Getting a good night’s sleep is critical for both your well-being and for earning positive reviews in the hospitality industry. But finding the right mattress can be a monumental challenge, especially when you’re on a tiny island like São Miguel in the Azores.

In the United States, you’re spoiled for choice with countless websites, detailed reviews, and video comparisons for every type of mattress imaginable. Here in the Azores, with a population of only 150,000, that kind of detailed information is almost nonexistent. The cultural norm also doesn’t lean toward providing lengthy, honest product reviews, and to make matters worse, almost no U.S. companies will ship to the islands.

After a lot of searching, I decided on Emma Beds, a German company with a branch in Portugal that has a solid reputation and plenty of reviews in both the U.S. and Europe. I chose their top-of-the-line Emma Zero Gravity mattress—a hybrid of springs, foam, and a heat-dissipating air grid—and have been thrilled with the seven I’ve already purchased. I opted for the UK King size (150cm x 200cm), which is perfect for a single person and helps simplify my logistics since I only have to deal with one size of sheets.

But my plans have hit a snag. I recently placed an order for three more mattresses on June 1st, and the company just canceled it without explanation. This unexpected roadblock is preventing me from listing my last two rooms on Booking.com and is a frustrating reminder of the unique challenges of running a business on an island.

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Anthony “Tiger” Liu is an American expat and the operator of Golden Mermaid Villa and Longevity Habit retreat, where he shares a passion for the vibrant culture and nourishing lifestyle of São Miguel.