At Least They Didn’t Give You The Boot

Due to a mixup at work, they set me up in a really posh hotel. I feel really out of place, but I am enjoying the opportunity. I spend most of the day out of the hotel doing field work. I come back to get some dinner and prepare my things for the next day, which is in an office.

But I can’t find my shoes anywhere. I ring back home and I definitely didn’t leave them. I check the whole room and my bags. I’m sure I took them with me. I’m really annoyed; I loved those shoes, and if I didn’t get them for such a good deal I could never replace them.

After searching the room and panicking, trying to find a nearby shop to buy a new pair, I call down to reception just in case.

Me: “Hi. This is room [number]. I don’t suppose you would know anything about a pair of missing shoes?”

Reception: “Missing shoes? Well, I don’t think anyone has handed in a pair. Did you leave them outside your room for cleaning?”

Me: “No, I’m sure they were in my room.”

Reception: “I can ask housekeeping and let you know?”

Me: “Yes, please do.”

After a couple of hours of fruitless searching for shoe shops that won’t cost me hundreds of pounds that I don’t have, I get a phone call.

Reception: “I have good news: your shoes were taken for cleaning. I think one of the housekeeping team thought they could do with a polish.”

Me: “Oh. I’d rather do that myself. I’m pretty fond of them.”

Reception: “Oh, you won’t be charged. They will be sitting outside your room by 8:00 am.”

Me: “That’s really no good. I need to be gone by 6:00.”

Reception: “I’m not sure we could do them by then.”

Me: “It’s fine, really. I don’t want them polished; they are a very particular colour and I’d rather do them myself.”

It took a few attempts to get them to agree to give me back my shoes. I couldn’t seem to get them to understand that I needed them back ASAP so I could clean them and get an early night. I think they thought I was just being awkward. Luckily, it was not too much later that I found them outside my room.

The next morning, I rushed off and got to the office, only to look down and see my lovely oxblood red shoes painted black with polish. 

I spent an hour scrubbing them. The hotel refused at first to do anything, as it was an “honest mistake” and they were “only trying to help”. I managed to get them to pay for a new pair, but I never found the same shoe again.