Newlywed says in viral TikTok she was hounded by Sandals resort staff trying to up-sell her during her honeymoon

Jordan Hart
·3 min read
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  • Sandals Royal Bahamian left a newlywed couple annoyed after spending 3 days of their honeymoon there.

  • The couple paid nearly $5,000 for their stay, but said the all-inclusive resort was "not a vacation."

  • Sam Doll said staff members "harassed" them to spend more on photos and activities.

A Canadian couple expected three days of peace when they booked a stay at an all-inclusive resort, but said it was anything but that.

A woman known online as Sam Doll went viral on TikTok for detailing her honeymoon with her husband at Sandals Royal Bahamian. She said their three-day stay consisted mostly of a cold pool and workers frequently interrupting their relaxation.

The couple spent nearly $5,000 on the all-inclusive resort to avoid the hassle of planning or thinking about money while vacationing, Sam told Business Insider. BI viewed the payment confirmation sent to Sam and her husband by Unique Travel Corp.

Instead, Sam said the pair was "harassed to pay more" by staff trying to sell photo packages and excursions. Sam's rant about her first time at Sandals has gotten over 6 million views in less than a week.

"Sandals was straight up not a vacation," she said. "The whole point of this exact experience is so that I don't have to think about spending more money."

Her previous positive experience at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico inspired her to book at Sandals Royal Bahamian.

Sam said she and her fellow guests avoided eye contact with Sandals staff in the halls in an attempt to lower the chance of another sales pitch. But, she told BI she opted not to make a fuss to management about people just doing their job "too well."

Instead, she blamed what she described as a no-tipping policy at Sandals for workers she thought might be desperate to make a commission.

In addition to the human "pop-up ads" — as commenters dubbed the workers — staff ignored the privacy sign on the couple's door, she said.

Her video about her experience has over 650,000 likes and 20,000 comments, but Sam said they still haven't heard anything from Sandals regarding her negative review.

Sam recommends the company encourage tipping and discourage workers from talking to guests one after another if they're trying to relax.

BI reached out to Sandals for comment and to clarify its tipping policy, but did not receive a response ahead of publication. In a 2020 blog post, Sandals said there's no need to tip any employees other than butlers since tipping is included in the upfront cost.

Although Sam said she probably won't be returning to a Sandals Resort, regulars have reached out with recommendations, including another Sandals location, for any future all-inclusive Caribbean vacations.

Read the original article on Business Insider