Can hotel stop you from eating your own food in the room?

smeedyova · 15-07-2011 10:52AM #1

Hi all, was thinking about booking a break in a 5 star hotel in Ireland but heard that they have a sign in the room saying that people who eat food in the room that was not purchased from the hotel will be fined. I thought that if you paid for a hotel room it was yours for the duration and you could do anything, legal, that you wanted in it...Is anybody better informed? Thanks.

foghlu · 15-07-2011 11:25AM

Honestly cant see how they can stop you from eating in your room...

But if they had signs and a policy against it you could just say that you had food allergies and wouldnt feel comfortable eating the food supplied on the premises!

keithclancy · 15-07-2011 11:42AM

Almost as bad as singapore airlines: :pac::pac::pac:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article2747522.ece

Honestly though i've never heard of that before in any hotel (in any country), whoever told you that made it up methinks.

Smoking is about the only thing i've seen forbidden.

phasers · 15-07-2011 11:45AM

how would they know you were eating outside food anyway?

You could always say you're diabetic (my mam is and
she likes to have her own food because she knows exactly what goes into it that way)

listermint · 15-07-2011 11:46AM

I have never seen this in any hotel ive stayed in.

Mr E · 15-07-2011 11:47AM

I think its mainly to stop stinky takeaways from stinking up the room.
Just take any food waste away with you when you're leaving.

stargazer 68 · 15-07-2011 11:48AM

Never seen signs like that anywhere either. We have eaten chipper in a couple of hotel rooms and I have seen people bringing in pizzas too.

Storminateacup · 15-07-2011 11:48AM

I've seen that policy in a Hotel I stayed in, in Waterford. When I was checking out, I made sure to leave the Thai curry cartons that I had the previous night, in the room. I didn't get fined or anything.

godtabh · 15-07-2011 12:09PM

I remember staying in a hotel in sligo and getting a 4 star pizza family deal and eating it back in the hotel room.

no issue the next day with the pizza boxes. i'm sure the hotel would prefer you to eat in the hotel and that sign probably encourages people to do it but there is little they could do to enforce it i would imagine.

smeedyova · 15-07-2011 12:20PM

godtabh wrote: »

i'm sure the hotel would prefer you to eat in the hotel

Indeed, and their restaurants are mega, mega expensive, but you know what the hotel told me the reason for this was? Food poisoning...yes, you could get food poisoning if you eat food that was not bought on their premises.

I've also ordered in when staying in many hotels without any problems.

My grump about it is that this place has rooms that start at 170 euro a night...for that price I'll eat what I want and don't expect threats about being fined!

bcirl03 · 15-07-2011 12:29PM

How would they even impose the fine?

If they added it to the bill I wouldnt be paying it and would also copy up to Trip Advisor.

Any chance ya can name n shame?

smeedyova · 15-07-2011 12:37PM

I don't think they could reasonably impose the fine, but the fact that they would issue threats about fines is crazy and I guess it means that they wouldn't let you receive delivery of a pizza or whatever...I wouldn't care in a hostel but if I'm forking out a LOT of money I don't expect to be told that I can't eat my own apple in the room!

Somebody else reported on tripadvisor that the same place added a 5 euro charge to their restaurant bill for tap water, but the hotel told me that the don't charge for tap water.

JimsAlterEgo · 15-07-2011 12:39PM

Email and ask them? Then name and shame if you have proof.

Welruc · 15-07-2011 12:46PM

I've been working in a 4 star hotel for a few years now and never heard of anything like this, probably trying to encourage guests to eat the hotel food.
Defo don't pay any fine they try to impose if you do eat in your room!

chicken fingers · 15-07-2011 12:50PM

The standard of 5 start hotels in Ireland is absolutely pathetic.
With few exceptions, they are money grubbing, begrudging assclowns.
The service has always been sub-par for the prices.

I frequently stay in 4 and 5 stars in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai and the standards are completely different. I often would call the reception and tell them to order me a pizza from dominos or whatever was the best pizza place, they would buy it, tip the driver and add it as room service with no extra hotel charge.
Or sometimes I will have to meet colleagues etc in the suite, I will order sandwich platters or seafood buffet or something.
The hotels never have a problem and the staff are only absolutely delighted to help you out with whatever little thing.

In Ireland, paying 200 per night for some average room in a 5 star hotel with rip off cokes and rip off restaurants, the staff will still have snooty attitudes.
I've seen staff in a Dublin hotel wrinkle their noses at basic requests and make you feel guilty for asking something or doing anything except sleeping in your hotel bed.

Well F**k them. Seriously, without us they have no business.

bcirl03 · 15-07-2011 12:55PM

chicken fingers wrote: »

The standard of 5 start hotels in Ireland is absolutely pathetic.
With few exceptions, they are money grubbing, begrudging assclowns.
The service has always been sub-par for the prices.

