Tossed out of a hotel - please help!

Ali_UK

I'm giving the OP the benefit of the doubt here and taking the view that the receptionist had sold the rooms on - I've come across hotels that have a policy whereby cancellation is up to 6pm on the day and if you haven't checked in by say 11pm they'll charge you for the room and sell it on assuming you aren't coming. Whenever I'm booking o'seas hotels for my guys at work I always email the hotel giving reservation number, flight number and approx time of arrival and ask them to confirm they will guarantee to keep the room - they always do and we've never had a problem.

andyrules

HOWEVER, if the OP wants to pursue it , how about getting his credit card company to put the payment in dispute( I think that is what it is called).Basically the CC company invalidate the payment to the company pending enquiries .

In my experience they don't charge you until you show up (although I've never failed to show), then you sign or put your pin number in. If this hotel HAVE charged him, then that certainly needs pursuing as well.

But the issue seems to be that they failed to accommodate him in another way Like some airlines it is common practice to overbook, but I thought they then had to find you an alternative room somewhere. However, the fact that there WAS a room available is strange. From what the OP has told us, there was NO justification for the treatment he received. I personally always ring if I'm going to be late, but even so, it's a hotel, not his mother, and if there was a room left he should have been given it.

Homer, what was the hotel, just so we can avoid it?

advent1122

So you turned up and the receptionist "argued" with you, she called the manager who said you could stay, you filled in the form and the receptionist "over-ruled" the manager???????
You remained calm and walked outside for a minute while the manager and receptionist ranted and raved.
They then called the police on a calm, coherent customer.

What is that I can smell??
My version.
You turned up late and didnt phone ahead to advise them of this.
They told you the rooms had been let and the hotel was now full.
You went apesh!te and demanded to see the manager.
The manager arrives and informs you of the policy regarding late comers and how you would still be charged for the room.
You threaten to remove the managers head and the police are called who tell you to leave the premises and find another hotel.
Does this sound right?

Handsome_Homer

Hello. Thank you all for posting. I was genuinely surprised to see so many. Thank you.

To deal with some questions and clarify a few loose ends (i didn't want to overwhelm the first post):
-i hadn't been drinking. was professionally dressed and carrying a small holdall
-he definitely had rooms available, they hadn't sold them on, otherwise why let me start filing in the form etc.
-it wasn't the time i arrived; i'd said earlier i'd be there after 10pm
-they didn't charge it to my card (at least i'm pretty sure they didn't), so i'm not worried about that


rexmundi and others have said they think there is more to this story; there is, but it's not quite what you imagine. in fact, it gets weirder.
after he refused me the first time, i spoke to the manager and the manager said "the guy says you're causing a problem". i said to the manager, why would i cause a problem? i've booked in advance, here i am, i just want to go to sleep, i have work to do in the morning (in fact i was starting a new job). it doesn't make sense that i would cause a problem for myself. anyway, the manager said fine. when i passed the phone over to the guy (let's called him R for simplicity), R spoke to the manager then took the phone into the office just behind. i could still hear him and he was obviously arguing with the manager, "i don't know this guy" he said, "i think he might be a suicide bomber. i have to take care of the people in the hotel" eventually the manager must have persuaded him because he ended by saying, "ok, but it's not my decision. if anything happens, it's not my decision."

before i go on, i ought to make it clear that i hardly look like a suicide bomber. i don't wnat this to become a discussion of politics and of course there isn't a 'look' or anything, but i don't particular fit any stereotype - i don't have a long beard, i wasn't wearing a bulky coat, i didn't have a rucksack. whatever stereotype the media has fed us, i don't fit it. i can't convey on email his tone - he didn't REALLY think i posed any threat, he was just being belligerent.

when he came back out and gave me the form to continue signing, i refrained from saying anything in case it set him off and tried to be consoling. "i'm sorry we had a problem" something like that - but as i started writing he snatched the paper away from me. then we had a long argument etc, during which i asked him, "Why did you call me a suicide bomber to your boss? it was just offensive. you're welcome to check my bag if you like." he said, "i don't want to check your bag. maybe you are a bomber. i have to take care of 150 people in the hotel." i asked why he was being so offensive, i had hardly raised my voice. was there something about me he didn't like? he simply said he didn't have to give a reason. when the police came, i told them the story and offered to let them check my bag, just to see.


It was this hotel
http://www.belgravehousehotel.com/welcome.htm

owned by this group
http://www.landlethotelgroup.com/


so, what should I do? i'm not so gung-ho that i want the man sacked etc - i was just bewildered and upset by the whole situation, i couldn't understand why i had to wait an hour and a half and then wander the streets to find another hotel at 1am. it was unnecessary. for sure, i'm going to write to let them know, and while i'm not a believer in always asking for compensation for hurt feelings, i do think that without some sort of outcome, both the receptionist and the hotel will feel they came off scott-free. so i'll write a letter to the hotel manager, the chain's head office, probably the hotel association and a london association, but what sort of action ought i to ask for?

thanks again.

-homer

Handsome_Homer

advent1122. i think you're being unfair to me. in fact the receptionist was a man and significantly bigger than me so there was no question of me intimidating him.

but it does raise a point i wonder if anyone else can answer. actually i was calm all the way through, though i accept it can seem surprising. i'm sure the CCTV would back me up. i'd be pretty keen to get hold of the footage because it would definitely exonerate me - it would be clear that he was the one leaning over the counter at me and jumping around. any way i can be sure to get it?

Noctu

advent1122 wrote:

So you turned up and the receptionist "argued" with you, she called the manager ....
What is that I can smell??
My version.

What is that I can smell?
A gender stereotype!

Timmne

Excuse the awkward question, but I honestly mean nothing by it - was the guy "racially swung" towards suggesting the suicide bomber thing?

If so, I would make every effort to make sure this guy is punished. It's against my usual principles to do this kind of thing but to have any kind of prejudice that quickly is really awful! I saw racism (a very mixed customer and staff base) at my hotel and it was very unreasonable, especially by the management, sadly to say it was mainly the asian night manager that had more problems than most towards others!

Lady_E

This gets stranger and stranger............. I think you have got to pursue it with the company that owns the hotel, if only to establish what motive was behind the guys intention. Its a hotel, people come and go,and please enlighten me as to what does a suicide bomber look like? Is it like Billy the Burglar wearing a stripey t shirt and a bag marked "swag"on the back ???

Busybody

My guess is the any footage Will be `missing` by now!

nej

Handsome_Homer wrote:

advent1122. i think you're being unfair to me. in fact the receptionist was a man and significantly bigger than me so there was no question of me intimidating him.

but it does raise a point i wonder if anyone else can answer. actually i was calm all the way through, though i accept it can seem surprising. i'm sure the CCTV would back me up. i'd be pretty keen to get hold of the footage because it would definitely exonerate me - it would be clear that he was the one leaning over the counter at me and jumping around. any way i can be sure to get it?

I think under the Data Protection Act they are obliged to give you a copy of CCTV footage of you if you request it and pay them £10.