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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Not to pay for last night's hotel

114 replies

PlateSpinnerExtraordinaire · 14/10/2021 07:41

I am away on business- an important event today and I need to be thinking straight.
I arrived last night and have spent quite a lot of money on a "boutique" hotel.
The room was dreadful- tiny and not clean but I was willing to let that pass for now (not great in a pandemic though!)
I had to go down to reception at 1am and ask to move rooms as it was noisy as there was some sort of extractor fan from a ?kitchen was running outside the room and even with all the windows shut and a pillow over my head and iPods in I could still hear it!
They moved me to another room (I had to pack up my stuff and get back into bed at 2am). That room had a fire exit light which flashed brightly all night. So still no sleep rant is less there fault but I can't sleep if there is light.
There has been NO apology at any time.
So I'm tired, big day today and I supposed to stay here tonight too.
So do I:

  1. Complain again
  2. Leave and if so should I pay for last night????
OP posts:
JudgementalCactus · 14/10/2021 08:54

If you stayed the night you need to pay for the room.

rookiemere · 14/10/2021 08:56

This thread reminds me why I'm so fond of Premier Inns. Never had a bad nights sleep in one.

Fink · 14/10/2021 08:58

A dirty room you definitely need to complain about, and have detail about exactly what was wrong. However, an extractor fan outside the building is normal IME, and they were good to move you in the middle of the night. Ditto the emergency exit light. They're completely normal parts of staying in a hotel. It's not the hotel's fault if you're particularly sensitive to light and sound, and you need to bring ear plugs & a mask.

Complain this morning and explain why you won't be staying tonight - principally the cleanliness. And if they offer a discount it would be nice, if not then you'll have to pay up for the one night.

Do be honest with your review, whether they give you a discount or not. If it's not clean then other potential guests should be warned.

FictionalCharacter · 14/10/2021 09:03

Fire exit signs are not meant to flash, and they’re usually not that bright. Either they’ve installed something weird or it was faulty. Nobody should have to sleep in a room with a flashing light.

girlmom21 · 14/10/2021 09:03

Complain and ask for some money off but don't expect a freebie when you stayed.

winterescape · 14/10/2021 09:05

I had issues at a London hotel just last month. When I came to reception, I was asked how the stay had been. Politely and calmly, I explained everything that had gone wrong including the room move. I asked the receptionist if he would have been happy paying £200 for similar to have happened. He said no so I asked him what he was going to do.

After s bit of back and forth, I got 60% off as I still did stay in the hotel and eat.

Negotiate a discount. Be polite and calm. Put the question back to the receptionist and ask them what they are prepared to do after the failings of the night before.

TwinklyBranch · 14/10/2021 09:06

Of course you should pay, you've used two of their rooms and it's not their fault you're sensitive to noise/light. I wouldn't stay another night though.

MotherHaryy · 14/10/2021 09:08

You should pay because you have used two rooms. That's two rooms someone has to clean. It's not ideal about the ways the rooms were set with the fab outside or the light but not a reason to not pay.

Londonnight · 14/10/2021 09:10

I had similar earlier this year with Travelodge. Room was dirty when I arrived, cups and spoons still had coffee on them from previous user. I complained to reception, but they weren't interested and wouldn't move me due to covid rules at the time. I had already prepaid.
Once I got home I emailed Travelodge themselves with the complaint and photos and I got a full refund back.

Meloncurse · 14/10/2021 09:11

However, an extractor fan outside the building is normal IME, and they were good to move you in the middle of the night. Ditto the emergency exit light. They're completely normal parts of staying in a hotel.

I've never stayed in a hotel with an emergency exit light inside the room.

sunglassesonthetable · 14/10/2021 09:14

Leave and pay. Presumably the company are paying anyway.

@Yummypumpkin

"Presumably " WTF?
who are these posters? They leave the first knee jerk, unhelpful, comment and then disappear? Are you just circling around waiting for a new threads?
It's like a MN tradition.

@PlateSpinnerExtraordinaire

Go and talk to them. Probably last thing you want to do, if you have a big day, but needs to be done.

Explain the problem. Put the ball in their court. They KNOW it's been shit.

