Page 23 | To think this is bloody daft of the hotel?

itsureis · 21/08/2021 12:18

I recently had a break away and paid for my 2 children to do a go karting activity for 30mins.
As half the karts were rain damaged they had to share so I asked for 1/2 my money back as they were technically getting half the time.
The guy taking the activity said they wouldn't be getting half the time as the session was still 30mins 🤦‍♀️

I spoke to a manager, got my money back and the kids got the cash for extra spends 😉

Enjoy your well earned rest OP x

dropje · 21/08/2021 12:53

@JurassicPark101

I’ve booked a hotel for Friday night until Monday morning. Unfortunately due to childcare issues I found out today that I won’t be able to get there until Saturday morning now. It’s all been prepaid for and as it’s less than 7 days before the booking it’s completely non-refundable and can’t be rearranged.

I’m not too fussed about it being non-refundable, totally understand they probably wouldn’t be able to fill the room again at short notice. Anyway, I phone the hotel to let them know that I do still want the booking but that I won’t be arriving until about 9.30ish on the Saturday rather than the Friday afternoon as originally planned. Receptionist on phone says ‘that’s fine, thanks for letting us know. Just so you know you’re welcome to use the facilities but your room won’t be available until check in at 3pm.” I reiterate that I’ve already paid for the room (and breakfast and dinner which I won’t be having either) from Friday so it should be available when I get there at 9.30. Again “sorry, no but we can’t allow early check in under any circumstances at the moment. We’re totally fully booked and the cleaners just can’t get the rooms ready before this.”

I ask to speak to someone else as I assume she’s possibly new or young or thick as mince. She passes me over to another woman but I hear her say “can you speak to this lady, she won’t understand why she can’t check in at 9.30am”. I explain the situation again. New lady replies with “I empathise with your situation but as we are fully booked we simply can’t allow you to check in nearly 6 hours early”. I tell her that it’s not 6 hours early, it’s 18 hours late. Im booked from the Friday night. I’m paying for the Friday night but I can’t get there until Saturday morning. I’ve paid £145 for a room, dinner and breakfast and none of it will be used. If I was arriving on time, I would be able to return to my room at 9.30am if I chose to do so. She tell me that I'm not arriving on time though so the room won’t be ready until 3pm .

I ask if there’s a manager that I can email, or a head office as this is just bonkers. She gives me an email address. I write a very calm, concise email explaining that I’ll be getting there at 9.30 the day after I’m due to arrive. I’ve just had an email back (from the reception again) telling me that my room will be ready at 3pm and they hope I enjoy my stay.

How do I resolve this? They’re all mad. Aren’t they? I’m not going crazy in thinking I should be allowed in the room when I get there am I? It should be ready for 3pm on Friday so will still be ready at 9.30 on Saturday, surely?

They obviously want to try and re-sell your room. So personally I think if they managed to do so they should reimburse you for that night and otherwise let you in early when you arrive.

Ladylimpet · 21/08/2021 12:55

@itsureis

I recently had a break away and paid for my 2 children to do a go karting activity for 30mins. As half the karts were rain damaged they had to share so I asked for 1/2 my money back as they were technically getting half the time. The guy taking the activity said they wouldn't be getting half the time as the session was still 30mins 🤦‍♀️

I spoke to a manager, got my money back and the kids got the cash for extra spends 😉

Enjoy your well earned rest OP x

Ahh, but I reckon this is a clear case of managers undermining staff. Have it all the time where I work. If the staff had have given you the money back, they'd have got a bollocking. So, FOH staff work by the rules. People complain and managers end up refunding and placating the customers. Making staff look like twats half the time.

