My wedding banquet venue had been doubled booked, need advise urgently please!

Snowy08

New Member
Hi All,
I am new to the forum. Decided to post and get advices to see if any brides- to-be experienced this situation my bf and I faced as we are totally lost and helpless.

My bf and I booked our banquet for Nov 2014 in end Dec2013 and paid the deposit on 03 Jan 2014 the moment the banquet manager is back from PH and leave. We searched and emailed many hotels and most are taken as our date is an auspicious date. So when this is available, we immediately booked it and proceed to go down to pay deposit within few days.

Yesterday 13 March 14, (after 3months of booking, and about 7months to our wedding date). we received a call from our banquet manager and we were shocked and upset to be informed that there had been a mistake on their end -- double bookings were made where the ballroom had been booked by a company for their company D&D on our wedd date, and according to the mgr's explanation, the ballroom was taken way before we booked and paid deposit. So this is an obvious fault and mistake of the banquet manager where he tried to blame it to change of staff and they are not updated on other events bookings and hence this mistake etc. My bf and i went down this evening (14Mar14) to hear out what the banquet mgr had to say and alternative solutions, and he actually had no solutions for us today and our trip down was wasted and we left the hotel even more frustrated and upset. He said today was to inform us, apologise and hear what we have to say and what we would like them to do.

My bf and I were speechless and though we expressed our unhappiness (in a 'still-quite-polite') way, we are unsure what we can do now and what we can demand for as compensation.
The conversation ended today with the banquet mgr escalating to his snr mgr (who is the decision maker) and will come back to us with alternative solutions - which he said he is trying to find out if the company can change their D&D date - I doubt this will happen as that is a company and we are just common folks. They will not be able to 'offend' a corporation.

This is a real situation and I am totally lost in terms of what to do. I am unsure if i can share the name (due to sensitivity of matter and worried that posting the venue name on social media may have an adverse impact on us, what if the hotel or banquet mgr used this against us instead?) Bf and I are very stressed, worried, frustrated and lost. Besides unnecessary visits to the hotel - we went down today and we will be going down again next week, maybe more trips until the matter is resolved.

We already informed all relatives and friends about our wedding date and venue way back in Jan immediately after we secure the date and venue with deposit payment. We totally do not expect such unfortunate thing to happen on us and why us? We just wanted a happy, smooth and simple wedding. But now we are back to no venue again. We just got our keys to our new home and are busy with finding IDs and doing up house before resuming back to wedd prep... we are already very very stress and tight with time and money.... Bf and i discussed, argued and cried over this yesterday and today... This is a very important. critical and yet delicate period due to the many things we need to overcome together (House, Reno, Wedd, Honeymoon planning etc.) and the last thing we want is trouble and problem with things we already settled.

We have not break the news to both side parents and family, nor relatives and friends... we hope to settle the venue and proceed with wedding on the same day, before informing them. We felt like victims and why do we pay to suffer and why is our big day and once in a lifetime matter cork up and we are forced to compromise? I really feel very angry and unjust. Read the banquet contract T&Cs. all terms are written to protect the hotel, what about us, consumers?

Need help and advices please ---> What are our rights, what compensations and actions can we take or demand the hotel for, who or what authority can we seek help with? What would you do. if you are in the situation? We are really helpless and lost... Gosh my tears cant stop flowing... why me, why us, why our wedding? What will happen if we dont get venue? :'( :'( :'(
 


belinda87

Member
Hi babe. If i were you, i will definately make it big to the media. This hotel is unacceptable and it should be named and let people be aware of it. I believe something must be done to return u back fairness..
 

iccy

Member
Yeah i think you should demand for compensation be it the hotel help to contact their network in hotel industry to secure a venue for you or they figure out how to solve it at their end. Your wedding is as important...
 

Snowy08

New Member
Hi babe. If i were you, i will definately make it big to the media. This hotel is unacceptable and it should be named and let people be aware of it. I believe something must be done to return u back fairness..
Will see how the banquet manager reply us next week before deciding next course of action... :( Bf and i decide to call and email hotels again to check on availability just in case. Back to the search like last year again. So stress and worried.
 

Snowy08

New Member
Yeah i think you should demand for compensation be it the hotel help to contact their network in hotel industry to secure a venue for you or they figure out how to solve it at their end. Your wedding is as important...
Yes I am hoping there is a decent alternative they can offer us... we want to settle the venue on the same date as we have informed all our relatives and friends on the date... After this is settled, will then talk about compensation for this grave mistake they made, the unnecessary emotional turmoil and troubles we went through. Ever since we are informed, bf and i could not have peaceful sleep for nights, since thursday till now. We are emotionally and physically tired and upset. :(
 

iccy

Member
Yes I am hoping there is a decent alternative they can offer us... we want to settle the venue on the same date as we have informed all our relatives and friends on the date... After this is settled, will then talk about compensation for this grave mistake they made, the unnecessary emotional turmoil and troubles we went through. Ever since we are informed, bf and i could not have peaceful sleep for nights, since thursday till now. We are emotionally and physically tired and upset. :(


Hope things will work out for you. Try to follow some threads here as some may give up their banquet, you may want consider... Good luck
 

Mapleleaf50

New Member
How abt propose to the hotel tat u will find new location on tat same date but the hotel need to bear all additional cost? They hv to compensate for their mistake.
 
