"LIFE'S TOO SHORT TO EAT BAD NUTS"

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Perching here and gathering my thoughts ...

New Year Eve Hotel Fiasco

03 January 2005 ~ 18:16

On New Year�s Eve, Mum, Mark and I were really looking forward to staying in the four-star hotel in central London that we had booked. It had a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi, and that was the main reason why I had booked this particular hotel above others, even though it was not particularly easily located.

Mum & I arrived first as Mark was working. We checked in at 4 p.m. and went to our rooms�small but comfortable. Ours was a double room and Mum�s a single, as we hadn�t been able to get a triple room. Mark arrived at 6 p.m., and we excitedly got changed with our swimming costumes under our clothes, and hurried down to the �Otium Leisure Centre.� Cock-up No1�it was closed until 3rd January!

We were understandably miffed and asked to see the manager. The concierge said he�d be with me in a moment. I waited. He didn�t come. I asked again and they went to speak to him again. He eventually came and basically just apologised. He said he�d speak to the line manager and ring me in 35-40 minutes. We went back up to our room and waited.

Of course like I expected, nobody rang, so we decided to go down to dinner. We were told it was a 15-minute wait to get a table! There were loads of free tables, it was just that they only had one person clearing them. So I asked to see the manager again. I complained that he had not got back to me. He came and said he had not been able to get hold of the line manager but, �oh, there he is, I�ll speak to him now and get back to you.� Meanwhile our table came up.

The manager came through and started talking to us and then�hey presto!�the fire alarm starts ringing. Everybody must clear the building. So there we were, standing outside on a December evening with no coats on, until eventually we were told that a kid had tampered with the alarm and we can all go back inside. The manager said he would see what he could do for us and to ask when we checked out.

Dinner was a long, long time coming. There were only about three parties having dinner but apparently there was a problem with the stoves because of the fire alarm going off, so we were served piecemeal, our flans coming first, then the accompanying vegetables after we�d finished the flans (we�d wanted them all served together). This was not a cheap place. But they did give us a discount and offered us all a free dessert, which only Mark took them up on.

We went back upstairs to our rooms. I had a bath and the water was only lukewarm. But, I admit, we had fun hanging out in the room, watching the fireworks going off and hearing all the cheers.

The fiasco began again the next morning. We all got ready before 10 a.m. and went down for breakfast. But we were astounded to see a very long queue of people waiting to get into the restaurant. I have never had to queue for breakfast at a restaurant before (in the UK and Europe, breakfast is normally included in the price of your room). Mark had had enough and went back up to the room to catch so more shuteye. Mum and I ended up waiting in line for 10 to 15 minutes to get breakfast. There were many empty tables but again only one girl clearing. Pathetic.

When we checked out we spoke to the manager again. He offered us an upgrade on our next stay. Like we plan to stay again! We told him thanks but no thanks. We will be writing to complain.



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