Complaint Review: Unique Vacations Sandals Resorts

For mey wedding anniversary, I purchased an “ALL INCLUSIVE” vacation package from Sandals in December of 2020. Instead, of a restful respite from many years of missed anniversaries, my wife and I endured a nightmare of customer service missteps, interrogations, and even intimidation. At a point, we felt as though we were prisoners and were not allowed to leave the confines of the resort. Here is a summary of what happened: Unique vacations sold us a vacation to an area of the world closed due to COVID-19. However, at NO TIME were we advised of any travel restrictions, and especially 100 percent confinement to the resort, or the like.

The day of travel May 15, 2021, we were unable to travel due to new travel requirements to St. Lucia (which we were also not advised of). As a result, of previously provided call logs to Sandals (see exhibit 1) we were told that we could not cancel and could not reschedule (see comments: booking 100% non-refundable (comments do not reflect that we attempted to reschedule the vacation during these multiple calls including to supervisors who behaved like a cartel).

As a result, we continued with the vacation a day late (see exhibit 1). At the Airport, we were picked up in an un-airconditioned van and then driven 2 hours without the benefit of a restroom break. Upon arrival at the resort, we were taken to our room which was not what was advertised. The room was not private, and the dedicated butler service was not dedicated at all. In fact, one butler was serving multiple vacationers (from what we could see, up to 5). This meant that when butlers were needed, they were never available.

We south remody about this multiple times with no remedy. Furthermore, the private pool had a second story window from another villa that looked square down on the pool and patio area (meaning that you we observed continuously). So it was not private at all. As a result, the advertised seclusion of a “hide away suite,” was completely false.

The service commitment and advertised butler service was also false. And finally, many of the restaurants were closed due to COVID. This meant that we had to order room service night after night. With a limited menu, we had chicken fingers and french-fries 3 days in a row. This was supposed to be 5 a five star resort.

After notifying management of many ongoing issues, along with the fact that we were confined to the resort and could not leave, we decided to leave the resort early. This required that we pay additional airline ticket fees. But it was worth it because the first three days had been miserable and other guests were seeing the same issues. Upon notifying the management of this, the property GM asked to meet with Shannon and I to hear our grievances. While at first the management seemed sympathetic and pledged to turn-around service, the service continued to worsen with excursions cancelled, the ability to go off the resort restricted, food served cold and old, and now we had an issue hostile foreign butlers who were angry that their poor service had been exposed.

Eventually, the management called us into the main office a second time, this time was not friendly. They told my wife and I down as if to interrogate us and told us that we needed to sign-non disclosure agreements about the experience (see exhibit 2: Non-disclosure agreement dated May 20, 2021). After the experience, my wife and I discussed that we felt like we’d been interrogated. It was an effort to shut us up about the resort, their handing of guests, and the fact that many other guests were angry about the service, activities being cancelled, being confined to the resort, many of whom, like us, were leaving early.

In summary, my wife and I had our anniversary ruined. We were unable to rest. We were not able to enjoy the destination due to confinement to the resort. We were not served well. The dedicated butlers, which was a premium service we paid for, were not dedicated or well trained. The room was not private. Most of the advertised activities were unavailable. And we were told by customer service that we could not change our travel dates, in spite of requesting to do so prior to travel.

In short, Unique Vacations engaged in misleading advertising to sell un-used vacations at a discount by luring unsuspecting vacationers to a destination outside of the United States, and then attempting to keep them confined to a small property and bully them. In consideration of the extraordinary misconduct of Unique Vacations, I am filing this RIP-OFF REPORT. To support this dispute for services not rendered as agreed, for false advertising, and for selling us a vacation they had no capacity to deliver under COVID-19 restrictions and which they failed to inform us about whatsoever.

In short, services were not rendered as advertised or sold at all. It was fraud and predatory marketing. Should Sandals be able to continue to intimidate customers, they will become increasingly brazen in their attempts to defraud and intimidate well deserving guests who are sold all inclusive vacations.

Let the buyer's be aware at Sandals (sold by Unique Vacations). No credit given. No consideration. No refund. Lost more than $6,000 with air fare... Total and complete RIP-OFF

Filed along with this report: 

1. Complaints filed with Secretary of State 

2. Complaint filed with Consumer Protection 

3. Attorney Generals Office 

4. BBB