Hotel lost my children in booking

[Itsalwaysmeyaknow]

AIBU or should they apologise properly? Long I know but it has all the facts…
as a family we recently visited a moderately priced hotel chain near London for 3 nights… booked as 2 adults, 2 children. All booked, double checked the confirmation email, all good. I called weeks ahead to enquire about car park to be told it would be sorted on arrival. Well we didn’t arrive until just before midnight (5 hour drive for us) and car park was locked (fair enough) but a well weathered sign over the intercom saying car park full… panicking a bit I called the hotel, they said they’d check and hung up. A bit confused I called again where they hung up again… a couple of minutes of waiting a member of staff arrived complaining we hadn’t pre booked parking, I explained what I was told previously but he looked annoyed. He checked the car park and let us in (loads of space I might add) and said quite sternly I must pay for parking right away. QR code located to pay for car parking, it would let you progress so far… then error. Tried again, error. So headed to check in where I mentioned the car park as to where another employee pulled out his phone, bought up the app, waved it at me saying what was my problem? It works! I explained you had to progress further through the booking in to which he realised I was actually in fact correct and backed down. Eventually the original staff member then processed my car park manually through the computer. Next problem, booking in seemed to take ages… bear in mind it was now after midnight, a very tired hubby and children, all hanging around in the lobby. Finally got our key, top floor, headed up, no children’s bed or bedding. So back down 10 floors to the lobby and asked the staff why my children’s beds weren’t set up and no bedding, to which his reply was “you only booked a room for 2 adults madam”. Being on the ball I whipped out my phone and showed him my email clearly showing 2 adults and 2 children. He analysed it and then backed down and said he would get some bedding. So at 12.30 am I’m in our hotel room pulling out a sofa bed and making up beds for my kids who were at this point absolutely shattered. Had a weak apology from the staff member who was helping but still felt like he thought I was trying to diddle them. This problem then arose every morning at breakfast and we were being eyeballed for having two children with us when the booking was for only two adult breakfasts. I did question the booking again midway through our break because I was fed up of getting embarrassed in front of staff and other guests having to prove each time that this was not our error, and was told it was a technical glitch. The response from the hotel was extremely limited and offered us preferential accommodation and breakfast on our next visit (this was a once in a blue moon thing for us, definitely no more trips planned for a while)…. But that’s not what I want.. I just want an actual apology for being made to feel the way my family did whilst there. AIBU?

YANBU. We had a similar experience in London about a month ago and I wondered if it was the same hotel but I’m pretty sure ours didn’t have a car park (we went down on the train so not sure). DD’s bed also wasn’t made and no bedding anywhere, when I rang to ask for some we were kicked out of the room as not only “only housekeeping can make the beds” but also we couldn’t be in the room while it happened. One of many, many things that went wrong. At least our lot was apologetic, never had so many free drinks in my life.

Arriving at midnight is irrelevant, if anything it gave them more time to do the children’s beds. Why when you first flagged it up didn’t they edit it on their system.
Was it a double tree?

Unless it is a little boutique hotel then there’s no way arriving at 12am should be an issue at a central London hotel. Having living in London and stayed in many London hotels it really is a 24 hour city accommodation wise unless you are dealing with a genuinely small and boutique establishment. I’d get a meeting with the hotel manager and explain this. I’m not a confrontational person at all but I draw the line at hotels and business like this having bad service.

Also, if it is a bigger hotel chain like a Hilton, get on social media (twitter/X) and give them a breakdown of what has happened. Public shaming usually gets you a quick resolution with these larger chains!!

It was me and the staff member from reception making beds and the only free drinks we got was a couple of bottles of water because the room was insanely hot on arrival and I think the staff member thought we could do with a glass of water.

Not a double tree? But apparently they could only add the children on in a comments box but I was told “that doesn’t show up anywhere and no one ever looks in that box” (staff words not mine)

Big chain hotel, comes under the accord hotels… definitely not a boutique hotel. Due to the time I knew we would be travelling I thought best to stick to a big 24 hour kinda place.

In which case definitely take this up with head office if you haven’t been suitable compensated / apologised to. You’re not swindling a little company out of any money, it is the principle when it comes to these kind of things.

