# Hotel - where to make a complaint!!



## Mauraf (24 Feb 2009)

Hi,
Myself and my husband stayed last Sat night in a seemingly very 'exclusive' and well known hotel....gift voucher from family....Hotel was lovely, but we were appalled by the service in the restaurant - and the attitude of the manager! Long story.....but anyone know where  / if I can complain to any place about this? Mentioned it when checking out - they didnt really want to know...penned an email and as of yet - no acknowledgement! Dont want to let them get away with the way we were treated....anyone any thoughts??
Maura


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## Fnergg (24 Feb 2009)

Tell us the name and location of the hotel so that we can avoid it. At least you will have the satisfaction of knowing that members of this forum will be thinking long and hard before staying there.


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## gillarosa (24 Feb 2009)

Hi Maura,
Usually the General Manager, if you ring Reception at the Hotel they should give it to you. Many people post comments on 'Trip Advisor' about their experiences at hotels, you may feel better after you get it off your chest there.


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## Fnergg (24 Feb 2009)

gillarosa said:


> Hi Maura,
> Usually the General Manager, if you ring Reception at the Hotel they should give it to you. Many people post comments on 'Trip Advisor' about their experiences at hotels, you may feel better after you get it off your chest there.



Excellent suggestion. Go to www.tripadvisor.com, register and give your comments on the hotel. 

That is one of the best sites on the web.

Regards,

Fnergg


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## DubShelley (24 Feb 2009)

gillarosa said:


> Many people post comments on 'Trip Advisor' about their experiences at hotels, you may feel better after you get it off your chest there.


 
Definitely! I always check that site before I book any hotel!


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## Sandals (24 Feb 2009)

Hi had a similiar experience last OCTOBER. Dreadful break away. Anyway I contacted hotel (no reply). I then contacted Failte Ireland, who act on your behalf to get a reply from the GM. In my case the GM failed to respond within the two week deadline. I contacted FI again as I hadn't recieved a reply. I got email back "all we can do is ring the GM again". 

At this stage my blood was boiling and I wrote again to FI stating this was not good enough etc. They then passed over my complaint to a CROWD called TAMS who are responsible for the classification of hotels in Ireland. Two weeks later I did receive a letter from the hotel's GM, a disgrace of a letter, poor sentence structure, spellings, capital letters in the middle of a sentence/word. I was shocked as this letter skirted around my nightmare in this hotel. 

I then contacted TAMS again to say I still wasn't happy what else could I do? Small Claims Procedure was there answer, a route im willing to go down. 

Tripadvisor is brillant, since my stay in that HOTEL (and I use the term loosely) two more guests from the hotel have put up the exact same problems (freezing cold, room equipted with no tv no remote no stopper for sink/bath, no hairdryer, terrible staff etc etc etc) we had, In fact one was a letter of complaint addressed to the GM of the Hotel.

I have since sent a copy of these two tripadvisor comments to Failte ireland saying how can get hotel get away with this and offer poor service still. Needless to say I never got a reply. 

If Iv learned one thing from this experience is I will never part with my hard cash again. On our first morning there I did complain and that night recieved a free meal for two adults and three children with a free bottle of wine and a voucher for 1BB1D valid for a year. I was a metal wreck after that hotel.

I would post a letter (get a certificate of posting) and in letter give them 10 days to reply or you will be contacting Failte Ireland and do contact them. Seemingly one doesnt have to aacknowledge email but a letter you do.

Hope this helps, it is terrible to receive poor service (I know).


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## Smashbox (24 Feb 2009)

Sandals has recent experience so I'd go down that route too. Letters rather than emails always, and keep copies of correspondence.


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## Padraigb (24 Feb 2009)

The real question is what Mauraf wants. Is it compensation or vindication?


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## Caveat (24 Feb 2009)

IMO more than half of the more enthusiastic posters on _tripadvisor_ fall somewhere between serial whingers and outright loolahs - I get the impression that many of them probably write letters expressing 'outrage' to the _Daily Mail_ on a regular basis.


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## Chocks away (24 Feb 2009)

We still have a look at Trip Advisor before booking but you have to balance. Been to a few hotels where mails said very bad to very good. So I guess whatever floats your boat. But if there was a lot of negative mail - then, no way. But some people go on holidays just to moan. I'm convinced of that. They are just hard to please. God help the partners.


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## Hillsalt (24 Feb 2009)

Chocks away said:


> But some people go on holidays just to moan. I'm convinced of that. They are just hard to please. God help the partners.



Oh my God, you are soooooooooooo right there. There are moaners and then there are people who are never pleased. I know someone who complains about everything! 

PS I had a bad experience in the Hilton Dublin (the one iverlookin the canal) and we were given a free night in return. Basically, we had 2 kids under 3 with us and we were all kept awake by loud music. 

We used the complimentary voucher for another stay at the same hotel and we experienced the same problem. I didn't complain the 2nd time; I just never stayed there again.


