Whether on a work trip or a vacation, there’s nothing like returning to a comfy hotel room or rental after a day out. It’s no wonder why many people spend hours scouring the internet before choosing their accommodation for any upcoming travel. But sometimes, no matter how much research you do, things don’t turn out how they were supposed to. That’s what happened to the guests on this list – their hotels and Airbnbs missed the mark so badly that they just had to take a picture for the rest of us to laugh at.
Is It Clever Photography or Photoshop?
Anyone with an interest in photography will know all about the importance of angles. In this case, the Hotel Alicja in Poland has worked those angles like we’ve never seen before! What initially looks like a quaint boutique hotel listing, reminiscent of something from a sleepy Mediterranean village, is, in actual fact, a green blob underneath an industrial monstrosity. Still, if you were advertising this vacation resort, what choice would you have?
The Hotel Alicja also has a restaurant, although we wouldn’t recommend that any guests opt for al fresco dining. You’d be better off sticking to room service — with the windows closed, of course!
Glassless Window Into the Bathtub – But Don’t Worry, the Bathroom Door Has a Lock
Lots of people travel solo, whether it’s a work trip or even a vacation. That being said, the majority of hotel guests come as a pair or even a group. That’s why these hotel guests were so surprised to find their room was a little too open when it came to bathroom privacy. Sure, there was a curtain, but even that was virtually see-through! At least these two were able to see the funny side.
We’re not sure what the thinking was behind this design. Emergency access to the bathroom in case of food poisoning? The option to watch television from the bath? Who knows.
We Appreciate the Honesty
One thing that can be said for the owner of this Airbnb is that while they might have no idea how their apartment works, at least their communication is on point. It’s not uncommon for homes to have the odd phantom light switch; we just hope these three aren’t connected to anything too important — like the fridge or the oven. Perhaps the person renting this Airbnb could investigate and report back to the owner.
The lesson here is that if you’re considering renting out your apartment as an Airbnb, it’s probably a good idea to understand your electrics; otherwise, you might end up on a list like this!
Things Took a Dark Turn Here
Lots of fancy hotels enjoy delighting their guests with little touches or unexpected details, like placing a little chocolate underneath the pillow or creating cute animal origami out of towels. Sure, the little dog lying on the bed here is adorable, but what’s with the rotisserie chicken strung up from the chandelier? This must have been an unnerving start to the guest’s vacation. Room service? As long as it’s not chicken, thanks.
In fairness, the hotel staff who clean and make the rooms must get pretty bored of doing the same thing time after time. Still, we’d rather they stick to a swan next time.
Welcome to the Headbanger Hotel
There’s nothing quite like waking up from a good night’s sleep in a comfy hotel or Airbnb bed, having a good stretch, and then sitting up to read a book or drink some coffee. You might regret that in this room. For some insane reason, a thick wooden shelf has been erected directly above the pillow, perfectly positioned to knock someone out and send them straight back to sleep.
Even more hilarious is the bizarre attempt to disguise this carpentry faux pas with the addition of a plant pot on the shelf. All is forgiven for the sore head because the flowers looked pretty. Or not!
When the Antifog Mirror Section Is Only for Tall Guests
The best hotels and Airbnbs should attempt to cater to as many different people as possible, whether that’s families, solo travelers, or shorter guests. Unfortunately, this hotel seems to think that all of its guests are at least 6 feet tall. They invested in a genius antifog mirror, but the part that doesn’t fog up is only visible to people who are at least 5 feet, four inches. We’re sure they can take the technology and make the antifog part bigger and more inclusive!
Let’s hope the hotel reception was able to make up for this slightly embarrassing design fault by delivering a stool to their guest alongside some complimentary room service.
No, There Are No Other Outlets in the Room
It’s one thing having a plug socket on the ceiling, which is kind of weird, but it’s another thing when this plug socket is the only outlet in the entire hotel room. The thing is, in what world did the contractor think that installing a socket in the ceiling was a good idea? Was it originally meant for a mounted television or a fan? We really hope so.
Still, a massive shout out to the guest of the room who, rather than demand to be moved, has made the best of a bad situation by charging their phone in the most precarious way possible.
Finding a Hidden Camera Is Our Worst Nightmare
A lot of the hotel room and Airbnb features on this list are pretty funny, but this one is downright creepy. The eagle-eyed guest at this Airbnb spotted that what looked like a clock was, in fact, a hidden camera. We’re not sure where this “clock” was placed on the property, but it’s likely that it was found in the bedroom. Not only is this illegal, but it’s morally wrong.
