Hotel locking up Foyer/moving guests at lunch/breakfast...

DubInTheWest

I actually didn't know what part of boards to post this as it's not my situation, it's something I saw at a 60th Birthday party I was at over the weekend and I'd just like to know for future reference in-case it ever does happen to me... Anyway

So it was in a Hotel in Galway. The party went off perfectly and it was excellent. However, around 2.30am they wanted everyone in the foyer area. As all the guests were staying in the hotel that night, they asked for a drink when they moved down. They/we were told the bar is closed - sorry.

So some people still had their drink in front of them and continued to drink/chat/mingle and after a short while we were basically told to 'go to bed.' We were told they have to close up the foyer area. That didn't go down well as all were staying guests and it was causing a bit of a stir. After awhile they/hotel said it's OK you can stay where you are. But in all my life in staying in hotels in Ireland I have never ever seen the likes of it, is this the done thing in Ireland, locking up the foyer and sending people to bed before 3am ?

Next morning/afternoon. Near 12pm, a lot of guests were eating breakfast and ordering lunch and I actually saw a whole group of maybe 12-15 guests from the night before being asked to move into a corner as regulars would be coming in for lunch... I was thinking wtf, people eating being told to move tables ?! The people moved and that was that.

Personally I'd never use/recommend that hotel ever again. The above in my opinion is a horrible attitude but I don't travel much these days so like to know if this is the way hotels actually treat guests these days ?

Cheers

Plumbthedepths

Did you raise your concerns with the hotel, if not why not?
As an aside there is no legal requirement on a hotel to serve drink after hours even to guests. I'm guessing they wanted to close the foyer area for cleaning and likewise for the restaurant the breakfast group asked to move to allow normal lunchtime trade occur.
Worked in hotels in my youth nothing strange in your observations.

degsie

A hotel is a business, not a playground for party-goers. The have to attempt to keep regular customers happy. Some people were mildly inconvenienced, that's all. Move on.

lucast2007us

Ye sure let the people sit in the lobby foyer all night and then at 7am it is filthy dirty after not getting cleaned and you have other guests and future potential customers etc coming into a filth pit.

High standards indeed.
In short the area needs to be cleaned for next day.

Robbo

Moderation: Moved to Consumer Issues as it's more suitable.

DubInTheWest

degsie wrote: »

A hotel is a business, not a playground for party-goers. The have to attempt to keep regular customers happy. Some people were mildly inconvenienced, that's all. Move on.

Point taken Degsie. Having said that it did cost a pretty penny to stay for the night. I haven't stayed in hotels in the past 9 years of so but before that I used to stay in hotels regularly and I've never seen the like. I thought it was rude but as I said it's just my opinion.

L1011

Robbo wrote: »

Moderation: Moved to Consumer Issues as it's more suitable.

Please tell me this is from BGRH and not Legal Discussion?

DubInTheWest

lucast2007us wrote: »

Ye sure let the people sit in the lobby foyer all night and then at 7am it is filthy dirty after not getting cleaned and you have other guests and future potential customers etc coming into a filth pit.

High standards indeed.
In short the area needs to be cleaned for next day.

What are you talking about, 'filth dirty,' it was old people not groups of animals. Get a grip and stop with your brain dead remarks.

ems_12

I've seen this happen & I reckon it's so the hotel can clear the decks of all those who turn an evening celebration into a two day event. They are likely trying to stop those wedding guests who go from breakfast to the bar on day two & never leave, particularly if it's a Fri/Sat wedding and they are expecting further customers/events the next day.
Not so sure about the night time closure; I've been moved from a bar to foyer but never told to go to bed :eek:

petros1980

ems_12 wrote: »

They are likely trying to stop those wedding guests who go from breakfast to the bar on day two & never leave, particularly if it's a Fri/Sat wedding and they are expecting further customers/events the next day.

Can see you don't run a business anyway :pac::pac:

A hotel/bar would be delighted with another day's custom out of a crowd there the night before.

I've worked in a few hotels. never encountered telling customers to go to their rooms; closing the residents bar at 3 or 4 of what have you; but paying guests would never be told to vacate the lobby area. It was never an issue tbh as you'd clean around them and they'd head off to bed eventually.

So to answer OP - yes sounds like the place in question has a lot to learn about customer service.

MarkR

You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.

harr

Have worked in hotels and also have never seen this. We would normally have Guests in hotel bar and try to have them in same area especially a residents bar. No real mess , bar man collects glasses regularly. Most hotels are more than happy to have 20-30 guests drinking into the early hours.
And people will always remember the hotel who didn’t have a residents bar and they will tell others.
I like a quiet drink after a wedding as it’s normally close friends and family.

ems_12

petros1980 wrote: »

Can see you don't run a business anyway :pac::pac:

A hotel/bar would be delighted with another day's custom out of a crowd there the night before.

Thankfully not in hospitality in Ireland, tough business!

Custom, yes. However, a couple of lads(/ladies) with ties still around their heads from the sweaty dancefloor the night before, after an hours sleep, still slurring over a few pints......I can see why they'd want them cleared before the next wedding guests arrive. Might also help get people checked out of their rooms on time for cleaning?

(to clarify I'm not referring to the OP in my description above, but to the scenario where I've seen the bar 'closed' on the morning after, to clear it out)

Plumbthedepths

Just a question OP was your party told to go bed? You said basically you were told to go to bed.

SonOfGoat

Shocking from a hotel. I've stayed in Hotels around Ireland and the UK for years and never saw this. If a hotel stops serving or last drinks the foyer is the place to go. Many a night I'd do a ghoster in City West in Dublin, take the drink out and just drink into the morning. There is a but.. in here, Galway City in my opinion would be on a par with Dublin, however, if you're talking more off the beaten track, they are about 20 years behind Dublin or other Cities so you're entering redneck territory and they make their own rules. Take a lesson from it, only go to reputable places, easier said than done I know.

Good luck