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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Work trip - no food in hotel!

331 replies

Boxingshibes · 13/07/2025 20:27

I'm way for work for the week. I'm staying in a hotel in the middle of nowhere. It took me 4 hours to get here in v hot trains.
Room and hotel lovely but I went down to the bar/ restaurant and asked about dinner- to be told as they have an event on the kitchen is closed.
They offered me a free drink but apologised and said unfortunately there are no takeaways that deliver.
I'm on a meal allowance. I'm pissed off!
And I'm having to pay £200 for taxis for the. Grr
I'm hot hungry and annoyed. Aibu?

OP posts:
Sidebeforeself · 14/07/2025 13:47

TheAutumnCrow · 14/07/2025 13:44

Most of all, it let the school down.

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Snort!

butterpuffed · 14/07/2025 13:49

Missanimosity · 14/07/2025 12:31

But...5 miles to the nearest town is... 5 minutes if you drive with 60mph or 10 minutes if you drive with 30mph. I still don't understand how taxi amounts to £200? I pay £100 for airport that is 65 miles away.

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OP means taxis there and back for the wèek are £200 .

vickylou78 · 14/07/2025 14:11

Delphiniumandlupins · 14/07/2025 12:29

You think every hotel in Wiltshire is within walkable distance of a pub, garage or shop (open on a Sunday evening)?

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No I meant surely somewhere can be reached by taxi!

Ambergrasswashingbasket800 · 14/07/2025 14:41

I just think OP can cancel the cheque.

Howmanycatsistoomany · 14/07/2025 14:59

Molecule · 14/07/2025 13:06

But the £200 is for a week’s worth of journeys to and from the barracks where she’s working. Not one taxi ride to the nearest takeaway. And getting a taxi in a rural area on a Sunday night can be near on impossible. And she’s short of money so hadn’t budgeted for a taxi and takeaway.

The villain in all this is the utterly unhelpful hotel.

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And the employer that doesn't provide company credit card/cash for an employee travelling for work.

It's really unfair of any employer to assume that employees have the funds for things like this.

OP can't you ask your employer to pay the taxi firm direct? And not much help for this trip but can you insist that they get you a company credit card for future trips (or at the very least, a cash advance)? In the meantime, do the hotel provide fruit or those individual boxes of cereal at breakfast, anything like that? I'd be doing a Ross from Friends and going home with a suitcase full.

Donttellempike · 14/07/2025 15:02

Missanimosity · 14/07/2025 12:45

OP with the risk of sounding like a "Karen" (sorry Karens) I would talk to the manager. Is unacceptable to cancel dinner without warning and not provide you with alternative. Theay have an obligation to provide you with meal, they can make the trip into town themselves to put this right for you.

Stick your misogynistic tripe

grumpygrape · 14/07/2025 15:04

Livingthebestlife · 14/07/2025 12:45

Her taxis for the week are 200.00. she pays it upfront then claims it back.

The cost of a return taxi last night to try find food would have been 50.00

She gets her meals included with her stay, she doesn't have to pay for them, the hotel had a function on so kitchen wasn't preparing food for other people .

She has 250.00 on her card. Her taxis cost 200.00 leaving her 50.00 , she gets the 200.00 back when she claims it. She's meeting a friend too so is trying to keep 40.00 aside for that.

She is in the middle of no where, there's nothing in walking distance, she shouldn't really be walking alone at night anyway.

Taxis are scarce, shops are scarce and there's no man on a bike to bring her food.

She didn't bring food with her as she thought she was getting a feed in the hotel.

She doesn't have a company credit card, she doesn't have a stash of money in the bank. She's working away this week and trying to support her family at home too and it's shit that this is the way her company work expenses.
🙄

Top of the class for comprehension. 🤗

I worry how many posters manage to navigate the world with their level of understanding 🤔😲

BadActingParsley · 14/07/2025 15:27

@Livingthebestlife top post.

Ibelievetheworldisburningtotheground · 14/07/2025 15:56

I would contact your manager and go up the chain until you get someone to sort this out for you immediately: they need to transfer you funds straight into your banking account, provide you with company credit card details you can use, or order food directly for you.

That's just shocking.

MyDeftDuck · 14/07/2025 15:59

It is poor practice on the hotels part that they didn’t advise you in advance that there was to be no meals available due to kitchen closure…….if work booked that particular hotel it might be worth pursuing the matter on your return……sounds like someone has dropped a clanger to be honest. Definitely need your travelling/accommodation allowance increasing for next time though.

Carodebalo · 14/07/2025 16:01

How are you now, OP? If it were me I’d kick up a huge fuss, both at the hotel and at work. That’s a completely unacceptable situation you’re in.

thinklagoon · 14/07/2025 16:04

Ambergrasswashingbasket800 · 14/07/2025 14:41

I just think OP can cancel the cheque.

