Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Hotel called me unreasonable!

141 replies

YorkshirePuddingsGreatestFan · 03/09/2023 08:49

I’m going to an evening event with my daughter that should finish by 10pm. Looked on booking.com and found a hotel 10 mins walk away. We should be back at the hotel and in bed by 11pm so I’ll get a decent nights sleep before driving home the next morning. Booked and paid for the room on a cheaper non-refundable advance rate.

About 20 minutes later, the hotel messaged me with a generic message saying they often hold functions on Friday and Saturday evenings so there might be loud music playing until 12.30am. I messaged back and asked if they had a function booked on the Friday evening I had booked to stay.

A lady from the hotel rang me and confirmed there is a birthday party booked on the night we were staying. She explained the music curfew is 12.30am so by the time people drink up and leave the party, it’s usually quiet by 1am.

I said that wouldn’t work for me as I want to go to sleep earlier than that and asked to cancel. She refused the cancellation as it’s a non-refundable rate but said they would move the booking to a date when they don’t have a function as a goodwill gesture. I explained that we need a room that night after an event.

She asked what it was and I explained and said we were looking to sleep from 11pm. She pointed out we were going to be out for most of the party and would only be disturbed for two hours. She said I was being unreasonable as it’s reasonable to put up with two hours of disturbance during an overnight stay.
I disagreed and I never would have booked it if I had known there would be loud noise until 1am and asked to cancel again.

I was told it was my fault for booking a non-refundable rate through booking.com. I am being unreasonable as the hotel has been courteous enough to tell me about the party in advance and it’s not their fault that I’m incredibly precious about noise. She refused to refund and said there was nothing further the hotel could do.

I rang booking.com who agreed with me and cancelled it with a full refund.

It’s the hotel that was being unreasonable not me isn’t it?

OP posts:
continentallentil · 03/09/2023 11:45

OhYetAnotherBrickInTheWall · 03/09/2023 08:57

I think you are the unreasonable one here. It’s a hotel - they often have functions and some noise is to be expected.

Don’t be daft - I stay in hotels a couple times a week - they don’t all have late night events, and many of those that do are big enough that they have plenty of rooms away from noise.

It’s not unreasonable for a guest to want a quiet room, and if they may not be able to provide it, they need to put a note to check on their booking site.

GCAcademic · 03/09/2023 11:46

Anyport · 03/09/2023 11:38

You booked a room at the cheapest price and didn't ask any questions. That is on you.

The whole point of a hotel room is to be able to sleep in it. That's a basic expectation. If there is any reason that can't happen, it's on the hotel to tell guests and accommodate refunds or alternatives.

DatumTarum · 03/09/2023 11:47

OhYetAnotherBrickInTheWall · 03/09/2023 08:57

I think you are the unreasonable one here. It’s a hotel - they often have functions and some noise is to be expected.

Hotels are for primarily for sleeping in.

If guests can't do that, they should get a refund.

Lucy202 · 03/09/2023 11:51

No i would be annoyed, i think it depends on what you have booked the hotel for, like you say you want a decent night sleep & if thats your reason & thats being disruptive from a party being held in the hotel then yes your within your rights not to want to stay there. You knew this info after the booking not before. Your being refunded by booking.com so its neither here or there but for your own moral beliefs yes you are correct. Ive chosen hotels many times because we are travelling early the next day to be closer to an airport or something. Sometimes ive gone to sleep at 5 in the evening to be up at 2am & not want to be tired for it. Even at 5 when its a reasonable time to be noisy it would get on my nerves lol

rookiemere · 03/09/2023 12:03

I'm confused as to why else you would book a hotel room unless for sleeping in.
Unless it's somewhere you can rent by the hour .

Viviennemary · 03/09/2023 12:11

The hotel is in the wrong here.Too annoying.

Proudgypsy · 03/09/2023 12:15

I agree with others that there is clearly an issue with guests being able to hear noise from the rooms which is not normal for a hotel with a function room.

I'm amazed you not only managed to speak with booking.com on the phone, but also got a refund! They're notoriously bad for things like that.

AngelAurora · 03/09/2023 12:21

YABU, it's a hotel, they of course have events going on. If you wanted an early night you should of booked a private apartment.

ZiriForEver · 03/09/2023 12:23

It is hotel's responsibility to manage what they can provide.

If the function means they can't accommodate other guests (without excessive noice), they need to take the rooms out of the offering .

I don't know what they wanted to achieve by sending the email. Either they see a problem, so they should be ready to cancel the booking and return money, or they claim it is reasonable noise, so why they bother emailing...

sleepyscientist · 03/09/2023 12:26

It's depends on the hotel country manor I would expect it to be rather quite after around midnight (usual drink up time) city centre anything goes as you have people coming back from nights out etc just take ear plugs if it bothers you

DatumTarum · 03/09/2023 12:30

AngelAurora · 03/09/2023 12:21

YABU, it's a hotel, they of course have events going on. If you wanted an early night you should of booked a private apartment.