Undertheoldlindentree · 14/10/2021 09:15

Hope your work event goes well OP, despite the broken night. When it's all over, will you update with what happened at checkout? If it's a 'boutique' hotel, priding themselves on overall quality of experience, I hope they might naturally offer you some recompense. Smile

starrynight87 · 14/10/2021 09:16

I would say you need to speak to a manager about a formal complaint.

Gonnagetgoing · 14/10/2021 09:17

I’d offer to pay half.

To all those saying OP stayed there the night. Well what was she supposed to do as she had to be there for her event? I’m sure she wasn’t up to finding another hotel room in a strange town at 2am.

I’m same as a lot of posters as I’m noise and light sensitive so always bring earplugs and eye mask on and overnight trips.

CounsellorTroi · 14/10/2021 09:20

If light is an issue consider investing in an eye mask? The dirt/noise was unacceptable though.

TravelLost · 14/10/2021 09:26

Both!!

I’ve been in that exact situation before. Turns out that they knew very well thatbthe first room was noisy. They gave me some crap about having send an email telling me about it (never had one) 1 day before my arrival. As if finding a hotel with a day notice would have been the easiest thing in the world….

I complained, leaved and got half the money fir the room back.

Because im pretty sure they already know about the noise from the fan. Just like they know very well about the light from the fire exit light.

girlmom21 · 14/10/2021 09:26

@Gonnagetgoing

I’d offer to pay half.

To all those saying OP stayed there the night. Well what was she supposed to do as she had to be there for her event? I’m sure she wasn’t up to finding another hotel room in a strange town at 2am.

I’m same as a lot of posters as I’m noise and light sensitive so always bring earplugs and eye mask on and overnight trips.

She shouldn't have stayed when she first got there to a dirty room.
Backstreetsbackalrightdadada · 14/10/2021 09:28

I had this when a wedding was on in a very business-y hotel… got NO sleep and no quiet rooms in the hotel to move to, there were fire doors everywhere down the corridors that slammed so loudly. Complained and was offered a smile only… they wouldn’t budge on payment so I paid and got my company to get the money back later. Not very exciting but just a tip on thinking it’s better to use franchised hotels and even then checking too in case they have an event on.

Notaroadrunner · 14/10/2021 09:29

@JudgementalCactus

If you stayed the night you need to pay for the room.
There's no way I'd pay full price though. Complain at check out and ask for a manager. They should give a reduction at the very least. Dh stayed in a premier inn and was disturbed by other guests fighting on his first night. They didn't charge him for that night.
TravelLost · 14/10/2021 09:38

@JudgementalCactus

If you stayed the night you need to pay for the room.
Not if the service is atrocious and you can’t sleep!

I mean would still pay for a meal at a restaurant if you discovered some hair or nail clipping in your food after eating half of it? I doubt it!

sunglassesonthetable · 14/10/2021 09:41

If you stayed the night you need to pay for the room.

@JudgementalCactus

Errr......where do we start ...?

Gonnagetgoing · 14/10/2021 09:45

@girlmom21 - but OP said her issue wasn't with the dirty room, it was not being able to sleep in the room with the fan and then the exit light flashing.

girlmom21 · 14/10/2021 09:48

[quote Gonnagetgoing]@girlmom21 - but OP said her issue wasn't with the dirty room, it was not being able to sleep in the room with the fan and then the exit light flashing.[/quote]
She'd have heard the fan before 1am, but if she'd stuck to her usual standards and refused to stay in a dirty room she wouldn't have stayed the night and therefore wouldn't be accountable for paying for it.

Fink · 14/10/2021 09:56

@Meloncurse

However, an extractor fan outside the building is normal IME, and they were good to move you in the middle of the night. Ditto the emergency exit light. They're completely normal parts of staying in a hotel.

I've never stayed in a hotel with an emergency exit light inside the room.

I've stayed in plenty. We went for a UK tour last May half term and 4 of the 5 rooms (in 5 different hotels, not that we took 5 rooms in one hotel) had an emergency exit light over the main door in the room. Mostly they didn't flash, just stayed glowing green, but they were all there.
StarlightLady · 14/10/2021 10:03
  1. Ask to speak to the duty manager and explain the problem saying that you do not think the payment is appropriate taking all things into account.
  1. If they still insist on payment, pay, but state you are “not content” and that you are “making the payment in protest”.
  1. Ask for a copy of their complaints policy and, if it is a chain hotel, take it up with their head office.

Good luck!