To ask for a refund of a budget hotel I have booked for this weekend that is cladded in plastic?

[jdoe8]

Under the T&C and the cheap room I booked it is not allowed. But the building is 8 stories high and a converted office block that has what looks to be plastic cladding, i've stayed there before. I just wouldn't be able to sleep I don't think, even on a low floor. AIBU?

Your worry is understandable. You would be unlikely to get a refund of the cost.

Yes of course you are. Don't be ridiculous. You know nothing about the building or how or when it was constructed or the material used.

No matter how terrible the events in London, YABU.

You can ask, but unless your booking was one that could be cancelled for any reason, you're unlikely to get a refund.

Ok is it U to email them asking for a room on the 2nd floor next to fire escape?

Well, not BU to ask a hotel for a specific room. No more than it would be to ask for a room away from the lifts (noise) etc.

They refer to the rooms closest to the fire escapes as "Murder Central" on CSI. Easy to kill and get out the building without detection.

im sure hotels have strictr guidlines on safety-you wont get a refund for changing your mind

If you've stayed there before I don't see the issue (though I understand how you feel).

OP, are you planning never to go into a building with plastic cladding on it ever again? Will you just not visit London or Manchester anymore?

Tiggyd, hilarious!

pretty certain that even the most basic modern hotel will be equipped with working smoke detectors in every room, and I am almost certain that every hotel I have been in over the last twenty years has had a sprinkler system.

you are being ridiculous.

Tiggyd You make me laugh

Hotels sadly tend to have better fireproofing. So sprinklers, linked alarms and they will be staffed throughout the night by people who are trained in fire procedures. (DH used to do this and oversaw a night time evacuation once, thankfully it was only a small kitchen fire, nothing serious.) There will also be a map in your room of the escape routes.

That said I don't think there's any harm in asking for a lower room.

In Farringdon, by any chance?

Tiggyd That's the risk the OP will have to weigh up!

🙄

It's understandable to be concerned after something so horrible happening but as previous posters have said
Hotels will be much more thoroughly inspected and that will include fire procedures and sprinkler systems.
They are also likely to have more than one route of escape (probably stairs at each end of the building and possibly the middle.
They also have all electrical goods PAT tested (as opposed to private accommodation where people can plug anything they like in - faulty fridges for example)
They will have cameras and people on duty all night so a fire is much more likely to be stopped before it's started.

You can't tell from looking at cladding if it has a fireproof core or not.

As you have stayed there previously I think you are being quite frankly a little silly. As you are posting this thread we can assume you made it out alive last time.

Hotels have sprinklers and everything. You'll be fine!

I was in a hotel once that was being evacuated because of a fire. The way the staff were handling it, I thought it was something on the scale of the Towering Inferno. It was just a small kitchen fire.

Honestly, they're trained for this kind of stuff and, sadly, hotels often have better fire safety precautions/evacuation plans than residential buildings.

Still, if you're worried, it wouldn't hurt to familiarise yourself with fire exits and the evacuation plan. It's usually on the back of the hotel room door.

It is basic common sense when staying anywhere to locate the fire exits. As mentioned, the hotel will have the escape route posted in each room.

Other common sense tips - keep your valuables with you and easy to grab.

TiggyD that made me laugh and reminded me of