Hi Snowy08, I saw someone is letting go of her orchard package on 16th Nov in the feeds update. U may want to consider? I m not sure how to put the link here. U may want to do a search on the word 'orchard'? :)
 

PatChan

Member
Are you considering those country clubs as well? They are much cheaper and the ball rooms looks great too. i happened to hold a company event last year at Orchid country club, their ball room is very nice, and they have hotels available, shuttle bus service as well..
As for the issues with the existing hotel, i agreed with Mapleleaf50, get them to find you a new location on the same date and bear all additional cost, and demand the confirmation ASAP, else it would be harder for you to get a place if they dragged on. In the event that they are unable to get you a location demand on a compensation. If i were you, i would have already posted their name.. It's really a terrible feel. but i hope you can settle this smoothly. Good Luck!
 

themoment

Member
Hi snowy08,

Really sad to hear that and actually that's a few ways to counter this issue and you may wish to consider if need to stick to same wedding date:
1) if hotel has other ballroom, advise if u guys can use instead and definitely ask for rebate or discount to make up for their own mistake
2) if no other ballroom, ask them to compensate back your deposit and see in what other way they can amend their mistake be it in what way
3) if hotel has other hotel under their "umbrella/group", ask them to change for you and stick to the rate they have signed with u guys even if the other hotel is pricer

Hope you guys are able to solve soon.
Take care
 

pejn17

Member
How can they only realized that it has been double booked after 3 months? And I don't actually think that companies would make their D&D bookings so early in advance. I think they provide more revenue than yours does so they are playing punk with you..
 

coldlassy

New Member
I had a friend whose wedding was double booked.

Because it was a chain hotel, the in-charge actually shifted their wedding to another sister property. Note that you must not be short-changed. Eg: booked for 5 star hotel, u make sure they shift u to 5* hotel. if not, they gonna revise the package n the menus.

Perks that they offer due to their negligence:
- 40% off total banquet charges
- 1 night stay in their Suite (if they have presidential suite then ask for Pres suite) before the AD
- 2 nights stay in their Suite in the hotel where u will be having ur AD.
- 1 night stay in normal room (in the hotel where u will be having ur AD, for your helpers)
- 1 complimetnary dinner for 10 persons

Be firm!
 

Andr1ne

Member
I would ask the hotel to show me the contract which the company signed and see if they really booked earlier then mine. If it is true, then ask for compensation as what other brides had advised u earlier. Sometimes u just need to see the proof to make sure they don try to be silly, especially when we had done so much work just to look for a suitable venue for our big day.
 

bearine

Member
Experienced the same thing 1 month ago. They will nvr show you the contract. They will claim is company policies that they cant disclose.
Mine was much worse. Didnt even bother to offer any compensation, need to ask.

Anyway, either if the hotel cannot find another location, have to start finding. Rather than focusing on compensation, I would advise you to quickly email all acceptable places for banquet for your exact dates, esp. those organising wedding showcases. Have to lower expectation or change a date. :(
 

Rainlite

New Member
Hi Snowy,

You and i are in the same boat but my bqt is mid year this year. Company should offer alternatives and pay for the difference if the bqt is more costly. It is their fault to have made such mistake. Maybe you could look for their GM personally to demand an action from them instead of asking both of you what they can do to help. The bqt manager should also go with you to visit the hotel sites if still available.
 

bearine

Member
Mine was raffles marina. And they didnt realise until I made a phone call to arrange to go down for a pre food tasting. :mad:
 

Nanaaa

New Member
Dear Snowy08,

May I know how did the hotel compensate you as I faced the situation now. I booked for next year October at the BOWs and confirmed with the hotel a few times that the date is available before i proceed to book. Around 5 days later they called to inform me that they overlooked and the date was already book. I have no choice but to change to another date. =/
 

bearine

Member
This one need to test your negotiation skill liao. But then, unlikely there will be any compensation. Cos they inform you rather early/quickly in just 5 days. At bows they probably couldn't access their database.
For my case, there was an involvement with the police, they say can approach CASE. But if you die die want that date, you can always go around for other places, and the hotel have to refund u in full.
 

tulipkiss

Active Member
Dear Snowy08,

May I know how did the hotel compensate you as I faced the situation now. I booked for next year October at the BOWs and confirmed with the hotel a few times that the date is available before i proceed to book. Around 5 days later they called to inform me that they overlooked and the date was already book. I have no choice but to change to another date. =/

isn't that considered breach of contract on the hotel's end? cos the date and timing is clearly agreed in the contract.

for my friend's case, the venue compensated by providing an alternative (more expensive) hotel venue for her instead. of cos she doesn't have to fork out the difference.
 

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