Get Stuck with "The Fish Room?" Here's What to Tell Your Host
"Thank you for having me, for one," is what a good guest should tell their host.
Dorinda Medley gave new meaning to "sleep with the fishes" this season of RHONY... still, no one wants that ending.
On the most recent episode of The Real Housewives of New York City, the ladies all expressed concerns about their worst nightmare: sleeping in "the fish room" in Dorinda Medley’s Berkshires home, Blue Stone Manor.
This isn't just a last-one-who-arrives-gets-the-fish-room problem. It's like they'd rather sleep on the floor than in the fish room at all. Or in an actual fish market on a bed of freshly killed fish.
Luann de Lesseps straight up says, “Don’t tell me I’m in the fish room. If I’m in the fish room, I’m gonna freak out. I cannot be in the fish room again!”
Ramona Singer isn't feeling the fish theme, either. “Who wants to wake up with a big fish?” she asks. “You feel like you’re being punished if you stay in that room!”
Sonja Morgan keeps it simple. "The fish room sucks!” she tells the ladies.
Bethenny Frankel says she'd hightail it to a hotel if forced to sleep under the fish decor.
Sonja suggests that Tinsley Mortimer, take the room, to which she replies: “Why do I always get the short end of the stick?!”
Let's just say everyone hates the fish room.
Bravo's Home & Design describes it as the least desirable room, "awash in vibrant green paint, and featuring not one, not two, but THREE oversized fish mounts on the walls ... It’s got two big beds with upholstered headboards and bases, a neutral rug anchoring the room, an extra sofa for anyone stopping by for a chat, and windows bringing in a whole lotta natural light."
Dorinda had decorated the fish in lights and Santa hats. You know, she made it nice. She swears there are no "bad rooms" in her house. "It’s a beautiful manor, every room is a half-a-million-dollar room,” she says. “I mean it’s not like some cottage, you’re staying at an estate.”
So, we turned to our favorite etiquette expert Diane Gottsman to ask how to handle a "fish room" situation. What if you're a guest at someone's home (or manor) and your surroundings are simply making you uncomfortable?
"If you are a guest at someone’s home, you should make an attempt to be as gracious as possible," she said. "If there is something specific that you do not like, you might discreetly let the host know of your concern. You don’t make an issue of it publicly."
Oh, like yelling, "The fish room sucks?"
"You always have the option of securing a hotel," Gottsman added. "But, keep in mind that it might offend the host and cause friction. Plus, fellow guests will be put in an uncomfortable position because they may feel guilty for having a better room. Perhaps one with a view or a larger or more substantial space. If it’s something minor, take one for the team and endure it."
Gottsman did say, "If it’s an allergy or a safety issue you can certainly fell free to speak up."
Looks like Bethenny is off the hook — she is allergic to fish. Even when it's hanging on Dorinda's walls.
