Hotel Stefani

One day, a couple, Patricia and Paul had a spontaneous idea to make an improvised getaway
to St. Moritz, a famous mountain resort in Switzerland. They went there without any prior
hotel reservation as it didn’t even occur to them that they could face any difficulties in
finding a place to spend a night. However, the beginning of their holiday turned out to be
quite challenging because the resort was completely full. They spent 3 hours going from hotel
to hotel but with no result. Having checked eighteen hotels, they ended up feeeling
exhausted, shivering with cold and beginning to despair.

Then Paul suggested going to a brightly-lit and inviting-looking building that he had seen on
a square. The idea seemed appealing to both of them and they headed off to that cafe. When
they walked in a warm and friendly atmosphere of the restaurant, they discovered that place
was heavily packed and they were on a point to getting frustrated.

Suddenly, a pleasant-looking middle-aged stranger got up from the table he was sitting at and
offered to occupy it. Unwilling to disturb him, the couple tried to refuse his kind offer but he
kept insisting so they agreed gratefully. They took their seats and ordered some coffee from
the waitress who had approached. When coffee arrived, they sat sipping it, letting the warmth
of it reach through their bodies.

Paul then resumed his search for a hotel room, making several phone calls but with no luck.
Finally, on his ninth call, he received a different reply, but was asked to wait for a while, till
they made sure the proprietor would give his approval. While he was waiting anxiously, with
a sinking feeling, Paul lit a cigarette. Two minutes went by and he was told by a hotel
proprietor that they really had a vacant room, reserved by someone who had not yet arrived.
The proprietor assumed they would not show up, so he offered the room to Paul and Patricia.
Overcome with happiness, Paul asked about the name of the hotel and rushed back to his
table where he eagerly shared the wonderful news with Patricia.

Straight away did they signal the waitress and asked her for the bill. They also inquired how
to get to the Hotel Stefani, and got speechless when heard that was exactly the place they
needed……shook with helpless laughter. Paul wanted to speak to mister Markie, that was the
name of the proprietor who had promised them a room sparing them from a sleepless night
outside. Mister Markie turned out to be the pleasant-looking middle-aged man who had given
up his table to them earlier.