To be disappointed that I may not have lunch on Christmas Day?

[Mogs43]

I have booked to stay a week at a nice hotel over Christmas (my father died so I will be alone). I booked full board , which I never normally do, and it was very expensive (over £1,500) but its a treat after a lousy few months (spent last Christmas alone and pretty depressed/suicidal, so swore to do things differently this year).

Anyway I emailed the hotel to ask if I could see the menu for Lunch on Christmas Day (thought it would be nice to see). Last night they responded saying it was fully booked but they might be. able to add me to the cancellation list. They also said there would be no breakfast or other food available on Christmas Day but bar snacks would be available after 8pm!

I queried why the Reservations Team hadn't mentioned this when I had booked ( we had had a long conversation about my plans - I have stayed in the hotel before and the staff were all very friendly). She said I should have been told - she also confirmed that. there is no fridge in the room so I couldn't buy myself any supplies.

I have had a look for restaurants that might be serving lunch on Christmas Day but those that are open are fully booked. The one exception is another hotel but it is for guests staying at the hotel. I am wondering about whether to change hotels - I do normally like the one that I have booked with (it may be a difficult time so having friendly faces around would be nice and the other hotel is unknown/hasn't got as good reviews ) but I would like a lunch on Christmas Day. AIBU to be disappointed/WWYD? Thank you.

Arrgghhhh. You would not be unreasonable that should have said

Op for that price you have even SWIZZED! Cancel and insist on a full refund. Or your Xmas meal is post 8pm & 6 bags of nuts!!

If you are full board that includes lunch! Call them back and demand to speak with a senior manager, not good enough they accepted your booking

Full board, means full board, not bar snacks after 8pm!

I'd speak to them again. And if they won't accommodate you properly, book elsewhere that will.

Full board means food!
I would find somewhere else first to make sure you can get a booking then cancel on the basis they weren't honest with you. £1,500 is a lot of money just for a bed!

Tell them you’re cancelling if you’re not getting lunch AND a breakfast.

Have a lovely time whatever you do

I agree with everyone else, full board means meals!

Definitely cancel.

On what planet does ‘Full Board’ mean ‘no food until 8pm when you can have a bowl of olives’?

It’s really disappointing when something you booked as a treat becomes a hassle and a dispute but I would be e mailing them quite assertively saying that they need to sort this out very quickly or you will need to cancel with a full refund.

Are there other places with availability?

Do they do room service? That might solve the table issue, and you could relax, enjoy your dinner and thoughts of your Dad in front of a film?

It sounds like you were definitely mis sold. I'd contact them again, if they can't resolve it I would push for a refund and find somewhere else.

Op is it a chain, independent, small boutique chain?
Take it higher, explain your circs. I'm sure they can accommodate one person in their dining room extra.

• who did you speak to? Probably someone who simply doesn't have knowledge or authority I can't imagine a manager responding like that and if it was a manager,,cancel immediately and get a return.

I would do as a pp says, demand a conversation with a senior. Full board means all meals. You are 1 person, however fully booked they are, they can absolutely squeeze you in.

When you booked did you read the terms and conditions/small print? It should say somewhere that Christmas Day is excluded from standard full board and that this is an extra that needs to be booked and paid for separately.

If you can find somewhere else book it then cancel this reservation. Make sure that the new booking includes everything you want including Christmas Day.

If they manage to fit you in on xmas day will there be an extra charge for lunch? I presume the restaurant is open to non residents on the day otherwise there wouldn't be an issue.

Apart from the obvious fact that if you booked full board you should be getting all of your meals included; how can they be fully booked? Surely the dining room should have sufficient capacity to accommodate all hotel guest.

Even a B&B would provide breakfast!

I would cancel, the whole thing is absurd.

With full board over Christmas, I would have assumed that I'd be provided with Christmas dinner and also breakfast and an evening meal! How can they not provide any food all day?! To be honest, if a hotel can not provide food for a whole day, Christmas or not, I wouldn't be staying there. How bizarre! Will you get all your money back?

@WestendVBroadway

Apart from the obvious fact that if you booked full board you should be getting all of your meals included; how can they be fully booked? Surely the dining room should have sufficient capacity to accommodate all hotel guest.

The restaurant will be open to non residents too, sounds like they’ve booked all the tables out to people who aren’t staying before offering the slots to guests who should get priority.

That's very poor on their part Op and shocking customer service! I'd book the other hotel with lunch.

Miserly pricks.

Just kick up a massive fuss, say this is ridiculous, below expectations, so disappointed etc etc. You are one person, of course they can squeeze you in somewhere

Are they really suggesting that they won't be serving breakfast for any of their Christmas residential guests ? I worked in hotels for a long time and I've never ever heard any nonsense like that.
You won't get another hotel that is worth staying in this close to Christmas. Ask to speak to the front of house manager and ask them how they intend to resolve the situation given that you have booked full board Christmas package and as such should automatically have been allocated a table for all meals.

They've fucked up here. The obvious solution is for them to ring someone who's booked to come for lunch and say they're so sorry, there's been a mistake but they can't come, and give you the table they would have used. Any sane business would surely rather do that than lose your hotel booking and the much higher amount of money - I'd be astonished if they didn't. But if they don't arrange things, I would absolutely cancel. It would be miserable not facing anything to eat all day on Christmas Day (or any day!) and so completely against the point of the entire trip! You're not at all being unreasonable to kick up a fuss about this, it's a perfectly reasonable thing to expect.

Given the timeframe OP, you might consider instead an Airbnb apartment and book at a nearby restaurant.

Even if no physical table in the restaurant is possible the hotel should be able to manage a room service Christmas lunch and something for breakfast and dinner. I can't see any reason the kitchen couldn't manage one more for Christmas lunch. YANBU to expect full board to mean all meals are included. If the full board excluded Christmas day this should have been made very clear to you.