To expect MoH to refund hen accommodation after we were refused access?

[Hennightmare]

I attended a hen party at the weekend - Friday to Sunday, staying close to a seaside resort in a private accommodation. I paid my share in advance - nearly £300.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the owner who refused entry on the basis that hen parties (and same sex groups/stags) are not allowed and this is stated in the booking terms and conditions and elsewhere on the website. Despite reasoning, the owner was not backing down, and said there’d been an incident with a same sex group two weekends ago which required costly repairs.

MoH said she was aware of other hens who had stayed and this is how she found the place on instagram. She was told no refund would be given as there wouldn’t be time to let it again for the weekend.

We managed to find budget hotel rooms in the area but this scuppered the plans which were in place for the house - games etc.

I have looked myself and it is prominent on the website about the rules around hen parties etc. It is clear there has been inconsistent approaches in the past though.

Should the MoH cover us for her mistake? I am out of pocket after the hotel booking.

YABU - suck it up, it happened
YANBU - her mistake, she should offer to cover it

It’s quite possible the host changed their website two weeks before you arrived due to that other hen party so the notice was not on the website when the MoH booked the house.

I have looked myself and it is prominent on the website about the rules around hen parties etc. It is clear there has been inconsistent approaches in the past though.
If you didn't notice the big statement about hen parties on the website, it sounds more recent.
YABU to expect a refund from the MoH - even if you think she's wealthy, it's a bit much to expect her to just hand over 3 grand.
I'd tread carefully with the bride to be - she'll probably be embarrassed and won't welcome negativity, especially if the MoH is her best friend.

There's a very big difference between ignoring clearly stated terms refusing hen parties and going ahead with the booking anyway compared to the terms being changed AFTER the booking was made. In the second case the very least the owner should have done is to email all future bookings explaining the change in terms and offering a refund to the relevant parties, giving you a chance to make another booking. In the first case then you should absolutely ask the MoH to refund you all. In the second case then no, she isn't really at fault but the owner is and should be pursued for the refund.

I really hope you get your money back OP!

You should have negotiated that a few of you still stayed in the house, whatever she would alllow before all going elsewhere!

Use the Wayback Machine*, see if there are any captures of the website from pre-booking and check whether the condition is there. If the website has been changed recently, Wayback will have captured it.

*For anyone who doesn't know, the Wayback Machine takes snapshots of websites from different periods in time and allows you to view a website as it was then.

You can’t ban single sex groups on that ground only as that is discrimination under the Equality Act. .

you can only ban a type of group so no hens, can ask for families only, no large groups bigger than 6 etc but you can’t overly simply say ‘no single sex groups’.

I’d understand the rule if it was somewhere renowned for trashy groups, Blackpool or one of the popular Northern cities

Charming.

Banning single sex groups is not discrimination under the Equality Act if both male (stag) & female (hen) single sex parties are forbidden. It would be discrimination if they just banned hen parties but allowed stag parties or vice versa.

Yeah - even caravan parks often say this. Though I do live in a “trashy” northern city where hen and stag nights often occur 😂🤷🏼‍♀️

Not true. If an owner would take a mixed sex booking then it is sex discrimination as treating the single sex group less favourably.

And you have proof that the no hen parties clause was there when they booked how?

deleted

One of the northern cities?
So the southern cities are OK? No chavs there then? Just north?

She can't find the booking email? Really? She must have had it the other day to get the address surely
This does not add up

That's how the law works in the UK unfortunately. Read up on it

None of the hens had a nosey at the accommodation before the trip? I find that hard to believe

If an owner would take a mixed sex booking then it is sex discrimination as treating the single sex group less favourably.

This is not correct. A ban on single sex hen or stag parties is a regular condition when booking accommodation as the OP discovered. It would be discrimination if male parties were allowed & female parties forbidden or vice versa but allowing mixed sex only does not discriminate on grounds of sex.

A ban on hen dos is acceptable. You can ban groups under certain conditions such as hen dos, wanting families only etc. you can’t just say no single sex groups. What proportional aim could anyone have simply banning women or men from congregating with each other just cause they are men or women? Banning a hen do specifically is ok as you are not actually banning women per se as hen dos could be mixed sex but you are banning them as they risk them being raucous and could cause damage.

I met my friend (bride to be) for lunch earlier.

It is as I suspected - MoH chanced it. At the time of the booking, the T&C’s stated the owner would use discretion as to whether stag/hens/same sex groups would be permitted to stay. MoH didn’t declare it as a hen at this point. More recently, MoH was emailed to say those groups would not be permitted at all - presumably following the incident I mentioned with the damage. The email said a full refund would be given but only if cancelled 7 days before to enable time to re-let the property.

MoH ignored this, believing that as it was a key safe entry we’d turn up and get in without issue. She tried to argue the case with the owner on the day but didn’t succeed.

My friend didn’t find any of the above out until this weekend and is ‘annoyed’ with MoH but doesn’t want anyone to make a fuss of it and overshadow her Wedding.

Sorry but if you are advertising a property that sleeps 10 people, then the people who come to book generally need accommodation that fits 10 people, why should the landlord check, if its all in the T&C's that its no single sex groups then when MOH signed on the dotted line by paying, she is agreeing to those terms. Lots of accommodations just ask for the lead guest or if there are any under 18's.

The contract is made on the fact that both parties agree to the terms. I will however state that I think the landlord must have had some concerns to greet them at the door rather than the key box, in which case they could have forewarned the group but then they would have lost their booking and why should they suffer if the MOH has risked it - but that is yet to be ascertained.

The fact she can't find the booking email was interesting, she can always recover it from her deleted emails???

@Hennightmare Oh bloomin' heck, the MOH has truly messed up.

I'm guessing that this update puts paid to going the small claims courts route as the MOH WAS offered a full refund in writing and basically turned it down by going ahead with the booking.

I'd be fuming but I can see why the bride doesn't want to cause aggro before her wedding. If the MOH has any decency, she'd reimburse everyone, but I'm guessing that she's not going to. 😡

You seem to have a good grasp on the situation. Have a look at the update from OP at 17.17 -l think you cross posted with it.

Ok, so she has only disclosed this when the pressure is on. I would be very annoyed. That being said, for the sale of the Bride I agree I would let it lie. Gutting though £300 is a lot of money.

@Hennightmare in which case, it is on MOH, especially since she was emailed and told, it wasn’t just hidden away in terms and conditions.