A newly opened luxury resort in Mexico, charging several thousand dollars per night, has faced a difficult debut after a reviewer with a confirmed reservation said he was denied entry at the property’s gates.

Ryan Walker, a luxury hotel reviewer on YouTube with more than 140,000 subscribers, published a video during the first week of August documenting an encounter outside Aman Resorts’ new Amanvari Mexico. The resort, which advertised August 6 stays for more than $6,000 per night, is situated roughly two hours by car from San José del Cabo on the Baja California peninsula.

The footage shows Walker’s driver being told that he could not enter, despite Walker saying he had reserved his stay several weeks earlier. The video received more than 500,000 views in its first week and included a screenshot of an email conversation concerning the booking.

Discussions with employees outside the resort soon became tense, with one person heard saying that she needed to contact the police. Walker alleges that officers were ultimately called.

“An unmarked patrol vehicle carrying five or six armed officers stopped us,” Walker said by email on August 6. “They did not speak directly to us, but our driver instructed us to lower the windows and leave them down. We were eventually allowed to continue driving.”

Walker said that, as of August 6, he had received no communication from Aman regarding the incident.

Aman and the public relations company handling publicity for the resort’s opening did not initially answer requests for comment. Several days after Walker’s account was first reported, an Aman Resorts representative issued the following statement:

“The misleadingly edited video, produced by an individual who did not have authorization to be on the property, does not accurately represent what occurred. Protecting the privacy and safety of our guests is essential, and preserving a calm setting for visitors and employees remains a constant priority. This approach is why Aman properties are recognized around the world for discretion and exclusivity.”

In Walker’s video, a man at the location advised him to review his email for a recent message. Walker said he then discovered an email sent by the resort on the evening before his scheduled arrival, explaining that it remained “in the initial stage of bringing the resort into full operation” and had decided to limit upcoming arrivals while the remaining work was completed.

The message canceled Walker’s reservation and expressed regret for both the inconvenience and the limited notice.

Walker provided a reservation confirmation number and said he had paid the standard room price, totaling $4,662.86. He added that the advertised online rate had increased since he made the booking.

In his YouTube video, Walker suggested that the resort may have encountered serious problems during its first day of operation.

“Is this how Amanvari plans to treat new guests simply because the property is not prepared to honor reservations?” Walker asked in the video.

He then explained what he believed made the situation especially significant.

“Independent reviewers help safeguard customers,” he said.

“Trying to silence someone who wants to publish a review during a property’s opening week is completely unacceptable,” Walker said, adding that he had previously reviewed other Aman resorts and had long admired the company.

Walker maintained that resort representatives should have contacted him directly and discussed the matter if they were not prepared to welcome reviewers. He said his phone records showed no missed calls from the property.

Walker described the episode as “one of the most disappointing and humiliating hotel experiences imaginable.”

Update: This article has been revised to include a statement from Aman Resorts.