A TikTok user named Lillian Phan (@lillianphan) shared a video about her stay at a Best Western hotel in Miami Beach, where she says she paid for a room and a resort fee but received almost none of the services she expected. Phan, a mom of four, says the air conditioning in her room did not work. On top of that, she says she received no housekeeping at all during her stay.
“I ain’t received no service in my room. None,” she says in the TikTok video. “My floor ain’t swept, beds ain’t made, no new towels, nothing.” Phan also says she was not told about the broken AC before she checked in, which made the whole experience even more frustrating, especially since she had her children with her.
According to Brobible, the average nightly rate for an American hotel has gone up from $131.56 in 2019 to $160.49 in 2025. For many travelers, paying that much for a room and then being hit with additional resort fees on top makes the lack of basic service feel even harder to accept.
Resort fees that promise a lot but appear to deliver very little for some guests
According to the hotel’s website, the $30 per night resort fee covers two beach chairs and an umbrella every day (subject to availability due to wind conditions), two pool and beach towels, free airline boarding pass printing, 24-hour fitness center access, and one voucher for 10% off at any of the hotel’s food and beverage outlets.
On paper, that sounds reasonable. But for Phan, none of this made up for the fact that her room had no working AC and no cleaning service throughout her stay. The Best Western Plus Atlantic Beach Resort in Miami Beach has a rating of 3.2 out of 5 on TripAdvisor, with multiple reviewers complaining about dirty rooms, poor housekeeping, and other service-related issues.
One reviewer also reported problems getting their deposit refunded due to wrong information about parking. Miami’s hospitality industry has been making headlines lately, as a Miami bartender who witnessed a jaw-dropping tip left for a waitress showed just how unpredictable service experiences in the city can be.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) does allow hotels to charge mandatory resort fees, as long as they are included in the final price shown to the customer. However, that rule does not protect guests when the services those fees are supposed to cover are simply not provided. Phan’s experience appears to be a clear example of that gap between what is promised and what is actually delivered.
In the comments on Phan’s video, many users expressed frustration on her behalf. “As someone who worked housekeeping, NO MATTTER WHAT your supposed to service your guest. even if your busy if a guest ask, you do it,” one person wrote. Another commenter said, “CALL CORPORATE.”
Miami has also been in the news for other unsettling traveler experiences, including a woman who found something alarming on her suitcase after picking it up at Miami International Airport. Phan also pointed out that other guests in the same hotel appeared to be receiving normal housekeeping services, which made her situation feel even more unfair. She says she asked people in the elevator whether they had received services that day, and they said yes.
Phan ended her video with a direct message to viewers. “Don’t book with Best Western,” she said. “I just asked people in the elevator if they’ve received services today. They’ve received services today…Why am I not getting services? Why didn’t I get told that the AC didn’t work before I checked in? Please make it make sense.”
Published: May 25, 2026 01:44 pm