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AIBU?

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AIBU - shouldn’t be woken up by hotel staff at dawn every day?

102 replies

ICantGetNoSleepHere · 09/09/2026 04:58

Name changed for this. I work away from home twice a month and generally use one particular hotel chain, which over the years I’ve found to offer comfortable beds and security for a lone female traveller at decent prices (if booked in advance). I’ve paid £185.a night of that is relevant.

I’m staying in one I haven’t stayed in before - this is my third night. On each night, at 4:20am one of the bedroom doors near me has slammed shut. (You know how most hotel rooms now have those auto close features and this one has heavy doors.). It’s very loud and has woken me. It takes me ages to get back to sleep. (I can’t wear earplugs as they cause me to get ear infections.)

The first time it happened I just figured it was a careless guest leaving for a flight but when it happened again last night I figured it must be a staff member, most likely their breakfast chef. I mentioned it to reception, who initially denied it but eventually admitted that their breakfast chef sleeps in for the first part of the week. I asked them to ask them to be/ bit more careful with letting their door slam as it must disturb a number of guests.

It’s just happened for the third time. WIBU to email the manager in hopes they can resolve it? I’m due to stay here again in a fortnight as it’s near a conference I am attending but I honestly feel sick at having had so little sleep during this stay. (I have a demanding job and didn’t get back to the hotel till about 11:30pm last night. I closed my door very carefully so as not to disturb other guests so I know it is possible to come and go with very little noise at all.). I can’t remember the last time I had to complain at a hotel and this isn’t about compensation or anything like that, but for this amount of my employer’s money per night I feel that I should be able to expect the kitchen staff not to wake me at dawn! AIBU?

OP posts:
Brackenandbrave · 09/09/2026 19:58

You should have asked to move rooms after the first disturbed sleep.
also you should invest in a Snoozeband. They are pretty good at blocking out sound

ICantGetNoSleepHere · 09/09/2026 20:40

Brackenandbrave · 09/09/2026 19:58

You should have asked to move rooms after the first disturbed sleep.
also you should invest in a Snoozeband. They are pretty good at blocking out sound

Surely that would have been an over-reaction. It could just as easily have been another guest leaving for a flight or whatever and accidentally letting the door slam.

No guarantee that whoever was near me in the new room couldn’t have done the same.

Only when it was repeated did this become a less likely scenario and I tried to address it calmly and politely. I’m sure I would be like a bull in a china shop if I had to start work at 4:30am.

After that it appeared to be deliberate, plus the weird housekeeping stuff. At which point it warrants a complaint.

I’ll look at a snoozeband as they have been recommended.

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