I've been working away over the last month (which is why my posts have been silent). My temporary home was the Holiday Inn near Ipswich. It felt like a long time and clearly it was, because yesterday the parent group Intercontinental Hotels upgraded me to Gold Elite Status - which you earn after 15 nights as a member of their loyalty programme.
'Have a Free Night on Us' announced one of the too many flyers scattered around the room. 'Stay 2 nights and have the third on us'. I never had time to read the small print or discover exactly how many free nights I might have earned to my account.
I did get a free night though, in fact not just 1, but 8.
On Easter Monday, at 10.45pm just as my team was heading for bed, we were perturbed to see a coach load of guests arrive for a party in the bar. By 3am there was a considerable disturbance in the hotel among some of the more drunken guests, kicking bedroom doors. I telephoned the duty manager and explained that if he didn't quieten things down I would call the police. He begged me not to do this and in return he agreed that the manager would meet me in the morning.
At 07.30 I met the duty manager and explained that we had checked in on the holiday so as to be rested for an early start. I pointed out that the hotel had made a commercial decision that they preferred to take the bar revenue from a coach load of revellers than the room revenue for 8 paying guests. At what time did they imagine a bar party which only began at 10.45 might end?
Later that morning the manager's PA telephoned me to offer my party dinner by way of apology. I politely but firmly declined. I explained that it was a good night's sleep which we paid for, and as the hotel failed to provide it nothing less than a full refund for all 8 of our group would satisfy. To their credit the Holiday Inn agreed.
I hope the previous night's bar profit outstripped the £450 loss to their room revenue account.
