Confusion re booking Bed and Breakfast

T

trojan

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Recently I booked bed and breakfast in a top class hotel. Was pretty certain that when booking I was told the rate included breakfast. However when paying I was told the rate was for bed only. I was rather upset as I have been booking B and Bs for manyyears. When I asked could I speak to the Manager I was told he was at a meeting. My wife arrived on the scene and she succeeded in getting the young lady agree that we would not be charged for breaking. Just wondering was this an isolated incident?
 

that didnt really answer anyones questions. You just said you were pretty certain when booking it was included. You didnt say 100% certain. So did you get an email confirming it?
 
Orally over the phone is a contract so if you heard b&b insist on it...written is always better, either direct email or booking email...I often book room only in ireland as cheaper when couple kids on board....
 
Being semi-retired from time to time (sometimes my semi retirement gets interrupted by a desire to work), we occasionally book hotels to spend some time away. You ring a hotel and when asked if you want breakfast . . . you answer "Of course, I want the bloody breakfast."

Hotels have not learnt the lessons of this recession. Things are improving in the economy and now they're off on solo runs again like the customer will follow them no matter what they do. Earlier in the recession, if you rang a hotel inquiring about booking in the receptionist would not let you go without putting their best offer including breakfast "on the table."

We have discovered that often it is cheaper to get breakfast in the restaurant up the street from the hotel. Any hotel worth its salt would offer tea/coffee making facilities in their bedrooms as standard anyway. Trojan's post is a legitimate one and there is no need to be asking what the receptionist said or what the confirming email stated. After all it is the hospitality industry we are talking about here. Hoteliers, cop yourselves on before we go elsewhere.

Good post Trojan!
 
trojan said:
Recently I booked bed and breakfast in a top class hotel. Was pretty certain that when booking I was told the rate included breakfast. However when paying I was told the rate was for bed only. I was rather upset as I have been booking B and Bs for manyyears. When I asked could I speak to the Manager I was told he was at a meeting. My wife arrived on the scene and she succeeded in getting the young lady agree that we would not be charged for breaking. Just wondering was this an isolated incident?
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My experience is be very careful with this one about breakfast. I have experienced this too. Last year I booked
B & B with Hotels.com for a 4 night stay in a hotel. Luckily I saved copy of the booking. Nearer the date I received
confirmation for Bed only. When I questioned it they confirmed that they were correct Bed only was booked.
I then sent them a copy of the booking and they expressed regret for their error. If I had not questioned it
and held the original copy I would have to pay again.
Buyer beware Browtal
 
Leper said:
Trojan's post is a legitimate one and there is no need to be asking what the receptionist said or what the confirming email stated. After all it is the hospitality industry we are talking about here. Hoteliers, cop yourselves on before we go elsewhere.

Good post Trojan!
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What are you babbling on about?! Hotels offer room only and bnb, generally with different prices. It's absolutely the first question I'd ask....."what is on your confirmation email"
 
username123 said:
What are you babbling on about?! Hotels offer room only and bnb, generally with different prices. It's absolutely the first question I'd ask....."what is on your confirmation email"
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I would agree, I can't remember the last time breakfast was included in any booking and that includes holidays in Ireland over the last four or five years.
 
username123 said:
What are you babbling on about?! Hotels offer room only and bnb, generally with different prices. It's absolutely the first question I'd ask....."what is on your confirmation email"
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1. Hotels offer bed and breakfast. Some hotels do not offer the breakfast or at an additional price. Many book hotels at a whim (at least I do when there is a good enough deal around) and often the booker does not remember the entire booking conversation. Hotels that do not offer breakfast are the exception though.
2. Every hotel does not confirm bookings by email either. Perhaps this adds to the confusion on the hotel side?
3. The word "babbling" to me is what a spoilt child would do. Whatever you call me, it could not be a spoiled child. I have sympathy with the original poster and perhaps you could have at least some empathy after all it was with a top class hotel he had booked. And remember also, it is just beyond a wet day since the hotel industry was babbling to the public for any kind of business.
 
In my experience, "top class" hotels (and restaurants for that matter) are often the worst for customer service, exuding a "you should be happy to get in here" attitude. Hence I would be even more conscientious about double checking my reservation before turning up to same.

However, I don't think I've ever booked a hotel over the phone so I always have a confirmation email. I think most people would be in this bracket these days. Unfortunately, like it or not, you are leaving yourself open to this stuff if oral agreement only is made. It then comes down to a "my word against yours" and the discretion of the hotel. If you've already paid and arrived to find out there's no breakfast, you're hardly going to drive home, so you're in a bad position straight away. My main point is that's it's much easier to avoid all this hassle and know exactly what you've booked, in some firm of writing.
 
Leper we can empathise with the OP certainly but ultimately booking a hotel is forming a contract just like any other and you're leaving yourself wide open to this type of thing if you don't get it in writing. I usually book over the internet these days but on the odd occasion that I book over the phone I always request a confirmation email be sent. I have yet to come across a hotel that replied that they could not do this!
 
Like other posters, I generally always book online or if not, get email confirmation of rare telephone bookings. Online is useful as there is quite a lot of variation in prices. Hotel websites can be significantly dearer than trivago/expedia etc. Only this week the best a hotel in Dublin 4 could offer me was €89 double room only/€109 with breakfast mid-week, and an extra tenner for parking overnight. I got a better deal around the corner in a good guesthouse I've stayed in before, €89 DBB, free parking, free wifi.

Last week I had a poor experience in a 5 star hotel in Dublin 4. Having prepaid DBB 2 weeks ago on the hotel's website, I checked in, and gave the receptionist my confirmation email hard copy. The reservation couldn't be found, and my debit card was charged again in error. Whilst mistakes happen, what struck me about this hotel was the lack of any warm welcome on check-in or friendly check-out, only for the celebrities presumably.
 
On Monday last I tried to book a mid-week break on line but neither the dates (nor any other dates) I requested were available so I phoned the hotel. She confirmed that the hotel (for the special offer) was booked out. As this was a repeat booking she managed to find a room for us. This morning I got a confirmation letter in the post which of course I will be bringing with me. Haven't seen one of those in a long time.

BTW when travelling abroad on a package I always bring the confirmation plus the original advert with me just to avoid any doubt as to whats included. Sometimes there is doubt about the swimming pool or sports facilities.
 
Thanks for all the comments. I will be more careful in future but in over 40 yearsbooking hotels in Killarney over the phone I never had a problem
 
Black Sheep said:
BTW when travelling abroad on a package I always bring the confirmation plus the original advert with me just to avoid any doubt as to whats included. Sometimes there is doubt about the swimming pool or sports facilities.
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I even bring a copy of the relevant emails if there are a few "additional enquiries" made.
 
trojan said:
Recently I booked bed and breakfast in a top class hotel. Was pretty certain that when booking I was told the rate included breakfast. However when paying I was told the rate was for bed only. I was rather upset as I have been booking B and Bs for manyyears. When I asked could I speak to the Manager I was told he was at a meeting. My wife arrived on the scene and she succeeded in getting the young lady agree that we would not be charged for breaking. Just wondering was this an isolated incident?
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trojan said:
Thanks for all the comments. I will be more careful in future but in over 40 years booking hotels in Killarney over the phone I never had a problem
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Whats the hotel you are talking about?
Is it The Malton Hotel?

Come on give us a name.
 
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