Writing the Most Positive Negative Review

This past weekend, Travis and I celebrated our 16^th wedding anniversary. Yay! We typically like to go away on a little trip, but this year money is (still) tight due to the port shutdown issues and Jack’s unexpected broken arm bills. So, we loaded up the SUV with our stuff, the kiddo, the doggo and drove three hours to 7 Springs Resort in Pennsylvania where we rented a condo through VRBO. Our goal was to enjoy some fall foliage, their “Autumnfest” event, and the condo’s fireplace and hot tub.

And I didn’t take ANY photos.

Which I guess means we were having a really good time. So that’s fine. Even though I did wear a super adorable outfit with my new-to-me cowboy boots. But anyways… to the point of this post. The condo was not great.

In fact, it became a running joke that everything was *just a little bit broken.*

The hot tub was amazing and fantastic. But one side of the bubbles was broken.

The main bathroom was fine with a good-sized shower. But the wallpaper was literally peeling off the walls.

There were stains on the carpet. There was a STAIN ON THE BEDSHEETS.

The kitchen was stocked with spices (so many spices) and coffee. But the trashcan hinge had fallen off so every time you opened it… yup, a little bit broken.

Like, just enough that it was kind of annoying. But, didn’t hinder us from having a good time.

EXCEPT for the main bedroom’s bed.

Oh. My. God. I have never slept on a more squeaky bed in my entire life. Also, it was really small (I’m thinking it might have been “full” sized). So, you add in Travis, me and Ollie and there was no room to roll over unless you carefully rolled in place.

But even then. SQUEAK.

It squeaked when I moved.

It squeaked when Ollie – an 11-pound dog that is barely bigger than a rabbit – moved.

It squeaked even harder when I laughed. With each squeak timed to each one of my giggles.

It SQUEAKED WHEN I RUBBED MY ITCHY NOSE.

It was hilarious. And squeaky. And on top of the squeaks, the bed was so incredibly uncomfortable that Travis decided to spend the second night on the couch. (Which is oh so romantic for our anniversary trip).

Which brings us to the review.

After each stay, VRBO asks you to write a review of the property. However, they also have the property owners write a review of you as a guest. Here’s the thing — I love VRBO and we use it often when we travel, so I don’t want to be reviewed as a problem guest. But, I also need to be honest about a property that was… lacking.

So, on our ride home, I decided to use ChatGPT to write up the review for me.

Here’s the prompt I gave it:

Write a positive review for a stay in a condo where the bed was so creaky we couldn’t sleep in it, wallpaper coming off walls and everything is a little bit broken. But good location and had a hot tub.

And here is what ChatGPT came up with:

We recently stayed at this condo and had a generally enjoyable experience, thanks to its fantastic location and the added bonus of a hot tub! The proximity to local attractions made it very convenient for exploring the area, and the hot tub was a great way to unwind after a long day.

While the bed was a bit creaky and could use an update, we made the best of it and still had a relaxing time. There were some minor maintenance issues, like wallpaper peeling in spots and a few things that seemed a little worn, but overall it didn’t detract too much from our stay. With a few updates, this place has a lot of potential.

All in all, we loved the location and amenities, and with a bit of TLC, this condo could be a real gem!

Yup. That works.

Also, on the bright side. We got home last night and our bed felt AMAZING.