Just to say this at the outset, things worked out alright(-ish), but I think there needs to be a serious come-to-Jesus talk about "high floor" rates. I don't mind them, in a sense, if I'm at a 30-story hotel in downtown Vancouver (for example). A six-floor hotel in suburban Baltimore is another story...

So, at the time of booking tonight's reservation I was only able to book a high floor rate. Not great, but c'est la vie. Well, the hotel is only six floors tall (which makes this a bit galling)...and then I get in there and I'm put on the second floor. As I told the staff (very politely) I didn't really care what floor my room was...but if they were going to slap me with a fee for a "high floor" room then I did not intend to be on the second floor.

What's more irritating here, however, is the fact that some hotels will wind up having only a "high floor" rate at times when, frankly, I don't give a rat's behind if I'm in the basement as long as I'm not next to a rattling boiler or something most of the time. If you want to offer me the choice of being guaranteed something above and beyond a room with [2 queens/1 king] and when there's a choice charge me for my preference? Fine...but don't do it to me when there's no actual choice.

(Ok, done rant, the staff here are nice and it's a decent hotel...I just find it annoying to be hit like that and then to not have the hotel bother to assign me where they forced me to pay for).