PB
Patrick BuschVerified
Oct 14, 2026
Overbooked and bumped off
A rude concierge dismissed my request for a quieter room, then invoiced me for a late checkout I had never actually requested.
A rude concierge dismissed my request for a quieter room, then invoiced me for a late checkout I had never actually requested.
Our family suite had a separate kids' room with its own TV, which gave the parents an actual quiet hour each night. I ordered room service at midnight and got a hot sandwich and real fries within fifteen minutes of placing the call.
I was traveling solo and the hotel staff checked in on me daily, which I appreciated far more than I expected to. Housekeeping noticed my daughter had a cold and left extra tissues, bottled water, and a sweet handwritten note on the pillow. Boarding music was pleasant, overhead bin space was plentiful, and the crew even helped shorter passengers lift bags without being asked.
Our shuttle came at precisely the quoted time, the driver loaded every suitcase himself, and he refused payment because it was prepaid. A quiet floor request was taken seriously because every door around us was propped open as a staff cleaning signal, never slammed.
I lost my luggage on a direct flight, which should be impossible, and ten days later the airline still has no idea where it is.
I was skeptical of the walking tour, but the guide paced it perfectly and we ended at a café she personally knew. A rental agent voluntarily switched us to a larger car at the same price because the smaller one still smelled faintly of cleaner.
A rental agent voluntarily switched us to a larger car at the same price because the smaller one still smelled faintly of cleaner.
Housekeeping replaced our beach towels twice a day without being asked and always folded them into little swan shapes. Our room was spotless, the bedding felt genuinely luxurious, and street noise never once reached us from the floor below.
Our tour guide spoke four languages and told stories about the city that no guidebook had ever mentioned to us before. Our dive tour had small groups, newer gear, and a boat captain who treated safety briefings like he genuinely cared about us.
A gentle wake-up call, a hot shower with real pressure, and a strong coffee set the tone for the whole business trip.
I had a birthday during the stay and found a small cake and sparkling juice waiting in the room that evening. Our room overlooked a quiet garden instead of the parking lot, and I slept better than I have in weeks at home.
Our hotel photos online were clearly from a different decade, because the actual room had a sagging mattress and curtains that no longer closed. A supposed four-star hotel served breakfast that was gray eggs, bread that was already stale, and coffee that tasted like warm dishwater. Our tour van had no working seatbelts, a cracked windshield, and a driver who took phone calls while merging onto a highway at speed.
A quiet floor request was taken seriously because every door around us was propped open as a staff cleaning signal, never slammed. I had a long layover and the airline gave me a free city tour voucher I didn't even know existed until check-in.
A toddler-friendly tour sounded impossible, but the guide carried snacks, told silly jokes, and never once lost the group's attention. I was charged exactly the amount I was quoted at booking, with no mystery resort fee or city tax tacked on later. Our concierge made a dinner reservation at a famously booked-out restaurant and refused any tip beyond a sincere thank-you note.
I booked a nonsmoking room and walked into a cloud of stale cigarette smoke, with ashtray stains burned into the bedside table. Our hotel photos online were clearly from a different decade, because the actual room had a sagging mattress and curtains that no longer closed.
I had a middle seat on a packed flight, and the person beside me offered the aisle because I mentioned a bad knee.
Our transfer driver tracked the flight himself and was waiting past security with a sign and a bottle of chilled water. A toddler-friendly tour sounded impossible, but the guide carried snacks, told silly jokes, and never once lost the group's attention.
I had a middle seat on a short flight, so I can't really complain, but I also wouldn't book this fare class again. Our shuttle existed, which is more than I can say for other airports, but it ran on a schedule that no sign posted anywhere. A decent flight overall, but the entertainment system on my seat was broken and nobody mentioned any kind of credit for it.
I ordered room service at midnight and got a hot sandwich and real fries within fifteen minutes of placing the call. Housekeeping replaced our beach towels twice a day without being asked and always folded them into little swan shapes.
I paid budget prices and still got blackout curtains, a firm pillow option, and a shower with pressure like a car wash. A gorgeous ocean view greeted us at sunrise, and the balcony furniture made it the best morning coffee of the whole trip.
I asked for extra towels three times, called twice, and finally went down to the lobby in a robe to get them myself. Our tour skipped two of the three advertised stops, replaced lunch with a snack, and the operator refused any partial refund afterward.
Flight itself was fine, but boarding was pure chaos and nobody from the gate crew seemed interested in actually managing the line. Our rental ran fine the entire trip, but the pickup process involved three separate upsells before we even got to the keys. A perfectly adequate stay, but I was expecting more from the photos online which clearly used a wide-angle lens on every room.
I was dreading the overnight connection, but the lounge had reclining pods and the staff kept the coffee hot the entire time. Our hotel kept a sunset-time card at the desk and texted guests twenty minutes before, so nobody missed the view off the rooftop.
Our rental agency was understaffed on a Sunday morning, which turned a quick pickup into nearly an hour of standing in line. A perfectly adequate stay, but I was expecting more from the photos online which clearly used a wide-angle lens on every room.
