Vacation buyer’s remorse?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, it's a bummer, but why dwell on it? Life doesn't always work out the way you want. We stayed at an AirBandB that was a total ripoff. I haven't thought about it since the day after we got back.

People dwell on it because they overspent on the vacation, which is becoming increasingly common. You didn’t think about it because it just wasn’t that much money to you.

DP but I disagree. I think it's an optimist v. pessimist thing. DH and I have very different memories of some stays, but I tend to run sunny and he's a glass half full kind of person.

He can walk away thinking "this place was horrible and the noise was appalling" and I'll be more "haha, that was rustic, but they had the coolest side table! and it was steps to parking!"

[Anonymous]

OP, the Greenbriar is a golfing location, not a spa retreat. It is also not "far out and isolated."

There is a lot of good food in downtown Lewisburg, along with cute shops. It has almost a less horsey Middleburg feel. The Hotel itself needs an update, but the houses on property are lovely.

You definitely need to read reviews more. All this would have been revealed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, the Greenbriar is a golfing location, not a spa retreat. It is also not "far out and isolated."

There is a lot of good food in downtown Lewisburg, along with cute shops. It has almost a less horsey Middleburg feel. The Hotel itself needs an update, but the houses on property are lovely.

You definitely need to read reviews more. All this would have been revealed.

Of course it is a spa retreat. “White Sulphur Springs.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Felt this way after dropping quite a bit of money on an East Africa safari earlier this year. We didn't go 'all out' -- we did a mid-range package with mid-range places, and it got so boring after 3 days. We were ready to go home. Plus the food was horrible and the accommodations, though they looked so luxe in the photos and the reviews, weren't like that at all.

That said, 'you don't know what you don't know' - and I don't regret it because if I wouldn't have done it, I would've regretted it. I'm glad for the experience but never, ever again

Can you give an example of where you stayed? Planning safari to Kenya and Serengeti now…and this is s big concern!

If you have any foreign service friends ask them if they have any pals in Kenya who could give you good recs for companies to go with.

I’m the PP who wrote the original post about disappointment on my east Africa safari. I do have friends in FS in Nairobi (which was why I had the chance to go there in the first place). Many recommend tour operators that were far far out of my price range (Abercrombie and Kent, and &beyond). In their defense, they don’t always have a ton of time for a safari (some just have a long weekend) and it’s obviously cheaper the shorter the trip.

I was there because my dh was there for work. So being that I was traveling so far I wanted to make the most of it and see a lot, so I did a longer safari. Budget had to be mid range - which is always fine for me anywhere else. Low budget means shared bathrooms or even actual camping - that’s not my thing.

The places looked so nice in photos, they all got amazing TripAdvisor reviews but I’m convinced that the reviews for the lodges are all “game’d” - there is no way in hell the food is “amazing” , and I am NOT a foodie. McDonald’s is better and I’m not kidding.

But after doing this, their way is the way - shorter trip, with a high end operator.

[Anonymous]

Yes, went to Wyoming and rented a cabin in a fancy little town. The cabin had a curtain to separate the bathroom. It was small. Otherwise the trip was good but regret the lodgings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hershey Lodge. We went for two nights back in March. The indoor pool area was a ZOO. It was too crowded to be enjoyable and a waste of time and money.

I came here to say this. It was like a Motel 6. Every time the A/C came on, it sounded like a jetliner taking off. The pits.

Agree. It was pretty crummy.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, OP. My husband rented a “cute little artist cottage” in Broadkill beach for a whole week in August 2021. It was infested with flies, furniture was ripped, linens were old, TV didn’t work, just a total dump. I’m actually mad just thinking about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read TripAdvisor reviews very carefully and am pretty good at knowing what I’ll get. I find it way more reliable than this forum.

