• Angela Epstein's peaceful holiday plans were wrecked by three-day wedding
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Pulling up at our ritzy five-star hotel in rural Thailand after a long flight, it felt like we’d arrived in heaven: implausibly blue skies, spacious rooms and a warmth that settled on the skin like damp silk.

Heading down to breakfast, we gazed at the sea and surrendered to the stillness (and gorgeous food).

Unfortunately, fellow guests had different plans. Barely had my husband returned from the buffet than a booming voice shattered the peace.

It seemed we had arrived on day one of a three-day wedding extravaganza.

Destination weddings are more popular than ever...but what about the other hotel guests checking in in search of a quiet holiday?

Out on the lawn ‘fun and games’ were under way with a relentlessly chirpy MC bellowing cringeworthy commentary: ‘Are you having FUN?’ There was nothing we could do other than fume at being hoodwinked by the promise of serenity.

What is it about hotels that assume they can take your money without warning someone else’s wedding will dominate your stay?

Set aside the naked greed – the hotel profits handsomely – it simply isn’t fair, especially when you’ve travelled for hours. We were marooned in a supposed oasis and it was far too late to find anywhere else.

Worse still was a bland letter from management explaining that a wedding was taking place and certain areas might be unavailable.

It signed off with a breezy ‘thank you for your understanding’. As though our understanding is automatic and obligatory. Why the hell should it be?

Writer Angela Epstein found herself with a no-choice wedding invite she really didn't want

Outdoor weddings are less common in the UK but I’ve stayed in plenty of hotels where the bar is crammed with booze-flushed revellers in rumpled morning suits as the thud of a disco emanates from some subterranean function room.

Some hotels fall back on small print, noting that events may take place on-site and it is always worth checking the terms and conditions before booking.

Simon Steele, manager of Armathwaite Hall Hotel And Spa in the Lake District, says his hotel does not proactively inform guests when a wedding is taking place, arguing there is sufficient space for separation since it is a large venue.

‘With our exclusive wedding package,’ he explains, ‘couples and their guests are guaranteed private use of our main hall, cocktail bar, lake-view lounge and function rooms for the duration of their celebration. We inform other guests of the exclusivity upon booking.’

Which is, at least, something. Disgracefully, many other hoteliers don’t play this way. And they are generally not legally obliged to tell you in advance about a wedding or private event.

So what can you do if your trip is ruined? Complain immediately – politely but firmly. Ask for a room upgrade, a refund or partial compensation. In Thailand, the hotel wiped all our extras – lunches, dinners, drinks and even a spa treatment – for the duration of the wedding.

But I’d far rather have had peace and quiet.