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Original poster

Coving fell on DD (2)

144 replies

lovelilies · 19/04/2019 09:42

We're on holiday, 5* resort. This morning we were woken by a massive crash and found that 2 pieces of coving from the ceiling had fallen and landed on the bed where the DC were sleeping. Fortunately neither was hurt amazingly but they could have been seriously injured. We rang reception and reported it and when they didn't come within an hour we went for breakfast and when we came back the maintenance men were fixing it.
I feel we should be making a bit of a thing about it as it could have been more serious. What would you do?

OP posts:
Acis · 19/04/2019 15:44

asics Well, if she doesn’t want to move rooms because of safety fears then what can the hotel do?

Either give her the evidence that there is no reason to be concerned about safety, or move her to another hotel. How difficult can that be to work out, Nicknacky.

I note that you rubbish the car accident analogy without actually being able to answer the point about the distinction between pure accidents and negligence.

Nicknacky · 19/04/2019 15:54

Move to another hotel 😂

What an over reaction!

Acis · 19/04/2019 16:03

@acis how do you 'maintain' coving??? You don't it isn't a thing the reasonable person does.

You've artistically left out the reference to "properly fixed and maintained coving, @Dana28. Yes, properly affixed coving probably doesn't need maintenance, but I was covering all bases - i.e. that either it wasn't properly fixed, or that something was done when repairs, redecoration and maintenance in the room was happening which led to this event.

I don't think you understand the notion of negligence! Negligence is recklessness or carelessness .

Oh, the irony of accusing someone else of not understanding what legal terms mean. If anyone - either the hotel, the builders, the decorators or anyone else dealing with the room were careless or reckless in relation to putting up or otherwise working on the coving, then they were negligent and, in English law at least, are potentially liable in the event of damage. Properly fixed coving doesn't just fall down purely by accident, that's why we have building regulations and pretty tight laws on negligence and occupiers' liability. In this case there is also likely to be a breach of contract issue.

Unless the op can prove the hotel knew the coving was coming down they are not negligent

Nope. All that has to be proved is that the hotel or their agents were negligent, e.g. in fixing the coving inadequately. Suppose I were to try to build a garden wall and used the wrong mix of cement because I read the instructions incorrectly with the result that it fell on and injured a passer-by: I would be laughed out of court if I tried to argue that I couldn't possibly be liable because I didn't know the wall was going to fall.

Acis · 19/04/2019 16:08

It does just fall down. It fell down on me, see up thread. Things do just fall down occasionally.

Again, not if the building is properly maintained. I must say, I worry about the state of repair of some people's houses if they take it for granted that big bits of the structure just fall off from time to time and there is nothing you can do to stop it.

But I do agree that it is how it is handled afterwards that matters. If this hotel has any sense the staff will fall over themselves to reassure OP and her family that they can continue to stay there safely.

Romax · 19/04/2019 17:14

Unless the op can prove the hotel knew the coving was coming down they are not negligent

Wrong. That would be manslaughter

Op I’m gobsmacked by the picture. I’d want to be transferred to another hotel let alone another room

frazzledmumoftwo · 19/04/2019 17:27

I am clearly out of line with other people here. I would have been quite concerned over this, AND the hotel not taking it seriously.

Did you book with the hotel directly or through a holiday company?

frazzledmumoftwo · 19/04/2019 17:31

Has the Hotel Manager even come to see you? Has it really just been left to the maintenance team. Whether unexpected (so not negligent) or not, it's a nasty and scary way for a young guest (child) to be woken up, and if I were Hotel Manager, I would deal with it personally.

Dieu · 19/04/2019 17:37

Fuck me, that's a huge piece of coving to fall down.
An apology and goodwill gesture are definitely in order. Sadly however, customer service just often isn't the same elsewhere.
Hope you're all ok.

BarrenFieldofFucks · 19/04/2019 17:51

Fuck me, that's a huge piece of coving to fall down.
An apology and goodwill gesture are definitely in order. Sadly however, customer service just often isn't the same elsewhere.
Hope you're all ok.

