At a cost of $1,500 per night for a birthday getaway, travelers are justified in having some fairly high expectations of the amenities and comforts they’ll have available to them during their stay. Some things definitely not on the dream trip wish list: corroded camera batteries, broken doors, dingy rooms, and dirty public bathrooms.
In a TikTok clip from creator Heirloom Photography (@noi.moselle), a beach getaway loses any feeling of luxury and premium treatment in a hurry. Instead, she’s showcasing the parts of the trip that made her family unsuccessfully ask for a refund.
“Mirada Lagoon you’re such a disappointment,” she wrote on the clip that’s been viewed more than 276,000 times. “We went here to spend our birthday just to find out the space was trashy, falling apart, bathrooms’ locks were not even built right, and it was SO FILTHY.”
According to the creator, the problems became apparent almost as soon as the family began exploring the property. Her video highlights what appears to be a corroded battery on the bottom of a pool near a children’s play area, along with debris scattered around the lagoon and beach areas.
The creator also points to peeling paint in areas frequented by children, dingy-looking common spaces, and a room she felt fell far short of the luxury experience her family expected. The tour continues to a public bathroom, where she shows what appears to be a broken door handle, a lock that doesn’t function properly, and a changing table she considered too dirty to use.
“There was [a] corroded battery in KIDS PLAY AREA!!!!!!” she wrote in the video’s caption. “Paint peeling in kids’ area where toddlers could easily consume it.”
Rather than settling for the birthday getaway they had planned, the creator says the family quickly decided they no longer wanted to stay at the resort.
That decision led to another point of frustration. She said the family requested a refund after deciding the property’s condition was unacceptable, but that request was denied by management.
The video doesn’t include the resort’s account of the interaction, but the alleged refusal quickly became part of the discussion as viewers debated whether the conditions shown warranted a refund.
While many commenters reacted to the overall appearance of the resort, a significant number focused on one specific detail shown in the clip: the battery.
“The button battery is terrifying,” one viewer wrote, with others joining in to explain their horror.
“If a child ingests that they could die,” another concerned commenter responded.
“They’re toxic to children,” added another.
The comments reflect longstanding concerns surrounding button-style batteries, which child safety advocates have warned can pose serious risks if swallowed by young children. For many viewers, the battery became the most alarming image in a video already filled with what most considered valid complaints about cleanliness and maintenance.
The resort did not respond to an inquiry sent via email.
If there’s a lesson to go along with all the outrage, it’s one that most travelers have probably learned the hard way at least once: booking online is always a bit of a leap of faith.
That’s because the photos are usually taken on the property’s best day and from its best angles, highlighting sparkling water, sunset views, and families in their happiest moments.
What those materials don’t show is whether a place is being maintained as carefully each day as it was when those photos were taken.
Crossing that reality gap is why many travelers spend as much time as possible reading recent reviews and looking through guest photos. A handful of bad reviews isn’t unusual, but repeated complaints about cleanliness, maintenance, or safety are harder to ignore.
The refund issue addressed in the video can be a tricky one. Once a family or guest has arrived and started using the property, obtaining a refund often requires lengthy negotiation rather than a guarantee.
For the creator, once she arrived and started looking around, instead of beginning a fun birthday getaway, she said her family spent the trip documenting problems, trying to get a refund, and eventually packing up for home.
The result was a vacation memory she clearly would rather have missed.
BoardingArea reached out to the creator via direct messages on two platforms. We’ll update this if she responds.
@noi.moselle @Mirada Lagoon you’re such a disappointment and danger and I dont ever post like this as but these conditions are unacceptable and others should know. We went here to spend our birthday just to find out the space was trashy, falling appart, bathrooms locks were not even built right, and it was SO FILTHY. There was corroded battery in KIDS PLAY AREA!!!!!! Helloo!!!!! Paint peeling in kids area where toddlers could easily consume it… We left quickly and asked for a refund and manager said no. If you are local in Tampa area PLEASE share this as summer is here and more people need to see this 😭 #miradalagoon #wesleychapelfl #tampa #stpetersburg #weekiwachee ♬ original sound – Heirloom Photography
