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?

@Cactuslove

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.

In which case anyone who walks in looking for a last minute room will get it.

Hotels, especially city based ones, routinely overbook safe in the knowledge that they will have no shows and get away with it most of the time. They will have mutual agreements with other hotels locally to send people who have been bumped out of their rooms. It's how it works.

Ring at 10pm then.

@SusieBob

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.

They aren't losing any money from Op though so you'd hope that even if they resold they could have some consideration for her & book her in before 3pm.

@SusieBob

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.

But it has been paid for by the OP? So although it's an empty room, it is her paid-for empty room.

Yeah, they're trying to re-sell the room but I think you'll be snookered whatever you decide to do by some torturous T&C's. The least they could do is allow an earlier check-in than 3pm. What's the check-out time for the previous occupant if there is one? If there isn't one they're being bloody-minded not letting you have the room which should already be clean and ready. I suspect a no-show by a certain time allows them to rent it out and you've let them know they can get away with doing that. Next time get the late cancellation offer on Booking.com (sometimes a bit more than the no alterations price).

Did you get the names of who you spoke to before? Avoid them and ask for the manager and try again.

@SusieBob

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.

Fine, but this room has already been fully paid for. So they either offer the OP a refund and a 3pm check in on Saturday, or they take her money and leave the room free.

Crickey OP. Is the hotel called Fawlty Towers?

Completely agree. But maybe @susiebob could help the OP as it seems like she works in the industry.

@Imissmybum

Seriously it's within a 45 minute drive from me I'll do it. West London.

Ok, you need to step away from Mumsnet, definitely overinvested.

If it’s non-refundable they should not be allowed to rebook it. They should not be allowed to have it both ways. But the question is are they really doing that or are they just mentally challenged?

Please name and shame the hotel, so that we don’t go there!

@Staffy1

If it’s non-refundable they should not be allowed to rebook it. They should not be allowed to have it both ways. But the question is are they really doing that or are they just mentally challenged?

If it's non-refundable and OP has informed them she won't be there for the night the hotel has every right to (try to) resell the room. They aren't breaking any T&C's as they will still offer the room the following night. If the room is refundable the OP should get her money back but will still have to check in at the usual time.

The fact is that most hotels will resell unused rooms after a certain time of night because the majority of the time they get away with it.

If it happens that they do run out of room it will be "terribly sorry, your room isn't available/has a leak/ but here is a taxi to the hotel just around the corner and a voucher for a free breakfast" and it's still worth their while.

You might not agree with the practice, but that is what happens and there is nothing the consumer can do about it.

Oh my god, this would infuriate me! Have you made the point that the room will already be clean, as they will be cleaning it on the Friday before 3pm, when you’d be able to check in?
Have you also asked them if they will not be charging you for Friday 3pm to 3pm since they’re not allowing you to check in despite the fact that the room is paid for?
If you haven’t yet, maybe these points could move the conversation forwards? Good luck! They sound worse than Fawlty Towers!

Presumably though by not checking in Op has broken the contract & the room is no longer hers-not until the Saturday night-& the not until she has checked in.

So according to this hotel, no one can ever check in early in the morning even if they are prepared to pay for the previous night?

How about taking the kids with you and getting Ex to go 2 hours out of his way to collect them, given that he’s the one that’s buggered it up in the first place?

@SusieBob, oh I am sure they do do it, but that doesn’t make it right. They are keeping someone’s money and not allowing them to check in until later the next day. I didn’t say it doesn’t happen, I said it shouldn’t happen.

I’d be speaking to your ex too - he agreed to have (what I presume) are his children so you booked and paid for a hotel. Only for him to change his mind. I’d tell him he has to stick to the agreement or next time you pick the kids up from his when he has a night out planned you might just change your mind at the last minute too…..

@SusieBob

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.

But the OP has paid for that room. It isn't empty she is occupying it. Just not at the hours they've decided she should!

[quote Staffy1]@SusieBob, oh I am sure they do do it, but that doesn’t make it right. They are keeping someone’s money and not allowing them to check in until later the next day. I didn’t say it doesn’t happen, I said it shouldn’t happen.[/quote]
Ultimately if the OP has paid for a room they don't show up for, that's their fault. That's the risk you take if you book (usually cheaper) non-refundable rooms - and it's how the hotels make that discount back.

" It isn't empty she is occupying it."

A hotel room that hasn't been checked into is empty. Often in the T&C's nobody reads it will state a time after which your room is no longer guaranteed, or there will be the posibility to pay extra to ensure an unsociable checkin.

I'm surprised that this comes as news to anyone, TBH.

@SusieBob hotels are businesses, their customer service need to be excellent (in this case non existent due to crap staff)) to get the customer to return. OP most likely won’t.

This sort of madness is enough to make you slightly lose the plot.

If nothing else, I'd ring at 2.55pm on Friday "hi, please pre check me in and leave the key at reception for me to collect when I arrive - I'm not sure whether I will be there before 9am tomorrow

Exactly!

I'm spitting chips, I don't think I could handle the injustice if you're not in that room by 930am!

Please update!