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?

Just bad luck, I've never experienced this ever and stay in hotels at least a few weekends a year in the U.K.

5 star hotels or expensive 4 star tend to be more serene, also check if there's going to be a wedding. We actually got given champagne invited to the evening do at a hotel that was hosting a wedding, couldn't here anything from our room

Just don't stay at the hotel near Legoland heaving with kids, I had an early flight out if Heathrow (it was lots cheaper than airport hotels)

Tbh I've visited a few cities lately like London as cheaply as I could so I've got used to bad rooms.

Last hotel I was in had a big noisey industrialy fan vent right outside the room and it was so hot I had to sleep with the window open. Overlooking courtyard surrounded by other rooms doing the same and little shed things meaning anyone could have crawled out one window in through mine.

The kettle didn't fit in the sink to fill it. The towels smelled awful. The underground passed nearby making the bed shake in a weird way that made you feel sick. And reception was right outside so I could hear every check in.

But by night 2 I was so knackered that I slept through everything anyway. I don't think I'd expect to relax in a hotel tbh. But then, I just use them as bases to sightsee.

I disagree, a premier inn has great sound proofing and no functions.

Don’t you look at the hotel website to see what sort of business they cater to? If they do weddings and large functions then there’s a good chance there will be one when you’re there, the same goes for conferences, you’re booking the wrong hotel for your requirements, your fault, yes it’s unreasonable.

Sounds like you are booking big hotels, try booking smaller boutique hotels then they won't host conferences or weddings. Boutique hotels have much smaller number of rooms so generally can assume less guests = less noise!

It's the sports on the screens that says it all really, plenty of hotels don't have screens - period

Booking.com, never anything rated below 4 on there and trip advisor. I prefer self catering purely for additional privacy and space.

Choose your hotels better. Read the reviews. There are lots of hidden gems out there.

I hear you! This is why I prefer.to air BnB a whole property. Multiple rooms and no massive overcharge for a bit of breakfast. Most importantly no drunk people making huge amounts of noise.

There’s nothing worse than arriving at a hotel to find a massive, rowdy wedding going on. It completely ruins the stay for everyone else.

Soundproofing is now one of the things I check for in reviews. I have had a few too many disturbed nights due to slammed fire doors, people talking loudly in corridors etc. premier inn may be basic but they have generally cracked sound proofing in a way that others could learn from.

They left their young kids in the hotel? Omg I'd call police

I've literally never experienced this!

I have stayed in many hotels with work over the years and a lot of times at my own expense too. I would say the majority of my stays are trouble / complaint free.

I take care with my choices, for example it is pretty obvious which hotels are set up to host weddings, so if I am considering such a hotel then I check if there is one on before making a decision. I have never encountered a stag or hen party in a hotel, but as you are booking a budget package then you are more likely to encounter it.

Premier inn can cost more than that....and that's budget so it doesn't tell us much.
Definitely the type of hotels you are booking. There's loads out there that are relaxing

I can recommend a small, family run, (mostly)adults only hotel

I loathe hotels. If it's big enough to have a function room and bar, then it has to be massive before you are disturbed by it. I recently stayed in a hotel at heathrow that fit this bill, but any quaint little thing is not sound proofed and is potentially awful, so i won't risk it.

Some of my best hotel stays have been in those roadside hotels for travellers in America on the big interstates where the accommodation was just for sleeping.

While they aren't luxurious I think you can't really go wrong with a Premier Inn.

The noisiest place I stayed at was the Caledonian Hotel in Jesmond. There was a hen party going on in the bedroom next to mine. It was during the hot weather last year and the hotel doesn't have aircon. The street outside was too noisy to leave the window open and it was too stuffy to leave the window closed.

I stayed at a four star hotel and spa and paid almost £650 for bed and breakfast for two nights and two spa treatments. Following the lovely treatments they suggested we relax in the spa.
Well there were kids all over the spa. Jumping and screaming in the pool, in the jacuzzi and opening the steam room doors. There were notices saying children could only go in part of the swimming pool. No one took any notice. Couldn't hear ourselves think let alone relax.
We complained and the spa staff were really embarrassed and said to come back in the adult only times (although no one said that when we booked our treatments). They were not convenient times as we also had other activities booked in the location.
At dinner some kids set off a fire alarm in one of the corridors and everyone had to stand out in the rain.
I complained to the duty manager and got a free drink. Left a bad review as did several others from the same weekend. The manager replied saying they were becoming adult only so please come back again, and that they tried their best but parents took no responsibility for their children's behaviour (we also witnessed those).
I won't go back because I wasted so much money

We have had a few amusing experiences.

At one expensive boutique hotel in the Scottish highlands we had to listen to a protracted argument between a drunken woman and man in the next room - it was actually quite interesting and seemed to be related to him not being over his exw, staff were far too lily livered to go up and sort it out for quite a while. Then in Lytham a woman having very noisy sex in the room next door, no sounds from partner- was quite amusing as we were just back from festival.

You can't guarantee no noise, but you can read tripadvisor reports and bring earplugs.

I think the telling factor here is the price. We’ve just paid £274 for two nights in a Premier Inn for a wedding, no meals.

I avoid hotels as much as possible because of this. Doesn’t always correlate but you don’t tend to get this sort of thing in 5* hotels. That being said I’d far rather stay in a villa any day. No disturbances then from anyone, although appreciate this isn’t possible in city centres. Read trip advisor reviews before booking though.

Yeah the last time we had a night away in a nice spa hotel, the swimming pool and jacuzzi were filled with children screaming and we were kept up until 1am, again with children running up and down the corridors screaming

every time I’ve been to a spa hotel it’s been no under 16s

would not go if not that guarantee