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Four in a Bed :: New Series (Part 4)


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Old 20-04-2016, 18:15
rhumble
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£395 a night for a purple woom plus extra for bweakfast

Its an absolute "Wip Off"

I'm beginning to think Martin is a dodgy cwiminal
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Old 20-04-2016, 18:18
rhumble
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Feel Fwee to wade his fwidge, you can have fwesh bwead or fwuit for Bweakfast
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Old 20-04-2016, 18:21
rhumble
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£40 extra for a continental breakfast , and make your own tea or coffee, or cook your own breakfast , its a complete rip off.

Now Martin is there scrounging off everyone

All in all i would underpay by at least £300
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Old 20-04-2016, 18:27
hooter
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Awful wasn`t it....sheesh, you`d wake up thinking you`d been on a acid trip
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Old 20-04-2016, 18:28
hooter
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Feel Fwee to wade his fwidge, you can have fwesh bwead or fwuit for Bweakfast
LOL
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Old 20-04-2016, 18:41
HumptyDumpy
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Almost £40 on top of that massive price for a rotten looking breakfast? They have got to be pulling everyones legs whilst laughing all the way to the bank.
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Old 20-04-2016, 18:45
HumptyDumpy
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How on earth did all of them manage to keep straight faces when they were told the prices of the rooms and the additional costs of breakfasts?
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Old 20-04-2016, 18:51
HumptyDumpy
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I've only half-watched the last couple of nights - half-watched last week's too... but I've set tonight's episode to record.

Martin's a wonderful businessman, no doubt, but I suspect he wasn't in the hospitality industry. For such an expensive property, he's got a crap website. And, unless the site doesn't work on Firefox, there's nothing on the Tariff page. Which is weird.

http://www.halliwellhouse.co.uk/

Even the photo gallery doesn't succeed in making the property look worth £7-£8k a week... though when I've seen the snapshot views on the 4iaB previews, it does look lovely and furnished to a high standard. I don't think he's used a professional photographer or web designer. Stupid mistake.

Still, the prices are on the link below - scroll down to the bottom to get the for 12 / for 8 / etc weekly and daily costs. While you're there, note that the availability calendar is wide open - ie, calendar not updated since last September and apparently no bookings at all during 2016.

https://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/hale/240443

I know there is a market for big get-togethers for family / friends gatherings - there are sites that specialise in them -
for eg: http://www.thebigdomain.com/united-kingdom
...and Halliwell House may well have its place and be successful in that sort of niche, but it seems such a bad fit with the way 4iaB works. It's a high-quality, large capacity, self-catering holiday home and making it relevant and appealing to a 4iaB audience will take better presentation and marketing skills than Martin has displayed so far. Maybe he needs the help of the Charmed Ones.

Being sooooo judgemental in advance of actually watching the show I think he's got his marketing wrong, his pricing wrong (is Hale, Cheshire a 'destination' town ?) and to offer one night stays in that property is absolutely bonkers. It should be a minimum of 2 night stays or even 3 night stays. I suspect he's got sod all in the way of bookings (still only one TA review and this 4iaB series looks to have been filmed 6-7 months ago at least). I suspect 4iaB is desperation tactics. Wrong show but potentially great publicity.

We will see.

ps: excerpt from the TA review:
We had a arranged to have use of the hottub (for an extra charge) which we all loved. Things such as robes can be provided but they have small additional charges so I would advise to take your own. Also remember to take your slippers as there are cream carpets throughout so you must remove your shoes.

Bits in bold are by me. So you pay £300-400 a night per room and have to pay extra for the hot tub, robes and no free slippers ???
That website looks like it was designed by a 5-year old child learning how to use a computer.
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Old 20-04-2016, 18:57
HumptyDumpy
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What is the point from that mountain of bread at breakfast?
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Old 20-04-2016, 19:02
HumptyDumpy
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You would need an army of cleaners to keep that place clean. But then I guess when you live in a house that big you don't clean it yourself. You probably don't even know where the cleaning materials are kept.
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Old 20-04-2016, 19:06
HumptyDumpy
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Grubby drawers.
Mould in the shower
OMG he has priced all of the furniture,lol the man has no shame.
Filthy shower trap
I missed the furniture being priced.

Never have I wished to be able to swear whilst watching this programme.
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Old 20-04-2016, 19:07
HumptyDumpy
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And he's been featured on Rogue Traders.
Links?
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Old 20-04-2016, 19:11
HumptyDumpy
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I have never heard of a cover charge. Is that standard in expensive hotels?
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Old 20-04-2016, 19:12
nelliek
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Have you read the T&Cs on Martin's website?

You have to pay a 'damage cover', plus the full cost of your stay in advance. You may also be charged a cleaning fee, plus other fees which be shown on 'your quote'. The cleaning fee and any others are non-refundable. Presumably this only applies if you rent the whole house. Though having seen how Martin's brain cell works, I'm not sure.

And he tells you what time you may arrive - so tough if you want to arrive at 4 and he says 6 - and what time he wants you gone by. Do you think he's daft enough to say you've got to be gone by 8am?

