Last Resort (eBook)

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Paradise Resort

Have you ever stayed at a major resort or have plans to in the near future? The events I am about to reveal to you took place at a luxury resort while the majority of the guests were totally oblivious that anything ever happened. It could have been you. It’s said, ignorance is bliss in some cases, but is it really fair secrets are kept from guests? Cruise ships are basically floating resorts, and recently, they violated their customer’s trust by withholding vital information concerning the pandemic. That was a life threatening situation and their guests should have been made aware of, but there are always a multitude of other things that happen at resorts that are kept from their guests and the general public.

Things happen at every resort around the world, some horrific, some comical, and others simply bizarre. I hope to entertain you with a sampling of actual events that will grant you a whole new perspective into the secretive world of hospitality. At the very least, you will learn of the humor and tragedy that befell guests at a resort you may have stayed at or could in the future. Rare occurrences? Not in the least! They happen throughout the hospitality industry on a regular basis, but they wisely protect themselves because billions of dollars of revenue are at stake.

While the cruise lines were caught with their pants down by the media, little fanfare was directed toward the bastion of hotels and resorts that also failed to inform their patrons of potential danger. That goes for nearly everything that happens at resorts since public scrutiny can spell disaster to their reputations. I am excited to share with you a selection of actual events that happened to guests at one such resort. Out of fairness, I have given it a fictitious name since it would be unfair to cast aspersion on one specific resort when similar things happen all across the broad spectrum of resorts worldwide.

The hospitality industry goes to great lengths to protect their image and shield themselves from undue publicity. At our resort, things happened that were kept hidden, not only from the public but also from our guests. For your reading pleasure, I have chronicled a small sampling of humorous, stupid, and sometimes tragic events that involved our guests. It will edify you, but knowledge can be a dangerous thing, so what you take from this newfound wisdom is up to you. If you’d prefer to blindly go on vacation believing everything is bliss, then read no further. But, if you care to be enlightened about the real and secretive world of hospitality, read on.

Would it be of interest to you to know that the person seated next to you at the pool is a celebrity hiding away from the paparazzi, or perhaps bother you knowing they were a convicted felon? Should you have been informed the last guest who occupied your room committed suicide just days earlier? Or, would you really want to know the suite you now occupy was recently infested with bed bugs? These are questions you may not want answered, so it won’t spoil your next vacation?

Every time you decide to take the plunge and venture forth to one of those fancy luxury resorts, remember, you are placing your trust and well being in the hands of total strangers. Were they adequately trained or newly hired, and did the resort do a background check or just hire them off the street? If, God forbid, disaster befalls you, will the resort be truthful about it and compensate you or just try to cover everything up? You might end up with memories that, unfortunately, last a lifetime.

The hospitality industry takes extreme measures to camouflage and conceals the unsavory side of things that happen, but in rare circumstances, it becomes impossible to avoid media coverage. Even then, they usually spin the story to lessen the negative impact because a resort’s reputation means everything in the hospitality industry. Once it becomes tarnished by the media or deluged by a chorus of unsavory reviews, it takes forever to raise their ratings and recoup the lost revenue.

With the advent of cellphones and the widespread use of social media, hiding the truth becomes far more difficult, but not impossible. I am about to introduce you to a small sample of unknown, exciting, mysterious, comical, and often times, tragic events that took place at one such major resort. Incidents such as these are commonplace throughout the industry regardless of a resorts size, location, what flag they fly, or whether they are a five star or just a mom and pop operation. Things happen! Crime does not take a holiday just because you do, and the perils of everyday life follow us everywhere we go, even on vacation.

Let me set the stage. Although I used a fictional name, “Paradise Resort, it is befitting a resort of this magnitude. Not unlike many other mega-resorts, what made it unique was its geography. I take literary license in altering a few details in order to protect the privacy, innocence, and guilt of various parties involved. But at times, I do identify some of those involved, many of which were celebrities that deserve recognition, while others, not so much. If I was to identify all, I would be no better than the paparazzi that often plagued many of them during their stay with us.

The majority of the tens of thousands of yearly visitors to our shores enjoyed splendid vacations, but for some, there was no escaping disaster. Contrary to popular belief, the number of stars, diamonds, or great reviews is no guarantee of a great experience. Taking a vacation is like having unprotected sex. Sometimes your desire for pleasure overrides your common sense and concern for safety. Think of it like clicking on a vacation blind date app.

Aptly described, Paradise Resort was quite similar to many other coastal resorts sprinkled all across America, the Caribbean, and South Pacific. Situated on a barrier island jutting out into the Gulf of Mexico, it was a grand oasis containing miles of sandy beaches, swaying palm trees, encircled by emerald green water. The surrounding waters were teeming with wildlife, including schools of playful dolphins, and tarpon in the flats, that beckoned many sport fishermen. The resort offered a seemingly endless array of water activities and amenities to satisfy nearly anyone’s desires.

Nestled amidst a plethora of coconut palms and lush tropical vegetation, Paradise Resort wreaked of old-world charm, a contradiction to the concert jungle of resorts located on Florida’s east coast. Privacy on the resort was established by a manned security gate that fended off the general public, solicitors, and paparazzi who tried to illegally gain access. But it was all an illusion at best. For those who were adamant about getting in, they could simply walk along the beach, bypassing the entrance gate. Therefore, our main gate was a good selling point, but created a false sense of security for our guests.

We marketed to a select clientele, including the rich and famous, celebrities, and politicians, but our doors were also open to anyone, as long as they could afford the ticket to our magical kingdom. In order to put “heads in beds,” as it is known in the industry, we offered a wide assortment of accommodations ranging from hotel rooms, private homes, and lavish condominiums scattered the entire length of the resort. This diverse variety of accommodations was enough to tweak nearly everyone’s interest.

To satisfy those tens of thousands of visitors each year, the resort provided countless swimming pools and tennis courts, marinas big and small, and even a golf course. It also included a handful of restaurants and shops designed to siphon the money out of our captive audience. Skillfully intertwined within the lush tropical surroundings, each building dissolved into the landscape, creating a lush tropical setting. It was probably the closest you come to a real tropical isle or oasis without leaving the continental United States.

Like all successful resort enterprises, its attractions and amenities were skillfully designed to separate you from your hard-earned money. Each amenity had a hefty price tag as nothing came cheap. A single game of tennis was costly enough, but then add a lesson with a world-famous tennis pro, and it would put a sizable dent in your wallet. If all you desired was to lounge in a chair by a pool, sipping on one of those fruity tropical drinks with the little umbrella, it was available. The only catch was it would cost you the equivalent price of a full bottle of booze back home.

As far as our room rates were concerned, you get what you pay for. Discounts were available but mostly during the summer or hurricane season. Usually, it didn’t take long before you realized that this vacation of yours was going to cut into your nest egg quite a bit. At the conclusion of your stay, when it became time to pay the piper, you might suffer a bit of sticker shock. I can honestly say I’ve seen grown men sweat profusely and ponder the limit of their credit cards. Eventually, everyone found a way to pay their bill one way or another. The idea of skipping out on your bill was thwarted by the fact we were located on an island, severely limiting any easy means of escape.

Occasionally, but not often, a dinosaur arrived, a guest insisting on paying with cash. Our cash policy required a sizable deposit, usually an absurd amount, just shy of a king’s ransom. Still, there were a few who did just that. The choice of rooms on the resort ran the gamut from a basic hotel room, luxury condos, and all the way up to a secluded private home. Your choice was only limited by the thickness of your bankroll.

Some of those...