I frequently stay in 4 and 5 stars in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai and the standards are completely different. I often would call the reception and tell them to order me a pizza from dominos or whatever was the best pizza place, they would buy it, tip the driver and add it as room service with no extra hotel charge.
Or sometimes I will have to meet colleagues etc in the suite, I will order sandwich platters or seafood buffet or something.
The hotels never have a problem and the staff are only absolutely delighted to help you out with whatever little thing.

In Ireland, paying 200 per night for some average room in a 5 star hotel with rip off cokes and rip off restaurants, the staff will still have snooty attitudes.
I've seen staff in a Dublin hotel wrinkle their noses at basic requests and make you feel guilty for asking something or doing anything except sleeping in your hotel bed.

Well F**k them. Seriously, without us they have no business.

+1 and well said

15-07-2011 01:01PM

This actually happened me awhile ago in a hotel in bray (not sure about naming names but it has a simular name to the monarchy) On my way back to the room at about 11.30 I was stopped in the lobby with my big bag of chips and told by a porter that I couldnt bring them into the hotel (no food was available in the hotel at that time either)

I asked for the manager and apparently said porter was in charge that night and what he said went. I politely told him where to go and went to my room with my grub.

I didnt see any signs of it being policy in the hotel, and the next morning checking out he was nowhere to be found nor was a manager. I followed it up with an email but never heard any reply from them.

tallaghtoutlaws · 15-07-2011 01:27PM

chicken fingers wrote: »

The standard of 5 start hotels in Ireland is absolutely pathetic.
With few exceptions, they are money grubbing, begrudging assclowns.
The service has always been sub-par for the prices.

I frequently stay in 4 and 5 stars in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai and the standards are completely different. I often would call the reception and tell them to order me a pizza from dominos or whatever was the best pizza place, they would buy it, tip the driver and add it as room service with no extra hotel charge.
Or sometimes I will have to meet colleagues etc in the suite, I will order sandwich platters or seafood buffet or something.
The hotels never have a problem and the staff are only absolutely delighted to help you out with whatever little thing.

In Ireland, paying 200 per night for some average room in a 5 star hotel with rip off cokes and rip off restaurants, the staff will still have snooty attitudes.
I've seen staff in a Dublin hotel wrinkle their noses at basic requests and make you feel guilty for asking something or doing anything except sleeping in your hotel bed.

Well F**k them. Seriously, without us they have no business.

Very well said. I have said in many 3 star hotels across the world that would also put our so called 5 star to shame.

But the level of service in 4 or 5 star hotels around the world do make Irish ones look amateur. They can't do enough for you to make your stay the best you have ever had. Irish hotels don't give a flying fook about their guests for the most part. Few exceptions out there of course.

smeedyova · 15-07-2011 01:55PM

Totally agree. What I had to listen to on the phone yesterday was ridiculous. The girl told me that I couldn't eat my own food in the room in case I got food poisoning, but even went on to say that, for example, if I was eating an apple at check-in they wouldn't stop me from going to my room with it!!! I asked her if the hotel also had a policy on what foods are/aren't more likely to cause food poisoning...if I would be allowed to proceed with my apple but not with, say, my dinner.

maxer68 · 15-07-2011 02:09PM

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

Very well said. I have said in many 3 star hotels across the world that would also put our so called 5 star to shame.

But the level of service in 4 or 5 star hotels around the world do make Irish ones look amateur. They can't do enough for you to make your stay the best you have ever had. Irish hotels don't give a flying fook about their guests for the most part. Few exceptions out there of course.

So how come Loch Eske Castle in Donegal won best luxury hotel in the world?

Also 5 star means different things depending on location. 5 star in a city would be 5 star business service, whereas 5 star in a resort area would mean 5 star holiday service. So comparing a resort hotel in Dubai with a business hotel in Dublin can't be done.

sozbox · 15-07-2011 02:38PM

I regularly stay in 5 star hotels in Dublin and I've eaten everything from Subway to Chinese to Pizza in my room without bother, I certainly wouldn't entertain a suggestion of not being allowed to eat my own food in a room I paid for.

sallydan · 15-07-2011 02:54PM

The only place I have ever seen this is in a hostel!

keithclancy · 15-07-2011 03:02PM

maxer68 wrote: »

So how come Loch Eske Castle in Donegal won best luxury hotel in the world?

Also 5 star means different things depending on location. 5 star in a city would be 5 star business service, whereas 5 star in a resort area would mean 5 star holiday service. So comparing a resort hotel in Dubai with a business hotel in Dublin can't be done.

The reason 5 star hotels in Ireland are rubbish is becuase the staff get paid regardless, whereas other Countries part of their wage is tips.

Seriously ... 5 Stars in Ireland are up their own hole.