Same. People on DCUM love to hate TripAdvisor but it has never steered me wrong. I read the reviews carefully and decide if I can live with the flaws mentioned. Sometimes people will give great tips like not accepting a room on the X side of the building due to noise, or take a lower floor because the elevator is slow or whatever. I will pick a Hampton Inn or Hyatt Place or Holiday Inn with near perfect reviews over a Ritz with mixed reviews all day long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, the Greenbriar is a golfing location, not a spa retreat. It is also not "far out and isolated."

There is a lot of good food in downtown Lewisburg, along with cute shops. It has almost a less horsey Middleburg feel. The Hotel itself needs an update, but the houses on property are lovely.

You definitely need to read reviews more. All this would have been revealed.

Of course it is a spa retreat. “White Sulphur Springs.”

But it isn’t an EXCELLENT spa. It’s an excellent golf course location, but if you go there just for the spa it’s a huge mistake.

[Anonymous]

Try Blackberry Farm next.


FYI these places are also places to avoid until a major upgrade in facilities and service despite the hype:

Stanley Hotel in Estes Park
Grove Park Inn in Asheville

[Anonymous]

Sorry OP- we went there once with my ILs and I was also underwhelmed, although they paid for most of it so it wasn’t like we were out the $$ ourselves (and ILs liked it, so I don’t doubt there are good reviews out there).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Felt this way after dropping quite a bit of money on an East Africa safari earlier this year. We didn't go 'all out' -- we did a mid-range package with mid-range places, and it got so boring after 3 days. We were ready to go home. Plus the food was horrible and the accommodations, though they looked so luxe in the photos and the reviews, weren't like that at all.

That said, 'you don't know what you don't know' - and I don't regret it because if I wouldn't have done it, I would've regretted it. I'm glad for the experience but never, ever again

Can you give an example of where you stayed? Planning safari to Kenya and Serengeti now…and this is s big concern!

If you have any foreign service friends ask them if they have any pals in Kenya who could give you good recs for companies to go with.

I’m the PP who wrote the original post about disappointment on my east Africa safari. I do have friends in FS in Nairobi (which was why I had the chance to go there in the first place). Many recommend tour operators that were far far out of my price range (Abercrombie and Kent, and &beyond). In their defense, they don’t always have a ton of time for a safari (some just have a long weekend) and it’s obviously cheaper the shorter the trip.

I was there because my dh was there for work. So being that I was traveling so far I wanted to make the most of it and see a lot, so I did a longer safari. Budget had to be mid range - which is always fine for me anywhere else. Low budget means shared bathrooms or even actual camping - that’s not my thing.

The places looked so nice in photos, they all got amazing TripAdvisor reviews but I’m convinced that the reviews for the lodges are all “game’d” - there is no way in hell the food is “amazing” , and I am NOT a foodie. McDonald’s is better and I’m not kidding.

But after doing this, their way is the way - shorter trip, with a high end operator.

There is really something obnoxious about an American complaining about the lack of nice accommodation in a country where two-thirds of the population live in real poverty. You want to drive around in a luxury Land Cruiser while not dealing with anything that could mar your picture perfect vacation. Stay home. You are living up to tourist stereotypes. It’s not a good look.

[Anonymous]

Boars Hear Inn. The ACs were incredibly loud - and the problem is there was no way to turn them off!! They always emit at least some sound. Otherwise the rooms were ok but not great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boars Hear Inn. The ACs were incredibly loud - and the problem is there was no way to turn them off!! They always emit at least some sound. Otherwise the rooms were ok but not great.

Sorry - boars head inn.

[Anonymous]

There's really nothing worse than a tired/worn but yet pricey hotel.

We spent something like $600/night for the Lowe's Miami last spring. I must have read 500 of the thousands of online reviews. Our room was priced roughly $1500/night on peak weeks (our week was not peak).
Anyway, it was fine but sort of worn plus not particularly clean: fingerprints on elevator doors, dirt on carpets. I notice these things far more when I'm paying $600/night then when I'm paying $100. I'd honestly rather be in a new $100/night Embassy Suites alongside a highway--I'd rather be pleasantly surprised then disappointed.