To think the hotel is in the wrong?

[MiddayMass]

My sister and her husband had their 10 year anniversary party at a local hotel yesterday. They had a free bar on them, £1500 tab.

Dsis was suspicious over some things as tab was sucked dry very quickly and she’d seen people at the bar and yet not with a drink at the table, so she asked for a receipt of everything ordered throughout the night.

It’s turns out somebody (or several people) were buying full bottles directly from the bar. Not just wines but spirits, one cheeky fucker bought an entire bottle of Remy Martin. Others only got chance to have a lime and soda or a coke on the tab before it was sucked up. A few late-arrivals got fuck-all.

Me and Dsis both suspect who the culprits are but we can’t really prove it.

Dsis has spoken to the manager who confirmed that people were buying bottles on the tab (this amazes me, surely it breaks some kind of licensing law) and that they did not see it as a problem as Dsis and her husband never specified that they wanted it limited. Dsis feels it was a given. We’ve also heard from a family friend that one of the bar staff was telling people “You can buy the bottle if you’d like?” when they ordered the same spirit more than once. We feel it was an obvious attempt to suck the tab dry quickly to get people buying drinks again. The bar staff looked barely 18 so I imagine the manager had told them to upsell bottles.

Whilst people were cheeky fuckers, AIBU to think the hotel was in the wrong?

If it were my bar tab I’d insist on seeing the security video for the night and identifying who bought what. They’d have to view it with the security team but they have proof.
Then I’d contact the CF’s and ask where the booze was since it didn’t appear to have been drunk at the table.

But no crime has been committed @TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams, it was a mistake on both sides not to have it clarified
I'd ask my guests if they saw anything but again it would just be hearsay
Lesson learned sadly

There a suspicion the guests took alcohol for consumption off premises, ie. stole from the customer paying the tab.

The hotel may be amenable rather than the inevitable tripadvisor review coming their way.

All the OP wants to do is confirm their suspicions, not press charges

@TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams

There a suspicion the guests took alcohol for consumption off premises, ie. stole from the customer paying the tab.

The hotel may be amenable rather than the inevitable tripadvisor review coming their way.

All the OP wants to do is confirm their suspicions, not press charges

* The Regulations have extended the provisions in the Business and Planning Act 2020 to allow sales of alcohol for consumption off the premises to licensed premises that did not have that permission for a further year from today, to 30 September 2022.*

The above is a temporary extension to the licensing act

So they weren’t breaking the law

The op knows who it was
The op knew he was a twat
Not at all close to the family

So what is she going to achieve by spending her time pushing cctv footage and Analysing and then what - if he’s a twat, he’s not going to be eaten up with guilt or offer to pay!

The lesson just needs to be… don’t invite people who don’t really know or like to a celebration with an open bar.

It was really nice of you to do that for your friends and family. It's such a shame they took full advantage of you. I think in furture I'd say 1st drink free from a select menu. And have a signed contract with the venue. Then if the hotel gives out bottels to your guest then they will have Brocken the contract and you can be refunded. Unfortunately it's happened now. Learn from it.

Complain to the manager that you weren’t given options on how to limit the bar and that bar staff were suggesting bottles. And that you think they were selling fast deliberately. If you don’t get the response you want, a discount, a voucher or whatever I’d go on to their Facebook page and complain or review them badly.

@Anele22

Complain to the manager that you weren’t given options on how to limit the bar and that bar staff were suggesting bottles. And that you think they were selling fast deliberately. If you don’t get the response you want, a discount, a voucher or whatever I’d go on to their Facebook page and complain or review them badly.

Totally this.

If I read a review where someone was complaining that the hotel didn’t stop their scabby private party guest from buying bottles from a free bar tab…

I wouldn’t think badly of the hotel

@Oftenithinkaboutit

If I read a review where someone was complaining that the hotel didn’t stop their scabby private party guest from buying bottles from a free bar tab…

I wouldn’t think badly of the hotel

If I read a review that a hotel sold spirits by the bottle without authorising from the hosts I would book somewhere else.

Ah, different response to reviews then!

But it wouldn’t really be relevant to me anyway as

1. I’d never invite anyone I wasn’t close to to my 10 year wedding celebration party with free bar
2. My friends and family would never ever do this (free bar all night at our wedding. 48 of our nearest and dearest. Not even a whiff of piss taking)

Different emphasis in the review.

@Oftenithinkaboutit

If I read a review where someone was complaining that the hotel didn’t stop their scabby private party guest from buying bottles from a free bar tab…

I wouldn’t think badly of the hotel

That would be my first thought. I expect outfits like hotels to be able to organise and run things professionally, more than I expect individuals to behave decently and not greedily. Or, put another way, it's a professional responsibility to organise and run a free bar with clear discussion and agreement with the people paying the hotel to do so.

Yep.

My over riding response to op
Is to feel sorry for her sister that this tainted such a celebration.

Here’s hoping he’s not invited again!