hotel bar taken over by drunk guests - what to do?

exel1966

usignuolo wrote: »

The OH and I are on a romantic break in Portugal. We are staying in a 4*hotel recommended for being elegant and quiet (Cost 120 euros per night B+B). The hotel is very nice and the staff very helpful. It is not that large - around 90 bedrooms- and a tour party of around 40 middle aged couples (Portuguese or maybe Spanish) arrived by coach last night It is now full.

The hotel does not serve evening meals and the restaurants and bars close on sundays here, so after venturing out to find an evening meal, with some difficulty, we returned to our hotel hoping to have a night cap in the bar. We found the bar had been completely taken over by the coach party who were playing cards and getting raucously drunk. The din was tremendous screeching and shouting.

There was a group of American academics in reception also staying here and they had sent one of their party out on a search for somewhere else to drink He reported in that there was a bar open in another hotel nearby and they all headed off there. We were too tired to go in search of somewhere else and decided to retire. I did make a complaint to the reception desk, as the group were getting louder and drunker by the minute, but he first pretended to misunderstand then shrugged.

Has anyone else any experience of this. Shouldn't a hotel's facilities be available to all the guests. I repeat it is supposed to be a quiet upmarket place and is full at present. I estimate the coach party occupy maybe 20 out of the 90 rooms. I think they should have opened up one of their conference rooms for them. I am thinking of giving the hotel a poor review as a result.

Oh dear, this may sound a little harsh, but I really do think you need to get out more

Alias_Omega

usignuolo wrote: »

The OH and I are on a romantic break in Portugal. We are staying in a 4*hotel recommended for being elegant and quiet (Cost 120 euros per night B+B). The hotel is very nice and the staff very helpful. It is not that large - around 90 bedrooms- and a tour party of around 40 middle aged couples (Portuguese or maybe Spanish) arrived by coach last night It is now full.

The hotel does not serve evening meals and the restaurants and bars close on sundays here, so after venturing out to find an evening meal, with some difficulty, we returned to our hotel hoping to have a night cap in the bar. We found the bar had been completely taken over by the coach party who were playing cards and getting raucously drunk. The din was tremendous screeching and shouting.

There was a group of American academics in reception also staying here and they had sent one of their party out on a search for somewhere else to drink He reported in that there was a bar open in another hotel nearby and they all headed off there. We were too tired to go in search of somewhere else and decided to retire. I did make a complaint to the reception desk, as the group were getting louder and drunker by the minute, but he first pretended to misunderstand then shrugged.

Has anyone else any experience of this. Shouldn't a hotel's facilities be available to all the guests. I repeat it is supposed to be a quiet upmarket place and is full at present. I estimate the coach party occupy maybe 20 out of the 90 rooms. I think they should have opened up one of their conference rooms for them. I am thinking of giving the hotel a poor review as a result.

I think you should of gone into the bar and mixed in with the rest of the people, but you decided to stay away.

I cant see how you have a reason to complain, unless your room was next to the bar / on same corridor etc.

Ivrytwr3

can i suggest you try here for your next holiday? (it may be more suitable)

bezzza

Wouldn't you rather they were "partying" in the hotel bar than in their rooms (that may have been next door to you)? Even in 5 star hotels people will want to enjoy themselves and have a drink (or 10!) - you have to remember that they are on holiday too - just be glad they weren't German as when were were in Majorca last October they took over almost everywhere in our hotel - playing Uno and making one drink last for hours but still being really loud (and terrible losers too) LOL

Edit: They didn't stop us enjoying ourselves, we made sure we were at the bar early enough to get seats (no problem getting served) and actually got chatting to a few of them (who were gracious enough to speak English to us as we didn't speak German). It turned out to be an interesting, enjoyable week.

duchy

120 Euros isn't hugely expensive -and a truely "up market" hotel doesn't accept large leisure groups as a rule.
You did have the choice of going elsewhere to drink -but were "too tired". Presumably there was nothing to stop you taking drinks to your room and sit on your balcony. It seems you wanted the hotel to move 20 people so two of you could have one drink (assuming just one as you were too tired to walk a short distance). I'm at a little bit of a loss to understand why you felt your party of two paying customers in some way should outrank the needs of twenty paying customers who appeared to be having an enjoyable time .
You don't mention noise reaching as far as your room -in that situation it would be acceptable to expect the hotel to have measures in place to assure your comfort but to expect a bar that doesn't impact on room noise levels to be quiet-is a tad unrealistic

You call it a "tour party" by that do you mean they are just there for a night or two -or like yourselves longer ?

Have I missed something ? Hotels are there for all-with differing ideas of enjoyment. If you really wanted solitude maybe a villa would have made a better choice

I agree it would be petty to give the hotel a wholehearted bad review based on one night when everything else you say is good (although tripadvisor is full of such pettiness) . Nothing to say you couldn't write a fair and balanced review citing the the good AND bad points rather than be vindictive though.

As you've brought nationality into it-it's interesting the Americans simply dealt with the situation and didn't let it spoil their evening. No wonder the Brits have a reputation abroad for whinging