Am I wrong to be annoyed by this?

[sarahh96]

DH and I have just come back from a UK holiday. The first one for 5 years. We booked a holiday lodge for 10 days.
During the booking the owner got the dates wrong. I clarified the correct dates and, as it was her error, she let us have the last day for free.
We were supposed to be coming home tomorrow.
Skip to last night and the owner came to us and said, did you have a nice stay? Safe journey home tomorrow.
I said, we're not due to check out until the day after tomorrow.
She looked completely flummoxed and said, that's awkward, I've got other guests checking in to your lodge in the morning.
I went back through my emails and showed her the dates.
She then implied, that had put her in a right fix and you didn't pay for the extra day anyway. Implying that we should leave a day early.
Basically, she made her problem our problem.
It was all very awkward and we eventually agreed we would go today, which we did.
We have been regulars at this place for the last 25 years but no more!!!!
The more I think about it the more angry I'm getting.
I suppose I should just get over it but it was the longest holiday we've ever booked and the first one for years.
I feel a bit cheated.
What do you think?

@FakingMemories we've been going for 25 years. The gap was because of covid and latterly economic reasons. In total, we've been for 25 years

I'd leave an honest review to prevent others from being similarly hoodwinked.

I wouldn’t leave a public review but I would consider messaging her privately to let her know how disappointed you were in the way your stay was handled. As you’ve been coming for 25 years I think it would be obvious to any business owner that you don’t want to sever ties with such regular customers. You could make it clear that you are not looking for financial compensation but rather that after 25 years of frequenting her accommodation you are very disappointed with how you were treated, particularly the way her gesture of goodwill was taken away so suddenly and without any appreciation of the situation it put you in.

What was her initial mistake about dates? Was she not expecting you to arrive the day you did?

I wonder if the free final night offer was a set up as she saw she had double booked it and needed a get out.

It's entirely possible the lady is not coping as well with the death of her DH as she thinks. Maybe he dealt with the admin and she finds it overwhelming, or maybe emotionally she's not ready to be a host again yet.

It does need pointing out to her, but I don't think it's a scam or intentional.

@Goodoccasionallypoor it was a complicated procedure to book as we have to contact her direct, rather than through a website.
Our initial booking was for 7 nights. I then asked if we could extend that to 10 nights, which she agreed to.
When she emailed the invoice through she had charged us for 9 nights. I queried this with her and she said it should have said 10 nights but, as it was her error, not to worry about paying for the 10th night.
I am suspicious as well. She didn't seem to recall the change of booking when we saw her, until I showed her the emails. She is in her mid 70's and, I suspect, her admin isn't as good as it could be. I'm still annoyed though. She really gave us no choice in the matter

Have you emailed her yet? You don’t have to be rude, but I’d be firmly and politely asking for one night’s refund.

Sounds messy and it sounds like she should have caught this during that email exchange and explain that you could only have 9 nights.

I would definitely follow up with an email to say how disappointed you are about how the booking issues were handled and that you do not feel confident about booking again.

A woman who evicted you a night early isn't going to care about you emailing to say you were 'disappointed' to be thrown out after 9 days when you booked 10.

Maybe, but she's just lost her husband so it would be nice to give her the benefit of doubt.

If she doesn't care then op can leave a load of negative reviews all over the place.

I’d email rather than public review and explain your disappointment. And point out that that extra night wasn’t a freebie extra, you had booked and were willing to pay but she waived the cost as a good will gesture for her mistake. So removing that is an extra kick in the face.

Don't feel bad about the review, the date mix up and free night were all down to their poor management.

As a pp said, imagine if you had a flight booked, or needed to be away from home until a certain day.

I'd be writing a scathing review.

@Thebigblueballoon that's the problem really. The 10th night was free, she waivered the charge for that night as she had made a previous error.
If we had paid for that night and she'd turfed us out I would be writing reviews on every platform.

Yes… but you have missed out on a night. You were gifted a free night due to her careless error, and you did not receive said free night due to a following careless error. Therefore you’re due a free night. It doesn’t matter than you only stayed for nine nights. You’ve been messed around twice.

I'd email telling her I was very disappointed with her attitude to her mistake. I'd be telling her after 25 years loyalty, you won't be returning. I'd also leave very poor reviews outlining her booking error.

I can't see how you could get a refund fir something you didn't pay for, but if she had agreed to the extra night then she should have had to offer alternative accommodation (what of you had flown in from abroad, you would have needed to stay somewhere).
Look at terms and conditions. If she rents privately (so not through sn agency), there may be blanket term and conditions covering short term holiday rentals. Though depending on how much this one night would have cost you, it may not be worth the effort.
A negative review snd an email to her explaining your disappointment and her loss of your future custom may be enough of an outlet for your anger.