DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is a host's obligation to warn a guest when things won't be as the guest expects?
For example, hearing this upon arrival: We were going to get a mattress but we didn't, so here's the floor.
Or: By the way, I didn't tell you that I have three roommates, each of whom has two guests, for the one bathroom we share.
Or: The guest bathroom doesn't work, but feel free to use the one in our bedroom (with the aggressive dog that barks loudly if you walk in there at 3 a.m.).
For one offer, I asked about this beforehand, joking that if they had four kids and eight cats, I'd get a room. But if you are already there, is it rude to suggest you would prefer to stay somewhere else, and how do you do this without giving offense?
GENTLE READER: Hosts who do not provide accessible bathrooms to overnight guests run risks that Miss Manners would rather not contemplate. It is certainly not polite.
A guest may say: "Thank you so much. I completely understand. Rather than inconvenience everyone, we are happy to stay at the hotel down the road." But there is still the risk that the host will take offense. The decision to decamp should therefore be balanced against the severity of the inconvenience.