The story opens with Amit and Megan, a married couple staying at the Chadwick Inn. The hotel is near Amit’s high school alma mater—the private and exclusive Langford Academy, an all-male boarding school. They are to be guests of the wedding of Pam Borden. Pam is the daughter of Langford’s headmaster. Amit graduated from the school 18 years ago. Amit and Megan drove in from New York for the occasion, opting to leave their two young daughters with Megan’s parents and take a short, weekend vacation alone.

They quickly find their lodgings disappointing and inadequate. For $250 a night, Amit had chosen to stay at the hotel, which boasted amenities like a pool, tennis court, and restaurant, over the option of staying in school dormitories, empty for the summer, for $20 a person. The hotel was also next to the lake on which he had learned to canoe and kayak as an adolescent. Amit and Megan immediately take issue with several aspects of their hotel lodging—ranging from the décor and darkness of the room to the large pine tree directly in front of the window, which obstructs their view. Amit grouses about the $250/night rate, feeling ripped off.