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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is it me or the hotel who is BU?

30 replies

snash12 · 08/03/2018 19:42

Bit of a long story. I’ll try and keep it short!

I booked a two night hotel stay in Amsterdam for last Thursday to Saturday. It was a no cancellation deal where I paid a bit less but you cannot cancel (you can but it’s 100 % cancellation fee).

On Wednesday evening I got notification from the airline I was booked with that my Thursday flight was cancelled due to severe weather. Fortunately they moved our booking by a day so we were to fly out Friday and come back Sunday.

I immediately called The hotel and told them what had happened, said sorry but I would be arriving a day late and could I please book (and pay for) the night of Saturday.

I reiterated I would not arrive on Thursday as planned and confirmed I would still like a room for the second night of my pre paid stay. I was told no problem.

I paid on my card over The phone for th additional night.

I gave my card on check in again and paid a 120 Euro deposit for any misc items and told this would be refunded on departure.

I used express checkout and then shortly after my card was charged again.

In total an additional 205 euros was taken to my account.

I queried this with the hotel and after a couple of emails back and forth they say as I didn’t arrive on Thursday as originally planned the whole booking was cancelled and on departure on Sunday I was charged for a two night stay.

Now, AIBU because I paid a lower rate and no cancellation allowed?

I called Them specifically to ask otherwise I would have known it would cost this much more.

Any advice?

OP posts:
GinandGingerBeer · 08/03/2018 19:48

I think it's the hotel. It might be in their T&C's and all that but as a good will gesture they should have just charged you the extra night.
Is it a chain?
Take it to twitter

SweetMoon · 08/03/2018 19:49

The hotel is being unreasonable. You'd already paid for those nights and didn't cancel so you should only pay for the additional night. They are totally trying it on.

Twickerhun · 08/03/2018 19:51

I e seem similar conditions in the small print if other hotel bookings. A no show on the first night leads to the whole lot being cancelled. Like a no show on certain outbound flight tickets would lead to the return leg being cancelled.

Original poster
snash12 · 08/03/2018 19:53

Thanks both

Yes @twicker that’s what I thought too

I think if I was told over the phone this was the case I may have thought twice about booking the additional night as could have likely been able to get a flight refund from airline.

OP posts:
FucksakeCuntingFuckingTwats · 08/03/2018 19:55

No I don't think you are, I think the hotel's out of order. You still used the second night and had already paid for it. They also would of possibly been able to fill the Thursday night so got payment twice for that and then they also got the Saturday room price from you. The fact they didnt explain over the phone when you called definitely makes them unreasonable.

Original poster
snash12 · 08/03/2018 19:57

Do you think it’s worth contacting booking.com as that’s who I made the pre-paid booking with.

They could possibly confirm the rules surely it’s happened before

OP posts:
Original poster
snash12 · 08/03/2018 19:58

@Ginandginger yes it’s a chain and between 4 and 5 star hotels across Europe

OP posts:
DextroDependant · 08/03/2018 20:02

I think the hotel is being really out of order.

JordanMcDeere · 08/03/2018 20:04

@snash12 did you change the dates through booking.com or directly with the hotel?

MissDuke · 08/03/2018 20:06

YANBU, the hotel is!!!! I agree about going to twitter.

Emma198 · 08/03/2018 20:06

Yeah contact booking.com their customer service is amazing in my experience. They were brilliant when we arrived at a hotel in Paris to find it wasn't what we expected x

NotCornflakes · 08/03/2018 20:07

Definitely the hotel that is BU. If that's their policy, they should have told you on the phone.

Glumglowworm · 08/03/2018 20:07

Considering you spoke to them and explained the situation which was out of your control, they shouldn’t have cancelled the booking, just added on the one extra night. Or if they were going to cancel it all and charge you for a two night stay on top, they should’ve made that very clear when you spoke to them.

Original poster
snash12 · 08/03/2018 20:13

Thanks all - I contacted the hotel directly at the time not booking so I’ll call them

OP posts:
Birdsgottafly · 08/03/2018 20:15

Martin 'Money Saving' Lewis did a whole segment on this. It's a matter of goodwill if the hotels allow you to pay for just one night. He recommends taking insurance which would cover this event, as soon as you book. Also book on a Credit Card, sometimes they can help.

Inquire further, but they might give in, but they don't have to.

Urubu · 08/03/2018 20:16

Oh no YANBU I hope you get a refund for the night that was charged twice!

Mummyoflittledragon · 08/03/2018 20:17

The hotel implicitly agreed to the late arrival over the phone by adding an extra date to the booking. If this wasn’t possible, they shouldn’t have taken the booking for the additional night. I would have thought it doesn’t matter if the t&c’s state the booking would be cancelled as the hotel made it clear they were happy to take the booking on the basis you were offering.

Original poster
snash12 · 08/03/2018 20:20

I have emailed back the front desk manager who responded my latest email giving all the details and the phone call etc.

OP posts:
fzpotts · 08/03/2018 20:21

Was it Marriott by any chance? My Mum died 3 years ago and we had a ferry(direct booking with P and O) and hotel booked via Groupon. I rang the hotel to explain that our booking was going to be when her funeral was and they refused to refund point blank, even though we had given 2 weeks notice. They wouldn't even credit us for a stay another time, bearing in mind the exceptions circumstances. Groupon were fab when we told them though and gave us a credit even though they lost out. P and O were also fab and gave us credit, held for 12 months. I would never book with Marriott again after their attitude.

I hope you get some joy from booking.com as I think hotel was in the wrong here, they've been paid for the 2 nights plus the additional one so haven't lost out, you just arrived late. Might be worth contacting card issuer and looking at chargeback if you don't get anywhere.

JordanMcDeere · 08/03/2018 20:29

OP it could be they didn't cancel the first night because that's what is in booking.com & just added the second night as a separate reservation. What does your booking.com confirmation say? Whenever we have guests that need to change their stay we have to get them to change it via booking.com. Total pain in the arse but this happens otherwise.

BewareOfDragons · 08/03/2018 20:30

I think that was really poor of the hotel if you'd talked to them, explained, and they'd agreed the changes. Really poor.

I'd contact them again and if you get nowhere, then go to social media.

Liara · 08/03/2018 20:42

Won't your travel insurance cover this?

Original poster
snash12 · 08/03/2018 20:48

@liara stupid I know, but we didn’t have insurance

OP posts:
Original poster
snash12 · 08/03/2018 20:49

@jordan they didn’t ask me to do that so I’ll ask booking.com in the morning if the hotel don’t reply to my email beforehand

OP posts:
Original poster
snash12 · 08/03/2018 20:50

@fzpotts it wasn’t Marriott but that sounds awful for you. Glad P&O and groupon helped you a bit

OP posts: