can a guest house demand when you check in?

Nasrani

dear all

I would value any help and guidance please. I have just booked a lovely guest house for a group in the summer. I explained on the phone that we are four hours away and all work and therefore it would not be possible to check in at 3pm as the owner stated. He pressed me, explaining there is a special welcome and said we needed to arrive together in the afternoon. I said we could aim to arrive together but are 8 people from different locations. Ive since been sent the written confirmation - check in 3.00-3.30pm. I wondered what my rights are and if a check in time can be demanded.

thank you in advance

Nasrani

daytona0

You are paying for 8 people to use the guest house. The company will fulfill their part of the contract if they provide that to you. You will fulfill your part of the contract if you pay for it.

As long as at least one of your party arrives between 3pm and 3:30pm to check in then you will be fine.

Though please let us know if you have agreed in writing (email, letter) or also over the phone for all 8 members to be present between the stated hours. That may muddy things a bit.

I've never heard of a hotel demanding that all members be present during such a narrow time frame though!

PasturesNew

Some smaller guesthouses will do this. If it's a husband/wife and they've got other jobs/commitments, it can be quite normal for small places to have a specific booking in time.

The thing is .... what if it's 3-3.30 because they then go and collect the kids from school, before driving across to drop them off at the grandparents' house, then on to open up their restaurant/bar and get the business going for the night, before picking up the kids, driving them home, getting their tea, putting them to bed, then one of them going back to close up their bar/restaurant.

Some people, in some areas, do run their life/businesses like this.

"A special welcome" sounds a bit offputting though ....

neilmcl

At the end of the day, it's their house, their rules. There may be a legitimate reason why they want everyone to be checked in by a certain time. If you don't or can't do that then find another guesthouse that will accommodate you.

Nasrani

Thanks so much for your reply
No I didn't confirm in writing or the phone the arrival for the 8 of us and explained it's a minimum 4 hour drive and we work therefore earlier travel may not be an option

The website says people 'normally' arrive then but it did not state it was compulsory

Thanks again

Nasrani

Thank you for your reply

I agree he may have a really sensible and legitimate reason behind it. He was unable to share that with me which I guess left me leaving a little disempowered

Nasrani

Thank you. I may have to explore this option

I'll see if the group can rally and arrive earlier than Planned. We all work and it's over 4 hours Away which has made it tricky now

I guess I've never come across this before

Appreciate you all for offering advice

peachyprice

Personally I'd cancel and find somewhere more accommodating.

Have they said what will happen if some of you aren't there in this narrow check-in window? Will they cancel the rooms?

I'd also wonder what other restrictions they may impose once you're there.

Hintza

I can see both sides to this as suggested by PasturesNew. OP if you and the owner can not come to a sensible arrangement then find somewhere else.

Stevie_Palimo

Have you checked this place out properly and made sure it is not a swingers venue or something along these lines ? , After all a special welcome could imply this.

bouicca21

I once had a guest house owner ringing me to complain that I'd missed her checking in time whilst I was en route. Didn't matter to her that the trains were messed up. She wasn't pleasant on the phone and frosty when we arrived. Still so the next morning.

Book somewhere else! You are paying for a service. It's up to them to organise their lives round you not the other way round.