I think the reason she was doing it at 12:30 was because they hadn’t set up the room recording to her booking?

Sure - but it's worth letting the hotel know if you're checking jn late, because there just isn't the same coverage on the night shift.

every time you had eyes looking at you and other guests making faces in their little groups as if to say “she’s trying to pull a fast one” really, @Itsalwaysmeyaknow ? The beds and parking thing sounds annoying but I can't imagine feeling embarrassed about the hotel's mistake? Surely you just show them the email the first time and then ask front desk/management to make sure that records are updated.

Did you complain during your stay or afterwards?

So they made up your beds but left the children's beds unmade each day?! That's appalling!

That’s exactly right.

The breakfast every morning was the embarrassing bit… queue of families waiting to get a table for brekkie and I’m there bringing up emails on my phone to prove to staff and supervisor staff that my children ARE on the booking (and yes, they checked my email each time) and on the second morning was when I went to the reception to see why my children still hadn’t been added to be told they could only add them to the comments box and couldn’t fully amend the booking.

I had a a similar problem with a hotel booking for one of our new graduates who travelled out of area. It was a crap journey no thanks to Virgin rail, so between that and the sheer attitude of the staff, she ended up incredibly distressed. I complained (being the team PA), our UK travel team complained and we also got AmEx, who the booking was paid though, to complain.

They grovelled after the event and offered a freebie which unsurprisingly she didn't want. After that I made sure we never booked with that hotel again. For anyone.

Been in the same situation as the disabled poster, a few times with Premier Inn. The main cause being that you cannot call the actual hotel directly to run the booking past them. You cannot call only call their call centre so of course when they check the booking it makes no difference. You need to speak to the staff in the actual hotel but that’s seemingly impossible

I'd really like to know the name so that I can avoid.

Sounds like lousy service, I’m sorry. Unfortunately I find most chains look at how often you stay with them or their partners when deciding how to respond when you raise issues. I’d probably write a bad review and move on.

Re: the late arrival - I’m a frequent traveler and will almost always call ahead (during the afternoon shift) if I’m going to be arriving late and remind of any room needs or just letting a small or rural place know when to expect me. Yes they should ideally already have it taken care of already but when it’s late my priority is a smooth & fast check-in. If there are booking issues then the day shift (which usually has a manager on hand) can resolve them on their end without me standing there looking tired and impatient and housekeeping is often still on shift to help. Once I got into the habit of doing that it made my travel life so much less frustrating.

I stayed in an Accord hotel with a friend and my teenage DD. We booked a superior room as a treat. After a long day travelling we get to the room and it doesn't look the same as booked, the desk confirms it is correct. Anyway we carry on with our weekend away. Back home and I check the booking against the room we had and we had been downgraded. I contacted the hotel directly with my disappointment and they offered points with a value of £100.

The whole thing was magnified because you were all exhausted after a very long journey after a day at work/school.

YANBU- honestly the number of people saying you should have done X or Y is ridiculous. You booked a hotel using their system and had the right to expect that the room would be what you booked- or better. The parking fiasco is also down to the hotel. It doesn't matter that you arrived late. If they screw up and you take it badly because you're tired that's down to them not you. You do not have to accept poor service and they should not get away with providing it.

Sounds like my experience with Sofitel right down to the parking and no communication about how to book this. I was so disappointed, wish I had booked a premier inn!

That is really really bad - sorry you had this experience!

Lovely. Incompetent AND racist. Please name them OP. I have kids and I am not white. I never want to stay in that place. If they lost my booking they'd probably try to pretend it's because English is not MY first language.

The phone no and email address of the individual hotel is on their confirmation email.

My mum can only walk short distances and can't do stairs. She doesn't need an accessible room, but does need one on the ground floor and closest to reception. I usually phone and they've always been helpful - the hardest part is usually getting someone to answer the phone.

It was a hotel under the accord hotels - still waiting to hear back from head office but if I feel like they haven’t taken my comments onboard and striving to not let it happen to another family then I will be directly naming and shaming and leaving a review on their page for all to see.