Before our arrival, I emailed the hotel requesting a room with a view of the falls. When we checked in (an hour early, which they kindly allowed), we were given an extremely small room with no view at all. I asked at the front desk if we could switch to a room with a view, but was told there was no availability and, in a rather dismissive tone, that because I had booked through Expedia there was nothing they could do.
The way it was handled made me feel like guests who book through third-party sites are treated as a lower priority. The front desk staff were unhelpful and lacked basic hospitality skills. For a hotel in such a prime tourist area, the customer service was unexpectedly poor.
Bottom line: Even if you make a request in advance, don’t expect it to be honored – and don’t expect friendly service if you booked through Expedia.