Very worried and upset - honeymoon

[Courtneylub]

We booked our honeymoon at Sandals in the Bahamas. We got the Royal Honeymoon Oceanview Suite based on the gorgeous picture on the Sandals website. I know it''s small but here it is

 

[Courtneylub]

Here''s a picture of the same room from tripadvisor.com. A real visitor took a real picture of their Honeymoon Suite.

 

[Courtneylub]

I am getting more pissed by the minute.

It''s not just misleading advertising, it''s a LIE!

I spent lots of time researching different resorts and finally settled on this one BECAUSE of the beautiful looking room on their website.

Look, I''m not a snob, but this is our honeymoon and I want what I want. I know we will have fun regardless once we''re there, but I don''t like being lied to. We paid a lot for that room. From the looks of it, all their rooms look like this. I could''ve spent half the money and gone to a nicer looking place in Cancun.

 

[Erin]

Hopefully you won''t be in your room too much considering the location. Plus the only thing you''ll really need from the room is the mattress...

 

[Courtneylub]

I know...this is just a one time thing so I''d like it to be close to perfect. I don''t like the false advertising.

 

[partyjewels]

Maybe it's just the angle of the room in the picture that the person from tripadvisor took?

Honestly to me they look like they could be the same room (well, on the other side of the hotel judging from where the lights coming in - just different angles, different bedding and a few minor things here and there. Which part are you upset about? All of it as a whole? The bedding? I can see how the rooms do have totally different feels. The second picture looks pretty much like a regular hotel room with a different kind of head/foot board...

I can totally understand being upset because you want it to be extra special and no one likes feeling like they've been lied too. I'm just curious though which part is it, cause well, I'm a curious person FI and I aren't sure we're really going to do anything for a honeymoon right away since we have so many other things going on around the same time, but if I had it in my head what my honeymoon room was going to look like, FOUND said room, and then found out that it looks nothing like it after I paid alot of money for it, I'd be ticked too!

If it bothers you too much, can you get your money back and go elsewhere or are you already stuck?

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Have you ever been to Las Vegas? My husband and I go all the time...often, we just stay at Excalibur because it''s super relaxed, and I tend to win more on their machines...Anyway, my husband and I took 6 honeymoons--one to each of our favorite vacations spots, and we''ve been spending one year doing this. Like I said, we both LOVE Las Vegas, and it was on our list of "must go" places! We decided to stay at a far nicer hotel because we were newlyweds and honeymooning...I''ll leave out the name of the hotel to avoid being outright negative... I will tell you, when we walked into the room which was about $450.00 a night, I was speechless. It was barebones, boring, bland, totally a white-bread room...there was no luxury in this baby, not a drop to drink up! We were very let down, just like you, we felt like we had booked an amazing room and it turned out to be a Motel 6 inside of a 5-star hotel!!

But, at the end of our trip...we were laughing hysterically! We spent, maybe, 20 hours in our room and that included sleeping, too! For the most part, we used it as a sleep, shower, and other s-word room. We were far to busy going and doing and playing to be held captive in a hotel room! And I anticipate you''ll feel much the same way once you''re off the computer and on your honeymoon!

So the room isn''t great? You''re still just married, in a fab location, and you''re gonna have the best time of your life regardless!

P.S: The room looks similar...just different colors and laid out differently and not "photo new"...but rather slept in and used (which, when the picture was taken, it was!!)

 

[Courtneylub]

It''s all different, the paint on the walls, the beding, the furniture. The only thing that''s the same is the 4 post bed frame.

If you go to Sandals.com, right away the pictures all look super nice. That''s the look I was going for when I reserved this place.

The visitor pictures all look like your typical floral beding, ugly curtains, etc. type of resort.

I doubt we can cancel because we booked through American Express which books through Expedia.

 

[Courtneylub]

Date: 2/8/2008 10:45:42 AM
Author: Italiahaircolor
Have you ever been to Las Vegas? My husband and I go all the time...often, we just stay at Excalibur because it''s super relaxed, and I tend to win more on their machines...Anyway, my husband and I took 6 honeymoons--one to each of our favorite vacations spots, and we''ve been spending one year doing this. Like I said, we both LOVE Las Vegas, and it was on our list of ''must go'' places! We decided to stay at a far nicer hotel because we were newlyweds and honeymooning...I''ll leave out the name of the hotel to avoid being outright negative... I will tell you, when we walked into the room which was about $450.00 a night, I was speechless. It was barebones, boring, bland, totally a white-bread room...there was no luxury in this baby, not a drop to drink up! We were very let down, just like you, we felt like we had booked an amazing room and it turned out to be a Motel 6 inside of a 5-star hotel!!

