Justifiable complaint against hotel chain?

[ethan]

I recently booked an attended a work conference in Liverpool. The conference was held over the course of five days and I was placed in an apartment for the duration. The only problem being the apartment I stayed in had a load of scaffolding placed on one of its balconies, and for the remainder of the following four days, workmen were making a huge amount of noise, setting it up. I went and complained about the noise to reception but they refused to relocate us, arguing there weren't any other rooms available. I don't want to sound like somebody who feels he is automatically entitled but I do believe placing us in a room under those circumstances was unacceptable We tried to relocate, this option wasn't available, and there wasn't the time to find a suitable alternative What would anybody else's reaction have been under those circumstances?

 

[AndyCr15]

Was the noise at unsociable hours? Did it stop you sleeping?

 

[ethan]

The noise was at various times throughout the day but I was required to work through the evening and so couldn't catch up with sleep throughout the day. It was relentless really because we were in an apartment that was part of a huge complex of high rise flats. Our veranda was used as a dumping ground for the scaffolding which they would throw to the floor and then later collect and erect with power tools throughout the remainder of the week.

 

[VincentHanna]

The noise was at various times throughout the day but I was required to work through the evening and so couldn't catch up with sleep throughout the day. It was relentless really because we were in an apartment that was part of a huge complex of high rise flats. Our veranda was used as a dumping ground for the scaffolding which they would throw to the floor and then later collect and erect with power tools.

Two words: Ear Plugs.

 

[Raymond Lin]

I am not sure what you (personally) are hoping to get out of this as I presume that work paid for the hotel so any compensation will go to work and not yourself?

It looks like there may be some work for you to do, and nothing to gain in return for any compensation.

 

[ethan]

Two words: Ear Plugs.

Maybe. But the noise was that loud you couldn't sit and communicate with a friend or relative thought the day or even eat your breakfast in peace.

 

[MonkeyBasher]

If there was work being done in any of the rooms or work being done to the outside of the rooms that impacted the occupiers of those rooms then the hotel should not have rented out the rooms.
Its pretty obvious when you book a hotel room you want peace and quiet.
Also if your room was advertised as having a balcony/veranda .. then you did not get what you paid for as you had no safe access to it.

I assume you have paid and left though, so your **** out of luck now.

What you should have done was ask for the manager to go to the room and inspect it. If you don't get an acceptable outcome from them, you take there name and push the complaint further up the chain.

 

[enkoda]

Just provide the hotel management with video footage of the noise, and ask for some reduction in the bill.

You did record it didn't you?

 

[Thekwango]

I am not sure what you (personally) are hoping to get out of this as I presume that work paid for the hotel so any compensation will go to work and not yourself?

It looks like there may be some work for you to do, and nothing to gain in return for any compensation.

this really.

what, exactly, are you personally going to gain out of going through the process of complaining?

 

[JBuk]

I’ve never actively complained about a stay but I did give negative feedback a couple of times only when asked

once in sharm el sheik the customer service manager phoned me the day before checkout about my thoughts on the hotel and the food, etc, I told her I hadn’t eaten at the hotel because on the first night a pizza we ordered on room service had a horrid taste, a bit like vomit - so it put us off. She arranged for the executive chef to meet with us and discuss it, it was very amicable and the chef later that day personally cooked us a meal and gave us some free drinks, we also got a free late checkout worth around £60

Another time during checkout at a premier inn the manager smiled and asked us how our stay was, I told her it was good except that morning at around 2am we couldn’t sleep because the air con was making dripping noises which reverberated on the ducting , when she asked why we hadn’t phone the front desk I told her it was too early in the morning to start changing rooms , got a full refund for that days stay which was the most expensive day we stayed there

I would definitely complain as you did not get full enjoyment from your stay and they failed to do anything when you told them, just tell them matter of fact and not in a dramatic or aggressive tone , if they’re a decent run outfit you may get some form of recompense

 

[Martynt74]

We did this at a hotel in Copenhagen, the scaffolding wasn't a huge annoyance but they'd closed off the rooftop spa which was a factor in choosing that particular hotel.

Ebookers offered me a £75 credit against a future purchase which i was happy with, but as Raymond says, if work booked and paid then what's your endgame?

 

[Scam]

I would be thoroughly hacked off with that, pretty unacceptable and the hotel probably only did it because they knew you were there for a work thing. Swings both ways when it comes to business travel. I once booked a nice hotel in Vegas through a conference thing and put a note for a quiet room. They put me in the room next to the lifts which you could hear rolling up and down 24/7 A quick march back to reception and I got moved to the very quiet end of the corridor. Easy. Can only assume they had booked so many people in for the conference that they just missed my request or just didn't bother.

