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Wednesday 17 August 2016

Opinions wanted please

There was something that happened on our Lake District holiday I didn't mention in my last blog, it would be appreciated if any readers of this would comment.

As a thank you for their hospitality we took our friends out for to dine at an hotel near Windermere, booked and chosen by them for its reputation and views, we arrived early, had pre-dinner drinks until our table was ready in the large, but mostly empty room, I think there were four tables occupied in the formal dining room.

Nothing but praise for the food and drink we had ordered whilst having pre-dinner drinks, our problem was at the end of the meal there was shouting and noise from a nearby table which was quite close considering there were so many empty tables, we noticed an iPad or tablet switched on and presumably the grandmother shouting at her grandchildren on line, these children it appeared were about to go to bed and grandmother and the three other diners joined in too. This went on for some time, it was impossible to hold a conversation at our table, the staff who were clearing a table completely ignored the racket, eventually one of our party politely asked the noisy diners if they could be a little quieter, this was met with abuse and cries of spoil sport. Noisy grandmother then told her grandchildren, and presumably their parent that some horrid people had complained so she couldn't continue, to our surprise someone from another table sympathised with noisy table and the whole party moved to the empty sofas in the bar area well away from us.

We decided to forgo coffee, went out on to the terrace to see the views over Windermere before returning home. I wrote a review about this, the response was that as the hotel had wifi it was to be expected it would be used, noisy grandmother had agreed she would be contacting her grandchildren in this way, there was an implication that we had spoilt some celebration. So why weren't we informed when booking, when having drinks or when allocated our table by the staff, or even an apology in advance from noisy grandmother.

I'm trying not to be fuddyduddy, it was the level of noise, the shouting and lack of manners as much as the use of a tablet during dinner in the restaurant, if they were residents why not take advantage of he privacy offered there.




8 comments:

  1. I entirely sympathise with you and think the hotel's reaction (and previous lack of reaction) is appalling! No one should interfere with other people's relaxing evening out. I think you should write to the manager of the hotel with a strong complaint, even though this wouldn't make your spoiled evening any better. If this fails... Twitter, Trip Advisor...

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  2. Oh, I assume your review was on Trip Advisor. Write to the manager!

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  3. Yes, review on Trip Advisor, with a response from the hotel, thank you for your helpful comment.

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  4. I have worked in libraries for years and have "seen it all". One customer has a mobile phone with a ship's fog horn for the ringtone. I'm afraid some people live in a little bubble of ignorance.

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  5. How rude of those people to "share" their family conversation with the whole place, and how unusual that the management didn't do anything about it, instead made you out to be fussy and the shouting guests to be in the right!
    I tolerate a lot of things, but I draw the line when someone's behaviour infringes on the comfort of someone else.

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  6. Much the same happened to DH and myself years ago- we went to a very "classy" establishment to celebrate our wedding anniversary- the sort of place where a starter of 3 sticks of asparagus cost £11. We had booked- but when we arrived at a pretty much empty restaurant we had to wait about 5 minutes when we arrived while the restaurant manager scrutinised the list. Things went from bad to worse- it was the sort of place where the waiters insisted upon pouring the wine but did so by leaning across me to fill my husband's glass. To compound it all we were joined by an increasingly raucous party of 6. The restaurant was in a conservatory so their booming conversation rattled around the place. We complained to the waiting staff, but they just shrugged their shoulders. When we got home I was so angry I e-mailed the restaurant. Their response was not an apology, but to the effect that they had asked around the other diners that night- 2 other tables of 2 I recall- and they had not been troubled by the larger group's antics, so really this was our problem!
    I think that the behaviour of noisy granny and her entourage was completely inappropriate- if she wanted to wish her grandchildren goodnight then she she should have taken the i-pad elsewhere. She had no right to misbehave in the restaurant and the staff that let it happen were equally culpable. If you still are annoyed- and you have every right to be, as Pam suggests write to the hotel management, suggesting they might want to look at their policy of allowing the use of phones/i-pads in their restaurant.
    I think hotels etc can be prickly if they feel you are looking for a free meal- but given your experience I should think that is the last thing you would want! An apology would be nice though.
    We have never been back to the restaurant concerned, and at the time warned all our friends in the locality off it. Needless to say we soon found out we weren't the only people who had been ill-served there.

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  7. We are away from home at the moment and have been struck by the general increase in loud conversation and general rudeness among fellow guests. This seems to be across the board - all ages and sectors of society.
    Yesterday we endured what should have been a celebratory lunch next to a table with loud unruly children whose parents didn't correct them but encouraged the shouted conversations. Husband, who currently has a leg problem and can't walk quickly, was practically bowled over by a middle-aged man at a visit to a stately home, and we were woken up at 3.00 a.m by several men of 30-40 outside playing with a football and yelling at the top of their voices! I'm appalled that your meal was ruined by the other people's inconsiderate behaviour but no longer surprised that it wasn't questioned or that you were made the villans of the piece.
    We consider ourselves tolerant and certainly not fuddy-duddy. We both have up-to-date phones etc and use them to keep in touch by Whatsapp while we're away but not with loud conversations - nor do we find it necessary to shout all conversation across a room or flatten anyone who impeeds our progress or barge into them. What really amazes us is that people of our own age group (mid 60) are just as bad as the rest.

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  8. I read your post out to Tim and we both agree it was dreadfully rude and inexcusable. Ghastly grandmother will probably wonder why her grandchildren grow up with no manners.

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