Hotel Cancellation Rights...do we have any in this case?

Foggster

So if they have booked the whole hotel out to the wedding party. Why would they then allow someone to cancel with 8 weeks to go? It all seems a little confusing with regards the liability to the wedding party and their guests.

Flyboy152

goater78 wrote: »

The op is going to have to pay. They agreed to the terms which said that if they cancelled after a certain date they were liable to pay for the room. There is no way the hotel would let out the whole hotel for a wedding and not ensure that the bride and groom were responsible for paying for any empty rooms. I have been to similar weddings where everyone pays for their own room, but any empty rooms are paid for by the wedding party. So basically the op needs to decide whether they will honour the committment to pay for the room, or to screw over their friend on their wedding!

I can't see that being legally enforceable.

Flyboy152

arcon5 wrote: »

So let me get this right... rather than the hotel having a contract with all the names guests individually, the bride & groom will have the contract for all rooms but they will collect payment for the whole bill from guests......?

This is were such a condition gets tricky. The contract for the room will be with the guest, the hotel cannot simply default to another person, if that room is not filled. It could be considered to fall under the UTCCRs.

Flyboy152

goater78 wrote: »

The Bride and groom will say we want the whole hotel reserved for the wedding and they will guarantee all rooms will be taken by the guests. The hotel will let rooms to only people invited to the wedding who will each make their own contract with the hotel. However if any rooms are not taken the wedding party will have to pay for them as they have requested exclusivity of the hotel. This is really very standard practice at weddings.

I honestly have never heard of this practice.

Otherwise all guests will have to give a cheque to the bride and groom which is frankly ridiculous!

Why?

hcb42

This is NOT the norm for weddings (although I must add I do not work in Italy, just in Hotel Management in UK!)

normally, the bride and groom book the wedding, pay the deposit for the wedding breakfastbuffet etc and their room if not complimentary and a discussion is had as to how many rooms they believe their party might need. These are usually held on Allocation - and normally released say 28 days prior to wedding date, normally at a special rate.

That way there is no financial liability on the bride and groom (who always imho vastly overestimate the number of people who will stay, as they assume all their family will stay two nights when in fact the family (who are already buying two outfits, present, hotel, flight, fuel etc, will stop at the nearest budget chain if they can find one!)

To me, there would be no way the hotel can enforce a contract here IF the OP did not agree to it. THe sticking point however is these bank details, as i the OP did not agree to it, the hotel would not have them.

So the terms of the booking are important here. To me, they should not be liable for any more than a deposit, they have given ample notice for the hotel to resell that bedroom, and if the hotel is booked on an exclusive basis, then yes, the bride and groom will have the liability....but they would have anyway....IYSWIM....

wealdroam

Flyboy152 wrote: »

This is were such a condition gets tricky. The contract for the room will be with the guest, the hotel cannot simply default to another person, if that room is not filled. It could be considered to fall under the UTCCRs.

Yes, I agree... it might be considered unfair.

But we come back to how do you enforce that in Italy?

Is there such a concept in Italy?

I honestly have no idea, but it sounds tricky to me.

hcb42

if it so tricky in Italy - and the OP has not agreed to the terms, how will that be enforced.

THe relationship needs to be established between what the OP agreed and what the B&G agreed.

If it is one of those hotels where exclusivity is required - then the B&G are no worse off....they would have booked it whether or not OP booked a room imho.

If it isnt - then they can resell the room, a deposit should be adequate and no further forfeiture, although that still depends on the contractual arrangement!!! (and there was no deposit!)

Flyboy152

wealdroam wrote: »

Yes, I agree... it might be considered unfair.

But we come back to how do you enforce that in Italy?

Is there such a concept in Italy?

I honestly have no idea, but it sounds tricky to me.

Seeing as they are the EU regulations, then yes, they would be enforceable in Italy.

shaun_from_Africa

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Seeing as they are the EU regulations, then yes, they would be enforceable in Italy.

I don't think the fact that the reg's are enforcable in Italy is in question, more that how would someone in the UK actually go about getting them enforced.
This may well involve a long drawn out (and possibly expensive) process which could include the need for interpreters etc.

If it did turn out that the hotel management was acting illegally then all the costs incurred may well be recovered, but don't forget that a lot of countries in Europe don't seem to worried about actually enforcing tall of the rules and regulations laid down by the EU.

hcb42

we need the OP to confirm the contractual arrangements, the rest is conjecture!