But, at the end of our trip...we were laughing hysterically! We spent, maybe, 20 hours in our room and that included sleeping, too! For the most part, we used it as a sleep, shower, and other s-word room. We were far to busy going and doing and playing to be held captive in a hotel room! And I anticipate you''ll feel much the same way once you''re off the computer and on your honeymoon!

So the room isn''t great? You''re still just married, in a fab location, and you''re gonna have the best time of your life regardless!

P.S: The room looks similar...just different colors and laid out differently and not ''photo new''...but rather slept in and used (which, when the picture was taken, it was!!)

Yes, we love Vegas as well. We thought about going there and then flying to Cancun from there, but we didn''t want to spend so much time flying. The Bahamas is a 3 hour direct flight which is perfect. We are have a trip to Tahoe to book also...within the next year. I''ve never been there, so I''m looking forward to that.

 

[partyjewels]

Well I hope you find something to cheer you up about it!! Like Italiahaircolor said, it sucks right now, but when it''s all said and done the room will probably be the last thing on your mind.

 

[sumbride]

The first picture was taken after "turn down service", I''m sure. They do that every night at Sandals. The second one looks like they made the bed up themselves to take the pic.

I paid a lot of money for my room at Sandals too, but it did look much like the picture. Not exactly, but mostly. It was the service that wasn''t as described. We did actually spend a lot of time in our room because the heat of the day got to be too much and we usually needed a nap after a day in the pool. If you''re really upset about it, call them and ask the resort about it. It''s possible you can get some extras added in too. Good luck!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Why don''t you call the resort (not the corporate line, the resort you''re going to) and ask to speak to their customer service rep. Ask them about the variance.

I don''t give much credence to the images on hotel websites, they''re rarely accurate. I always use something like trip advisor''s traveler photos to make my plans. But I don''t hold it against the resort, it''s all marketing. I don''t buy Victoria''s Secret underwear because I expect to look like Giselle in them.

 

[Courtneylub]

Date: 2/8/2008 11:12:09 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Why don''t you call the resort (not the corporate line, the resort you''re going to) and ask to speak to their customer service rep. Ask them about the variance.

I don''t give much credence to the images on hotel websites, they''re rarely accurate. I always use something like trip advisor''s traveler photos to make my plans. But I don''t hold it against the resort, it''s all marketing. I don''t buy Victoria''s Secret underwear because I expect to look like Giselle in them.

Ha! Giselle can kiss my booty.

I emailed the manager at the specific resort. We''ll see if I hear anything back.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 2/8/2008 11:12:09 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Why don''t you call the resort (not the corporate line, the resort you''re going to) and ask to speak to their customer service rep. Ask them about the variance.

I don''t give much credence to the images on hotel websites, they''re rarely accurate. I always use something like trip advisor''s traveler photos to make my plans. But I don''t hold it against the resort, it''s all marketing. I don''t buy Victoria''s Secret underwear because I expect to look like Giselle in them.

I do. And it always boggles my mind when TGuy just doesn''t see it in me.

Anyway, that is a bummer. I always use tripadvisor too, before actually booking. Do ANY of the reviews/roompics look like the one you posted? Maybe you can send it to their management and say you booked and paid extra due to the advertising pictures and would like to know if they have rooms that actually look like that instead of the pics you are seeing? I Might be an interesting story for your local news as well...

 

[Courtneylub]

Date: 2/8/2008 11:20:51 AM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 2/8/2008 11:12:09 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Why don''t you call the resort (not the corporate line, the resort you''re going to) and ask to speak to their customer service rep. Ask them about the variance.

I don''t give much credence to the images on hotel websites, they''re rarely accurate. I always use something like trip advisor''s traveler photos to make my plans. But I don''t hold it against the resort, it''s all marketing. I don''t buy Victoria''s Secret underwear because I expect to look like Giselle in them.

