Siusiuelmoe
13 juillet 2025
Disappointing Experience – Poor Handling of Family Booking
We had a disappointing experience at this hotel, and I feel compelled to share it to help other families avoid a similar situation.
We had fully paid for three twin rooms through Trip.com in advance of our trip to Oxford. Upon arrival at the hotel at 10 PM, the receptionist refused to check us in unless we booked an additional room, claiming that our two 8-year-old children could not share a bed with their parents.
This was not only unreasonable, but also contradicted the hotel’s own policy, which states:
“Children up to 18 years old stay free (with existing bedding) when sharing a room with a paying adult.”
Our children are small, and in a new environment, they prefer to stay close to us. We explained this, and also pointed out that Trip.com clearly allows children to stay in the same room under such arrangements. However, the receptionist was inflexible, refused to show us the hotel’s child policy, and instead told us to “check Hilton.com ourselves.” His attitude was unnecessarily rude and dismissive.
Even when we insisted that we had already paid for our three rooms and just wanted to settle in our children and elderly parent first, he denied us access until we either booked another room on the spot or resolved the issue with Trip.com — which was unrealistic at that late hour.
When we asked to speak with a manager, a female staff member appeared and contradicted the earlier message, saying they had not refused us check-in. Only then did the male receptionist’s tone change, and we were finally given our room keys — over 30 minutes later, after unnecessary stress and confusion.
To make matters worse, the room setup was clearly sufficient for two adults and a small child, just like other similar hotels we’ve stayed in across the UK and abroad. All three rooms had reasonable twin beds, and the size and configuration were completely reasonable. Even Trip.com customer service acknowledged the issue and offered to compensate us for the inconvenience — though by that point, the only available option was the hotel’s most expensive room, and nearby hotels were fully booked. Ultimately, 2 family members decided to leave the Hilton Garden Inn.
It remains unclear whether this was a poorly communicated hotel policy or simply an inflexible and unprofessional staff member. After reading other guest reviews, it appears we are not alone — several families have reported similar experiences at this property.
This hotel appears to prioritize revenue over guest experience, especially when it comes to family travelers. Sadly, I cannot recommend Hilton Garden Inn Abingdon to others
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