A content creator called out the Sandals Royal Bahamian after claiming that the resort messed up a vacation she planned for her and a friend. She also said that, after various hiccups, the Bahamas resort refused to offer her financial compensation.
User @speaking.ill.of.t said that she’s “tried, with fail” to get the resort to help her. “I’m going to see if they’ll change their mind,” she said in her first TikTok post about her stay. As of Monday afternoon, her clip had amassed more than 673,100 views.
What happened during the customer’s Sandals stay?
@speaking.ill.of.t said that she and a friend decided to stay at the Sandals Royal Bahamian, an all-inclusive resort that they assumed would treat them well. Upon arriving, however, she said she and other customers were shuffled into a “nice looking” lobby area where two receptionists were busy on the phone.
“They shuffle us in there and they say nothing,” @speaking.ill.of.t said of the workers.
Unsure of what to do, @speaking.ill.of.t said that she and the other resort-goers all started lining up at the desk, which apparently annoyed the two workers.
“If someone had just said, ‘Hey, these two ladies are going to get y’all checked in’… none of us would’ve been lined up at the desk like a bunch of idiots,” she said.
@speaking.ill.of.t said it took an hour to get to the front of the line. Upon getting to the front, however, they were told their room wasn’t available and to wait at a nearby restaurant despite paying for “[preferred] check-in.”
After eating and going back to the desk, @speaking.ill.of.t said she received her key, but was told that no one was available to show her to her room.
“There’s supposed to be someone that shows you around,” she said. And when she got to her room, her problems worsened. “The door’s wide open, there’s a maintenance man standing there, and there is water pouring down from the ceiling,” @speaking.ill.of.t said.
“You would think if they knew about this, they wouldn’t have ever let me go to the room,” she added. “They were not at capacity.”
Did her room situation get fixed?
The content creator said it took hours for a maintenance worker to come by and clean up the water. The woman who was slated to clean, though, only used dirty pool towels to mop up the water with her foot.
“Here’s the deal: Maybe I’m bougie, but I don’t know where that water came from,” @speaking.ill.of.t said. “Some kind of disinfectant should’ve been used there.”
Still, wanting to make the best of her trip, @speaking.ill.of.t said that she and her friend attempted to call room service to get orange juice delivered. When she called, however, someone on the other end hung up, claiming “we don’t do the liquids.”
Her issues continued the following day at the resort, when she and her friend were scheduled for a spa appointment that was on a separate island. @speaking.ill.of.t said she ended up at the wrong spa because there were three of them on the resort. They ended up missing their appointment and had to reschedule.
“Now… I’m irritated,” @speaking.ill.of.t said of her stay. She asserted that, if the duo had been treated “properly,” they would’ve known to avoid this.
“This is supposed to be a first class kind of establishment and they can’t get anything right,” she said.
And that poor treatment continued into the evening, when the two had a reservation at the supposed best steakhouse on the resort. Her dinner reservation was for 9:30pm, but she said they sat down closer to 10pm. “It takes a while to get our drinks [and] to order,” @speaking.ill.of.t said. “It is over an hour before we get our food.”
“I was just blown away by the experience we had at this place.”
How did the resort react to the customer’s complaints?
Finally fed up, @speaking.ill.of.t said she decided to speak with a manager the next morning—when she was slated to check out. She was told no manager was available, however. Upon returning home, she emailed the resort and said she hoped to receive at least
“For the amount of money I spent, this is not how I should’ve been treated,” she said. “This is not the experience I should’ve had.” She said other customers she spoke with while she was on the beach registered similar experiences, too.
Instead of receiving a refund, though, she said Sandals Royal Bahamian only offered her 20,000 points (or roughly $500 in resort credit) to spend at the same resort.
“We work really hard for our money. You’re a big reputable company,” @speaking.ill.of.t said of the resort. She said she posted her video as a warning. “If any of y’all are thinking about going, don’t.”
And various customers pledged to heed her advice.
“I will totally avoid sandals,” one woman said.
I’ve been considering a Sandals vacation but this is very concerning,” another added.
“wow I’m glad to hear this so I never go to a Sandals resort,” a third viewer wrote.
@speaking.ill.of.t Part 1 of my experience with sandals Royal Bahamian @Sandals Resorts ♬ original sound – Speaking ill of the Dead
“Thank you for the post,” a fourth person said. “We are planning our Honeymoon, we will now skip Sandals!”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @speaking.ill.of.t via TikTok comment and to Sandals Resorts by email.
