Ryan Walker experienced significant difficulties during his recent stay at the newly opened Amanvari hotel in Mexico.
The hotel critic, who shares his luxury hotel experiences on a YouTube channel with over 135,000 subscribers, reported that Amanvari canceled his reservation abruptly and even called the police when he attempted to check in.
In a video titled “Amanvari Called the Police on Me,” Walker recounted his frustrating experience. The video has garnered over 550,000 views since it was uploaded on August 4. Walker begins the 11-minute video by stating, “I just had one of the most disappointing and embarrassing hotel experiences you could possibly have.”
Walker reserved a stay at the 18-key resort on Mexico’s East Cape well in advance and communicated with the Amanvari team multiple times regarding his booking. However, upon arrival, he was denied entry at the hotel gates. In his video, he shows security personnel an email he received from the reservations team that day. A security guard informs him, “We don’t have your reservation.” When he requests to speak with the manager, another guard responds with, “We can’t permit access.”
Walker claims that the security guard then contacted law enforcement. His videographer, Alex Brown, noted in the video that “the security guard escalated the situation almost immediately and called the police,” explaining that a military police van stopped them as they were leaving.
As Walker and his team drove away, he discovered an email from the Amanvari team sent late the previous night. The message explained, “Having opened only days ago, we are still in the earliest phase of settling the resort into full operation, and we have taken the difficult decision to reduce arrivals over the coming days while we complete this work. Regrettably, this affects your stay, and we are unable to welcome you as planned.”
Walker emphasizes in his video that bookings for the resort have resumed, with rates for each standalone beachfront casita starting at approximately $6,000 per night. He argues that by suppressing independent reviews like his, the hotel can control its public image.
“It is essential for hotels, resorts, and properties to welcome independent reviews to uphold the integrity of the hospitality industry,” he states.
As of now, Aman has not responded to requests for comments regarding this incident, and it appears that comments on the Amanvari Instagram account have been disabled. Additionally, the hotel’s general manager, Diego Lozano Vara, no longer maintains an active LinkedIn profile.