Greenrubber · 21/08/2021 12:58

@Ladylimpet

No it seems by the staffs response that he was just being a bit stupid
If they were sharing a go kart they would only get 15 min each obviously
The staff member should have realised that what the customer was saying made sense then went and spoke to his manager to confirm if he thought he would get a bollocking
But it clearly just went over his head

Ladylimpet · 21/08/2021 13:06

Not necessarily. They are probably just following rules. OR, don't have the authority to refund . We have company policies in place, which quite frankly are rubbish. But we have to follow. 🤦

itsureis · 21/08/2021 13:13

I did feel for the staff member slightly when the manager gave the refund but he wasn't making any sense in his argument and clearly wasn't understanding what I was getting at otherwise he would have agreed with me ...
I did find it slightly amusing though when he said "but they won't be getting half the time" 😬

Sorry to hijack the post but I did see similarities into the crazy ways that some folk think 😉

BadNomad · 21/08/2021 13:17

I can see it from the hotel's point of view tbh. The OP had paid to stay in the hotel. She did not pay for a specific room. By not needing a room on the Friday night it meant they still had a night's stay available which they could offer to a current occupant, for example. So someone due to check-out on Friday morning could stay until Saturday morning instead, which might have been what they originally wanted but couldn't because Friday night wasn't available.

The OP didn't have an actual room until she arrived (or when her friend did in this case).

ElephantOfRisk · 21/08/2021 13:21

What they could have offered was that if they did relet the room for Friday night then OP could be refunded but then not have a room available until 3pm on Saturday OR OP forfeits the room cost for the Friday night but it remains her room to check in as and when she pleases from Friday 3pm onwards.

The wanted to have their cake and eat it.

ElephantOfRisk · 21/08/2021 13:22

I've had that scenario for other things and sometimes has a small fee deducted for admin but the bulk refunded if they were able to re-sell the space I couldn't use. That's fair.

Congressdingo · 21/08/2021 13:23

@SusieBob

Looks like the pile-on to anyone who dares to try to explain how things work is continuing then.

Yes, hotels are mean evil bastards who steal people's money and fill the swimming pools with cash each evening to go swimming in it. Better?

It's not even about the money, op paid and doesn't want a refund so the money is a red herring here. It's about op wanting access to the room within the time she paid for. Lots of us have stated that planes do not fly to hotel booking in or out schedules. Therefore we have arrived many hours after check in time and somehow still got into our room that we booked to start the previous night. I honestly do not know how that happened if hotels regularly double book. And I would never return to one that booted me out for such dealings.

whynotwhatknot · 21/08/2021 13:32

Glad youreinop would love to see their faces when you check out questioning themselves over why you look different!

thegcatsmother · 21/08/2021 14:12

If it's West Devon you're after, then The Horn of Plenty at Gulworthy is lovely. The Bedford in Tavistock is supposed to be nice and I've stayed at the Cornish Arms in Tavistock and it was very pleasant. Depending on budget, there is also the Hotel Endsleigh at Milton Abbot.

FinallyHere · 21/08/2021 14:34

Ohh, we loved the Horn of Plenty.

I'm sure I read about it as a student in the late '70's and didn't visit til much later.

Food great, view lovely and staff efficient but unobtrusive. Pretty perfect.

LizzieSiddal · 21/08/2021 14:45

The Scarlett at Megan Porth is amazing and Adults only. I’ve stayed many times and there has always been people dining alone there, so I presume they’re staying there alone. It’s got swimming pools, a spa and the views are fantastic, lovely walks etc. I’d highly recommend!

LizzieSiddal · 21/08/2021 14:46

*Mawgan

Lightisnotwhite · 21/08/2021 14:47

Well done Op! Have a lovely weekend

I can’t believe anyone thinks the hotel have been reasonable .

I’ve done this in reverse. Booked an extra night if I had a late flight. Nothing worse than having a whole day with no where to shower or change before a flight. Left without using the night. Hotels didn’t care - extra time to clean.

FancyFlipFlops · 21/08/2021 16:18

@LizzieSiddal

The Scarlett at Megan Porth is amazing and Adults only. I’ve stayed many times and there has always been people dining alone there, so I presume they’re staying there alone. It’s got swimming pools, a spa and the views are fantastic, lovely walks etc. I’d highly recommend!

I can second The Scarlet at Mawgan Porth. Heaven on earth. Staff lovely, food fabulous, facilities brilliant and views incredible.