We've had some deluded people on FiaB before, but he must be a very strong contender for number 1.
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Old 20-04-2016, 19:15
HumptyDumpy
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Have you read the T&Cs on Martin's website?

You have to pay a 'damage cover', plus the full cost of your stay in advance. You may also be charged a cleaning fee, plus other fees which be shown on 'your quote'. The cleaning fee and any others are non-refundable. Presumably this only applies if you rent the whole house. Though having seen how Martin's brain cell works, I'm not sure.

And he tells you what time you may arrive - so tough if you want to arrive at 4 and he says 6 - and what time he wants you gone by. Do you think he's daft enough to say you've got to be gone by 8am?

We've had some deluded people on FiaB before, but he must be a very strong contender for number 1.
The deeper into the woods the thicker they become.

He shouldn't even be on this show!
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Old 20-04-2016, 19:42
EVIL-MONKEY
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I was kidding!
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Old 20-04-2016, 20:09
HumptyDumpy
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You can't mess about with people like that!
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Old 20-04-2016, 20:45
Normandie
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Hes a posh Del boy then.
You beat me to it, GWizard.

Almost £40 on top of that massive price for a rotten looking breakfast? They have got to be pulling everyones legs whilst laughing all the way to the bank.
But are they getting the level of bookings that requires trips to the bank? Perhaps this is another property that sells cheap on Voyage Privé.

I have never heard of a cover charge. Is that standard in expensive hotels?
No. And I've stayed in some expensive hotels. It's not even standard in self-catering holiday homes - which is what Martin's property really is.

You can't mess about with people like that!
I can't be the only one who hoped it was true.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is this absurd cover charge mandatory, do we know? And is it per person or per room? If it's a mandatory charge per person, that adds an extra £80 to the room cost.

I would go on but a) I already have upthread and b) I can't be bothered to take him seriously. Everything's for sale... yeah, except good customer service or any sense that Martin cares about his guests. Pillock. I think Zara? / Sara? has his measure, though. Something in her expression...

I think the saying "knows the price of everything and the value of nothing" was invented for Martin... but maybe I'm the cynic.

ps: OH and I decided - in view of the size of the rooms and the facilities (pool table, mini gym, putting green, etc) and the continental brekkie alone, it's worth £200 a night max, all in, if that sort of place appeals. And I would expect someone to be present at breakfast to provide help and guidance and to deliver the coffee, even if I had to cook brekkie. It does not appeal to us at all... but that's not what 4iaB is (supposed to be ) about.
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Old 20-04-2016, 21:16
scootzer
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How much per night!?

They're having a laugh!

I spent less on a recent stay in a suite at a 5 star Scottish baronial house. And that was on an event-night. And included a continental and / or cooked breakfast... oh, and they cooked it and served it!

Just ridiculous!

But hey, if folks are willing to pay that just so they can say they've stayed in the same street as some footballers, then more fool them!
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Old 20-04-2016, 21:16
habby
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Feel Fwee to wade his fwidge, you can have fwesh bwead or fwuit for Bweakfast
That's bwilliant!!!
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Old 20-04-2016, 21:43
amelia_lee
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Have you read the T&Cs on Martin's website?

You have to pay a 'damage cover', plus the full cost of your stay in advance. You may also be charged a cleaning fee, plus other fees which be shown on 'your quote'. The cleaning fee and any others are non-refundable. Presumably this only applies if you rent the whole house. Though having seen how Martin's brain cell works, I'm not sure.

And he tells you what time you may arrive - so tough if you want to arrive at 4 and he says 6 - and what time he wants you gone by. Do you think he's daft enough to say you've got to be gone by 8am?

We've had some deluded people on FiaB before, but he must be a very strong contender for number 1.
I really couldn't believe all of tonight's episode, for £500 a night I would expect 5 star service, maybe use of a personal concierge or something.

His place is not as grand as he believes it to be.

I was very surprised by the woman giving a ten for breakfast, especially as she didn't seem happy about doing your own coffee and tea and cooked. I don't understand what he meant by the people staying there do not like bacon and eggs, some of the poshest people love a cooked breakfast, especially eggs, the things you can do!

A cleaning charge? That obviously should be covered in the £500 you pay to stay there, shouldn't it?

This man seems like a real scam artist to me, especially everything being for sale, that seems more 'going out of business' than 'high end'.
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Old 20-04-2016, 22:32
miss buzzybee
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The people that spend up to £445 per night to stay at Martin's place must be complete mugs!. Cold continental breakfast or cook your own? no thanks!
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Old 20-04-2016, 22:50
SolarSail
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...I don't understand what he meant by the people staying there do not like bacon and eggs, some of the poshest people love a cooked breakfast.
I reckon he translates the fact that people really don't want to go and cook their own, especially if sharing the house and kitchen with strangers, into the conclusion that his guest 'don't tend to like' a cooked breakfast
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Old 20-04-2016, 23:07
Sandgrounder1
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That's bwilliant!!!
'Abwacadabwa!'
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Old 20-04-2016, 23:51
ewoodie
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Let me set all your minds at rest.

Martin is mad.

End of.
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