A Room with a View

Sian booked a cheap room for her first visit to the city. The hotel website promised a view of the river. When she opened her curtains, however, she saw a brick wall. The river was visible only if she leaned towards one corner of the window.

She went to reception to complain. The receptionist apologised, but all the other rooms were occupied. He offered a small refund and a map showing a footpath along the river.

Sian accepted the refund without much enthusiasm. She had planned to spend the afternoon reading beside her window. Instead, she followed the path.

It took her past old workshops and small gardens, far from the streets in her guidebook. At a riverside market, she bought lunch and spoke to a woman who repaired boats. The woman showed her a quiet place to sit near the water.

Sian spent most of the afternoon there with her book. When she returned to the hotel, she still thought the website description was unfair. She wrote a polite review explaining the problem.

She also included a recommendation for the riverside walk. A good afternoon, she decided, did not make a bad description true.