Stranded at night with young children after “no-show” cancellation — appalling experience
I rarely leave negative reviews, but this experience was so unacceptable I feel it’s important to warn others.
We booked Le Monastère – Collection La 21ème Planche in Bayeux for 23–24 May 2026. Ahead of our stay, we contacted the property to arrange a late check-in as we were arriving on a late ferry into Caen. We were told to message when we were 30 minutes away, which gave us comfort that our late arrival had been accommodated.
On the night, our ferry arrived at 22:00 but we were significantly delayed getting off and through port security — something completely outside our control. We kept the property informed throughout with multiple updates, including a message at 22:39 providing an estimated arrival time of around 23:20.
Instead of supporting us, the property cancelled our booking as a “no-show” while we were actively communicating and en route.
We arrived at 23:17, rang the gates, called and messaged repeatedly — no response.
We were a group of six travelling together, including two young children and elderly parents, in a country unfamiliar to us and without speaking French. We were left stranded late at night with nowhere to stay.
We spent hours driving around and contacting over 20 hotels across Bayeux, Caen and Saint-Lô — all fully booked. By 01:30, exhausted and distressed, we had no option but to try and sleep in the car.
The following morning, despite multiple attempts, the property still did not respond. We were not even allowed to check in for the second night of our booking during standard check-in hours, which is completely unreasonable.
We eventually found alternative accommodation at a cost of £319 — almost as much as our original two-night stay — simply because we had no other option.
To make matters worse, the property has since refused to refund us and has only responded in French, despite all prior communication being in English.
Key points:
- Late check-in was discussed and accepted in advance
- We provided regular updates throughout the delay
- The cancellation happened while we were actively in contact and travelling
- No attempt was made to assist a stranded family late at night
- No flexibility for the second night
- Complete lack of customer care or accountability
This was not just an inconvenience — it was a distressing, unsafe and completely avoidable situation caused by rigid and unreasonable behaviour from the property.
I strongly advise anyone booking here to be extremely cautious, particularly if you are arriving later in the evening or relying on travel connections.