Vacations are supposed to be a time for escape—an opportunity to relax, explore new places, and create unforgettable memories.
But sometimes, what seems like the perfect getaway can quickly spiral into something far darker. Imagine arriving at a luxurious hotel, only to discover that your “romantic” weekend is about to unravel into an uncomfortable, bizarre, or even terrifying experience. From shocking encounters to unnerving surprises, these travel tales will have you questioning whether your next vacation could take a sinister turn.
Here are 13 chilling stories of vacation stays that took an unexpected and unforgettable dive into chaos, discomfort, and outright horror.
Story 1
My boyfriend organized a romantic weekend at a luxury hotel. Everything seemed perfect—until checkout. His card was declined, and he turned red with embarrassment. I paid for the stay, smiling to hide the awkwardness. As we were leaving, the receptionist discreetly pulled me 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.”
I chose not to believe her. We were early in our relationship, and I trusted him completely. But over time, he started pulling similar stunts more often—asking me to pay for shopping and other expenses. The final straw was when he tried to convince me to invest in a shady scheme to steal my money.
I broke up with him, but that hotel stay still haunts me because it was the start of it all. I wish I’d listened to that receptionist.
Story 2
My dad checked into a first-floor room at a hotel. He unpacked his things, opened the curtains—and discovered a man hiding in the room. My dad simply said, “Excuse me,” shut the curtains, grabbed his stuff, and left. At the front desk, he reported the incident. Turns out, the man had just committed a robbery and had sneaked into the room through an open window.
Story 3
I found a hidden camera in our Airbnb bedroom at midnight. My husband quickly covered it with a towel, and we tried to sleep. At 2 a.m., the Airbnb owner stormed into the room, furious, shouting, “You idiots, that’s a camera to watch outside! Why did you cover it?”
It turned out the camera was aimed at the street, not the bedroom. The owner was paranoid about a string of local thefts and had installed the camera to monitor the area. He confessed to obsessively watching the footage.
Despite his explanation, barging into our room in the middle of the night was a severe violation of our privacy. We left at dawn, feeling uncomfortable and shaken. Upon reading other reviews, we realized this was a pattern of bizarre and invasive behavior by the owner.
Story 4
Story 5
I booked a hotel for my daughter’s gymnastics competition after reading positive reviews. But when I arrived, I struggled to find it—it was dark, the sign wasn’t lit, and the parking lot was pitch black. There were two sketchy-looking guys right outside the entrance. Inside, the lobby was dimly lit, and the room was worse—stained sheets, holes in the bedspread, and hair in the shower. The so-called fitness room had a broken stair stepper and a malfunctioning TV on the floor.
I told the front desk I wanted to cancel. The staff member agreed, admitting, “I don’t blame you. This place is awful. I’m hoping to get a job at Kohl’s so I can quit here.”
Story 6
Years ago, I stayed at a hotel with my then-boyfriend. The hotel was under construction, with workers everywhere. Turns out, they were converting the hotel into a senior residence but were still taking hotel bookings. None of this was disclosed online, where the rooms looked much nicer.
When I checked in, the staff had to move a sign advertising a diabetes workshop out of the way. The room was already set up for accessibility—emergency pull cords, special furniture, and the most uncomfortable bed ever. It was so embarrassing bringing my boyfriend there, but by then, it was too late to cancel.
Story 7
I arrived very late at a nice resort hotel for a company-wide meeting. My flight had been delayed and rerouted, and I ended up checking in at 4 a.m. The receptionist, a scary-looking guy, seemed flustered and started calling rooms at random, unsure which were occupied. He finally gave me a key, and I went to my room, hoping to get a couple hours of sleep before my meeting.
At 5 a.m., I heard someone trying to get into my room. Apparently, the receptionist still couldn’t figure out which rooms were empty. The next morning, I learned that the person trying to get in had been told there were no available rooms. The receptionist offered him the lobby couch for a nap instead.
Story 8
For Valentine’s Day, I booked a fancy hotel room for my wife and me. It was expensive, but the reviews were great, and the room was supposed to be spacious. We arrived, and the staff treated us rudely, as if we didn’t belong there.
The room itself was tiny, and the air conditioning didn’t work. I asked the staff for help, but they ignored us completely.
Story 9
When I was about 4 years old, my family stayed at a hotel with family friends. The parents went out for a fancy dinner, leaving the kids in one room to chill. We were watching a movie when we suddenly heard a loud noise, and the floor vibrated. Then, hundreds of tiny spiders started climbing the walls.
We tried to defend ourselves with marshmallows and ice cubes but ended up huddling in the bathroom, sealing the door with a towel. I ended up sleeping in the bathtub with my sister that night. My parents discovered what happened and screamed so loudly they probably woke up the whole hotel. We survived, but it was a terrifying experience.
Story 10
Story 11
I was staying at a hotel in Philadelphia with a friend. Around midnight, I realized there weren’t enough towels in the room, so I went to the front desk. As I was waiting for the elevator, a creepy guy started asking me personal questions and insisted I hang out with him.
I finally made it back to my room, but as I walked down a long hallway, I heard footsteps behind me. My heart raced as I thought, “This is how I die.” When I finally got to my room, my friend opened the door, and I looked down the hall to see a hotel employee delivering towels. He must have taken a different elevator to our floor.
Story 12
While vacationing with an ex, I locked the bathroom door while taking a shower. After drying off, the door wouldn’t open. My ex called the front desk, and a staff member came up to disassemble the doorknob and let me out. To make up for the inconvenience, they upgraded our room for the night.
Story 13
In my 20s, I stayed at a cheap hostel with friends. The building was small and run-down, with a metal door you had to unlock with a code. The rooms resembled a creepy asylum—dirty tile, peeling paint, and saggy mattresses. The worst part? The ants.
We spent four nights there, unable to sleep due to the constant crawling of ants. We couldn’t afford to stay anywhere else, so we used the experience as an excuse to explore the city all night. It was a miserable stay, but it became a bonding experience for my friends and me.
Conclusion
Vacations are meant to be a time of relaxation and adventure, but sometimes, they can turn into a series of unfortunate events that leave lasting memories for all the wrong reasons. From hidden cameras to creepy encounters and uninvited guests, these stories remind us that not every getaway is as glamorous as it seems.
Whether it’s poor customer service, unsettling surprises, or downright creepy situations, these travelers found themselves in scenarios that no one would want to experience. In the end, however, these stories are a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the ability to laugh at the absurdities of life—even when things go terribly wrong.