I booked a high-end vacation at a beautiful resort a few years ago. The cost wasn’t cheap. I paid upfront to get in. They also offered a membership program that gave me extra perks, and once I was there, I was encouraged to spend more on drinks, meals, spa treatments, and other cool stuff.

I was full of excitement. The place looked stunning at first. The photos were great. The location had potential. I was ready to settle in for a long, enjoyable stay.

But soon, things started to go wrong.

Every other day, the hotel shut down access to my room for maintenance. I was told they were making changes to enhance my comfort, but when I got back into my room, the water pressure was worse, the hot water was gone, and the curtains were nailed shut. I asked, "Why, and what was that all about?" The staff told me there were some issues with some of the installations and plumbings. They assured me that they were aware of the problems and were working on them. They promised that the changes would eventually improve my experience.

Other guests and I tried to talk to management in a polite and reasonable way. We were hopeful they’d take our concerns seriously, because the current situation wasn’t acceptable. The staff nodded, then announced a new feature nobody asked for, instead of fixing the problems that were making our stay impossible. They repainted the lobby in neon green, moved the bar to the basement, and doubled the prices at the gift shop and other service areas.

Meanwhile, I was still locked out of my room half the time.

I asked around and realized other guests felt the same way. They were still here because they loved the place deep down. The setting was unique. The memories were good. But more and more of them were starting to check out...

Does any of that sound familiar to you?