There are certain things that I assume a hotel room will have. A bed with clean sheets is one. Electricity and a bathroom with running water are others. And while the room I was given at this hotel had those features it lacked one that is just as basic: a window.

I was not expecting a view. In fact, when I booked the room, the reservation indicated that the room had a "limited view." I assumed that the window would face a wall or mechanical units, and I was okay with that, since my daughter and I were just staying there for a night on our way to a beautiful destination. But when we entered the room we had been assigned (after a clueless young man finally appeared to help us in the eerily deserted lobby) we were shocked to discover that in place of a real window, the room had only a frosted pane of glass, roughly a foot wide and a few feet high, masquerading as a window. It was opaque and did not open, and as such provided no natural light, air, or egress.

My daughter and I returned to the empty lobby. After a few minutes, the aforementioned young man appeared once again and after I requested a different room, he informed that he had tried not to give us that room, but it had been the last available one with two beds.. He offered me a room with a king bed, but my daughter and I wanted separate beds. That is what I had reserved and as such expected. After an unsatisfactory exchange with the manager over the phone (during which I asked for my money back and she refused to give it to me) I left the hotel and checked into the Hilton down the block. I assumed that if I explained the situation to Marriott (which I did as soon as I checked into the Hilton) I would be refunded my money. But what I learned, after nearly two weeks of waiting for a response from customer service, is that Marriott just allows properties to use their name for a fee and really does not have ANYTHING to do with the properties. A customer service representative at Marriott informed me that they had contacted the manager at the hotel, and as the hotel (owned by Vision Properties based in Corning NY) did not want to refund the money, Marriott could do nothing. (This is, of course the point in the story where one would assume that the Marriott corporation would refund the money to me themselves - but no, it turns out they take no responsibility for the actions of hotels bearing their name).

So today, twelve days after I first checked into and left the room with no windows, I called The Fairfield Inn to speak with the general manager, a woman named Rachel who had just assumed the position a few days earlier. Unable to manage the situation, she transferred me to Brittany, who she referred to as her mentor. Brittany acknowledged that the room had been misrepresented in the booking and that a limited view implies that the room has some view and is not a windowless chamber. She acknowledged that the hotel had not delivered what had been promised. But she said since some room had been provided, even though it did not align with the description, I had no right to any money back. But, rest assured, she told me, she appreciated my feedback because it would serve as a learning experience for them with regard to how they market their rooms. It was helpful to them as a business.

This comment, along with her placating repetition of 'I understand your frustration' was infuriating. I was not provided with a window, a basic feature that anyone should expect in any hotel room and which I believe is a requirement of NY State building code. I have been denied a refund. But Brittany and her team learned something!

The Hilton, by the way, was nothing fancy. A bit worn and frayed. But the lobby was attended by a competent staff, the room clean, and in the morning, when I opened the curtains, natural light came into the room.