The Great Hotel Room View Debate: City Skylines, Brick Walls, and Imaginary Oceans
“Do I have the room with a good view?” It’s a question that’s launched a thousand eye rolls, a hundred inside jokes, and at least one unforgettable moment of open laughter at the front desk. Recently, a front desk worker at a city hotel shared their tale on Reddit: a guest, fresh off the jet from a famous beach resort, wanted to know if their room had a sea view. The only problem? The nearest actual sea was a two-hour flight away. Cue the awkward bargaining, a dash of hotel reality, and pure comedy gold.
If you’ve ever checked into a hotel hoping for a sweeping vista, only to pull back the curtains and find…another building, you’ll want to keep reading. Sometimes, the best stories come not from the view outside your hotel window, but from the people on both sides of the front desk.
Welcome to “City View, City View, or…City View?”
Let’s set the scene: You’re staying in a bustling urban hotel, the kind built for business travelers, efficiency, and proximity to everything except Mother Nature. As our original poster (u/Big-Head1441) describes, the “good view” options are limited: a tall high-rise next door, or a short brick building on the other side. Yet, some guests arrive expecting the kind of horizon only a travel brochure (or their last vacation to the coast) could promise.
When one such guest asked for a room “with a sea view,” our intrepid front desk hero couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know where you are, sir?” Ten minutes of negotiation ensued, with the best offer being—wait for it—city view, city view, or…city view.
The Reddit community was quick to empathize and commiserate. u/Such-Pomegranate808 shared their own appreciation for a “brick wall” view, noting it’s great for natural light without peeping neighbors. Meanwhile, u/veAinet brought the laughs: “Our views consist of a highway with bad roads or a Target parking lot and IHOP.” Who needs the ocean when you can wake up to discount retail?
The Mythology of the Hotel “Good View”
Why do so many guests expect a breathtaking vista, even in hotels surrounded by asphalt and office buildings? Maybe it’s the influence of glossy travel ads. Maybe it’s optimism. Or maybe, as u/Money-Marketing-5117 hilariously quoted from classic British comedy Fawlty Towers: “Well, may I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeests sweeping majestically…” The punchline: “What are these people on?”
It turns out, the “good view” request is a universal comedy of errors. Guests have asked for ocean views in Orlando (as u/wifeheart_71 recounted, with a caller consulting a map of Florida and refusing to believe the ocean was miles away). Others request “high floor sea views” at ground-level resorts, or expect magic at urban motels bordered by highways and taller buildings. As u/unmotivatedmage quipped, “Would you like us to pack up the motel and move it to the beach?”
Brick Walls, Air Shafts, and the Art of Spin
But not everyone is disappointed by urban reality. Some guests find charm (or at least humor) in their unexpected views. u/ReaderRabbit23 described the horror of an “airshaft view” in New York, only to be rescued by a kind front desk worker who swapped them into a room with a balcony and a sweeping cityscape. Others, like u/Such-Pomegranate808, appreciate the privacy of a brick wall—no need to worry about who’s watching you eat your midnight pizza.
Hotel staff have their own tricks for managing expectations. Some offer the “best available” (which may be the parking lot, the roof, or the side of another building). Others joke about posting ocean posters over the windows for an extra fee, or as u/Nakishodo_Glitterfox suggested, selling the sub-basement “no view” room as a feature. Creative? Absolutely. Effective? Sometimes.
And then there’s the brutally honest approach, as u/TravelerMSY offered: “You’re welcome to go outside and walk around the block and choose which side of that you want. Let me know when you’re done.”
Why the View Matters (and Sometimes Doesn’t)
So why do guests care so much? For some, it’s about getting the most for their money—u/unmotivatedmage lamented a two-star review simply because the only views were the highway and a taller hotel. For others, it’s about the little extras: a sliver of city skyline, a glimpse of greenery, or just the excitement of possibility.
But as u/SteveDallas10 reminded us, sometimes you don’t even get a view at all—just polyethylene sheeting covering the windows during hotel renovations. Did he complain? Nope. Sometimes, the destination (or the bed) is all that matters.
And honestly, who needs the ocean when you have a Target parking lot, a brick wall no one can see through, or, in the words of u/Newbosterone, a choice between “red bricks, granite, or asphalt”?
Conclusion: The Real View is the Story
Next time you check into a hotel and reach for the curtains, remember: sometimes the best stories come from what you can’t see. Whether it’s the front desk staff’s quick wit, the community’s shared laughter, or the wild expectations guests bring through the revolving door, the real view is the tapestry of human comedy playing out every day.
So, what’s the strangest or funniest hotel view you’ve ever had? Share your story below! And remember: in the world of hotels, sometimes “city view” is just code for “welcome to the adventure.”
Original Reddit Post: Room with the view