Coving fell on DD (2)

[lovelilies]

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?

The op has no other option. She’s going to have to buy crash helmets for the whole family and wear them for the rest of the holiday.

The Trip Advisor photo of DD amongst the wreckage
Did a plane crash into the bedroom? A car? Was there a hurricane? A tornado? Wreckage?!!! Bless.....
You might want to warn the hotel that you've been tugging on the rest of the coving so they can recheck it in case you giving it a damn good pull for compensation purposes has loosened it

Calm down Tuck it was hyperbole

What’s the big deal about seeking compensation in this scenario.

It’s not a charity FFS!

It could have resulted in injury
It was a nuisance to sort
Takes time out of precious holiday

Yes, in that scenario I would want money or a bloody good upgrade.

Compensation is for material loss

It could have resulted in injury it didn’t. How do you price up “might have been injured*
It was a nuisance to sort it seems like the OP had to make a phone call...
Takes time out of precious holiday again it didn’t seem like the OP lost much time, they went about their normal activity and maintenance were there when they came back.

Yes, in that scenario I would want money or a bloody good upgrade

How do you cost up what you deem recompense for very little inconvenience and no injury?

Compensation is not limited to material loss.

When they booked the hotel room it was not on the basis of a bit of coving falling from the room, almost landing on their toddler and causing inconvenience (however small) for them.

So the hotel failed to deliver.

Compensation...
At the very least I’d ask money reimbursed for that specific night that it occurred and an upgrade.

And I’d get it

And I’d get it

Arf

Yes I would!

Only if they had an upgraded room free to give you....

Or just said “no”

IME hotels are very very very good at not giving in to guests demands, however correct or shrill the complainant is.

Compensation is for material loss

No, it isn't . This is yet another popular MN myth. Compensation for negligently caused injury or illness is divided between general and special damages. Special damages are definable financial losses, e.g. car repairs, loss of wages etc; general damages are damages for pain, suffering and inconvenience, including things like shock and trauma.

Compensation for negligently caused injury or illness is divided between general and special damages

Where’s the proof the hotel was negligent

Special damages are definable financial losses, e.g. car repairs, loss of wages etc; general damages are damages for pain, suffering and inconvenience, including things like shock and trauma

Given there was no pain or suffering, the inconvenience appears to be nil and the OP said her DD was suffering no ill effects in this situation there doesn’t seem to be a case.

I’m all for compensation where appropriate. I certainly wouldn’t be agitating for an upgrade or anything more than the hotel have done in this case.

AIBU to keep nervously looking up?

Hope all well in your room now OP!

@TSSDNCOP
Opposite experience here.

I've just seen this thread. I'm astounded at the posters saying it's no big deal. It smacks of poor workmanship which is very concerning in any public building, especially one with people sleeping.

I would certainly expect assurances from the hotel and booking agent that this would be looked into and would be posting that photograph on review sites.

We'd take that pretty seriously where I work, and you'd have either been moved (you pack, we move it) if possible or the room double checked for safety. And then you'd get a rather large apology in person from the highest ranking manager on site, and either a refund or something free.
What we did about it longer term would depend on why it happened, if there were no obvious outside forces (leak from above room) then maintenance would be checking all of it - could be damp plaster from general damp or initial shoddy workmanship. If it were because a guest flooded a room above for instance, then the cause is obvious, and it's also not really the fault of the hotel, still their responsibility to sort out and make safe though. If it's shoddy workmanship, then the hotel need to fix it and take it up with whoever put the coving up in the first place.
If this happened on my shift, you'd be getting a bloody big drink and that nights stay refunded, I'd move you if I had a room and I couldn't be sure yours was safe, if not I'd offer to find (and cover costs) another hotel. I'd then let higher management deal with the whys and wherefores of why it happened in the first place and take the appropriate action.

Where’s the proof the hotel was negligent

Erm, the proof is the large piece of coving that fell down on top of a guest. Facilities like hotels have a duty of care to their guests, which includes ensuring that the building is physically safe and built to the relevant standards. Either the hotel, or the builders, or the manufacturers of the materials (or some combination of the above) are likely to be negligent in this case.

the proof is the large piece of coving that fell down on top of a guest

That’s proof of an incident, not negligence. At this point nobody including the OP and certainly not anyone on MN can state for a fact the hotel was negligent.

I'm glad the DC weren't seriously hurt

Facilities like hotels have a duty of care to their guests, which includes ensuring that the building is physically safe and built to the relevant standards.

Exactly. It is negligent if they are not ensuring the building meets the required standards.

JacquesHammer, if you look at the post you're responding to, you will notice that it simply refutes the contention that you can only get compensation for material loss. It doesn't actually relate to the OP's situation at all, so your attempt to shift the basis of the discussion doesn't work. I assume therefore that you accept that it is in fact incorrect to state that compensation can only be paid for material loss?

Bloody hell that is huge, I’d be upset at the what if.

I think they should offer a decent goodwill gesture.

acid how Do you think plasterers make a living? Ceilings and coving which have been up 20, 50 100 years fall down with no warning.
There is rarely any negligence

Glad no one was hurt.
A chunk of ceiling fell down in my house once.
Big shock but no one was hurt or sued