I think OP should pay for her taxi by cheque

coffeeandmycats · 14/07/2025 16:06

ReadingSoManyThreads · 13/07/2025 21:07

From ChatGTP:

🔹 Consumer Protection and Reasonable Expectations
While there’s no specific legal obligation for a hotel to provide food, trading standards and consumer protection laws could apply if:

  • The hotel advertised food service (e.g., "restaurant on site," "dinner available") and you relied on that when booking.
  • The location is remote with no reasonable access to alternative food options, and this hardship was not made clear in advance.
  • They are refusing service due to a private event that wasn’t disclosed ahead of time — this could be considered misrepresentation under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
🔹 What You Can Do If you're in this situation:
  1. Check your booking confirmation and website description — was food implied or included?
  2. Ask for alternatives — e.g., room service, a takeaway, or packed food.
  3. Mention the Consumer Rights Act 2015 if you feel the service you're receiving is not as described or advertised.
  4. Complain in writing (email is fine) and request compensation if you had no reasonable access to food due to their event.
🔹 Practical Steps If they refuse to assist and you’re stranded without food:
  • Ask to speak to the manager.
  • If still unresolved, keep a record of the incident (including dates, photos, and any signage).
  • You can escalate it to Trading Standards or make a formal complaint through bodies like:
  • ABTA (if part of a package holiday)
  • The Ombudsman Service
  • Hotel review platforms and social media may also prompt a response.
Summary
  • ❌ No legal obligation to provide food.
  • ✅ But if they advertised or implied it and you're now stuck, you may have a valid consumer complaint.
  • 📝 Document the issue and escalate appropriately.

as this was booked for work it may be a business to business transaction changing the rules slightly. just as a friendly heads up

TheAutumnCrow · 14/07/2025 16:18

thinklagoon · 14/07/2025 16:04

I think OP should pay for her taxi by cheque

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<Victoria Wood tannoy voice> Guests can do this using the complimentary quantum leap, that’s the small wristband provided next to the tea and coffee sachets and individual UHT milk potlettes on the kettle tray conveniently placed in each well-appointed bedroom for your utmost convenience.

Original poster
Boxingshibes · 14/07/2025 16:40

I'm back, just finished work and was catching up on the thread. I didn't expect so many responses!!
I did get some breakfast which was ok not brilliant but at least it was food.
I got some snacks from the canteen onsite.
Will try and get some dinner tonight. Wish me luck!

OP posts:
CalicoPusscat · 14/07/2025 17:03

Bon chance! Wring their necks (metaphorically) if they leave you hungry again

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 14/07/2025 17:03

I don’t travel for work now, but my previous job operated exactly like this (without the no food/remote locations) and so does DP’s re hotels and expenses. I was always able to use my credit card rather than my debit card, but it was annoying and it always felt like work were “borrowing money from me” in some weird way until the expenses were paid. I used to be able to get a “float” of foreign currency in advance for things like coffees if I was abroad - but still had to keep receipts of course - which was useful but that was pre-Covid when I used cash more.

I hope you get fed tonight, OP. It’s bonkers that the hotel couldn’t even sort out a toastie or something if you were booked on a DBB breakfast basis.

DiggingHoles · 14/07/2025 17:09

@ReadingSoManyThreads

FFS stop quoting AI chatbots. They are notoriously unreliable.

MaryTheTurtle · 14/07/2025 17:22

Just Eat or Uber or crisos and peanuts from the bar

travellinglighter · 14/07/2025 17:29

DiaryofaProvincialLady · 14/07/2025 03:41

so how were you planning pay for your hotel dinners all week?

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Breakfast and dinner at hotel, lunch on the base. Easy

dynamiccactus · 14/07/2025 17:32

Is it up to the hotel to find you food? I'd say the duty of care is on your employer as they want you to be there. Was dinner included in the room rate?

It also annoys me that people have to incur expenses and effectively make an interest free loan to their employer. Your employer should have arranged and paid for the taxi with a local firm directly.

Back in the day I needed to fly somewhere with work and the flight was last minute and cost over £300. I refused to pay it myself and my employer was completely perplexed. But I genuinely couldn't afford it. In the end we compromised in that I paid it, but they gave me a cheque that same day that I could go to the bank and deposit it in my lunch break (those were the days when there were banks around!).

OurMavis · 14/07/2025 17:36

MaryTheTurtle · 14/07/2025 17:22

Just Eat or Uber or crisos and peanuts from the bar

The OP said there was no food delivery service, if you live in a city you may not know that vast swathes of the UK do not have Just Eat or Uber.

ThatGladTiger · 14/07/2025 17:37

Good luck with dinner tonight! Are you near Tidworth by any chance?

JellyTotsAreYum · 14/07/2025 17:44

Do you know anyone with Amazon Prime? They could get something like "Nakd Peanut Butter Protein Bars" which are quite filling sent to you.
Or other snacks or something like Complan. They also sell stuff like cuppa soups and noodles that you just add hot water to (you said you had tea & coffe so I take it you have a kettle?)

Have you contacted your employer to see if they'd at least make a direct payment to the taxi firm?

Anewuser · 14/07/2025 17:53

ThatGladTiger · 14/07/2025 17:37

Good luck with dinner tonight! Are you near Tidworth by any chance?

Was going to say the same but most army towns I know have at least a chippy there.