Hotel trying to reduce out bar extension

layviae

EDIT; spoke to the hotel it's back to 2.30 thanks for the advice boards

Tl:dr we originally agreed a late bar of 2.30 for a Saturday wedding but 5 days before the wedding hotel say it will only be open till 1.30

We're getting married this Saturday and I'm looking for some advice, we booked our hotel 7 months ago there was lots of haggling and we agreed a late bar, we were told at the time that this would be until 2.30am

This was again confirmed at the start of February when we met with the wedding coordinator

On Monday we dropped some ribbon into the hotel and briefly spoke to the general manager, 'this is for the wedding Saturday (name of coordinator) knows what to do with it'

We had lunch in the hotel bar and noticed a new member of staff walking around with a couple with a wedding broacher, husband to be tried to convince me the wedding coordinator was possibly on a day off but after a little detective work I discover she left the hotel the 6th February

Went to the desk to ask to speak to (name of wedding coordinator) or when she would next be in and the same general manager who took the ribbon advised she no longer worked there,

Met with the new coordinator and the general manager, both seem nice and hopefully on top of things but as we were going through the details they mentioned the bar would close at 1.30 we questioned it but had no paperwork with us as we weren't expecting to speak to anyone just to drop in ribbon and have lunch

A quick google of licensing laws indicates that bars close at 12.30 with no licence and 2.30 with a licence, so I don't get why their trying to close it at 1.30

I'm extra worried as this hotel was sold a few months ago and we've had nothing but issues since then, the sound system is gone, room was redecorated including removing the fairy lit backdrop, they no longer offer a complimentary pick up from the airport which most of my guests were expecting and now I'll be spending the entire day before my wedding doing airport runs

I was following a tread on mrs2be about this hotel, at the time we booked it had a brilliant reputation but in more recent times it's had a large number of bad reviews that have been taken down very quickly

I know at the end of the day once we get married that's the most important thing but I could have done that for €200, is it completely bridezilla of me to ask for what we agreed and paid for in the first place?

If they agreed to 2:30, hold firm until they meet what they signed up to.

layviae

Thanks Donal, I'm meeting with them today and will stick to it, it was my 'must have' for the wedding, my husbands was having a choice in the meal but mine was the late bar, don't want everyone heading off to coppers at 1.30

annoyedgal

Do you have it in an email that you agreed on the 2.30 extension? I'd be making a lot of noise about this with them if I were you. You don't need this stress the day before your wedding.

Go in and meet the manager, might be no harm to point out that the wedding world is very small and bad reviews spread very quickly on wedding forums etc.

If that doesn't work then try and put it behind you got tomorrow and have a great day. Best of luck

elastico

layviae wrote: »

Thanks Donal, I'm meeting with them today and will stick to it, it was my 'must have' for the wedding, my husbands was having a choice in the meal but mine was the late bar, don't want everyone heading off to coppers at 1.30

How much did you pay the hotel for the bar extension? I am no expext but a trip to court for the hotels solicitor and the cost of the extension itself could be around €500.

crusier

seems to me like they never applied for the extension yet probably are charging for it, they are likely trying to run the bar to 1.30am with out the extension and don't want to push it to 2.30am without, hold firm and stand your ground, maybe they'll settle for 2am, anyone with a lip on them can go to the residents bar!

elastico

crusier wrote: »

seems to me like they never applied for the extension yet probably are charging for it, they are likely trying to run the bar to 1.30am with out the extension and don't want to push it to 2.30am without, hold firm and stand your ground, maybe they'll settle for 2am, anyone with a lip on them can go to the residents bar!

That's what I was thinking. They can try stretch to 1.30 and get away with it without an extension.

Milly33

Oh no what a horrible thing to do to ye... I hope she came to some arrangement with ye. They should honour what was originally stated, do you have it written in the contract or anything..

Would think the same it is defo last call at 12.30 so they must be being sneaky with the 1.30 and if ye are paying for the bar extension then feck it get what ye pay for..

And yes like that the wedding world is small so if they were being twats then name and shame

Typer Monkey

Every bar extension involves an application to the district court. It's not a case of the hotel just charging you for one and then going ahead and doing it. The extension has to be awarded by a judge and a member of the gardai is also present to state the gardai have no objections. They're usually applied for in bulk. If the hotel hasn't been awarded an extension for your wedding then it's too late to get one now.

Ask them straight out did they go to court for an extension and ask to see it

Milly33

Ah maybe that is the reason they aren't doing it, because they didn't apply for it.. If that was the case then I would be politely telling them even if tis the day after the wedding that you aren't paying for it, have they asked you to pay for the extension...

Could always move to the residents bar also just ask them to help out as it looks like they have made the mess up

clint_silver

Typer Monkey wrote: »

Every bar extension involves an application to the district court. It's not a case of the hotel just charging you for one and then going ahead and doing it. The extension has to be awarded by a judge and a member of the gardai is also present to state the gardai have no objections. They're usually applied for in bulk. If the hotel hasn't been awarded an extension for your wedding then it's too late to get one now.

Ask them straight out did they go to court for an extension and ask to see it

While one can ask, its not actually the business of the customer of the hotel. One might feel like they have some say on it, but you really dont. If the hotel give you the bar extension but they dont pay the local authority, thats their problem despite the dishonesty on their behalf, you did get your bar extension you paid for. the famous 2010 roganstown example case in point.

From working in the hotels, the bar extension varies in time from 1:30 up til 2:30 and where a hotel has a the same bar as its residents bar will go on until 4-5am. local area sound levels, staff costs, other residents noise all affect the time.

Personally I wouldnt see it as a big thing, as in dont get too upset, last orders will be called at 1:30, people get 2-3 drinks in if hteyre so inclined which will do them until they either leave an hour later for their own accommodation or until the residents bar open if theyre staying..

layviae

Thanks for all your help spoke to the hotel and it'll be open to 2.30 thanks for all your advice, and they even have the fairy lit backdrop back so I'm delighted!

Milly33

Yeah win win! Wishing ye a fantastic day