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## Complainer (8 Mar 2009)

Caveat said:


> IMO more than half of the more enthusiastic posters on _tripadvisor_ fall somewhere between serial whingers and outright loolahs - I get the impression that many of them probably write letters expressing 'outrage' to the _Daily Mail_ on a regular basis.


Not my experience at all, but you can always check a poster's track record by clicking on their username to see if they are a serial whinger or a one-time property-puffer post - both of which can be ignored.


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## AgathaC (8 Mar 2009)

complainer said:


> not my experience at all, but you can always check a poster's track record by clicking on their username to see if they are a serial whinger or a one-time property-puffer post - both of which can be ignored.


 
+1.


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## scanoj (20 Mar 2012)

I had an event in a popular hotel and as I couldn't afford to have a big meal for 30-40 guests I had finger food for everyone.  I was overcharged for 10 people, of course these things happen so that didn't bother me but when I looked for the refund I was told no, I couldn't understand why?  Of course I did say that I was not leaving until I received my money back for the overcharge which I did not think was out of order.  Not to mention how offended and insulted I was when the manager then proceeded to tell me that I "shouldn't have finger food for the afters of a christnening" like I was a pauper who had just walked in from the steet, I'm still so upset over this.

Can anyone tell me if there is anything I can do in regards to complain?  I don't think it's worth my while complaining to the hotel in queston as it was the owner that I was dealing with.  I'm just so upset and this was three days ago.


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## Sandals (20 Mar 2012)

scanoj, Id write to the hotel immediately stating clearly the overcharge and what you want done in order to solve this matter (check http://www.nca.ie/ there is a sample letter there somewhere) and follow my route as in my post above (failte ireland), Im surprised the manager didnt just do a refund there and then. Iv often being overcharged on checking out but its never been a problem to correct this mistake. 

The hotel were very happy to accommodate you (ie take your money) and should be glad of your business. Post a review of the hotel on tripadvisor after the saga is over and you'v your money back!


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## W200 (20 Mar 2012)

complainer said:


> not my experience at all, but you can always check a poster's track record by clicking on their username to see if they are a serial whinger or a one-time property-puffer post - both of which can be ignored.


 
+1


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## shesells (20 Mar 2012)

scanoj said:


> I had an event in a popular hotel and as I couldn't afford to have a big meal for 30-40 guests I had finger food for everyone.  I was overcharged for 10 people, of course these things happen so that didn't bother me but when I looked for the refund I was told no, I couldn't understand why?



Did you order food for a certain number and a smaller number turned up? In my experience you always have to confirm numbers for finger food in advance and that is what is cooked and charged for regardless of the number of people that show up.


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## Bronte (21 Mar 2012)

scanoj said:


> Not to mention how offended and insulted I was when the manager then proceeded to tell me that I "shouldn't have finger food for the afters of a christnening" like I was a pauper who had just walked in from the steet, .


 
That's appalling.  If that's the hotel's view of clients then they should make it clear they didn't want your business.  That you should certainly complain about and to Bord Failte. 

I imagine you booked for a certain amount of people and if 10 people didn't show up you still have to pay for them, that would be normal in the catering trade.


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## Sandals (21 Mar 2012)

scanoj said:


> I was overcharged for 10 people,



I had assumed it was a case of being overcharged on actual party numbers that were ordered for. I too agree if case of people not turning up, this is not the hotel's fault. However rudeness or an abrupt manner is not called for in a professional capacity.


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## mcaul (6 Apr 2012)

scanoj said:


> I had an event in a popular hotel and as I couldn't afford to have a big meal for 30-40 guests I had finger food for everyone. I was overcharged for 10 people, of course these things happen so that didn't bother me but when I looked for the refund I was told no, I couldn't understand why? Of course I did say that I was not leaving until I received my money back for the overcharge which I did not think was out of order. Not to mention how offended and insulted I was when the manager then proceeded to tell me that I "shouldn't have finger food for the afters of a christnening" like I was a pauper who had just walked in from the steet, I'm still so upset over this.
> 
> Can anyone tell me if there is anything I can do in regards to complain? I don't think it's worth my while complaining to the hotel in queston as it was the owner that I was dealing with. I'm just so upset and this was three days ago.


 

Depends on what you ordered. If you said up to 40 people then the hotel would supply food and have the right number of staff for 40 people. If only 30 turn up, then thats not a issue for the hotel. - The staff still have to be paid and the food probably dumped.
Think of it another way - if the hotel only had food / staff good enough for 30 people and all 40 turned up, would you be complaining about that as well?

As for teh OP - find out the owner of the hotel or if it is part of a brand, complain to the brand owners. Bord Failte / Tourism Ireland can do little or nothing for you.


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## Sandals (6 Apr 2012)

mcaul said:


> Bord Failte / Tourism Ireland can do little or nothing for you.



I disagree with this as they can force the hotel to reply to you within a certain timeframe or they will proceed with an internal investigation.


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## Bronte (16 Apr 2012)

Bord Failte have a lot of power, making a complaint to them is not a waste of time.


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