Vacations are meant to be a time of relaxation, adventure, and making happy memories. But sometimes, things don’t go as planned, and the places we stay turn into nightmares. From unsettling encounters to unexpected horrors, these travelers experienced stays they’ll never forget—for all the wrong reasons. Here are 13 stories of vacations that went terribly wrong.
One woman’s boyfriend planned a romantic getaway at a luxury hotel. Everything seemed perfect—until checkout. His card got declined, and he turned red with embarrassment. She smiled and paid, but as they were leaving, the receptionist discreetly pulled her aside and warned, “Be careful. I’ve seen this guy do the same thing with other women. He comes here, his card gets declined, and they end up paying for everything.” At first, she dismissed the warning, trusting him completely. But over time, he pulled similar tricks, making her pay for shopping trips and meals. The final straw came when he pressured her into a shady investment scheme. She broke up with him, but that hotel stay still haunts her—it was the beginning of it all, and she wishes she had listened to that receptionist.
Another traveler’s father checked into a first-floor hotel room, put down his bags, and opened the curtains—only to find a man hiding there. “Excuse me,” he said, calmly closing the curtains, grabbing his bags, and walking out. At the front desk, he reported the incident. Turns out, the man had just robbed a store and snuck into the room through an open window.
In Las Vegas, a guest was plagued by construction-related issues. Faulty wiring kept setting off the fire alarm, and a recorded voice instructed guests to stay put. This went on all night. The exhausted guest had to wake up early for work, but sleep was impossible with alarms blaring and constant interruptions.
One mother booked a hotel for her daughter’s gymnastics competition based on good online reviews. Upon arrival, she struggled to find it because the sign wasn’t lit. The parking lot was pitch black, and two sketchy men loitered near the entrance. Inside, flickering lights illuminated a dingy lobby. The room was even worse—stained sheets, holes in the bedspread, and hair in the shower. The fitness room consisted of a broken stair stepper and a busted TV on the floor. She immediately canceled her reservation. The front desk worker admitted, “I don’t blame you. This place is disgusting. I have an interview at Kohl’s, and I hope they hire me so I can quit.”
Another traveler booked a hotel to reunite with her long-distance boyfriend. The hotel was under construction, but what she didn’t know was that it was being converted into a senior living residence. While still accepting hotel guests, it was already housing seniors. None of this was disclosed on the website, which displayed modern, luxurious rooms. At check-in, she had to step around a sign advertising a diabetes workshop. The room had emergency pull cords everywhere and an uncomfortable hospital-style bed. Embarrassed, she had no choice but to stay.
A late-night check-in at a resort hotel turned into chaos for another traveler. Due to delays and reroutes, he arrived at 4 a.m., greeted by the scariest-looking desk clerk he’d ever seen. The flustered clerk started calling occupied rooms to check availability. Eventually, he found an empty room and handed over a key. The exhausted traveler removed the phone from its hook and tried to get some sleep. At 5 a.m., someone attempted to enter his room. Apparently, the clerk still hadn’t figured out the correct room assignments and continued disturbing guests in the early hours.
One couple booked a high-end hotel for Valentine’s Day, but the staff treated them poorly, assuming they couldn’t afford to stay there. Their room was tiny, unbearably hot, and the air conditioning didn’t work. When they asked for help, the staff ignored them.
A childhood memory still haunts one traveler. Staying at a hotel with family and friends, the kids were left in a room while the adults went to dinner. Suddenly, the floor vibrated, and hundreds—if not thousands—of baby spiders poured out from two corners of the room. The kids tried throwing marshmallows and ice cubes to stop them, but ultimately huddled in the bathroom, sealing the door with a towel. Their parents discovered the chaos hours later, waking up the entire floor with their screams.
A family vacation in Florida took a disgusting turn when they opened the mini-fridge to find half-drunk soda cans left upside down by a previous guest. A few days later, the fridge was swarming with ants. When they opened it, ants poured out like something out of a horror movie. They checked out the next day.
One hotel guest went to retrieve extra towels at midnight, only to notice a creepy man waiting for the elevator with her. As soon as the doors closed, he started asking questions—what she was doing later, if she wanted to hang out. She politely declined, but he didn’t take the hint. Once she reached her floor, she hurried to her room, footsteps following her down the hallway. Panicked, she banged on the door for her friend to let her in. Just before she could scream, she turned around to see… a hotel employee delivering her towels.
Another traveler was taking a shower at a motel when the bathroom door jammed. Her ex had to call the front desk, and they sent someone to disassemble the doorknob to free her. As an apology, they upgraded their room for the night.
A group of young travelers booked the cheapest hostel they could find. The tiny brick building was tucked away behind a hidden alley, with a featureless metal door that required a code to enter. There was no receptionist—just four dreary units with peeling paint, dim yellow lights, and saggy mattresses on metal frames. The worst part? Ants. No matter what they did, ants crawled all over them at night. They endured four nights of this nightmare, using it as motivation to stay out exploring as long as possible.
The most disturbing experience came from a couple who discovered a hidden camera in their Airbnb bedroom. The husband quickly covered it with a towel before they went to sleep. At 2 a.m., the door burst open, and the furious host screamed, “Why did you cover the camera? It’s to monitor outside!” Apparently, the camera was aimed at the street, but the host’s paranoia about thefts in the area had driven him to monitor the footage obsessively. Unsettled, the couple left in the morning and left a review warning future guests about the invasion of privacy.
While vacations are meant to be an escape from daily stress, sometimes they create new nightmares. These stories serve as a reminder that not every getaway is picture-perfect. Have you ever had a terrifying or bizarre hotel stay? Share your experience in the comments!