I would assume they won the best Luxury Country Hotel (lots of categories btw) because they are an excellent country hotel, fair do's to them

I'm comparing like for like, basically the attitude of the staff is that you should be of a certain calibre to stay in the place.

chicken fingers · 15-07-2011 03:19PM

smeedyova wrote: »

Totally agree. What I had to listen to on the phone yesterday was ridiculous. The girl told me that I couldn't eat my own food in the room in case I got food poisoning, but even went on to say that, for example, if I was eating an apple at check-in they wouldn't stop me from going to my room with it!!! I asked her if the hotel also had a policy on what foods are/aren't more likely to cause food poisoning...if I would be allowed to proceed with my apple but not with, say, my dinner.

Which hotel was this?

maxer68 wrote: »

So how come Loch Eske Castle in Donegal won best luxury hotel in the world?

Also 5 star means different things depending on location. 5 star in a city would be 5 star business service, whereas 5 star in a resort area would mean 5 star holiday service. So comparing a resort hotel in Dubai with a business hotel in Dublin can't be done.

I did say, with a few exceptions... This is probably one.
BTW it won that dodgy award twice... But thats OT.

And 5 star service is 5 star service. For me, Dubai is a place of business, I could not imagine going there to a resort. I'm talking about being respected and good service. Were not talking about resorts, were talking about silly restrictions and excuses. I don't pay 'to stay somewhere and be lectured about food poisoning. What nonsense is this!

julyjane · 15-07-2011 03:33PM

The only time I've heard of people not being allowed bring in outside food was at weddings, hotels want couples to pay for both the meal and the evening buffet instead of getting a caterer for the buffet. They say for health and safety reasons which is sort of OK because if one of the wedding guests gets sick from the buffet word could get around that the hotel was the source. They make an exception for wedding cakes

I have to admit I'd feel a bit cheeky calling up Dominos or whoever and getting pizza delivered to the hotel, with reception having to phone the room and say your pizza was at reception or send a porter or someone up to the room with it.

But I wouldn't feel a bit cheeky bringing my own food in. Maybe the hotel are worried about their image if people are walking through reception with pizza boxes and McDonalds bags. It is absurd to be fined or told "you're not allowed"

I'd be tempted to wink at them and say "I've done much worse things in that room than eating pizza"

keithclancy · 15-07-2011 03:55PM

julyjane wrote: »

I'd be tempted to wink at them and say "I've done much worse things in that room than eating pizza"

Ah yes ... the ol' was it a Bin or Toilet after a few jars on a night out.

thebullkf · 15-07-2011 03:56PM

Storminateacup wrote: »

I've seen that policy in a Hotel I stayed in, in Waterford. When I was checking out, I made sure to leave the Thai curry cartons that I had the previous night, in the room. I didn't get fined or anything.

How nice of you.

rubadub · 15-07-2011 03:57PM

deuceswild wrote: »

probably trying to encourage guests to eat the hotel food.

This is most likely it, and to possibly stop stinking up of the place, or people slopping takeaway food over the place as they have no proper plates etc.

Some hotels have really cheap rooms but might insist you get a dinner. There was something in consumer issues about this before, some voucher you got with petrol but had to buy an expensive dinner.

I have brought food into hotels before and sort of hid it in case somebody questioned it, I would have had a few drinks on me and been thinking of it like smuggling into a cinema! Sort of similar idea as a cinema I suppose -they can have all the rules they want, but the fine is sort of an empty threat. If there is a fine I expect it might have to be declared, like they cannot say "you ate a raisin so now pay €10,000 fine" -I can't see how it could be enforced.

They probably just hope people will eat there and have no intention of ever fining people and hope most won't even think about it.

google

hotel rules "no food" site:.ie

Shows the no food rule for weddings and debs and a B&Bs

tallaghtoutlaws · 15-07-2011 04:57PM

maxer68 wrote: »

So how come Loch Eske Castle in Donegal won best luxury hotel in the world?

Also 5 star means different things depending on location. 5 star in a city would be 5 star business service, whereas 5 star in a resort area would mean 5 star holiday service. So comparing a resort hotel in Dubai with a business hotel in Dublin can't be done.

Read what I said Very last line of what you quoted.

Few exceptions out there of course.

But to be honest with you how this country rates its hotels is beyond me. Of course as I said there are few exceptions but most hotels in this country couldn't justify their standards in other countries around the world.

And before you say we can't compare this service world wide I ask you why not? They all aim to provide the same services. And to call yourself a 5 star hotel and provide a 3 star service you are taking the p1ss as many hotels in Ireland do.

JustAddWater · 15-07-2011 05:00PM

Dovies wrote: »

We have eaten chipper in a couple of hotel rooms and I have seen people bringing in pizzas too.

Now that's what I call a durty weekend

wmpdd3 · 15-07-2011 07:30PM

A friend has a B&B, she doesn't allow food in the bedroom, but has no problems setting a table downstairs for takeaway etc. There's no where suitable to eat up stairs so when other guests ate chipper food there, they got grease on the bed sheets.

Can hotel stop you from eating your own food in the room?

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