Refilling Water Bottles at Hotel Breakfast Buffet

mrvaluepack on 12/07/2023 - 11:45

I just came back from holiday from SEA at a 4 star beach resort. Had complimentary breakfast buffet included in the stay. Was told off that i wasnt suppose to refill my kid's water bottle from the breakfast buffet. I was mindful that the drink station wasnt crowded nor was i holding anyone up. Also mindful not to touch any of the bottle lips or straws on the water dispenser spout. Spoiled my holiday mood a little bit. Ive been to many hotel breakfast buffets and this is the first time I've been told that.

Anyone else been told that as well before?

Travel

Comments

  • Gdsamp on 12/07/2023 - 11:48

    I'ven't

  • caramellokoala on 12/07/2023 - 11:51
    +18

    I would say "No worries"

    then proceed to fill up 4 or 5 cups of water from the dispenser then ferry them one by one to my table to fill the water bottle.

    • mrvaluepack on 12/07/2023 - 11:59

      Lol thats what i told him ill do. First he said it was because they already provide 2 small drinking bottles in the room. Then when i asked if he was the manager, he changed his tune saying it was for hygienic and aesthetic purposes. Then when i said ill do what u said, he gave me an irritated look and say ok go ahead.

    • AustriaBargain on 12/07/2023 - 14:37
      +11

      That would have been the hygienic way to do it. Holding up the slobbered spout of kids bottle to a water tap is pretty gross. May as well just let your kids wrap their lips around it. Surely the kids are capable of just drinking from cups in the dining room? And if not surely OP can just pour the cup into the bottle. The cup will be cleaned in the dishwasher very thoroughly, but the common tap on the water dispenser can't be so easily cleaned. Or just bring more bottles from their room down to the dining room.

  • [Deactivated] on 12/07/2023 - 11:53

    Which country?

    • mrvaluepack on 12/07/2023 - 11:59

      Thailand phuket

      • [Deactivated] on 12/07/2023 - 12:51

        How long were you there?

        • mrvaluepack on 12/07/2023 - 13:19

          A week

          • [Deactivated] on 12/07/2023 - 13:20
            +1

            @mrvaluepack: On what day of your holiday did the staff admonish you?

            • mrvaluepack on 12/07/2023 - 13:29
              +1

              @[Deactivated]: Number 1 lol

              • [Deactivated] on 12/07/2023 - 15:49
                +8

                @mrvaluepack: You were lucky enough that hotel staff advised you from the outset as to proper buffet etiquette. Can you imagine if you were only told on your last day after a week of doing the same thing? You would have been posting about inconsistent staff advice!

      • apple2016 on 12/07/2023 - 14:03
        +1

        This makes sense, if they had to pay for drinking water, its treated the same as meal. Would you put a sandwich in a take away container and take it with you from a buffet breakfast?

  • SmiTTy on 12/07/2023 - 11:55
    +12

    I wouldn't do this.
    I would use provided cups to get the water, take it back to my table and fill up the kids bottles with the cups

  • star-ggg on 12/07/2023 - 11:57

    Was it a guest or staff that told you off? Hard to believe staff would do it. People carry bottles/thermos all the time in SEA.

    • mrvaluepack on 12/07/2023 - 12:00

      Staff. Pretty rudely as well. Not in a friendly manner.

      • star-ggg on 12/07/2023 - 12:08
        +2

        Then yeah i would just keep taking a new glass to the table and filling the bottle that way. At least, it's a buffet so they can't spit in your food in the future.

      • tallkid123 on 12/07/2023 - 16:49
        +3

        You went to Phuket, a soulless tourist trap where the locals can't even be bothered to hide how much they hate all farangs.

        • mrvaluepack on 12/07/2023 - 17:43
          -1

          Yeah, at least when i went to bali last month, they were more friendly and appreciative of tourists that contribute to the economy.

  • Crow K on 12/07/2023 - 12:09
    +25

    Also mindful not to touch any of the bottle lips or straws on the water dispenser spout.

    I'm sure you thought you were being careful (and perhaps you were), but

    1. if I'm a breakfast customer sitting at another table it looks to me like I'm sharing germs with whatever's on the Peppa Pig bottle your kid is using (which is not what I come to a hotel for) and
    2. it encourages less aware people (who aren't careful about that sort of thing) to fill up their personal bottles too, and now I AM sharing germs with Paw Patrol slobber
    • mrvaluepack on 12/07/2023 - 12:23

      That wasnt the first reason why the staff told me off though. My impression was that they were hoping you would buy more drinks from their hotel instead throughout the day and not "take-away" anything from the buffet.

      • Crow K on 12/07/2023 - 12:43

        That's probably true too (and maybe the dominant reason!).

