Then the owners response -
AN UNBELIEVABLE ATTACK - ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE
This is an absolutely unbelievable attack/review where lies have been manufactured to put massive spin on the truth....and the behaviour of one certain individual of the party is something I have never come across in all my time at the Peacock, which is seven years. The winging and moaning was something you had to witness to believe..........
JWL from Sheffield DID NOT even witness the incidents in the Bar, she is basically repeating what she has been told - PLEASE READ ON:
We simply overbooked, and the efforts I went to ensuring that Six Guests were given, what I think was fantastic accommodation as an alternative makes this review quite unbelievable.
Four of the party booked the family room, which is exactly that, a family room in all intent and purposes for two adults and two children, and two of the party booked a double room, so I moved the four at my discretion to a beautiful cottage on Prospect Terrace in Bakewell, and two more of the party (who yes I had made the mistake of double booking) into Melbourne House B & B. where they were allocated a lovely double bedroom.
The cottage is owned by a friend of mine, and has just this last few weeks finished being refurbished at a cost in excess of £30,000 and had never previously been used - I had only had the TV fitted 3 days previous as a favour, as the owner was in Majorca and asked me to help him out.
You can visit and see for yourself how beautiful the cottage is, if you visit the web on Bakewell Retreat and link on to Penn Cottage - How gorgeous and beautiful is that cottage?
After two of the women were allocated the cottage along with their husbands, they started winging in that weak moaning type of voice - I asked them where was the problem, as surely they understood, and should embrace the fantastic locality that is the best of Bakewell - the privacy and fantastic views from the spacious terrace, not forgetting they were actually being given a lovely cottage to stay in for the night at my expense, as opposed to a smaller family room they had originally booked that, to say the least was only really appropriate for two adults and two children.
Unfortunately it wasn't good enough, but I'm sure we've all met the type.....
You can also visit Melbourne House on Trip Advisor to see how lovely the B & B is, run by John & Marie - the reviews are fantastic.
The only answers I got, when I explained the reasoning and mistake was, that they had booked a room in a pub and they wanted to be near their friends. They then started complaining that they would have to walk down the hill into Bakewell and in their high heels and they didn't like to think they would have to walk back after a meal and a few beers.
I countered this by the offer I would personally give them a lift back at night!
On this offering, it was thrown in my face that Breakfast is at 9 o'clock, and that they would have to walk to the Peacock on Sunday morning, but again I countered this by saying that I would give them a 9.30am window, and surely they should embrace a lovely walk down Fly Hill into the centre of Bakewell on a quiet Sunday morning and it should/would be a pleasure.
More and more they just kept saying it's not what we booked, and we want to be near our friends - until I just simply informed them that I honestly believed I had pulled out all the stops and nothing I could do would appease them, they were simply finding excuses with every explanation I gave, and this was something I would repeat later in the evening when the moans just carried on until enough was enough.
The two other guests were then taken to Melbourne House, where John - the owner phoned myself and informed me they were complaining, as it was too far out of town, they too wanted to be with their friends, and they didn't want to walk the 300 yards or so into town. Apparently after a chat with John, and seeing the room allocated, they changed their minds.
Why do grown men and women feel the need on a day out that they have to be next door to their friends, when they will be spending the best part of the evening sat at the same table eating, drinking, talking, having a laugh etc.
If it was a school trip of under 14's I would understand, but grown up individuals I'm sorry....and lets's be honest here, we now all have the mobile phone, so what the heck is 300 yards when you're all gonna meet up anyway!
The whole party of 12, on arriving and checking in at the Peacock in the late afternoon, asked if they could book the conservatory and 'balloon the room up' with birthday banners and such, for a meal booked for 14 persons, in which although the meal wasn't booked until 8pm, I had no objection to, although it was a very busy Saturday night, and we could not let anyone use the six tables in the conservatory after 6.30pm, as I felt it wouldn't be right if any one would have prevented the party from sitting down at the 8pm request.
So let's be clear here, I was losing 6 tables that we could have used between 6.30pm - and 7.30pm, but I thought it was the least I could do under the circumstances.
Ten of the party turned up at around 7.30pm, and of course sat down, started on a few beers and bottles of wine, awaiting the four who had been allocated Penn Cottage.
On arrival of the four, one of the women came to the bar and told me that the bed in one room wasn't clean - I queried to what extent and she informed me there were hairs in the bed.
I questioned this accusation and informed her that although the cottage wasn't mine, I had phoned and spoken to the owner prior to taking them up to the cottage, and he had clarified the cottage was clean and had not been used.
I then phoned the owner in their presence at 8.15, put the phone on loudspeaker so she herself could hear the conversation and asked the owner, who was still in Majorca, in front of their very eyes and ears if he cottage was clean, and had it been ever used. He informed me before them, that the cottage had new sheets, and the beds in both rooms had never been slept in - in fact it was the very first time he'd allowed Penn Cottage to be used, and this was for a one night favour to help out in the predicament I was in.