I do. And it always boggles my mind when TGuy just doesn''t see it in me.

Anyway, that is a bummer. I always use tripadvisor too, before actually booking. Do ANY of the reviews/roompics look like the one you posted? Maybe you can send it to their management and say you booked and paid extra due to the advertising pictures and would like to know if they have rooms that actually look like that instead of the pics you are seeing? I Might be an interesting story for your local news as well...

I research on trip advisor beforehand also. There were lots of great reviews, but not many pictures of the guest rooms. I also assumed that any of the room pictures were possibly lower level rooms in comparison to the higher level room we reserved. The newer reviews on the resort have been bad which worries me and then I saw the one review with that room picture above and the author stated it was the same honeymoon suite.

Here''s what I emailed the manager.

Hi there,

On the Sandals website, there is a picture of the Royal Honeymoon Oceanview Suite at SRB. It looks very beautiful with white linens on the bed, newer looking furniture, and so on. When looking at visitor pictures on tripadvisor.com, the honeymoon suite does not look anything like the picture on the SRB website. It’s very important that our honeymoon be as close as possible to what we want, even though we will have fun no matter what. We are a very laid back couple and I just want to make sure we are getting what we paid for. I’m also worried looking at all the bad reviews on trip advisor lately. I don’t want to cancel our reservations to Sandals Bahamian because I’ve heard some good things also.

Is there anything you can do to insure that we will get a room that looks more like the picture on the Sandals site.

Our booking number is #######.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[sumbride]

One thing to remember, and this comes up a lot on sites like TripAdvisor, is that a 4 star in the US and a 4 star in the Caribbean are VASTLY different animals.

 

[cara]

The biggest thing that would bother me about the actual room is if it wasn''t oceanview. But we can''t tell as there is no picture out the window. That is a concrete item you can ask about, unless the verbal room description said there was no ocean view in the room you booked...

 

[luckystar112]

I guess I''m not seeing what the big deal is?
Of course the photos are going to be different. One picture has been taken by a visitor. The other picture has been taken by a group of professionals to take the time to make sure the pillows were fluffed, there were no wrinkles in the blankets, and the sun was shining in the perfect place. Am I the only one who doesn''t think the room looks that bad?
If you think that you are paying too much for what you are getting, just call them and ask to downgrade.

Different strokes for differenk folks I guess....FI and I are staying in the lowest level room possible because we know we won''t be in there, nor do we care about the pattern on our comforter.

 

[Gypsy]

I'm much more room oriented than most I think, so I would be dissappointed too-- not because of the pattern on the comforter, but because the room looks overused and overdue for an update-- which always makes me feel that things are less clean for some reason. In the TINY pic from the website, the room looks fresh clean and inviting in contrast.We spend a lot of time just vegging out in our room when we are on vacation, so we'd be spending quiet a bit of time there, which is also why it would bother me. When we were visiting Vegas last year we got a lot of advice suggesting that we book the cheapest room available as we wouldn't be in it much. But knowing us, I booked the nicest room I could find within our budget, and I'm so glad I did! The hotel was one of the best parts of our trip, and we spent a considerable amount of time in it relaxing between outings. People have different priorities so it is definitely different strokes for different folks, and as sumbride said, 4 star definitions vary from country to country. I hope the hotel has some insight that will give you comfort.

 

[Independent Gal]

Could it be that they redecorated? Check the date on that tripadvisor post with the photo.

But, uh, yeah, if that's the room, I'd kick up a HUGE unholy fuss and demand a refund. I wouldn't want to stay there on my honeymoon either.

I'm BIG into fancy hotels.

 

[surfgirl]

Hard to see what you''re seeing because the initial photo is too small. Can you enlarge it for us? I agree with Sum that the first photo is after turn down service and usually, after your first night, your bedspread is never on the bed again, it''s usually triple sheeted and left that way for your entire stay (at least it is in most hotels...I cant see a difference yet but the larger photo doesn''t look like a lavish room at all. I''d call and complain. No need to freak out yet though as you haven''t been there so there is still time to change rooms!

 

[Independent Gal]

Look at the difference in the carpet: green = suuuuper ugly. beige = ahhh!

