To think this is bloody daft of the hotel?

[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?

This may well be a case of computer says no. I used to work in a hotel, and if someone didn't physically check in, they'd be a no show and the room would not be available until the next check in time. What we could do, if the guest called on the day of the check in and we weren't too busy, is process the check-in for them, so the room would be ready.

I'd call them after 6pm on Friday, you're on the way but broken down. That way, reception should be quiet enough to process it for you.

JurassicPark101 What they normally do is if you cannot check in on the first day, they normally charge you for that day but you can arrive anytime the next day, as you are staying Friday till Monday that room will be yours, and would be ready before check in by Friday.

Yes. Tell them you will be there late on Friday, then call very late and say you will not get there until morning. Otherwise they will not refund your night and resell the room. Then leave a review after your stay. They are idiots

I was angry just reading this

That’s insane. Just tell them you’ve realised you can make it then so the room should be ready 3pm Friday.

This is banana cakes

You’re paying the price of trying to be helpful.

Not sure bow to unravel it all

Possibly say you will be arriving on the Friday, as booked and paid for, as originally planned.

Late on Friday evening call them to say that due to delays/unforseen problem etc that you will be arriving later.

When they have absorbed this then tell them that later actually means Saturday morning.

All the best with this one.

Unfortunately I'm in Scotland so can't check in for you but hope you find someone who can

They're taking the piss really. My dh has travelled all around the world with work, and depending on the time that his flight arrives in another country will make a booking from the day before. For example if his flight gets in at 2am on Saturday morning, he will book the room from Friday so that he can get a few hours sleep before meetings. He always drops an email to explain this and there has never been a problem. They're obviously reselling the room.

This is similar to what happened to me. I got nowhere with it because nobody answers their phones or answers emails.

We turned up to our hotel only to be told there was no room for us even though I had reference numbers and email confirmation. We drove 70 miles to get there and had to drive home.

I am currently in a dispute with booking.com because they say the hotel is now going to charge me for a no-show even though they apologised for the way we were treated and said they would not charge, they turned around and are now saying they will.

It's insane

This is frustrating. I’m normally in west Cornwall. Wonder if anyone I know fancies a free dinner.

Pm me where.

How does this work if you NEED a check in at 9am, for whatever reason? That must be a thing with some people in situations and I would have thought the answer is you have to just pay for the night before… but then apparently that’s not the solution either?

Actually getting someone local to check in might not work as they may want to take the credit card number of the person checking in to use against damage/mini bar.

You'd think that they could find a way of not being so bloody obvious about it!

I get that they want to make money by booking the room out again if possible & that you have cancelled the fri night booking, but 3pm check in is ridiculous.

@FlyingRabbitsAtNoon

How does this work if you NEED a check in at 9am, for whatever reason? That must be a thing with some people in situations and I would have thought the answer is you have to just pay for the night before… but then apparently that’s not the solution either?

Usually you are able to check in and leave luggage somewhere but don't get access to your room, doesn't work if, for example, you are travelling for work and doing night shift.

Enraging. I had a similar one at a museum last summer entirely empty room with door in corner to ladies loo. Sort of cordons like at airport for people to queue to get into loo but as I was literally the only person there I walked straight through the door and ignored the cordons. I was sharply reprimanded by the attendant that I had to walk the loop of the cordons to get to the door “because of Covid” it was like a comedy. I had to walk around an empty room the attendant then stood right in the doorway so I had to struggle past her to get in - not very Covid secure! Was 🙄🙄🙄

This is a Daily Mail sad face story if ever I heard one. Shame on the hotel.

Infact, name and shame them. Arseholes. There is absolutely no excuse or reason for it.

@MsTSwift

That nonsense always reminds me of this

Oooh! Hopping mad on your behalf for having to deal with these twits, OP.

Really hope you win the day!

I travel with work and if the flight arrives early, say 6am, I always book the night previous, tell them what I am doing and never a problem, various hotels.

What would have happened if you were flying and delayed meaning you didn’t get to the room until after midnight, would you have to sit in reception all that time?

It's annoying but hotels are businesses. If they know they are going to have an empty room they are going to try to resell it, fairly obviously, and then it's not going to be ready until the afternoon. Not sure why anyone would think otherwise.

I'm West Cornwall. How far west is it?

Ring back 'oh it's fine now I'll see you Friday as booked'

Friday 7pm: 'sorry I can't make it tonight see ypu in the morning'

Ridiculous lengths to go to but you can't argue with stupid.

My OH is a manager for Premier Inn and he says they would put you down as a no show for the Friday night but you would be able to check in whenever on the Saturday. It happened today in fact. The guest showed up at 7am this morning instead of last night and they checked him straight in.