a NY 'chat' about!

**the hotel used to allow dogs on an arbitrary 'how much are they spending?' basis.

Yes OP! You could CALL the customer! Sheesh I wonder why no one thought of this earlier eh

Dearie me ...

At least you now have the managers decision and you yourself are covered- and I'm sure that in RL it'll probably be fine

Op did they book via booking.com? If so I always called them to sort it out

to you for being at work. I've recently left the hotel game and this is my first Christmas off in about 7 years.

To be fair to the booker, who reads the small print on the confirmation form? In legal terms they make an offer to stay at the stated price on the website and the hotel accepted when it confirmed the booking. The hotel did not say, we accept your booking subject to your not bringing your dog. Presumably the bookers deposit was accepted. The fact that an intermediary (agency) was used makes no difference because it is the hotel's representative.
There is room for legal argument and there is no doubt some case law I don't have access to but what hotel is going to take this to court with all the bad publicity.
The agency has given very poor service in its wording of the booking form.

Lavender
So what would you do if you check in and a blind person is there with a guide dog?

If people are extremely allergic to dogs I imagine it would be best to double check with any hotel even a non dogs hotel that you won't be in a room where a dog has been.

I often have a loooong chat with the person taking my booking when I reserve a room in a hotel and if there is any doubt I ask about dogs, I also request not to be in a room next to babies, or lifts, or stairways or coffee machines, or anywhere where it might be noisy. I'm extremely polite and grateful and usually find that I get what I'm asking for.

I would try and book an alternative hotel for them as back up.
but wait until they turn up as it might be a mix up and the dog might be a service animal.
Then explain that you dot accept dogs but you have managed to book alternative room at other hotel and you will provide taxi there (if not driving)

NoelHeadbands

Grrr! 😂 To be fair I did clearly say I didn't know if it been suggested. I couldn't be bothered to read the whole thread.

If the customer had booked direct over the telephone with reservations and tried to verbally add the note in about the dog it would have been refused there and then. Which is why I felt it relevant to mention that they used a booking agent.

130 plus posts and you really considered you might be the first to suggest it? Seriously?!

Thank god you were here

Discreet is doing something carefully so others don't notice, or to keep something confidential. Discrete is individually separate or distinct.

I have dogs, and whilst I love them lots, I would never, ever assume that they are welcome somewhere unless it is specifically stated. Surely that is just common sense? I certainly wouldn't assume they could come with me.

Is there anywhere nearby they could stay that accepts dogs who you could call and book for the customer? I would suggest your company pays for that and arranges any travel that this may require

Mistakes happen and not noticing was a mistake, probably quite a big one for the customer turning up with the dog. I would just check somehow that it isn't actually a service dog.

If it is not a service dog you can not allow a dog to stay in a hotel that has a no dogs policy. I very rarely complain but I would not be happy to find a dog staying in a hotel which had a no dogs policy, what if someone who will complain meets a dog en route to or from their room and is checking in after the dog and wonders why a dog is allowed. What if it barks all night. Whatever you do the dog can't stay, too much potential for complaint from too many other customers. You'll have to potentially handle just the complaint from the dog owner.

Rainbow. They are accepting the dog I'm guessing a poodle but secretly hoping for a great dane to bound in

I always double check that dogs are accepted before booking as in the UK it's the exception rather than the rule. If the guest comes from France though they'll have different expectations - we were even encouraged to bring DDog into the restaurant with us there.

Like others have said, at this stage of the game I'd put them in the service dog room with clear instructions that the dog must stay there and not come into public rooms.

Can you Ring the hotel owners and explain the problem., to cover yourself if nothing else. They might be able to help/ advice what to say?
Trying a kennel is a good idea too, at least you have an alternative for them to consider?
Let us know what happens.
Good luck

If they bring an Irish wolfhound I'm going to hit the gin

Finger crossed for a pointless tea cup thing.

Turn her away. The way that note is written and mention of the dog is hidden suggests they're chancing their arm and hoping you'll be very British and want to avoid a confrontation.

I'm a dog owner and wouldn't be happy to book a dog free break to find a dog with another resident or worse yet get covered in dog hair resident

That made no sense!

Get covered in dog hair. It's bad enough from my own dog!

Wellknackered, you must dread booking hotels with all that to worry about!

Wellknackered, you must dread booking hotels with all that to worry about!

Nah, because then I get the room I like. I travel a lot and have the attitude that as long as I'm very polite then hotels are happy to accomadate me. Maybe some people don't mind being in a room next to a baby but I do.