Paid deposit - now hotel is closed day before?

CBFi

Hi all,

So, we booked our venue yesterday and paid our deposit for Dec. Throughout the enquiries/ bookings etc we said on several occasions that we want to stay the night before the wedding and get ready there with our bridal party.

We are from the west/ south and we're getting married in the east.

We enquired as to block booking rooms the night before (Thursday) for friends and family who want to arrive before the wedding (Friday) and they said that's no problem, let us know how many rooms you'd like to reserve.

Today, I emailed the wedding coordinator we have been dealing with about the rates for the Thursday so I can suss people in terms of interest. She then dropped the bombshell that they close mid-week during the winter and unless they get a booking for a wedding on the Thursday, they wont open the hotel for less than 20 guaranteed rooms booked. The problem is we couldn't guarantee more than 10 rooms.

Has anyone any experience of this? What should we do. We've looked at accommodation close by and there isn't much suitable available to accommodate both our families. It's also not the wedding we envisaged. This is a large hotel which advertise summer/ winter / midweek packages and never mentioned this before we paid our deposit.

We haven't signed a contract yet but it's not in their T&Cs on the website.

Suggestions appreciated!

CBFi and Groom

AoifeCork

Oh feck it...

Is there anyway you could guarantee the extra rooms.. could you put the feelers out? Do you have it in writing/email that you were told the hotel would be open for guests the day before the date? I think you're going to have to kick up quite a stink by the sounds of it. How far away is the wedding?

Very strange that you paid deposit without signing and keeping a copy of the contract...?! Is the co-ordinator doubling back on a verbal guarantee or was it somebody different that said they would be open? I can understand your frustration.. maybe gently remind them you can take your business elsewhere and would very much like your deposit back and they might get to stepping.

Best of luck, let us know how you get on!

GalwayGirl26

That is so annoying!
Is there no way you would book the 20 rooms? Between bridal party and family travelling I would say you could but I know it's a bit of money on the line.
I would say to the hotel that it is a deal breaker and really push them on it; they didn't flag it at any stage during the planning and remind them of that.

Milly33

That is nasty what a horrible thing to do..

Ask around people who are travelling would surely like the arriving the day before to be ready. And I would defo read through all details and if there is no mention of them closing mid week I would be getting quite peed off with them..

Liam McPoyle

Unless they told you that you would have to book a minimum amount of rooms for them BEFORE you paid the deposit which it doesn't sound like they did, I'd be kicking up a serious stink and telling them you want your deposit back.

Something like that is pretty huge and unless it's spelled out explicitly by them then I wouldn't take it.

Electric Sheep

How did you pay the deposit? If it was credit card, you can dispute. If it was check you can try to cancel it.

NEVER pay a deposit before signing a contract.

CBFi

Hi all,

Thank you to everyone for their suggestions. I was even looking into changing the day to Saturday yesterday evening but no Humanist celebrant is available (which I knew anyways).

However having gotten an out of office for the coordinator we were dealing with, I forwarded my query on to another manager. They kindly rang me this morning and agreed to a 10 room minimum. So that was phews all round! Apparently she had in her notes that she did say it to us - but she definitely didn't and her email was worded as a first notice and not 'as I said...'.

Both our families will be travelling and many will stay the night before but we can't afford a €1500 gamble! We know that we will definitely have 8 rooms with immediate family and bridal party so we feel safe enough.

I'm not sure why, but I thought paying the deposit was fine and they are to email me a contract by Friday. I did pay by CC to have that security.

Thanks again to everyone

Milly33

Well done for getting it sorted out!! It must be a weight lifted..

I am sure you will manage to get two others to fill the 10 rooms, relatives or close friends more than likely..

Best of luck with it now I hope all else runs smoothly for you