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.

Something as important as not getting the full allocation of meals being booked should not be hidden in small print and T&C. It should be written in normal sized print and highlighted at the point of booking. Not hidden away.

Completely agree, plus if it’s an additional cost for Christmas Day surely they’re missing out not upselling that at the point of booking?

Absolutely cancel.

That is completely ridiculous.

Twitter is your friend here. If you don't get anywhere with calls/email raise it (politely) on twitter.

What does full board mean then? Surely they can squeeze one person in if you’re a guest and they screwed up?

Complain and cancel if necessary.

Jeez. Surely they can squeeze in an extra table and chair? Email the manager and explain you’re a regular customer and a mis understanding has occurred.

You've booked full board so they have to cater for you. That's very poor of them.
I'd email them and ask how they intend to fulfil the full board contract you have with them.

Of course they can squeeze one more in. It's not like it's tomorrow and they don't have enough food.
Complain a lot.

I would be more than disapointed and would cancel
For that money I would expect 3 nice meals and some champagne!
How can they sell full board and then say 'Sorry no food'?

thats not full board then is it even if they do end up giving you christmas dinner whats that 1pm then theres no food whatsoever

thats shoddy and the price is ridiculous

How the fuck can they refuse you food when you're paying such an exorbitant amount?

I would be cancelling, and booking a travelodge.

Also @Mogs43 how many days is this £1500 for, and what hotel is it, and what town or city? That is insanely expensive.

@Mogs43

This is ridiculous and totally unreasonable of the hotel.

I would be kicking off about this big time. You have booked and paid for full board. Ergo that means every day of your stay, including Christmas Day.

If they are now saying you can't have food on Christmas Day, they are in breach of contract. If they don't back down, I'd be asking for compensation too.

I suspect once you start talking about breach of contract and compensation, they will suddenly realise there has been "a misunderstanding" and find food for you.

I agree with everyone else; you've been treated very poorly and the owner/manager should have to respond to this.

If places needed to be booked for Christmas Day, which I can understand if their restaurant is open to all and some of their guests will have Christmas dinner with family/friends in the area, then they needed to flag that when you booked and signed up then. They also needed to alert you to the fact that there would be no breakfast.

Of course if they had you wouldn’t have booked.

That is shocking service. You need to complain vociferously about it.

They screwed up.

Full board for X days means all meals provided. I'm guessing "full board for every day except Christmas day" wouldn't sell that well.

Call and tell them they are in breach of contact and you are cancelling.

This is shocking!

Care to name the hotel?

That's truly awful OP and I wonder how many other hotel guests have not been told they won't be betting any breakfast or lunch on Christmas Day. Full board means full board!

Speak to the hotel manager. If there is no resolution, cancel. They have royally screwed this up for their customers. Not good. At all.

Thank you all so much for your very helpful and supportive comments- I am grateful. I wasn't sure if I was being overly sensitive/picky/should have anticipated something like this sooner.

I have checked all the information that they sent over when I booked and it wasn't mentioned anywhere. Fortunately the terms and conditions say that I can get a full refund as long as I cancel at least 24 hours before I am due to stay.

I thought I would email the hotel manager and see if they can help - it is a nice hotel and the staff have previously been very good but I know there is a high turnover /they are under lots of pressure. Hopefully they can put it right. Some of you kindly suggested that they may be able to provide the lunch in my room which I thought would be great. I will suggest that and see if they have any other ideas. I will also start looking at alternative hotels just in case....

Thanks again for everyones help. Fingers crossed it can be resolved!

I would go back and ask them what they include in 'full board'.

If you are going to cancel and I would have a look at some of the single/solo holiday companies.
You'll be with a group of solo travellers and can dip in and out when you want.
All your meals will be catered for and usually have evening entertainment, sometimes a dance other times a quiz.
They have UK or holidays abroad for Christmas and New Year.

Here's a link to 2 of them I would recommend there are more available.

www.friendshiptravel.com/
www.solosholidays.co.uk/

The Christmas lunch part of I can understand, rubbish as it is. The restaurant probably won’t be big enough to sit all guests staying in the hotel.

But to say they aren’t serving any breakfast is an absolute disgrace. I’d be cancelling on that basis alone.

Not being able to get into the restaurant at a hotel I’m staying at is a big bugbear of mine.

How bizarre of them - find elsewhere then cancel.

@LittleDandelionClock

Also *@Mogs43 how many days is this £1500 for, and what hotel is it, and what town or city? That is insanely* expensive.

OP says it’s for a week, so for full board I actually think that’s pretty cheap, particularly over Christmas.

The problem is they’re not providing full board!