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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Ropey B&B

59 replies

tapastastic · 04/12/2021 23:41

Hi

I've travelled 1.5 hours to Loughborough on the premise of a Christmas market

Well in short the "Christmas market"
Was on a par with a normal market, nothing handmade or quirky

Arrived at a 9.5 accommodation at 2pm (Booking.com)
Was told "owners are away"

However due back imminently.

Was 7pm, ran shower...stone cold,
Waited for it to warm up 1/2 hour still stone cold

Called owners on 2 mobiles and landline all voicemail

Said property is 9 rooms and full

Knocked on private quarters twice across 45 mins ..... no answer,
In short it's like a ghost town here and now 11.30 at night.
Also WiFi not working!

I've stopped my card as £60 is unacceptable as I can't shower or watch anything other than basic TV

No one has returned my calls from hours ago....
AIBU to have stopped payment given that there's been no one here for 7+ hours and what if there were (god forbid, a fire or flood?)

Is it reasonable for a 9 bedroom B&B to be full and the owners be away!!

OP posts:
Original poster
tapastastic · 05/12/2021 04:08

@DeadoftheMoon

Some B&Bs are unmanned, so owner absence shouldn't be a problem. £60 is really cheap - expectations have to adjust accordingly. Hot water is a must, though. When there was no hot water in my room at Dun Laoghaire, the hotel refunded the full cost of my stay. I had to argue for it - they tried telling me that as I'd had hot water when I had stayed there two years previously, that should be enough!
Bloody hell! Reviews read like owners can't do enough etc, What of there's a fire or flood, power cut etc, I couldn't rest easy with 9 occupied rooms and no one on site, I popped local Tesco express and held door open for a family with 2 kids!
OP posts:
CloudyStorms · 05/12/2021 04:10

Sounds like more of a roof over your head place than a holiday experience. Hot water is essential so yanbu.

Original poster
tapastastic · 05/12/2021 04:12

@CloudyStorms

Sounds like more of a roof over your head place than a holiday experience. Hot water is essential so yanbu.
Yeah I'm chalking this one up to experience!
OP posts:
Happymum12345 · 05/12/2021 04:42

The only problem is a cold shower & no WiFi? You should pay something.

Original poster
tapastastic · 05/12/2021 04:46

@Happymum12345

The only problem is a cold shower & no WiFi? You should pay something.
I'm going to...
OP posts:
belimoo · 05/12/2021 04:50

Sorry you've had a shit time op. Could you travel to the Christmas market in Nottingham tomorrow?

ThinWomansBrain · 05/12/2021 04:54

It could be worse - many years ago (pre internet & tripadvisor) a group of friends & I stayed in a grotty b&B.
One of the beds in my room had wet (with wee) sheets
We were all kept awake by a couple shouting and screaming at each other all night.
When we were served breakfast, the shouting couple were the ones preparing it, trying to make like nothing had happened through the night.
A few months later, we read that one of the couple had murdered or attempted to murder the other.

Original poster
tapastastic · 05/12/2021 05:00

@ThinWomansBrain

It could be worse - many years ago (pre internet & tripadvisor) a group of friends & I stayed in a grotty b&B. One of the beds in my room had wet (with wee) sheets We were all kept awake by a couple shouting and screaming at each other all night. When we were served breakfast, the shouting couple were the ones preparing it, trying to make like nothing had happened through the night. A few months later, we read that one of the couple had murdered or attempted to murder the other.
Jesus H My situation is tame compared to that!
OP posts:
Original poster
tapastastic · 05/12/2021 05:01

@belimoo

Sorry you've had a shit time op. Could you travel to the Christmas market in Nottingham tomorrow?
I'm considering that, can't be any crapper than today right! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
OP posts:
Roseandgeranium · 05/12/2021 05:08

Really sorry this happened to you but thanks for making me chuckle about thermal socks during an interminable toddler wake-up/new. baby night feed combo.
YANBU

Original poster
tapastastic · 05/12/2021 05:10

@Roseandgeranium

Really sorry this happened to you but thanks for making me chuckle about thermal socks during an interminable toddler wake-up/new. baby night feed combo. YANBU
Oh yikes! I've been there, I promise it gets easier xx
OP posts:
cate16 · 05/12/2021 05:19

@ThinWomansBrain

It could be worse - many years ago (pre internet & tripadvisor) a group of friends & I stayed in a grotty b&B. One of the beds in my room had wet (with wee) sheets We were all kept awake by a couple shouting and screaming at each other all night. When we were served breakfast, the shouting couple were the ones preparing it, trying to make like nothing had happened through the night. A few months later, we read that one of the couple had murdered or attempted to murder the other.
This wasn't in Edinburgh was it? Sound like a place we went to, although we walked out it was so bad!
StarlightLady · 05/12/2021 05:39

OP - It’s time to put a written complaint into Booking and write your own reviews. I hope you have the opportunity for another break.

Holidaytan · 05/12/2021 05:51

As far as I can see, all Xmas markets across the country are the same.
I’ve lived in lots of different places and they all have the same cheese (that you can get from most large supermarkets with a wax cover), the beeswax candles, the wooden nick nacks…….. all identical, so I’m convinced the stalls are franchises, otherwise why would they be the same in all different cities?

Ellen888 · 05/12/2021 06:17

@Pieminster

Birmingham has a decent Christmas market . Not helpful, I know.

Is this going to be like an episode of 4 in a Bed and you pay what you think it's worth?

Grin Grin

Seriously though, you were quite in order to stop payment on the card.

Don't forget to leave a 1* review on Trip Advisor......

pinkdoors · 05/12/2021 06:32

OP if it's any consolation we stayed in a chalet a few months ago which did not live up to expectations and similarly had no hot water. We had already paid in advance but when I contacted booking to tell them we got a full refund straight away.

beardeddragon174 · 05/12/2021 06:37

I am invested OP! I am hoping they will appear and serve you a 5 star fry up.

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 05/12/2021 06:42

Just go home. You're awake anyway. You could have a lovely day at home in the warm. You're only an hour and a half away - at this time you could probably be home in an hour.

ThinWomansBrain · 05/12/2021 07:19

It was in Slough :)

twilightcafe · 05/12/2021 09:33

Honest review (with photos) on TripAdvisor.

MLMshouldbeillegal · 05/12/2021 09:36

Interested to hear if the owners reappeared to make breakfast. There's nothing worse than really looking forward to a break away and being stuck somewhere truly awful.

HollyChristmas · 05/12/2021 09:50

A few years ago we were travelling from Scotland to down South . Booked a nice looking B&B in Derbyshire for an overnighter . When we arrived it had a For Sale sign outside . Turns out the previous owners had gone and it was being looked after by the B&B next door who was still running their own own as well . Once we'd been given the key to our room we were left to get on with it. The room was clean but not spotless, a bit dusty and unloved looking. Breakfast was a rushed affair , quite early in the morning as he wanted to get back to his to do their breakfast .

FAQs · 05/12/2021 09:52

For next year... Lincoln, York, Birmingham, Nottingham all have lovely Christmas markets.

MrMrsJones · 05/12/2021 09:56

I hope you have met the owners and are having a slap up breakfast

InTheNameOfAllThatIsHonest · 05/12/2021 10:41

And I usually trust Tripadvisor...