Why do hotels have bedrooms?

foulksmills · 03/09/2023 12:32

Cancel the cheque hotel room OP!

Lweji · 03/09/2023 12:33

Even Booking.com agreed with you. Not sure why you are asking.

Lweji · 03/09/2023 12:35

AngelAurora · 03/09/2023 12:21

YABU, it's a hotel, they of course have events going on. If you wanted an early night you should of booked a private apartment.

If they hold events, they should not be so noisy as to disturb the guests.
Or they should have warned in advance, or they should offer a free cancellation.

mydogisthebest · 03/09/2023 12:40

I have never had a decent nights sleep in a hotel unless I wear earplugs. There are always people coming back early hours of the morning slamming doors, talking at the tops of their voices etc.

Ampharos · 03/09/2023 12:43

If it was me I would have asked for the room furthest away from the noise and just ordered some food to eat while it was still noisy, then went to sleep around half 12/1. Even if you had to be up at 6am that’s still 5h sleep, and then I would have just took a nap when I got home.

I wouldn’t have seen this as a big deal at all. But you’ve got your refund in the end so not sure what the point of the thread is?

stillplentyofjunkinthetrunk · 03/09/2023 12:54

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 03/09/2023 09:02

Just ask them for a room rhe furthest from the event, and pack earplugs.

this is on the hotel staff, if the noise is loud enough that they have to call to warn you, the staff member could have said, "oh ok you will be disturbed by the noise, and need to be asleep by 11 I book you in on the third floor where you won't hear anything from the birthday party" the fact that they didn't offer a quiet room would not imply that the hotel is adequately sound proofed and the noise from the functions is heard in all rooms.

Twiglets1 · 03/09/2023 12:54

If I had booked a non refundable room rate I wouldn’t expect to be able to get a free cancellation.
But I’m glad you could because I wouldn’t want to be kept awake past midnight either. The hotel should have a midnight curfew in my opinion out of respect for their other guests.

Nonplusultra · 03/09/2023 12:57

I disagree that hotels are primarily for sleeping; they’re just a refuge from the streets at night. If you get a good night’s sleep too that’s a bonus.

But I agree in principle op.

BungleandGeorge · 03/09/2023 12:57

It’s not the same as having noisy guests or outside noise because a function is wholly within the hotels control. Being disturbed by hotel noise is unreasonable at that late hour, they shouldn’t be selling hotel rooms which people will be unable to sleep in. 12.30 is a very late end time, I haven’t attended a function at a hotel that has ended that late

HauntedPencil · 03/09/2023 13:06

Nonplusultra · 03/09/2023 12:57

I disagree that hotels are primarily for sleeping; they’re just a refuge from the streets at night. If you get a good night’s sleep too that’s a bonus.

But I agree in principle op.

Erm, what?

MarkWithaC · 03/09/2023 13:08

ChaToilLeam · 03/09/2023 09:00

If they are going to offer a non-cancellable rate and then tell you about the events after, then they are unreasonable. They should make that information clear from the start so you have an informed choice.

Not everyone is able to sleep though noise and if you have an early start it’s horrendous.

Agree with this, they need to tell people in advance of booking, especially if they offer non-refundable rates.

MarkWithaC · 03/09/2023 13:08

Moonberri · 03/09/2023 08:52

I think that's very late to have loud music in a hotel. They should warn you at the time of booking.

Although I just stayed in a hotel where the fire alarm went off 3 times in the night and I got 2 hours sleep before a 6 hour drive, and they just shrugged their shoulders and said sorry. Apparently a drunken guest had set it off. So you're never going to be guaranteed a good night's sleep in a hotel.

A fire alarm going off is hardly comparable to a known late-night event Hmm

Crossstich · 03/09/2023 13:13

OhYetAnotherBrickInTheWall · 03/09/2023 08:57

I think you are the unreasonable one here. It’s a hotel - they often have functions and some noise is to be expected.

OP isn't being unreasonable at all. When I go to a hotel I don't expect loud music until the early hours of the morning stopping me from sleeping.
I often stay at hotels to break long car journeys as I can't drive for long stretches at a time. if I don't get a good night's sleep there is no point.
It should have been clear when OP booked. There is no point letting them know after they booked and then saying they couldn't cancel the booking!

Mercurial123 · 03/09/2023 13:17

Nonplusultra · 03/09/2023 12:57

I disagree that hotels are primarily for sleeping; they’re just a refuge from the streets at night. If you get a good night’s sleep too that’s a bonus.

But I agree in principle op.

You are easily pleased if that's your expectation from a hotel.