I can see that there might be times where you spent money and were disappointed, but how many times did you not spend money to do something, were disappointed or found it mediocre, and brushed it off because it didn’t cost you anything but some time? Could the bais be because you invested yourself more in the “free” thing because you had lower expectations? While not necessarily disagreeing with some of the authors observations, it seems to me the author of the article spent more time watching and being embarrassed by her fellow travelers than enjoying and focusing on the sites she was paying to visit. The site wouldn’t be any different whether with a group or by yourself, it’s the way you interpret the experience that makes the difference.