The first sentence here is exactly what I was about to say, word for word. There is so much competitive laissez-faire going on on this thread, most people I know would have been shocked, and definitely expect an apology, some free meals/drinks and perhaps a room upgrade. Certainly most hotels I have stayed in would do this immediately.

HomeMadeMadness · 19/04/2019 17:53

It does just fall down. It fell down on me, see up thread. Things do just fall down occasionally.

They fall down for a reason because the building was badly maintained or badly built or negligently repaired. All of which is the hotel's fault. If great big bits of wood are falling off the roof the building is unsafe. This is the hotel's fault. The fact that your house is dangerous and unsafe does not make it OK for a hotel to be in this state.

HomeMadeMadness · 19/04/2019 17:55

Unless the op can prove the hotel knew the coving was coming down they are not negligent

Seriously? No one can be so wilfully ignorant of course this isn't in the least bit true!

SciFiRules · 19/04/2019 18:00

It's a piece of plaster cove, it's really not life threatening!

Acis · 19/04/2019 18:48

Nicknacky, suppose you're in OP's circumstances and it turns out that that coving came down because the fixings were inadequate. And you learnt that the same contractors had put the coving in all the rooms using the same methods and materials. Exactly how safe would you feel just moving into another room?

Acis · 19/04/2019 18:49

SciFiRules, have you seen the picture? It's two very big pieces of coving. Would you really be happy if something like that fell on your child just because, through luck, it wasn't actually life threatening?

CottonSock · 19/04/2019 18:52

Having seen the photos i would expect your room should be shut and inspected. That's really quite shocking.

Nicknacky · 19/04/2019 19:45

Acis The chances of more coving falling down in another room would be incredibly small. I wouldn’t be interrupting my holiday to the extent of changing hotels. After all, the same thing could happen there?

But I don’t tend to over react. Shit happens sometimes.

BarrenFieldofFucks · 19/04/2019 19:59

I don't think it was life threatening, but it doesn't have to be to be scary and pretty shit.

Original poster
lovelilies · 19/04/2019 20:16

Thanks for all the replies.
Thabjfulky DD is pretty bullet proof and hasn't even mentioned it since. We've been in touch with guest relations and they asked us to email the pictures to them. We have also had a hamper of fruits delivered to the room 'with compliments' from the general manager.
Unless anything else happens, we will leave it at that. We will I've been round and pulled on the other bits and they all seem well attached so let's hope it was just a freaky one-off accident!

OP posts:
Cel982 · 19/04/2019 20:35

I'm baffled at the "just one of those things" crew on here Confused A guest slipping on a wet floor would be an accident; a waiter dropping a tray on your foot would be an accident. If bits of the building start falling down, it's because the building hasn't been properly constructed, and every bit of coving in there needs to be checked pronto.

timeisnotaline · 19/04/2019 20:42

Holy cow , that is a huge piece. I would strongly suspect negligence / poor workmanship in the original attachment. Dh is in construction and we would take enough photos for him to confirm with a friend if he couldn’t on his own. And none of us would sleep under the rest of it, and the hotel would have to arrange beds or a room to make that possible. Is that not a completely basic reaction?!

mirime · 19/04/2019 20:42

My mum worked in a hotel, people trying it on would complain about a cobweb in the corner of the room and want a discount.

Coving falling off the ceiling I think would deserve some sort of offer - free meal, discount off the bill, something along those lines.

Nicknacky · 19/04/2019 21:24

They are in AI. A free meal won’t work there!

The op is happy enough with the resolution. It’s just mumsnetters who aren’t!

SciFiRules · 19/04/2019 22:28

Acis
It really is only cove not an RSJ! Not life threatening in the least.

Acis · 19/04/2019 22:34

Look at the bloody thing, SciFi. Why does it have to be life-threatening to matter?

Acis · 19/04/2019 22:35

You know about the chances of it falling in another room precisely how, Nicknacky? Have you checked it yourself? Do you know why it fell down?

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