        There's probably a variety of reasons/benefits to a rule being in place, all said and done.

      • Ultimate Gattai on 14/07/2023 - 00:41

        Personally I think it's more the "take-away" from the buffet, which I think is fair enough (I can understand that reasoning or I could be wrong and it's hygiene), I'd probably just fill up elsewhere or buy some water bottles to fill up with. At least they said it on the first day and not the last, I'd just take this one on the chin if it was me.

  • Archi on 12/07/2023 - 12:30
    +4

    Spoiled my holiday mood a little bit.

    that was easy

  • Adredocto on 12/07/2023 - 12:32
    +1

    Breakfast buffet is dine in. See so many travellers stuffing their pockets on the way out. Hygiene aside, I get It's just water but more ppl using it as a bottle refilling station means staff are needing to refill throughout service.

    Water is cents at the 7/11 next door in SEA. Grab a couple extra bottles next time and fill up in your room?

    • mrvaluepack on 12/07/2023 - 12:51

      Maybe he was just on a power trip. Chinese family on table beside me brought their own thermos to fill up on soup and porridge lol. No one said anything to them.

      • Xistn on 12/07/2023 - 14:05
        +8

        What others do, does not give you a pass go.

  • wetsandwich on 12/07/2023 - 12:49
    +1

    Kind of strange for them to stop you, but also kind of strange to post on the internet about 13 Australian cents worth of water when every second shop is a 7-11.

    • mrvaluepack on 12/07/2023 - 12:53

      Not sure what year u went but its around 50c aud now for a 500ml bottle.

  • Kongzi on 12/07/2023 - 12:52
    +8

    Why would you do that in the first place? It's unhygienic on your part

      • Xistn on 12/07/2023 - 14:06
        +8

        Well now they have.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 12/07/2023 - 13:19
    +2

    Thats a bloody outrage it is - I say take it all the way to the International high council of Elders.

  • screensaver on 12/07/2023 - 14:20
    -1

    I would leave a review, rude staff at breakfast buffet

    • AustriaBargain on 12/07/2023 - 14:39
      +3

      Yes, even if it was strictly against the rules, or against the law, the four star employee should be able to tell OP without hurting their feelings, or even offer to fill the bottles themself and bring them to the table.

      • cookie2 on 12/07/2023 - 21:14

        You're making up laws here.

  • Downvoter on 12/07/2023 - 14:24
    -1

    Would you fill bottles with juice etc?

    • chris666 on 14/07/2023 - 22:33

      It's water…

  • caustic birch on 12/07/2023 - 16:30

    And it's still bothering you?

  • Pumpkin_rrr on 12/07/2023 - 21:53

    Reminds me of Brisbane Restaurants…
    When I asked for water, they offered either Evian or Tap Water…

    _<

  • The tiger on 13/07/2023 - 07:24
    +1

    Well, it did not look nice if everyone was doing the same. I wouldn’t do it.

  • tabitha731 on 13/07/2023 - 08:18
    +6

    Fair that U were mindful of not touching ur drink bottle lips to the water outlet, but others may not be so thoughtful and others who see U do it, may follow suit and again not be as mindful as you. As someone suggested, fill a glass that they provide with water take it back to ur table or move away from the water dispenser and pour it into the drink bottle

  • jrvb42 on 13/07/2023 - 08:23
    +3

    My first thought was hygiene. Your kids no doubt put the mouth on the bottles. You put those bottles against the shared tap, transferring their germs, two way transfer if other people have also been inconsiderate, and the germ party goes round and round
    You might remember a little thing called covid? And the troubles on cruise ships? Operators have tightened up.
    Fill the clean cups, take them back to your table, fill your bottles. The cups are cleaned between use. The nozzle of the tap isn't.

  • [Deactivated] on 13/07/2023 - 09:30
    +3

    It's unhygenic because accidents happen no matter how careful you think you're being.
    If everyone did it there's a high chance someone would contaminate the spout and then everyone could share whatever germs, viruses or bacteria are on the drink bottle.

  • lew380 on 13/07/2023 - 14:03
    +4

    It's rude behaviour, filling your bottle uses a large part of the remaining water meaning the staff have to refill the container more, so other guests using cups, as intended, could be inconvenienced with empty water dispenser and waiting for more refills.

    Just have breakfast, give your kid a cup of water and laugh as they spill it all over their face, floor and nearly drown.

    • mrvaluepack on 14/07/2023 - 00:53

      Its there to be consumed. Therefore i am consuming it.

  • fishka2 on 13/07/2023 - 20:32
    -2

    It’s bloody water and it’s not a Sahara desert. Id just tell them to f off🤪🤷‍♂️

    • timhn on 16/07/2023 - 09:36

      I think it was more about the hygienic issue.

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