 

[sap483]

I personally like to stay at nice places too, and this is your honeymoon after all. I travel quite often for work (more than 80% of the time), and I have found that being extremely sweet and respectful with hotel staff will get you everywhere! So just keep your calm no matter what the hotel manager responds with (hopefully it''ll be good news for you!), and don''t be shy to speak with someone with more authority until you get the results you want. Good luck!

 

[TravelingGal]

Well, I do see an issue...the first pic, the bedding looks way more plush. I am not talking about the turned down effect. The real pic looks like cheap bedding found in a motel.

And IMHO, if there is EVER a time the room is important, it''s your bloody honeymoon!!!

 

[luckystar112]

I think the room looks nice. Apparently I''m the only one! lol.

Maybe it''s because the most "glamorous" hotel I''ve ever stayed in was a Hilton.
The only difference I see is the carpet color and the comforter...and the different pic on the wall. I don''t know....I wish the trip advisor member would have taken a pic from a different angle so we could get the full effect.
I don''t disagree that you should get what you pay for...but I think the room is pretty.

 

[Courtneylub]

If you go to this link, you will see how all the rooms are being advertised as lovely and new looking. My room is the Royal Honeymoon Oceanview Suite. Click on the thumbnail (the pic I attached) and you will see the larger picture. I could not save it because it''s in flash player.

http://www.sandals.com/main/bahamian/ba-accommodations.cfm

The difference between that and the trip advisor picture is not simply turn down service. Also, the trip advisor picture was taken recently. They stayed in the same room that we booked.

I''m not saying the room is ugly, but it''s DIFFERENT. Different style overall. It''s the typical Mexican/Caribbean style and that''s not what I wanted. I could''ve had that for a lot less money.

 

[surfgirl]

OK, I just viewed that room larger and yes, you should be pissed off. Just call the hotel directly and ask to speak with the Reservations Manager and explain your issue and tell her she has to confirm that you will be getting the exact room that is shown on the website. I'd also offer to email her the photo you saw on TripAdvisor. It might have been taken before a redecoration, etc. Just show the manager the two photos and make sure you're getting what you expect to get. It's not a big deal, you just need to make a phone call/email. Good luck!

ETA: I say this only because you seem really upset, when you speak with the hotel manager, dont be a bridezilla because they aren't as likely to "hear" you, you know what I mean? Be firm, but polite and be clear about what you want/expect. And share BOTH photos so they can know what you're talking about.

 

[Fancy605]

Date: 2/8/2008 4:19:33 PM
Author: Courtneylub

I'm not saying the room is ugly, but it's DIFFERENT. Different style overall. It's the typical Mexican/Caribbean style and that's not what I wanted. I could've had that for a lot less money.

Ummm--I'll say it then: The room is ugly. It just looks cheap and shabby. I wouldn't mind staying somewhere like that on a budget vacation, but if it were my honeymoon, and I had several thousand dollars in the trip, I would expect plush white linens, marble floors, the whole 9 yards. Not sad carpet and an ugly thin comforter that probably has that gross scratchy white backing with fuzz balls all over it and that never looked clean even if it had been washed recently. I personally do not think that you are over reacting in wanting something that more closely matches the photo on the website. In fact, I myself was VERY picky when my husband and I planned out the honeymoon from the location to the beach to the room decor to the pool--I was even picky about the bathroom. I mean--on your honeymoon, you tend to be in your room a lot, so it would be bad if it were icky.

Now, if you were going on a budget vacation or a vacation where you did a whole lot of activities and sight seeing and planned to use the room only for crashing at night and showering in the morning, the end, then I would say, "Eh, who cares?"

But in this case, I agree with you. I would want to be refunded so I could search elsewhere. I mean, I guess ultimately, it's your honeymoon, and the fact that you'll be with the man of your dreams makes it pretty awesome, but there's nothing wrong with wanting a nice room too.

 

[Gypsy]

Here's the pic from the website enlarged. I see a correlation. The bedspreads are both scalloped, the carpets are patterned, the walls painted in neutral tones. But they look completely different. It's like this one is the 'before' pic, and that one is the WAY AFTER pic.

 

[Courtneylub]

Gypsy, thanks for blowing the pic up.

Yeah, so everyone sees what I mean now. If management doesn''t respond to my email by end of next week, I will call. I''m sure American Express would help me cancel it if I needed to.