Page 5 | Work trip - no food in hotel!

Boxingshibes · 2025-07-13T19:27:59+00:00

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?

limetrees32 · 14/07/2025 08:17

here to find out what breakfast was like

CalicoPusscat · 14/07/2025 08:19

limetrees32 · 14/07/2025 08:17

here to find out what breakfast was like

Yes I'd like to know that OP breakfasted like a queen

Jennyathemall · 14/07/2025 08:22

HoppingPavlova · 14/07/2025 05:23

A lot of places don’t provide a work card, you use your own then claim it back on expenses. Presumably OP is in quite a high paying position. My dad has worked several companies and done work trips and all of them have done it this way

Well, fool be your dad and a lot of other people. No way I’d work for such a company, and yes I do have a company card, as I insist on it. I also wouldn’t let any of my team go anywhere that involved an expense without one, as I insist on it. ‘We don’t do that’ is not good enough, unless people are silly enough to say ‘okay’, as then it will never change. And the expectation should not matter if you are in a high or lower position, it’s the principle of the matter.

How odd.

Digdongdoo · 14/07/2025 08:22

That's really annoying. But you really need a credit card, whether company or personal. Really not sensible to be traveling with so little cash available.

ScaryM0nster · 14/07/2025 08:25

If it’s a sensible taxi company then they should be able to take a remote payment and your boss put it on his work credit card.

That sounds like that would really help reduce your budgetary juggling. Equally, most travel teams have procurement cards if you really get into their ribs about it and may be able to pay tye taxi company direct.

If you ask when you get to the base, there’s probably a shop of some kind there where can get some food. Cereal often works in these situations.

CountryVic · 14/07/2025 08:25

Venalopolos · 14/07/2025 07:26

Just so you know, a meal allowance paid in this way is taxable. It’s only tax free if you spend all the money on meals and subsistence and it falls within HMRC’s scale rates.

www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/employment-income-manual/eim05100

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I’m in Australia, it’s definitely tax free. It’s a non taxable allowance.

Weekmindedfool · 14/07/2025 08:27

HoppingPavlova · 14/07/2025 05:23

A lot of places don’t provide a work card, you use your own then claim it back on expenses. Presumably OP is in quite a high paying position. My dad has worked several companies and done work trips and all of them have done it this way

Well, fool be your dad and a lot of other people. No way I’d work for such a company, and yes I do have a company card, as I insist on it. I also wouldn’t let any of my team go anywhere that involved an expense without one, as I insist on it. ‘We don’t do that’ is not good enough, unless people are silly enough to say ‘okay’, as then it will never change. And the expectation should not matter if you are in a high or lower position, it’s the principle of the matter.

Ha “I insist on a company card”. Do you really. What if you work for a company that
doesnt do company cards? They are increasingly rare these days. Vast majority of companies you will pay on your own card and claim back. Or would h refuse a job if they didn’t bow down to your demands of a company card?

KassandraOfSparta · 14/07/2025 08:34

Like I said upthread, we prefer to pay with our own card and claim it back because we get Avios points, or reward points, or other vouchers and the company is quick at refunding when the expense claim is put in - often before the credit card bill is due.

This does not make us mugs or fools.

Appreciate though that the OP's situation is different.

thinklagoon · 14/07/2025 08:35

Also here for the breakfast update!

And also because I enjoy threads filled with a lack of reading comprehension: just order a takeaway via taxi on your credit card like I did somewhere 500 miles away to the army base!

usedtobeaylis · 14/07/2025 08:35

Your employer needs to review their policies on the back of this.

Namechangetheyarewatching · 14/07/2025 08:37

Why cant you stay in the officers mess on the camp?

Rosscameasdoody · 14/07/2025 08:37

Wowwee1234 · 13/07/2025 22:52

You can spend £200 on taxis but not £50 for a takeout or supermarkey delivery? Come on OP.

Read her posts.

KassandraOfSparta · 14/07/2025 08:39

thinklagoon · 14/07/2025 08:35

Also here for the breakfast update!

And also because I enjoy threads filled with a lack of reading comprehension: just order a takeaway via taxi on your credit card like I did somewhere 500 miles away to the army base!

I think, @thinklagoon that some people just cannot imagine a life other than the one they are living. There are huge swathes of the country without Uber and without Justeat, Deliveroo and Ocado. Where there are no 24 hour supermarkets and convenience stores, where there is one taxi (one car, not one taxi firm) which has to be reserved in advance.

Which is why they all pile onto threads like this with "just get a taxi to bring you a takeaway" or "just walk to the nearest 24 hour supermarket" or other similar gems.

WaltzingWaters · 14/07/2025 08:40

Hope you’re having a delicious huge breakfast OP.

Definitely lots of complaints to the hotel and bad reviews. Very out of order.

Rosscameasdoody · 14/07/2025 08:46

PollyBell · 14/07/2025 05:31

Well i would be annoyed but I would have checked the facilities out myself in the first place just because my work book's things doesn't absolve me from checking things out myself

And how would you have known that the kitchens were closed due to a private function if the hotel didn’t say anything at the time of booking ? The hotel normally caters. This was a one off.

GAJLY · 14/07/2025 08:48

That's awful. I'd eat as much as I can at breakfast. Are there any shops? You could grab pot noodles, bread, biscuits and jam? Is the kitchen closed all week? Or just that one night?

Rosscameasdoody · 14/07/2025 08:52

Poopeepoopee · 14/07/2025 06:25

how can you be the only guest if they've got an event on?

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She clearly means the only guest outside the event. The hotel have hired out the kitchen for the event, so if you’re not attending that event you don’t eat.

Enko · 14/07/2025 08:52

DiaryofaProvincialLady · 14/07/2025 03:41

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

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Op says she is on meal allowance that means there is an allocation in her hotel booking for food while there. Thats how she was planning to eat at no cost to herself.

When I travel for work that is how we book with a £20 meal allowance and I order dinner accordingly and leave not paying anything.

SerendipityJane · 14/07/2025 08:54

You weren't ordering a Waldorf salad were you ?

AutumnLover1989 · 14/07/2025 08:58

Mmhmmn · 14/07/2025 00:51

I don’t get it - 5 miles is nothing in a taxi …

Why is the allowance coming out of your money?

Rosscameasdoody · 14/07/2025 09:01

AutumnLover1989 · 14/07/2025 08:58

Why is the allowance coming out of your money?

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All of this is explained in the OP and updates. OP has a meal allowance included in the hotel booking. Everything else she has to cover herself and claim back.

vickylou78 · 14/07/2025 09:05

Boxingshibes · 13/07/2025 22:24

Im in Wiltshire. UK.

If you are in Wiltshire you really aren't that far from a pub or a garage or a supermarket...surely there is a shop nearby?

butterpuffed · 14/07/2025 09:05

NetZeroZealot · 14/07/2025 06:18

Not really the middle of nowhere then. It’s obviously too late now but if you can’t find a convenience store there will be a garage open somewhere where you can buy food.

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Wiltshire isn't a town ! It's a county - all counties have middles of nowhere .

allthemiddlechildrenoftheworld · 14/07/2025 09:08

@Boxingshibes I really think you need to name and shame this hotel!!!

AutumnLover1989 · 14/07/2025 09:11

Hope you managed to have breakfast?