Hotel Room Windows Facing a Concrete Wall

I doubt you will get a refund. We booked an iconic New York hotel for a Christmas break and had two double beds crammed into a tiny space and a view of a wall. Wasn’t great but I had no course for refund as the room I booked clearly described its square footage and no where on the booking said I would get a particular view.
just make the most of being away

I'd hate this too.

If there was no refund I'd be putting the hotel name and room number on trip advisor and anywhere else I could think of to warn others.

I can understand your disappointment. It's horrible when you check into a hotel and the view is awful (eg looking out at a carpark or the bins) - or in your case, no view at all.

But I have no idea why you would expect a refund unless the room has clearly been misrepresented. If it matches the description on the website then you'll just have to put up with it for a few days. Someone was going to get the room and it's just your bad luck that this time it's you.

YABU because I don’t see how you can expect a refund if everything about the room is perfectly functional and clean, and it’s just the window that is the issue. It wouldn’t bother me, but I can understand asking to be moved, and then if told no you would need to just accept that that’s what you’ve got.

The last nice hotel I stayed at overlooked a busy city street, so the curtains needed to be kept closed the entire time for privacy (sheers but still not great at letting light through). I’m not sure how that’s really much different. And as someone else said, how much time do you spend in the room anyway?

Of course you’re not entitled to a refund 🙄

Absolutely batshit to imagine you would be.

You paid for a room, which you received, not a scenic view.

And I thought our view overlooking the bin shed was bad

Unless it lists something about the view being scenic etc then you can't demand a refund because it's an ugly view

Surely you won't be in the hotel room much anyway?

I think people are being a bit harsh. There is likely nothing to be done and the OP likely cannot demand a refund (unless the hotel plays nice), but it doesn't seem that the issue is not having a sea view or pretty view but not having any natural light - a window that is against a wall isn't really a window.

I did have a similar experience once (but was only there overnight and just went with it) where my room did have a very big window but there was a large and high retaining wall that I could touch if I reached out the window (I was on the ground floor). It made the room quite dark even when it was sunny out and basically negated having a window. Very different than just having a bad view (i.e. a view of the roof or parking lot or some such).

What hotel is it?

How cheap was it? Plenty of cheap hotels have ugly views. You bought the room, with a window which it has, not the view unless it stated X view.

I used to work on hotel receptions and unfortunately not all rooms will have great views, but not everyone will care.

Those that do care will have requested it beforehand or ask to be moved once checked in if the hotel isn't full , but I have no idea what you would do without a manned reception .

They don't have to give you a view unless they've promised one in the description. You don't have a right to a view, just to an external window.

Sorry, OP, I don't think they have to do anything if they don't want to.

I think YABU.

Unless it was sold as "with a sea view" or "views over the marina / mountains / rolling countryside" then they haven't mis sold anything.

For me, the hotel room is where I shower, dress, and sleep. On holiday, I am out and about, not sitting in a hotel room looking out of a window.