To feel like I never want to stay in a hotel again

[Betsyhilton]

Just back from what was meant to be a relaxing break in a hotel. We had a loud wedding that went on until the small hours, with wedding guests taking over the lounge the next day; a baby that screamed and cried throughout breakfast while both parents sat there and neither bothered to take him out; and the lounge on the Friday night had a match playing at full volume and was full of non residents drinking and shouting and roaring at the screen.

The last time we took a break in a hotel there was a large conference being held there. They were seated at two long tables in the dining room and the noise was so loud that ourselves and several other tables complained but nothing was done. We also had to put up with loud work related skype calls and phone conversations in the lounge when trying to relax with the morning papers, and an impromptu meeting being held at a table beside us, with more and more people joining in until we felt squeezed out.

We've also had weekends in hotels ruined by loud hen and stag parties.

AIBU to think it's nearly impossible to get a relaxing calm break in a hotel anymore?

On my honeymoon we stayed in a lovely romantic hotel in Italy.

Was kept awake all night by a couple loudly demonstrating the woman's capacity for multiple orgasms. I stopped counting after about eight.

DH slept through the whole thing.

I’m currently in a 5/star hotel abroad w DH & it’s lovely.
barely any children - wouldn’t have brought DCs to a hotel which didn’t have kiddie entertainment - you know what you’re getting in those places, even relatively high star ones
Its not a chain except in its region if that makes sense
there’s bars nearby for matches - it’s not in a posh area but more like a posh hotel in a very touristy place
in the uk I’d def go for smaller boutique types or premier inn if a city break as their beds are so comfy!

I travel a lot and my issue is normally - and certainly the last three trips - that they are too soft!

Yep, you’ve answered your own question there. Smaller country hotels are much nicer than chains and often not much dearer.

I seriously doubt this. 69 quid for 5 star in Ireland.
I really would have to see it to believe it
Fair play if you managed it but I work with 100s of hotels and prices are off the scale.
69e for maybe room only on a wet tue in November in a basic travelodge would be hard to find never mind 5 star.

I was in a Premier Inn at the weekend, I think it was £80 a night and didn't hear a peep. If you told me the rest of the hotel was empty I'd believe you.

YABU because you’ve chosen a cheap family hotel; you get what you pay for. To ensure you can actually relax, choose a hotel that doesn’t hold weddings/parties/functions and doesn’t have a bar/pub inside which shows sport. There are loads of lovely luxury spa type hotels in beautiful areas, but you’d be paying a lot more than £250 for 2 nights B&B.

Another vote for Premier Inn, who also give a quiet night promise or your money back

I've just spent 2 nights in a 4* large chain in Glasgow and it was lovely and peaceful. I had a lovely swim with only one other person in the pool and breakfast was plentiful and relaxed. My room was very comfortable with a bath and shower and really quiet despite the hotel being in the city and a formal ball happening on the Saturday. I generally prefer boutique hotels, however I would happily stay here again.

Yep, Premier Inn have always been very peaceful for me

I also think you’re being unreasonable as you’re clearly booking at the more budget end in chains, as such this stuff goes with it, you should have known they showed sports in the bar, attracted locals and held weddings and events if you’d read reviews and the hotels info.

if that sort of stuff bothers you, then those are not the places for you. The only exception is the baby, babies can pop up anywhere, quite rightly and sometimes they cry.

plenty of hotels offer a different vibe, so just research better next time and not go for the easy option. However a large group can congregate anywhere. Unless you go very high end boutique, but you won’t be getting it for 50 odd quid a night each.

Well, that's lovely for everyone that can afford expensive boutique hotels that don't cater for weddings etc! But surely most people can't, I hate that ordinary things like going somewhere for £125 a night is deemed so paltry and crappy you should basically expect to have a rubbish time and it's your own fault for not having £££ to spend!

I think it is all about other people reasonably sharing space, I’ve had lovely peaceful strays in cheap places (abroad) andgodawful in more expensive (UK mostly)

i always used to book 4 star hotels but got fed up of the kind of stuff described upthread so we tried Premier Inn. We always sleep well and as you say the breakfast is great. They're now our hotel of choice - and we're saving loads of money that we can spend on other things.

there are five star hotels and there are five star hotels. not all of them are the same by any means.

I mean... even the same brand hotels vary wildly.

I've stayed in a range of hotels and I've only had 2 problems (one with a Premier Inn and one with Radisson Blu). Premier Inn eventually gave me a refund but Radisson Blu are ignoring me. I will never stay in a Radisson Blu again.

I've stayed in hotels with wedding parties or that are open to the public and there hasn't been any noise that interfered with our stay.

You need to complain.

Exactly that. Price is a good guide. A £150 room
is very different from a £1500 room.

I think you're staying in the wrong kind of hotels.

Avoid large hotels which are used as venues for functions.

Absolutely...
The only thing that's got me through a shite holiday when people are behaving like arseholes is the consolation that it's giving their neighbours a break.

That's quite cheap.
Unfortunately you get what you pay for

Indeed, hotels should try and make sure everyone has a good experience.

I personally would quite enjoy a big World Cup or whatever fixture being on though and would be there roaring in the bar myself.

What problem did you have with Rasisson Blu? Were staying with them tomorrow

62.50 pppn for 4 star?

Totally resonate with this post… here’s what I have found. This is UK only as we have a house abroad. If I stay away for a romantic break we book the high end 4/5 hotels which effectively price people out of staying there, lovely, good food, fabulous staff - the last one we stayed in had a wedding there the same evening, no bother and the guests were lovely. If we are looking for a bed for the night where we will only be there for sleeping we stay in a premier inn - usually no bar within the hotel and a fabulous bed! Absolutely nothing worse than inconsiderate rude guests, I’d be furious too if I were you.

Unless you go to a boutique hotel that’s totally impossible. The hotel provides the facilities. Rhe type of hotel and what they provide. Having a good experience is down to the individual unless something wrong with the service or facilities.

what will they do, care for the baby to stop it crying, so the parents have a nice time, provide sound proofing barriers for the group to have a good time and the op, provide separate quiet bars and a sports one?

the sort of service you want, the individualistic hands on experience to ensure everyone gets a good experience no matter their needs, comes at a huge cost.