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Original poster

Hotel bumped us to another hotel at midnight!!

161 replies

rabbitwoman · 13/10/2025 08:26

This has never happened to us before, can anyone shed light on it?

Me and some pals went for a girls weekend away. We booked and paid for our rooms months ago.

four of us on Friday night, booked into our hotel, two per room. We were joined on Saturday by two pals, and tried to check them in when they arrived, around midday, but were told the extra room wasn't ready yet.

So we all went out for the day, came back around 11pm - to be told the hotel was overbooked, our third room was no longer available and two of our party was now being moved to another hotel.

The staff on duty seemed utterly bemused that we were furious. As if we were being unreasonable. We suggested at the very least they cover our bar bill while we waited for the taxi to take our friends off to another hotel, but no, not possible apparently.

Anyone had this happen to them before, anyone shed any light?

OP posts:
3packspls · 13/10/2025 08:27

No

My spidey senses tell me the hotel don’t want any of you as guests!

FunnyOrca · 13/10/2025 08:28

Sounds weird, they weren’t expecting the third room to also check in on Friday were they? That’s the only thing I would understand is if they thought it had been a no-show? But odd not to have said this when you attempted check-in at noon.

Unreasonable on the hotel’s behalf.

TheNightingalesStarling · 13/10/2025 08:29

Its not happened to me, but yes, in some circumstances the latest guests are moved to another hotel.

3packspls · 13/10/2025 08:31

The hotel they were moved to…. Part of the same chain?

Greggsit · 13/10/2025 08:32

It often happens. Hotels are like airplanes. A lot of times, particularly when busy they will book say, 110% of the rooms, knowing that most of the time, some people won't turn up.

You tuirned up before normal checn in on Friday, so the rooms were not ready. You left. In the time you were away, the hotel filled up with other guests. So when you did arrive to check in at 11, there simply wasn't a room to give. Most hotels have an arrangement with another hotel to cover this, which is why half the party was moved.

It's really shit, but it's a regular thing. They should have been open to some form of compensation though.

3packspls · 13/10/2025 08:39

We suggested at the very least they cover our bar bill while we waited for the taxi to take our friends off to another hotel, but no, not possible apparently.

They didn’t want the group getting even more pissed and rowdy

indoorplantqueen · 13/10/2025 08:44

Had the officially checked in when they first arrived? I don’t know how common it really is but I’ve heard that if you’re checking in very late you should tell the hotel and make sure they make a note because they don’t want a no show.

Doggymummar · 13/10/2025 08:48

Checkin is usually by 6 pm and you need to tell them if you will be later. After that you would be classed as a no show and the room released, unless backed by a credit card guarantee

BerryTwister · 13/10/2025 08:51

As others have said, it depends if your friends actually checked in.

When I’ve arrived too early for a room, I’ve always checked in, and then left my luggage in their luggage room, so they know I’m definitely coming. If your friends didn’t formally check in, then the evening shift will have come on duty and assumed they were a no-show.

TokyoSushi · 13/10/2025 08:53

I was a front desk manager for years, and this is very common, although also I suspect, an error by the hotel.

Hotels overbook all the time, usually it works out and there are enough no shows/cancellations to mean that nobody has to go elsewhere, but sometimes everybody does show up and then you're stuck and somebody has to go.

What I expect the hotel has overlooked is that a) the guests were actually already there and had partially checked in and b) the room was part of a group who had checked in the night before. If I was on that desk I would have bumped somebody else to save spitting the party up, but they mustn't have joined the dots.

Flakey99 · 13/10/2025 09:22

I’d argue that the hotel is in breach of contract as you had already partially checked in as a group booking and on that basis, I’d kick up a fuss with them and escalate the complaint.

Clearinguptheclutter · 13/10/2025 09:27

Not unusual, hotels will have agreements with others nearby and helps each other out when they get caught out by overbooking

super annoying to split up a group yes but if you booked separately the hotel wouldn’t necessarily be aware would they?

and yes the fact that they arrived early and made themselves known should have carried some weight. In some hotels you can “check in” even if you can’t get the key until some time later. Other hotels won’t check you in until they are able to give you a key.

PollyBell · 13/10/2025 09:52

If hotel rooms are paid for why would put other guests in their and then charge them, so thry get double the money for one room?

And no I dont know why they would pay for your bar bill

ContentedAlpaca · 13/10/2025 09:54

At the very least they should pay the taxi bill there and the taxi bill so that you can meet up for breakfast if you were planning on using the hotel restaurant for that.