However, life's too short. Unless you really want some vouchers out of them for a free stay it's really not worth your hassle. There's absolutely nothing for you to gain by following up with this; if you persuade them to refund then by rights it would go to your company. I would have had a word with whoever was in charge of your accommodation at the time, and got them to turn the screw on the hotel. Threaten them with never using that place again etc. The hotel probably wouldn't care but it's a more forceful argument if the billpayer for a conference is complaining, rather than an employee who's on a free stay.

tldr; I would probably just write a quick email to whoever was in charge of booking that place, explain the circumstances and tell them you'd suggest not using that hotel again. Don't ask for anything (because duh you wouldn't get anything), just make it clear from your experience it was pretty dreadful and you wouldn't be keen to stay there again. Then get on with your life.

 

[VincentHanna]

tldr; I would probably just write a quick email to whoever was in charge of booking that place, explain the circumstances and tell them you'd suggest not using that hotel again. Don't ask for anything (because duh you wouldn't get anything), just make it clear from your experience it was pretty dreadful and you wouldn't be keen to stay there again. Then get on with your life.

Chances are they won't be having more scaffolding up for a while, so it might be a safer bet in future

 

[ethan]

We did this at a hotel in Copenhagen, the scaffolding wasn't a huge annoyance but they'd closed off the rooftop spa which was a factor in choosing that particular hotel.

Ebookers offered me a £75 credit against a future purchase which i was happy with, but as Raymond says, if work booked and paid then what's your endgame?

Work also payed for another family member and they were just as much aggrieved as me. Maybe there's room for manoeuvre there? Their trip was as much ruined as mine.

 

[tom_e]

Again work paid so what do you/family member expect out of this? The company could possibly push for a bit of compensation but they they're probably not bothered enough to put the time in.

 

[dowie]

Why the focus on what he can personally gain from it? Rather narrow/selfish view some people seem to have here.

If you've not been warned about the building work then that is pretty annoying, especially as you'd hope to use the room to sleep. Obviously during the day time you've probably got less ground to complain about general noise than at night but something like people throwing scaffolding onto he balcony and operating power tools etc.. is generally the result of works planned in advance, prevents you from using part of the room you've booked and something they could have warned you about in advance allowing you to book other accommodation instead (I mean someone else not using the hotel during the day and not fussed about the balcony might not be bothered).

Yes I'd flag it up higher/make a complaint, put a negative review on trip advisor - it is worth doing your (small) bit to help others and try to modify their behaviour. If more people react to unacceptable service then there becomes more of a penalty for it.

You might well gain personally from it if they give a future discount or vouchers to you personally and you make use of the hotel chain yourself for say a holiday etc... I mean I certainly sign up to hotel loyalty programs and collected points/air-miles whenever I have to travel for work.

 

[JBuk]

Why the focus on what he can personally gain from it? Rather narrow/selfish view some people seem to have here.

If you've not been warned about the building work then that is pretty annoying, especially as you'd hope to use the room to sleep. Obviously during the day time you've probably got less ground to complain about general noise than at night but something like people throwing scaffolding onto he balcony and operating power tools etc.. is generally the result of works planned in advance, prevents you from using part of the room you've booked and something they could have warned you about in advance allowing you to book other accommodation instead (I mean someone else not using the hotel during the day and not fussed about the balcony might not be bothered).

Yes I'd flag it up higher/make a complaint, put a negative review on trip advisor - it is worth doing your (small) bit to help others and try to modify their behaviour. If more people react to unacceptable service then there becomes more of a penalty for it.

You might well gain personally from it if they give a future discount or vouchers to you personally and you make use of the hotel chain yourself for say a holiday etc... I mean I certainly sign up to hotel loyalty programs and collected points/air-miles whenever I have to travel for work.

in my previous post I had taken it that he had paid, He personally has lost nothing so he should gain nothing

 

[dowie]

in my previous post I had taken it that he had paid, He personally has lost nothing so he should gain nothing

He might. Why does that matter anyway?

 

[JBuk]

He might. Why does that matter anyway?

Because what are his financial losses if he wasn't the one paying ?

If he did pay then my view would be that he hasn't received the full enjoyment of what he had paid for and should be compensated for that, eg. a partial refund

 

[Scam]

Why the focus on what he can personally gain from it? Rather narrow/selfish view some people seem to have here.

I might be reading it wrong but the OP seemed more intent on what he could "get" from the hotel. I'm all for people doing their part with bad reviews etc. (when deserved) but I'm also like most people, have limited time in this world and prefer to pick my battles