The Golden Parnassus drew national media attention in Canada when, on April 16, 2009, it used physical force to prevent a group of 28 Canadian customers from leaving its premises, claiming that their bills had not been paid.
[1][2] Guests have reported having their luggage and passports taken away and being told they could not get them back unless they paid thousands of dollars.
[3][4] The customers had booked their stays at the hotel through Conquest Vacations, Inc., a Canadian company which suddenly shut its doors after reportedly not having paid its creditors for a month.
[5] The Toronto Star reports that customers of another resort who found themselves in a similar predicament were told by Mexico's Tourist Bureau in Toronto that hotels that had accepted vouchers from Conquest as payment at check-in were not entitled to demand payment a second time.
The Star also quotes a representative of the Mexico Consumer Protection Bureau as saying that hotels may not legally retain customers' identification, such as passports.