Yesimmoaningaboutbenefits · 13/10/2025 09:55

If just 2 extras, I'd have asked for a cot bed in each room you already had and a refund on the third room.

saraclara · 13/10/2025 10:01

3packspls · 13/10/2025 08:39

We suggested at the very least they cover our bar bill while we waited for the taxi to take our friends off to another hotel, but no, not possible apparently.

They didn’t want the group getting even more pissed and rowdy

Since the group had been out from noon until 11pm, the hotel hadn't had time to form any opinion of them.

Others have explained how hotels work. The new arrivals didn't check in, so the hotel had them as no shows and gave the room to other people. That's entirely normal, though the staff on the shift when they arrived too early, should have communicated that they had arrived, to the evening shift.

SumUp · 13/10/2025 10:04

Happened to me on a business trip once in the US. Arrived during the usual check in time. They do sometimes overbook the hotel and hope someone doesn’t show up. I refused to go to their alternative hotel unless they booked me a private chauffeur service as it was further away from the CBD, which they agreed to. It was an expensive hotel.

FanofLeaves · 13/10/2025 10:06

If you’re going to be checking in that late you really have to tell them. Most premier inns etc you can do this online at some point during the day. Where was all their luggage?

They messed up so obviously I’d be seeking compensation but I’d also be wary of not communicating arrival times in the future- if you did, and it was just verbal, it probably got lost when there was a shift change. I can see why they wouldn’t cover a bar bill but I’d not expect to be paying for my room if I’d had to bump to another hotel at midnight.

ThirdStorm · 13/10/2025 10:08

Yes this happened to me quite recently. Short walk to another "sister" hotel. Got a free drink for the inconvenience! But this happened at 4pm at check in.

LadyGreySpillsTheTea · 13/10/2025 10:08

3packspls · 13/10/2025 08:39

We suggested at the very least they cover our bar bill while we waited for the taxi to take our friends off to another hotel, but no, not possible apparently.

They didn’t want the group getting even more pissed and rowdy

The fact that you’ve now posted twice with this utterly invented narrative suggests that your ‘spidey senses’ have a lot more to do with your own lifestyle and those of your acquaintances. Other people have given much more plausible reasons why it happened.

mindutopia · 13/10/2025 10:11

It’s quite typical that you need to check in by a certain time (10/11pm ish?) to secure the reservation. You tried to check in early (before check in time) and they said no. You didn’t come back for check in time. Then you still didn’t come back before the cut off for the day, so they gave your room away assuming you didn’t want it.

That’s never happened to me before because I always check in on time. But yes, it’s usually in the Ts and Cs and you forfeited the room by not checking in.

Of course they shouldn’t cover your bar bill when it sounds like everyone already had enough to drink and forgot to check in for their room on time. 😂

YourJoyousDenimExpert · 13/10/2025 10:12

My daughter and I were moved to another hotel in Liverpool when doing Uni open days. We arrived about 11pm and were told the hotel was full but that they would put us in a taxi to another in the same group and we could also have a taxi back in the morning. They were very apologetic. We had paid in advance. I was surprised at the time but it was not really an issue for us. I guess they over book as some people cancel/ don’t show up- especially with deals where you pay on arrival.

purplecorkheart · 13/10/2025 10:14

Fairly standard of hotels in City Centres to do this. They tend to oversell the amount of rooms so the last ones to arrive can be bumped. As a solo traveller this makes me nervous so I always fill in my estimated arrival time in the requests section online booking and phone if I can going to be late. I think the guide is if you are checking in after six you phone them.

lezsucks · 13/10/2025 10:17

I'd be pretty cross about this too, as I'm sure would most people.
We've been moved hotels a few times, but only as a whole group. And only from a budget hotel to a higher standard sister hotel in the same chain. Did you make a group booking or book individual rooms?
To the poster that said inform the hotel if you are arriving after 6pm, asking genuinely is this actually a thing?? I never have and am found at least 3 times a year with sleeping children in a car arriving after 11pm somewhere, both in the uk and France. We have never had an issue. It does sound as though hospitality is not behaving properly if they are reselling rooms that have already been paid for and counting on no shows for accommodation.
If this had been a family turning up what would people have said, I think the responses would have been less judgemental.

AlphaApple · 13/10/2025 10:19

Yes, overbooking happens.

Very poor of the hotel to bump the third room in a group booking, especially when you had already arrived. The hotel should have told you there was a risk of being bumped rather than let you go off for the day.

If the new hotel is acceptable, just get on with enjoying your trip.

Nothing you can do about it apart from leave a poor review.

And there's nothing in the OP that suggests they are undesirable guests!

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