The Peacock was absolutely jam packed, and this conversation took place in the vicinity of the Juke Box, with the noise level in the Pub quite high. At this time it was to say the least very noisy, and we couldn't be heard clearly, so to carry out the conversation to include all the four persons I had to shout above the level of noise generated by diners, drinkers and even the Juke Box - yes you get the picture, the Peacock was very busy and it was rather noisy, I was then accused by the lady who I was originally having a conversation with of being aggressive and threatening, - Utter Nonsense, I was simply trying to make myself heard, above the noise level on a Saturday night, don't forget at 8.28pm - the time as proven on CCTV.
The statement she makes saying I was "lunging over the bar at 2 of the females on our party and screaming he was going to cancel our table reservation". is an absolute disgrace, and I have studied the CCTV evidence to prove my case JWL - This is an out and out fabricated lies and I only wish it was a court of law and you would be humiliated beyond doubt with that accusation.
I informed the guest that there was no way the rooms were as described, but as I was responsible for the booking, I would personally take one member of staff, and put brand new sheets from our laundry on both beds in the cottage whilst they had their meal - this I did, and having checked the bedding on arrival there were no hairs or anything, the sheets were obviously brand new and untouched - nether the less the sheets were changed, as to simply keep my promise made.
The lady just wouldn't stop complaining, going onto that although originally only 12 guests had been booked, they had added a further two making 14 in total, and we had forgotten to make a place for them - that had already been dealt with, in fact a couple of the male guests helped set the other two places on their early arrival.
I then basically said, 'enough is enough, just like this morning, what ever I do for you it is never going to be enough, and I don't think you should dine here tonight, so I would prefer if you dined elsewhere as no matter what I do it simply isn't good enough'. I asked the four to leave to which one of the men shouted at me that You can't do that, and by the fact one had a 'I'm Forty' Birthday Badge pinned on his shirt about 12 inches in diameter, left me with little respect to whom I was discussing - although at a later stage we did have a chat about the night's events, and he was very amicable with me on what had gone on!
I was just about to inform the 10 who were in the conservatory, when I thought - No, that can't be fair on the 10 guests already sat down, so I decided to change my mind, and left the situation at that.
What happened after informing the four they couldn't dine, I've had to check on the CCTV, as the party were out of my eye line in the Conservatory, and that disclosed that the lady who I informed couldn't eat went to all the other guests, and instigated that the party should leave, and at 20.44 the whole 14 guests left the Peacock. Just to clarify it was the lady with the 'bob haircut' and brown jumper from your party - I have just watched her spend 8 minutes on CCTV going around the group 'instigating trouble' and encouraging them to leave when ten of them were laughing and joking and generally having a good time!!!
Even to the point of upsetting the lady - the author of this review, who had arranged the whole gathering - who needs friends eh!
It was interesting to note that two of the men returned at 10.05pm and had a couple of whiskies - and they informed us, it was to get out of the way of the women nagging all night!
Apologies for going into a long winded explanation on this, but it was a simple case over a double booking - that for all intent and purpose wasn't our fault, but I chose to deal with it the way I did, and saw no harm in giving the Guests alternate accommodation, as it was up to a fantastic spec, and the cottage was was/is fantastic, and I will hear by endorse, so if you ever want a four night stay (the minimum Penn Cottage owners allow I think is 4 nights) in Bakewell, visit Penn Cottage on the web and book it - it is simply gorgeous, although it comes with a steep walk up Fly Hill of about 5 minutes up, and about 3 minutes down.
The next morning 10 of the guests disappeared without a good bye or offering to pay the £450 outstanding balance - this after using 3 rooms at the Peacock, - not two as you state, Melbourne House and Penn Cottage. It was only by a bit of fortune that one of the male guests who had used Penn Cottage, came into the Peacock to hand the keys in, and proceeded to walk out - I had to call him back about payment.
It's called 'Doing a Runner' where I come from......
He informed me that the arranger of the night out had informed him everything had been paid so he called her on the telephone, and within about 10 minutes she returned and we negotiated a deal to which I gave the party a £250 reduction. Why - as I write this, I don't know - but after the lady who complained and complained and in all essence I believe was responsible for spoiling the get together, maybe I thought at the time this was the correct action to take. After re running it my own mind and giving it full analysis, I think this is what she was after all the time and I shouldn't have been so generous - but hey I can live with that!
They had already paid a £250 deposit and still owed £450, of which I had to pay Melbourne House £90 and Penn Cottage £190 please inform me JWL from Sheffield where I profiteering, as I discussed the implications of the double booking and agreed to refund the party £250 of the total bill of £700.
You are in my opinion a very ungrateful,.....well I am not allowed on this site to call you what I really think of you, but I can hold my head high, as I don't lie, but you don't really deserve the right to be acknowledged I feel, as I write this, and who no matter hard, how much I did for you and your friend, it would never never be enough.
I do not envy you for one second....but the truth has to be displayed on Trip Advisor for all to judge!
The difference in my account and JWL's is that I was there, while she at the time was having a laugh and and joke with nine of her friends in another room, quite oblivious to her moaning friend.
Please answer me this JWL - why have you come to Trip Advisor to report on something you were not even witness too, and only have heard second hand?
Who complains about being given lovely alternate accommodation, in lovely positions in Bakewell, all be it a few minutes walk from the Peacock, I for one will never understand