Help with Dining Reservation

[fiona1188]

Hi I need some help, I know it may sound like a stupid question but it is one that I am stuck on.

I will be making dining reservations in March for our September holiday, and I am unsure of how many guests I put in to make the reservation.

There will be 5 adults and 1 infant. If I put in the 5 guests then I need to make sure that there will be room at the table for a high chair, and if I put in 6guests then they may not be happy when we turn up with 5 guests and the wee one.

What do I do????

Fiona.

 

[wayneg]

Hi I need some help, I know it may sound like a stupid question but it is one that I am stuck on.

I will be making dining reservations in March for our September holiday, and I am unsure of how many guests I put in to make the reservation.

There will be 5 adults and 1 infant. If I put in the 5 guests then I need to make sure that there will be room at the table for a high chair, and if I put in 6guests then they may not be happy when we turn up with 5 guests and the wee one.

What do I do????

Fiona.

Just done a dummy booking to find out. You enter 6.
When I got to the page to add names it asked ages including infants.
Unfortunately you will have automatic 18% gratuity on all your meals.

 

[catherine]

I wonder if you have to put in an infant if they're not going to be sitting in a high chair? We'll be travelling with a 3 month old, so obviously she won't be sitting in a high chair, we're just going to take turns holding her!

 

[fiona1188]

Thanks Wayne.

I thought it would be 6, well it saves us working out the tip I suppose, but it also means that it is a mandatory tip!!

Anyway thanks again.

Fiona.

 

[darthtatty]

Always count every person in your group no matter how old.
A lot of the tables are close together, so usually there wont be any room to squeeze a high chair at the table. If you request the right number, then they can cater for you.
I know the ADR's are just for the next available table for your size of party but it has been know for them to turn people away.

 

[wilma-bride]

Thanks Wayne.

I thought it would be 6, well it saves us working out the tip I suppose, but it also means that it is a mandatory tip!!

Anyway thanks again.

Fiona.

It might be the case that they automatically add 18% but that doesn't mean that you don't have the right to complain if the service is not right and, if you don't receive the service you should, adjust the tip accordingly. It has never happened to us but, if you don't receive good service and attempts to put it right are futile, then feel free to ask to speak to the manager and ask him/her to put it right for you or advise them you will be reducing the tip accordingly.

 

[wayneg]

It might be the case that they automatically add 18% but that doesn't mean that you don't have the right to complain if the service is not right and, if you don't receive the service you should, adjust the tip accordingly. It has never happened to us but, if you don't receive good service and attempts to put it right are futile, then feel free to ask to speak to the manager and ask him/her to put it right for you or advise them you will be reducing the tip accordingly.

Unfortunatly I feel its more hassle than its worth, after spending 90 mins in a restaurant I don't feel like wasting holiday time complaining and discussing poor service with someone. At 2-3 restaurants last year we had poor service, House of Blues sticks out in memory, really poor, not interested in what we wanted and never saw him, had to wait 10-15 mins for drinks refilling etc.
I felt in a few places service suffered because we were a party of 6 although most places it didn't make any difference.

 

[catherine]

I don't know whether it's just me or not, but I don't see the point in booking a table for 5 people when one of those people is a 3 month old baby who will have to be held!

 

[wayneg]

I don't know whether it's just me or not, but I don't see the point in booking a table for 5 people when one of those people is a 3 month old baby who will have to be held!

If you dont want a chair or high chair then I probably wouldn't. Only if I needed a high chair.

 

[darthtatty]

I cant see the problem with booking young babies. You're not going to get charged, its just to make them aware of how many people are in your party.
It asks how many people, unless you dont count your baby as a person
some people take carriers for babies and then need a chair to rest it on.
its just an advance warning for the restaurants, so they know how many people they can have in the restaurant at any time and stick to the fire codes.

 

[wayneg]

Thinking about it again you are not booking a table for 5 you are only telling them who will be there, you tell them there is an infant, they will ask on arrival if you want highchair.
So compicated, glad we didn't have this trouble

 

[wilma-bride]

Unfortunatly I feel its more hassle than its worth, after spending 90 mins in a restaurant I don't feel like wasting holiday time complaining and discussing poor service with someone. At 2-3 restaurants last year we had poor service, House of Blues sticks out in memory, really poor, not interested in what we wanted and never saw him, had to wait 10-15 mins for drinks refilling etc.
I felt in a few places service suffered because we were a party of 6 although most places it didn't make any difference.

Now isn't that strange - we had excellent service in HOB, the guy was marvellous, made lots of recommendations for food and even suggested a cocktail for me.

 

[wayneg]

Now isn't that strange - we had excellent service in HOB, the guy was marvellous, made lots of recommendations for food and even suggested a cocktail for me.

It was our 2nd visit which was a party of 6. First visit a party of 4 we had great service.
Not saying the auto grat is the reason but we definitely felt we had worse service as a party of 6 in a few places.

 

[dixonsontour]

I don't know whether it's just me or not, but I don't see the point in booking a table for 5 people when one of those people is a 3 month old baby who will have to be held!

Not sure if they have them onsite but I know some US restaurants have those high chairs that hold a baby car seat for babies too young to go in a proper highchair.

I'd book and include the infant - you should get a big bigger table and more room to manoevre - make things a bit easier with passing the baby around.

4 adults and a baby will be better on a table for 6 not a 4 top table.

 

[catherine]

Not sure if they have them onsite but I know some US restaurants have those high chairs that hold a baby car seat for babies too young to go in a proper highchair.

I'd book and include the infant - you should get a big bigger table and more room to manoevre - make things a bit easier with passing the baby around.

4 adults and a baby will be better on a table for 6 not a 4 top table.

Thanks for the info! We're mainly planning on eating onsite but taking her in the restaurant in her car seat when we're eating off site might be an option, if they do have these type of high chairs.

I hadn't actually thought about needing more room for passing her around etc! I was mainly thinking that we would be taking up a table for 6 that another family might need!