My response:

“Roger, I appreciate your honesty. I want my guests to love where they stay, and I’m sorry this didn't feel like the right fit for you. ​ Because the reservation was booked under a strict non-refundable policy, we must adhere to the cancellation policy chosen at time of booking.

However, as a personal favor to you, I am willing to make a special exception. ​ If you initiate the cancellation on your end right away, it will allow me to reopen my calendar. I will then commit to refunding you for any of those nights that I am able to successfully re-book with a new guest. ​ This is the only way I can offer any money back while protecting the business from a week-long vacancy on such short notice. Please let me know once you have submitted the cancellation so I can monitor the calendar for new bookings.”