We recently wrote about our biggest disappointments of 2025 as part of our Editors’ Choice Awards, and it only seemed fair to give Andrew Harper members a chance to sound off as well. As you might expect, we received numerous responses to the question, “What was your most overrated travel experience of the year?” Surprisingly, it wasn’t service or high room rates or even airlines that raised the most hackles. By a huge margin, it was crowds.

Italy has long been Harper members’ favorite foreign country to visit, but it was also Italy that caused the most irritation. A certain canal-laced city drew the most criticism: “Venice! Too many people in a small place,” sums up the sentiment. It’s become “noisy, raucous. Impossible to get around.” The Amalfi Coast also inspired ire — in particular, Positano and Amalfi. “Positano itself was chaotic and seems like a place ruined by social media,” one member wrote, and another complained that Amalfi had a “Disney World level of tourism and chaos.”

Members hurled similar brickbats at Dubrovnik, Paris, Santorini and the “Acrapolis” in Athens. Wilderness reserves can also be plagued by crowds. It was dismaying to read one member’s account of a game drive in Kenya’s Maasai Mara: “We were very disappointed by the enormous crowds and vehicles driving on the Mara, with many vehicles not even being operated by certified guides. Some of these vehicles were racing around other vehicles and blocking wildlife from their natural paths, preventing wildlife movement in order to be directly in the animal’s space.”

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In addition to crowds in general, certain hotels in particular earned opprobrium from members:

“Hôtel Dame des Arts in Paris is the most overrated, ridiculous hotel [where] I’ve ever had the misfortune to stay.”

“Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton … unfortunately too loud. Should have slept on the street because that is all we heard.”

“Villa d’Este on Lake Como is truly nothing special, and it is living off of its past glory. Unfortunately, George Clooney’s purchase of a villa in this area has revived interest in this region. My outrageously priced one-bedroom Lakeview Suite (over $6,000 per night) did not even have a stall shower.”

“The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara, is in need of a major renovation! Everything is old! But still pricey!”

“The Sense Experience Resort in Follonica. The beach was supposed to be blue, no way. Closer to Jersey Shore color.”

“Gora Kadan in Hakone. This ryokan is so tired, run-down, and the food is terrible. What a disappointing experience! However, in trying to escape the repulsive food, a local told us about the Gora Brewery & Grill, and that was fabulous!”

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Have compliments or critiques? We love to hear what our members think. You can reach the editorial team at [email protected].