Our £708 Warner resort keep within the Cotswolds was ruined by a rowdy hen get together: CRANE ON THE CASE
My wife and I booked a three-night stay at Warner Hotels’ Heythrop Park in the Cotswolds last summer, paying £708.
It was our 17th stay at a Warner hotel – we enjoy the quiet, adults-only atmosphere.
However, this trip was ruined by the presence of a loud hen party over the first two nights.
It started at dinner when the hen party moved all the tables to accommodate their large party of 28 people, disrupting other guests.
Later they continued drinking, singing and shouting on the hotel’s terrace until midnight.
They then moved to the courtyard directly outside our room, not finishing until after 1am. We asked the reception staff to do something, but it didn’t stop.
The next night, the same behaviour continued until after 2am. We got hardly any sleep and had to abandon some of our planned activities in the Cotswolds.
After leaving I made a formal complaint and wrote to Warner’s chief executive, but he has not responded. M.L, Bedfordshire
Exhausted: M.L and his wife got little sleep on their Warner break thanks to the noisy late-night antics of a disruptive hen party (stock image, posed by models)
Helen Crane, This is Money’s consumer champion replies: I’m sorry to hear your relaxing break was ruined.
While Warner doesn’t officially have an age limit, its tranquil stately home locations, all-inclusive packages and activities such as ballroom dancing and golf make it popular with retirees. Over-60s make up the vast majority of guests.
I can certainly see why you didn’t expect to be confronted with a large group of loud twenty and thirty-something women – and to be honest, I’m not sure why they’d want to celebrate their friend’s impending nuptials there.
You did all the right things, making sure you flagged the problems with hotel staff to give them the chance to put it right, rather than simply complaining later.
Following your report to reception on Saturday, you returned on Sunday and asked to speak to the duty manager.
You told them you were under the impression that large parties and hen celebrations weren’t allowed at the chain.
You say that the manager told you there had been a ‘policy change’ and large parties, including hen parties, could now book to stay there, so there was nothing he could do.
When I later spoke to Warner, it denied there was ever a policy disallowing large groups and hen parties from its hotels.
However, I accept your point that its marketing leans heavily on its reputation as a relaxing retreat for grown-ups.
I struggled to find a photo on its website of a person under the age of 50.
And in the ‘about’ section, it says: ‘Warner Hotels specialise in UK short breaks, exclusively for adults, with your room, breakfast and dinner, live shows and spa facilities all included in one price.
‘These perfect pockets of time revolve around you, as you relax, reset and enjoy uninterrupted moments to restore your vitality.’
I don’t think you would describe your break as relaxing, uninterrupted or restorative.
I contacted Warner to raise your concerns and ask if it could make things right for you as a loyal customer.
As a firm that supposedly prides itself on its superior customer service, I was shocked that it refused to take any action at all.
A spokesperson said: ‘We want every guest to have a great stay at a Warner Hotel and are sorry that, on this occasion, the atmosphere did not meet this guest’s expectations.
‘We welcome all guests aged 18 and over, including groups, and our teams work hard to create an enjoyable environment for everyone and respond quickly and fairly to any concerns raised.
‘We hope to welcome M.L. back in the future.’
Your stay was clearly marred by these other guests, and I think Warner is being unreasonable not to at least provide some compensation, if not a full refund.
‘A voucher for £50 would have been enough to compensate for the disturbance we were subjected to,’ you told me.
I also didn’t have a great experience with Warner, who took ages to respond to me and were regularly uncontactable.
It also referred to you by the wrong name in some of their communications, showing a lack of regard for customers.
You have told me you are disappointed, but are willing to give the firm one more chance as you already had another break booked with friends at a different hotel which is coming up soon.
I really hope Warner doesn’t let you down again.
