Vacations are supposed to be a time for relaxation, adventure, and creating happy memories. But sometimes, things don’t go as planned, and the places we stay turn into absolute nightmares. From creepy encounters to shocking surprises, these travelers experienced vacation stays they’ll never forget—though they wish they could. Here are 13 unsettling stories of vacation accommodations that turned into unforgettable tales of chaos, discomfort, and horror.

My boyfriend planned a romantic getaway at a luxury hotel. Everything seemed perfect—until checkout. His card got declined, and he turned red with embarrassment. I smiled and covered the bill, but 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 brushed it off, thinking it was impossible. But over time, he started making me cover more expenses. The final straw came when he pressured me to invest in a shady scheme. That hotel stay still haunts me—it was the moment I should have seen it all coming.

My dad once checked into a hotel room on the first floor. As he opened the curtains, he was startled to find a man hiding there. My dad, unfazed, simply said, “Excuse me,” closed the curtains, grabbed his stuff, and left. At the front desk, he reported the incident. It turned out the guy had just robbed a nearby business and had climbed into my dad’s room through an open window.

A few years ago, I stayed in a Las Vegas Strip hotel undergoing renovations. All night long, a faulty fire alarm system kept setting off alerts. The recorded voice would blare through the speakers, instructing everyone to stay in their rooms until further notice. I got zero sleep and had to be up early for work. The next day, I looked like a zombie.

I booked a hotel for my daughter’s gymnastics competition. The online reviews were great, and the price was right. However, when we arrived, I struggled to find the place because their sign wasn’t lit. The parking lot was pitch black, and a couple of sketchy guys loitered near the entrance. Inside, the lobby’s flickering lights set an eerie tone. The room was worse—stained sheets, a hole-ridden bedspread, and hair in the shower. The so-called fitness center consisted of a broken stair stepper and an old, busted TV on the floor. When I told the front desk I wanted to cancel, the receptionist sighed, “I don’t blame you. This place is disgusting. I have an interview at Kohl’s tomorrow. Hopefully, I get hired so I can quit.”

Years ago, I booked a hotel for a special night with my boyfriend, who was returning from a long trip. I expected a cozy, romantic stay. Instead, the building was under construction—it was being converted from a hotel into a senior living facility! None of this was mentioned on their website, which showed elegant rooms. When I checked in, the staff had to move a sign advertising a diabetes workshop. Our room had emergency assistance pull cords everywhere, an awkwardly set-up bathroom for accessibility, and the most uncomfortable bed I’ve ever slept in.

One night, I arrived late to a high-end resort for a company meeting. The front desk attendant, the creepiest guy I’d ever seen, had no clue who was in which room. He began calling occupied rooms at 4 AM, apologizing when people answered. When he finally found an empty room, I locked myself in and tried to get some rest. But at 5 AM, someone tried to enter my room. It turned out the front desk still couldn’t figure out who was where, and the person had been told my room was vacant. The unlucky traveler was later offered the hotel lobby couch as a place to rest.

For Valentine’s Day, I booked a room at a high-end hotel. It was expensive, but reviews raved about it. However, from the moment we arrived, the staff treated us like we didn’t belong. We got to our room, and it was tiny, boiling hot, and had a broken air conditioner. When I asked the staff for help, they completely ignored us.

As a kid, my siblings and I stayed in a hotel while our parents went to a fancy dinner. Suddenly, the floor rumbled, and hundreds—maybe thousands—of tiny spiders started crawling up the walls. We panicked, throwing marshmallows and ice cubes at them before sealing ourselves in the bathroom for the night. When my parents came back, their screams probably woke up the whole floor.

On a family trip to Florida, my brother discovered an overlooked mini-fridge in our hotel room. Inside, two half-drunk soda cans had been left upside down. By the time we found them, the fridge was infested with ants. When my brother opened the door, it was like a horror movie scene—ants swarmed out in every direction.

I was staying at a hotel in Philadelphia when I needed extra towels. The front desk said they’d send someone to deliver them. As I waited for the elevator, a sketchy guy started asking me personal questions. When the doors opened, I hurried down the long hallway, hearing footsteps behind me. Panicked, I rushed to my room, pounding on the door for my friend to let me in. The footsteps got closer. Just as my friend opened the door, I turned to see… a hotel worker holding my towels.

I stayed in a cheap motel while vacationing with my ex. After showering, I went to open the bathroom door, but it was jammed. My ex had to call the front desk, and a maintenance worker had to take the doorknob apart to let me out. At least they upgraded our room after that fiasco.

I once stayed at the cheapest hostel we could find. It resembled an abandoned asylum—dirty white tiles, peeling paint, dim yellow lights. The worst part? The ants. So. Many. Ants. Sleeping was a nightmare, and the owner didn’t care. We spent four miserable nights there before we could afford to leave.

At an Airbnb, my husband and I found a hidden camera. At 2 AM, the host barged into our room, screaming, “Why did you cover my camera?!” He insisted it only pointed at the street, but we left the next morning. Reading past reviews, we realized this was a pattern. No matter how paranoid he was about theft, his behavior was beyond disturbing.

Not every vacation stay is a dream. Sometimes, they turn into unforgettable nightmares. Have you ever had a terrifying hotel experience? Share your story!