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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU? My 2 dss's in separate hotel wing

56 replies

TriKitGirl · 25/08/2017 14:43

Am abroad in Europe with husband and two lively dss's aged 12 and 14 on a team sports tour with eight other men in the team. All eight men in separate single rooms, husband and I in a double bedroom. Kids are in a different wing to us and all other sportsmen. Could not be further away - down corridors, different floor etc. To get to them we either go to eighth floor to cross on a connecting bridge, or to ground floor and cross a busy road. AIBU to be really cross with the hotel, or just leave it and hope the kids don't need us. Hotel fully booked and no chance of a room change. I have made my feelings known! This was all booked months ago with strict instructions to put us in next door rooms. Husband also annoyed but what can we do? TIA.

OP posts:
Oblomov17 · 25/08/2017 15:27

Not ideal. But a 12 and a 14 year old should be ok for a night or 2.

What's the alternative?

allertse · 25/08/2017 15:27

Oh wait, just seen they are in single rooms, so that's probably not an option.

bonfireheart · 25/08/2017 15:29

Why can't you stay with one DS and your DH with another? I don't understand.

Neutrogena · 25/08/2017 15:29

What do you think will happen? What imaginary thing are you scared of?
Molestation?
Fire?

They are not small kids - I presume they play by themselves and make their own way to school...

SapphireStrange · 25/08/2017 15:29

I agree with Sirzy, but I'd also keep pushing the hotel. I'd want to know from the manager why they disregarded your request for next-door rooms.

Ontheboardwalk · 25/08/2017 15:45

As other people have said, keep pushing and ask to speak to the Duty Manager or higher. With a hotel that size they must have other options.

Have they got a Facebook/Twitter account?

Original poster
TriKitGirl · 25/08/2017 15:45

They say they can't give us nearby rooms for our three nights. No reason why they ignored the request.
We could do one parent one child, bonfire, just not happy about it and also DH and I don't really want to sleep apart on our holiday. The main query was should I be cross with the hotel. They will not be getting a great review! We will let the boys be grown up tonight and see what happens. Maybe do one parent one child tomorrow if they muck about etc. Have already read riot act about not opening door to strangers etc. Hope all will be ok. Off swimming now! Thanks for all the replies.

OP posts:
PollyFlint · 25/08/2017 15:47

They'll be fine. They're 12 and 14.

The hotel should have told you in advance that they weren't able to accommodate your request, but I can't actually see why it's a problem for them to be in a different part of the hotel. I can't really see what harm you think they will come to. They have phones and their rooms will have locks.

If the issue is that you can't trust them, at their age, to behave sufficiently well to spend a night in a hotel room without wrecking the place or disturbing other guests, then they shouldn't have been allowed on the tour in the first place.

Original poster
TriKitGirl · 25/08/2017 15:48

Ps Neutrogena - my main concern is fire and us not being there to help them out. I know it's a slim chance though.

OP posts:
StillDrivingMeBonkers · 25/08/2017 15:52

Why can you room with one child and your DH with the other?

SapphireStrange · 25/08/2017 15:53

The main query was should I be cross with the hotel.

YES!

Keep asking. What do they mean 'No reason why they ignored the request'? Are they actually refusing to give a reason? Who are you speaking to? Demand to see a manager.

StillDrivingMeBonkers · 25/08/2017 15:53

Whoops, cross post.

Oh well if you don't want to room with them, then not a lot else to be said

caffeinestream · 25/08/2017 15:53

Surely at 12/14 they know what to do in case of a fire, though? Hotels are generally very well prepared for these circumstances - I really wouldn't worry.

I understand it's not ideal but at their ages I think they're more than capable of coping on their own for a few nights. Did the hotel confirm you would get adjacent rooms, or was it just a request on your part? In big hotels, it's not always possible to grant all customer requests, so while it's no ideal, if they didn't guarantee it, they haven't necessarily done anything wrong.

drinkingtea · 25/08/2017 15:56

I hate things like this - if they couldn't accommodate your request for adjacent rooms they should have said so at booking. Presumably you booked a twin for the boys toobut were given a double instead - again that's unacceptable without a considerable apology and some little gesture like free breakfast (if not included) or something knocked off the price to compensate for not having the room you booked available. The hotel have cocked up so YANBU to be annoyed, regardless of whether a 12 and 14 year old should be ok on their own.

People do accept terrible service without complaint - if you book a twin and a double adjoining and get two doubles in different blocks you are not getting what you paid for and the hotel is badly organised to have sold you something they can't provide, and expect customers to accept a less satisfactory holiday set up passively.

maddiemookins16mum · 25/08/2017 16:00

Special requests (like rooms together/high floor etc) aren't a term of the contract. The contract was 'two rooms' at the hotel. You've got them.
However, it's silly they are so far away and it would be unusual in any hotel that there are no departing guests on any given day. I'd speak (very nicely) to the front office manager/rooms division manager and see about a room change for either you or the boys.

maddiemookins16mum · 25/08/2017 16:04

And the usual reason rooms together weren't given is that when a hotel is operating at capacity then there may only be certain rooms vacating on a certain day and it simply might not have been physically (not the right word I know) that two adjacent or even close by rooms emptied on the same day.

IloveBanff · 25/08/2017 16:05

"Ps Neutrogena - my main concern is fire and us not being there to help them out. I know it's a slim chance though"

But you've said "They have phones and know where the emergency exit is". They're not toddlers.

JaneEyre70 · 25/08/2017 16:10

I wouldn't do it. They are still kids. And I never trust hotel room keys/cards.

heron98 · 25/08/2017 16:27

They are 12 and 14. Not babies. They will be absolutely fine.

plantsitter · 25/08/2017 16:40

This is absolutely not acceptable. Hotel needs to sort it out. Yes I'm sure they'll be fine but they are minors and legally your responsibility. How are you supposed to be responsible for them in a different building (effectively)?

What was that you said about your younger dss having set off a fire alarm at the last place...?

Neutrogena · 25/08/2017 16:44

@ OP Ps Neutrogena - my main concern is fire and us not being there to help them out. I know it's a slim chance though.

My guess is the hotel is FAR safer in a fire than your house.
Would you not leave them in the house while you're in the garden?

No wonder the older generation call us 'snowflakes'

Sirzy · 25/08/2017 16:59

@plant - but on the other hand the op made the choice to book her children into a separate room so has decided that they can be trusted unsupervised. If the OP felt they needed constant supervision she should have booked them sharing with adults.

It's not ideal but as has been said hotels don't promise to cater for requests so it's the risk you take when making the choice to have children in a separate room

maddiemookins16mum · 25/08/2017 18:52

Plus, the "boys" room would probably have been booked as two adults (you don't get a hotel room for kids' prices normally). Unless ages were expressly specified on the booking form the hotel may have the kids down as Mr R Mann and Mr T Mann (names made up for purpose of this exercise).

Original poster
TriKitGirl · 25/08/2017 19:26

Plantsitter - I've never posted before so not me about younger dss setting off fire alarm! On all other holidays we have either had family rooms or rooms next to or across the corridor from them. So this is their chance to show they are grown up enough. The hotel knows what I think and what we booked. Thanks for all the comments.

OP posts:
FredLovesWilma · 25/08/2017 19:32

If they do cause a disturbance tonight, I bet the hotel will suddenly be able to move them tomorrowGrin