Things I Learned While Travelling - No. 69

Ballachulish, Winter Dawn
Originally uploaded by thefatcat44

My travels have taught me that the posher and more expensive the hotel the more things they want to charge you extra for.

They want to charge you extra for things that cheaper (and often friendlier) hotels provide as standard.

For example, to end our recent holiday in Scotland, I booked my wife and I into the MacDonalds Hotels resort at Loch Ard outside Aberfoyle. Four Star. A fairly decent price for the room as a special offer. Nice room. Lovely location. Then the sting.

1. They advertise Broadband in all rooms. It is not until you try to connect they hit you with a £5 an hour charge! Outrageous. Even most B&B's now offer free broadband.

2. They advertise 'Full Buffet Breakfast". This usually means you serve yourself from a buffet (funnily enough). Here, they trust you to serve yourself with cereal and fruit juice, but insist on plating up your cooked items themselves. Obviously think we will eat ourselves into a stupor if offered a self service cooked buffet. The portions were large enough to satisfy an anorexic small child. Needless to say, I don't fall into this category.

And so it continues. It would not suprise me if they are considering charging for breathing. I may have to investigate taking my own bottled oxygen next time.

Lesson. Book into friendly, family run, four and five star rated B&B's. Much better service and facilities. Everything is included. Result. Much happier holiday.

Needless to say, MacDonalds hotels have received both my first and last booking with them.