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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to want a kettle, tea and coffee in a hotel room that costs £280-400/night?

111 replies

aloevera · 20/03/2010 21:32

So, after a particularly difficult time dh & I decided to blow a chunk of our savings on 2 nights away. We went for a luxury hotel - Ickworth House - and it was lovely, but just felt like at every corner you had to pay for extras - no drinks in room, children's meal at breakfast not included (£3), cycle hire £6.50 for 4hrs (which used to be free), etc.

Am I missing something here? Is it assumed you are loaded and therefore don't mind paying £3.10 for a cup of tea in your room? Or have I stayed in too many holiday inn's where they throw it in for free???

OP posts:

SugarTits · 21/03/2010 11:37

Well tbh I wouldn't like a kettle in my room if it was a luxury hotel, it's a bit b&b.

bronze · 21/03/2010 11:49

We stayed in the Stafford last year at someone elses expense which was great but I was terrified of doing or using anything in case we were then billed for it. Tips were bad enough
It had a kettle though

alibubbles · 21/03/2010 11:57

In the Hilton In Paris, if you so much as remove anything from the mini bar to install ones's own milk or water, you are automatically charged, even if you put it back. It charges electronically!

I always take my own mini kettles bone china mugs etc, as I really begrudge paying £10 for a cup of tea in the morning that is lukewarm and one teabag in the pot.

They charged 15 euro for a small jug of half fat milk and 5 euro to deliver it to the room!!

Gone are the days when you can empty the minibar and chill all your own stuff.

MmeLindt · 21/03/2010 12:03

I do agree that the posher the hotel, the less likely you are to get hospitality tray.

Even the term 'hospitality tray' make it sound a bit like the DoneRoamin' B&B (ensuite).

Guadalupe · 21/03/2010 12:07

I stayed in a 5 star hotel in London recently, very cheap with laterooms I might add, and it had a kettle and a tray with all the usual biscuits and tea and stuff.

It was hidden in a cupboard with a posh looking door though.

bronze · 21/03/2010 12:11

Whats mad is when the suite you stay in is bigger than the upstairs of the house you live in and share with 4 kids.

blogpage · 21/03/2010 12:12

YANBU. And a little fridge with fresh milk in, so you don't have to use revolting UHT capsules!

LetThereBeRock · 21/03/2010 12:15

I want a kettle in my hotel if it's the Hilton or if it's the Holiday Inn. I don't care if it's downmarket.

One of life's ultimate pleasures is getting into your hotel room and perusing the selection of teas,biscuits,coffee and hot chocolate and testing them out and enjoying a cup of tea that's actually hot and not just tepid.

LetThereBeRock · 21/03/2010 12:16

A bowl of bloody apples is hardly a treat.

Morloth · 21/03/2010 12:21

Agree with LetThereBeRock, I like all the little packets of things and the little bottles in the mini bar. DS likes to wander around and find out what all the buttons/switches do.

Same on planes, I don't like plane food very much, but I do enjoy all the "miniature" bits - especially those little teeny cans of diet coke etc.

Have travelled extensively over the last 12 years and still enjoy a little packet of bikkies as something special.

Guadalupe · 21/03/2010 12:24

I know what you mean, Morloth, I think, hmm, shall I have a shortbread or a bourbon, or maybe a jam ring, even though I never eat those biscuits normally!

TrillianAstra · 21/03/2010 12:25

I agree with Morloth and LTBR, plane food is rubbish but it's fun to open all the little packets.

Guadalupe · 21/03/2010 12:30

I like those little rubbery rolls too

muggglewump · 21/03/2010 12:34

I went to a gorgeous 5 star hotel in Switzerland last year-won the trip on here- and they had no kettle/tea making stuff. I had to phone room service for it and it was really expensive. I shouldn't moan really considering it was a free break and amazing but I was a wee bit disappointed with that.
I drink around ten cups of tea a day.

jennyslinger · 21/03/2010 12:35

I stay in hotels regularly in NYC that are $300-400 a night. You would never have a kettle in the room and yes you pay for kids to eat at kids prices - £3 seems reasonable for a kids meal.

Cheap hotels have these things attached, more luxury hotels especially boutiques would not normally have a kettle and 'kids eat free' offers that is definately Holiday Inn style. £6.50 also seems very reasonable for hiring a bike for half a day.

It would not be unreasonale to ask for a kittle to be brought to your room, though it would also not be unreasonable for them to say they only provide room service.

Every hotel has a facilities list for each room. This is available when booking and specifies what you get in each room and provided as part of the package.

LaurieFairyCake · 21/03/2010 12:35

We stayed at the Athenaeum in London in December for one night for £150.

The minibar (soft drinks - 6 plus water) and contents (and coffee maker/kettle/milk/biscuits/crisps) were all FREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

Seriously recommend it - I got it from lastminute.com as one of their secret hotels but could easily work it out from the description which one it was.

muggglewump · 21/03/2010 12:44

Oh, and just read MmeLindt's post and see it's something they don't do on the continent.

Well they should.

jennyslinger · 21/03/2010 12:45

YABU if you booked a hotel without looking at the fascilities list.

like every purchase there is a great rule = Caveat Emptor

jennyslinger · 21/03/2010 12:47

if you expect a kettle in your room, free kids meals and free bike hire you are probably not the type of customer the hotel is after.

LetThereBeRock · 21/03/2010 12:49

The Gleneagles hotel,which is very 'posh', at £410 per night. offers tea and coffee in the rooms.

LetThereBeRock · 21/03/2010 12:50

Nice way of putting it JS.

JustAnotherManicMummy · 21/03/2010 12:52

We stayed in a lovely hotel that had no tray. But if you phoned they would bring you up freshly made tea and coffee with home made biscuits/shortbread as often as you wanted. For free.

That is my ideal btw. Room service but included

UnquietDad · 21/03/2010 12:56

Yes, the priciest hotel I ever stayed in (at publisher's expense) had no tea/coffee tray.

Being more used to the Premier Inn end of the market, I was most perplexed. I had to order a pot of tea from room service. There was nothing approaching biscuits on the menu and so I had to order a slice of a quite expensive chocolate cake!

ClaireDeLoon · 21/03/2010 13:07

YANBU and I agree with those that have said that for that price I'd expect a small fridge with fresh milk (and mineral water for example) too.

We stayed a lovely and stylish hotel in Brighton last weekend and it have tea and coffee making facilities. It's not downmarket to have a tea tray at all, some people have odd ideas.

Original poster

aloevera · 21/03/2010 14:49

I'm loving the suggestion that it is my national right. I think my identity as a British citizen has been offended! Perhaps Mr. Griffin could take it up on my behalf...

muggglewump - I also drink about 10 cups a day. I'm just grateful I've finished bf'ing or the drinks bill may have been more than the room bill.

clairedeloon - it did have mineral water and even 2 homemade biscuits. This was nice, but there were 3 of us in the room. So we had to eat them without ds seeing share.

OP posts:

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