A reckless shuttle driver ran a red light with a full van of tourists on board, and the company did nothing when I complained. An airline agent told me my checked bag was my own problem after it arrived crushed, with a wheel snapped off and a zipper torn.
I was charged a resort fee for amenities that were all closed for renovation, and nobody mentioned the construction when I confirmed the booking. I waited at the airport for two hours past the promised pickup time, and the rental agency insisted my reservation did not exist.
An airport shuttle came every ten minutes without fail, and the drivers announced each hotel stop clearly over a working speaker.
Our driver was friendly, though the car had an obvious dent and the seatbelt buckle in the back was difficult to actually fasten. A midrange hotel that does the job, though the pillows were too soft, the shower was too narrow, and the robe was too thin.
I appreciated the pool being open late, but the deck furniture was mismatched and some loungers were missing cushions entirely. Our rideshare pickup worked, but the driver didn't speak much and clearly used an older map that routed us through heavy construction. I had a reasonable time, but the resort fee covered things I never actually used, like a fitness class scheduled during check-out hours.
A single desk agent handled our group of six with such calm efficiency that I wrote her name down to compliment her later. An honest tour operator warned us ahead of time that the main site was closed and rerouted the day to a better one.
Rental pickup was ten minutes door to door because the paperwork was ready and the car was pulled up and running.
A functional business lounge, but outlets were scarce at every seat and the coffee machine was out of beans for most of my layover. I had a middle seat on a short flight, so I can't really complain, but I also wouldn't book this fare class again. Our tour included entrance fees to two sites, but one of them was already included in a city pass that most guests had bought beforehand.
A damaged suitcase was replaced on the spot with no argument, no form to fill out, and genuine apologies all around. Our rental included free second-driver registration, unlimited mileage, and a decent dash-mounted phone holder we didn't expect.
Our shuttle driver insisted on helping with every bag and knew a backroad that shaved twenty minutes off the usual airport run.
I needed a doctor at midnight and the front desk had one in the lobby within forty minutes with no fuss. A connecting flight was held for us by the gate agent on the radio, which I did not know airlines still did. A ferry transfer, luggage handling, and welcome drink were all included in the quoted room rate, which almost never happens anymore.
Pool deck chairs never ran out even at peak hours because an attendant genuinely managed the space all day long. Our driver pointed out a hidden viewpoint, pulled over for photos, and refused the tip we tried to leave for the detour.
Our flight attendant was openly rude to a passenger with a crying infant, and nothing about the response from the airline afterward was adequate. The shuttle simply never came, nobody at the desk could reach the driver, and we ended up paying a hundred dollars for a last-minute taxi. Our hotel photos online were clearly from a different decade, because the actual room had a sagging mattress and curtains that no longer closed.
Our dive tour had small groups, newer gear, and a boat captain who treated safety briefings like he genuinely cared about us. Chauffeur service picked us up in a clean sedan, waited patiently when our dinner ran long, and tracked us by phone unobtrusively.
Priority boarding actually meant something because the gate agent held non-priority passengers back until our group had fully boarded. Beds were so comfortable that we ordered the same mattress once we got home, which has never happened to us before.
A connecting flight was held for us by the gate agent on the radio, which I did not know airlines still did. An attentive flight attendant quietly brought extra water for anyone who looked unwell during the turbulent descent through a storm cell.
Our room had visible mold around the shower, a stained carpet, and a window that did not actually close against the street noise. A supposed airport transfer dropped us at a parking lot three blocks away because the driver refused to wait in a short traffic queue.
A booking site let me reserve a room that did not exist, then blamed the property, which in turn blamed the booking site.
A midday snorkel tour included fresh fruit, cold drinks, and spare masks for anyone whose rental gear turned out to be leaky. I had a middle seat on a packed flight, and the person beside me offered the aisle because I mentioned a bad knee.
I use a wheelchair and the staff had the accessible shower bench set up before I even opened the room door.
A gorgeous ocean view greeted us at sunrise, and the balcony furniture made it the best morning coffee of the whole trip. A gentle wake-up call, a hot shower with real pressure, and a strong coffee set the tone for the whole business trip. Our rental SUV had working AC, decent tires, under ten thousand miles, and a fresh interior that smelled only of soap.
Our rental included free second-driver registration, unlimited mileage, and a decent dash-mounted phone holder we didn't expect. Our rental SUV had working AC, decent tires, under ten thousand miles, and a fresh interior that smelled only of soap.
Our rental SUV had working AC, decent tires, under ten thousand miles, and a fresh interior that smelled only of soap.
Our room came with a small espresso machine, two bottles of still water, and a handwritten card from the housekeeper by name. Boarding music was pleasant, overhead bin space was plentiful, and the crew even helped shorter passengers lift bags without being asked. Pool deck chairs never ran out even at peak hours because an attendant genuinely managed the space all day long.
Smooth touchdown, friendly deplaning, and bags on the belt within eleven minutes of block-in, which is somehow still a rare win. Breakfast had fresh fruit, real omelets made to order, and a decent espresso machine that was somehow never crowded.
After a mix-up on booking dates, the hotel manager personally sorted it and gave us a late checkout at no cost. I needed a doctor at midnight and the front desk had one in the lobby within forty minutes with no fuss.