HyggeTygge · 21/08/2021 16:25

@BadNomad

I can see it from the hotel's point of view tbh. The OP had paid to stay in the hotel. She did not pay for a specific room. By not needing a room on the Friday night it meant they still had a night's stay available which they could offer to a current occupant, for example. So someone due to check-out on Friday morning could stay until Saturday morning instead, which might have been what they originally wanted but couldn't because Friday night wasn't available.

The OP didn't have an actual room until she arrived (or when her friend did in this case).

Unusually, in this case, I think the op did choose a room. It's a small hotel where the rooms are all different and named.

Which is why the hotel's attitude is so weird.

LizzieSiddal · 21/08/2021 17:55

Glad you enjoy The Scarlett too Fancy. It’s our go to place for a guaranteed relaxing time. (Haven’t been since Covid though as its been so booked up in advance.)

Original poster

JurassicPark101 · 21/08/2021 18:09

badnomad I chose my specific room when I booked it. As I said, it’s only got 20 rooms, only 5 of them have a sea view and of those 5 only one isn’t a suite which is the one I chose and paid for accordingly.

OP posts:

Lightisnotwhite · 21/08/2021 18:36

@BadNomad

I can see it from the hotel's point of view tbh. The OP had paid to stay in the hotel. She did not pay for a specific room. By not needing a room on the Friday night it meant they still had a night's stay available which they could offer to a current occupant, for example. So someone due to check-out on Friday morning could stay until Saturday morning instead, which might have been what they originally wanted but couldn't because Friday night wasn't available.

The OP didn't have an actual room until she arrived (or when her friend did in this case).

Think of it the other way…

You want to stay in a hotel from 9.00am in the morning. How could you do that?..
..could you possibly book a room for the previous night?

honeybuns007 · 21/08/2021 19:25

@LouHotel

Honestly I'll try to cover some aspects here but clearly I've derailed into full hotel revenue management so I'll bow out.

Money lost is the cancellation revenue from the moment the guest was not arriving on Friday, you can disagree with it but an empty room is a revenue opportunity - you do not own a hotel room you rent it based on booking terms which will have an arrival date and departure date - you change the arrival date you've changed the terms.

@HyggeTygge occupancy as in room occupancy so 9 out of 10 rooms sold is 90% occupancy. This affects STR data which i expect is not relevant for a boutique hotel.

@TheRebelle jobsworth? I'm cool with that, I had to make 10% redundancies 11 months ago when gm's in my county were losing 75% - mainly because I have a very good revenue team whilst maintaining customer scores.

@JesusIsAnyNameFree with some certainty you have probably stayed in one like it.

Cancellation revenue really isn't a scam and yeah if they were confused by a friday/Saturday 9am arrival thats an entirely different miscommunication.

Lou, you are not explaining in a way that anyone seems to understand. You keep talking about room occupancy and lost revenue but as far as I can see, there is no lost revenue. It was all paid for. All that happened was that the OP did not want to physically sleep in the room one night. Nothing was cancelled, no refund was made, the entire booking was paid for as agreed so how was there any lost revenue? The room was paid for so there should be no additional revenue opportunity lost. What if the OP checked in on time and then went off to sleep elsewhere and come back on Saturday morning? Literally nothing different financial would have happened. No extra revenue, no lost revenue, nothing

Terhou · 21/08/2021 21:05

I’m after Penzance. It’s a bit of a bugger to get to as I only live about 20 minutes from the Cornish but I’ve always just enjoyed being off the beaten track a bit and it’s felt like a real hideaway

Penzance is great but you couldn't describe it as off the beaten track or a hideaway. It's the last station on the line from London, is where the Scilly Islands ferries go from, and it has a number big supermarkets..

Original poster

JurassicPark101 · 21/08/2021 21:39

terhou I’m not in Penzance .

OP posts:

SamVimes6 · 21/08/2021 22:24

Is it me or has this thread really bought out all the stupid people?

Glad you’re enjoying some down time op. I hope you’ve switched your phone off and are into a good book.