To think the hotel were out of order with valentines stay/room?

[Hotelhorror]

I had a night away booked with my boyfriend on Saturday (the first time we had stayed overnight with each other).

It was a modern hotel with a glass window to the bathroom which was supposed to turn opaque when a button was selected. It was apparent this wasn’t working.

We went downstairs to reception to ask for it to be fixed, receptionist said they’d send someone to take a look. Maintenance man came up and said it was a common issue but he didn’t have the part needed (and wouldn’t have it until midweek) so he accompanied us back to reception again saying they’d give us another room.

The receptionist said there was no alternative rooms available as the hotel was full due to valentines and when this happens, couples have ‘seen it all before so just laugh about it’ and enjoy their stay.

I said this wasn’t acceptable and asked for the manager - who did appear from the back office but basically doubled down and said there was nothing they could do. She did offer us a voucher for a drink each in the bar (really!!) as a ‘goodwill gesture’.

As we had traveled some distance we decided to stay, and used the communal loos in the reception area whenever there was a need (luckily there was no need to in the night).

I found them thoroughly dismissive and am awaiting a response to my formal complaint to head office.

AIBU to find these customer service standards appalling?

Image attached of what I mean (this isn’t mine but from another review of same hotel of people unhappy with the set up)

As someone who has been married 30+ years and who during that time has camped in tents and campervans using a camping toilet inches from the end of DHs bed, I would still expect bathroom privacy in a hotel and would not have been happy with this either.
I'm at a loss to understand why hotels worldwide seem to think that glass bathroom doors and walls are a good feature. Absolute nightmare if your trying to book a trip away with friends involving a room share.

Agree with this and similar comments - hotel rooms need to be user-friendly for a wide range of people, must take some special kind of idiot designer not to realise that. And it's common sense not to have a set-up which is bound to go wrong!
The casual response of the receptionist must have been really galling.
Yes leave factual review and people may well go elsewhere (I would).

Because, as @EvelynBeatrice so rightly says, designers think it's "edgy" plus it's the sort of thing that certain men would go for.

Yanbu as the privacy glass that they advertised wasn’t working. Presumably, you would not have booked the room of you knew the privacy glass wasn’t working.

YANBU

There wasn’t a lot the hotel could do if all these rooms are booked but I would be expecting a full refund.

The room wasn’t fit for purpose and I’d be just as annoyed if the electricity wasn’t working, even if we didn’t actually need it because we were ‘too busy having sex’

They’re trying to justify it because it was Valentine’s Day but what if it was a twin room on a business trip.

Shocking customer service and the posters who voted YABU are obviously just pushovers who would accept a sub standard room.

what if it was a twin room on a business trip.

I love this image!

I dont mind a bath in a room but the majority of people loathe having semi glazed loos, even if it is opaque. Having said that what did you expect the Hotel to do? They were full and didn't have spare rooms. They may have been flippant with you but most people would have just got on with it and written a shitty review, which you can now do too.

Yes and probably an avocado bath big enough for a romantic group

Why couldn’t one of you just step out of the room if the other wanted privacy?

"Shitty review" being a very apt term. You should have lots to say on the topic of shitting op!

pushing on through the cheap sarcasm, I'd suggest that if a grown adult is incapable of finding a quick and easy way to obscure the view through a windows then maybe their parents should get a refund on their education ?

I can assure you that you will never meet a customer like me. However you have to live in the land of the possible.

Which again comes down to exactly what the room is advertised as

a room with an opaque wall is different from a room with a clear wall you can turn opaque

the clear wall was always I assume there and the room was booked on that basis

But that is the issue isn’t it - the hotel we didn’t book clearly show it as a room feature and it’s one that is becoming increasingly common

we didn’t book it because we didn’t want it. But could not have complained because it is clearly a feature of the room

It’s amazing to me to compare the several ( very expensive) hotels I’ve stayed at to the Premier Inn room design and realise that the last is often far more functional and comfortable, albeit far less attractive looking in terms of design.

It's why chains such as Premier Inn, Travelodge, and the brands within the Ibis/Novotel (Accor) company do so well. They are basic good design, clean and standardised. YOu know what you're getting.

I really rate the French Accor hotel chain at all its price points - even the Ibis Styles (their budget offering) is well designed with a separate lavatory and private shower cubicle. Their Novotel level hotels are really well-designed & comfortable for the price.

I mean, you really want to be standing in the corridor at any given hour when you've booked a luxury hotel. Not.

Hate to tell you op but your BF probably thinks you booked it especially and😂 suspects you of being a scatophiliac now!

I can’t believe people saying this is OK. Who wants to have a poo or change a tampon with your other half watching?

Well nobody I expect. Me and dh have stayed in a room like this in the past and, as we both speak the same language we just alert each other if we're going into the bathroom so the other can avert their eyes. Obviously you have to trust the other person to avert their eyes but we do so . . . .

I wouldn't choose to have clear glass in the bathroom door but given the above it doesn't really pose a problem.

I wouldn't have booked this sort of room, but other than that, i would have requested that they tape the window with something, for privacy.

No you're not being ridiculous OP.

There are some things that are better kept private , even though I've been with my husband for over 30 years i have absolutely no desire to watch him take a dump and i'm pretty sure he feels the same about me.
I would not settle for a free drink for this either .

I feel that having a shit in the dark, & doing the necessary bottom cleaning in the dark, is a far from optimal plan for a romantic weekend.

Who on earth thought that glass thing was a good idea? It's an absolutely terrible idea and you are absolutely right to complain about it! And even if everyone else was completely fine with it (which I very much doubt) you would still be well within your rights - why do they think you have a lock on the bathroom door in most hotel rooms even though there is only one double bed??

Yes, totally me being unreasonable about the sticky back plastic on a romantic break 🙂 I’m glad you felt able to push on through. You’re absolutely right to question my education, and that of the OP, in response. We truly are substandard in comparison to you.

Who on earth thought that glass thing was a good idea?

Who paid for the interior fittings.? I'd start with them.

It’s amazing to me to compare the several ( very expensive) hotels I’ve stayed at to the Premier Inn room design and realise that the last is often far more functional and comfortable

I completely agree. I'd rather stay in a PI than some I've stayed in at triple the price (and more).

Careful there with that cheap sarcasm 🙂