We hope the owner of this Airbnb has been banned from listing properties on the platform. This serves as a good warning to anyone renting a property to give it a quick sweep before it’s time for sleep.
Fancy a (very Dirty and Smelly) Late Night Dip?
There are many reasons people choose to stay in an Airbnb rather than a hotel. For groups, they provide a place to hang out together, usually featuring communal areas like a living room and a yard. Even solo travelers might opt for an Airbnb over a hotel or a resort to enjoy a personalized, local stay in their vacation destination. For this guest, renting this Airbnb was a no-brainer after being sold on the hot tub. Ouch.
As you can see, this not-so-hot tub resembles something out of a horror movie; the water is a brownish green, and the tub looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in at least a decade.
They Have a “no Flushing at Night” Policy
When you’re booking a hotel on vacation, especially abroad, you want to know that you’ll have somewhere comfortable to unwind in an area you’re unfamiliar with. This unfortunate guest arrived at their hotel room after a long flight only to discover the bed and the toilet was a little close for comfort. In fact, so close you could probably pee while standing on the bed!
This is a great example of hotels not always being transparent with their service. Sure, it’s unlikely anyone would ever book to stay in the hotel if they knew their toilet would be next to the bed, but at least put up a curtain, no?
They Weren’t Trying to Beat Around the Bush
Lots of resorts and hotels have amenities like swimming pools, spas, and gyms. These are perfect for when you’re on vacation and want to be invigorated before breakfast or need to wind down after a long day exploring. Generally, there are some unwritten rules for guests when using these amenities, but others need to be spelled out. Clearly, this resort decided that being explicit about a certain condition was necessary.
The problem is hotel guests will assume that the pool is often used by people who are ill with diarrhea, hence the sign! We’d probably give it a miss.
We Just Want to Know Who Designed This Carpet
First impressions count for a lot, especially when you’re staying at a hotel on vacation, so you can probably imagine the shock this guest had when they stepped through their hotel corridor and into a scene reminiscent of a horror movie. Perhaps the staff were getting into the spirit of Halloween and took it a little too far? Whatever the case, we’d be on the first flight home.
It should come as no surprise to any hotel owner that bloodstains (real or otherwise) aren’t conducive to guests enjoying a relaxing vacation. Can we suggest new carpets?
When the Bath Water Looks More Like a Urinated Toilet
Staying in an Airbnb can be a bit of a lottery. When your experience is good, it can literally make your stay. When your experience is bad, however, you can end up with a bathtub full of water that looks like it belongs in the toilet. This poor guest took a photo to send to the owner, but apparently, there was nothing they could do about it. How about a refund?
Sure, sometimes Airbnbs and hotels don’t look exactly like the pictures online, but basic hygiene should be a bare minimum. Let’s just hope it was a short stay!
Not What the Guests Imagined When the Description Read “close to Nature”
This guest staying at a supposedly reputable hotel chain had a nasty surprise when they noticed an unexpected “feature” in the corner of their room. Basic cleanliness isn’t a lot to ask from a hotel or Airbnb, but in this case, this place has a lot to answer for. How low must standards be to allow mushrooms to grow inside, let alone a bedroom? We don’t think these were meant to be for breakfast, either.
Let’s hope this guest received a full refund from the hotel. Perhaps they also offered them a complimentary stay, although if we were them, we’d politely decline!
This Is Where the “clean” Sheets Are Stored
This poor hotel guest had the displeasure of seeing “behind the curtain” of his hotel, and behind the curtain, we mean the store cupboard where the cleaning staff supposedly keeps fresh bedsheets and soaps. We’re not sure what’s more concerning, the fact that the bedsheets are literally kept on the floor or that the soaps are stored inside a wall that looks like a pretty cozy home for a rodent.
Once you’ve seen this kind of thing as a hotel guest, you can never really trust anything else for the rest of your stay. Continental breakfast? We’ll pass, thanks. Room service? Let’s do takeout instead.
Just Don’t Lose the Key
We’re not entirely sure where this hotel is, but they certainly don’t want guests to lose their room keys! Perhaps this hotel is in a remote location where guests are out doing activities all day, or maybe the hotel’s location makes getting hold of spare keys difficult. Either way, there’s not much chance of this enormous key getting lost. Hopefully, the staff at reception are happy with guests leaving their keys with them while they’re out and about.
It would be kind of ironic — and pretty funny — if the actual room key came off the chord, leaving just the enormous wooden version for the guest to deal with.
Privacy? What’s That?
Many hotels and resorts fall into the trap of assuming that all of their guests are couples. Or at least, that’s what the room designs feel like. Many people go on trips and vacations with parents, kids, friends, and even work colleagues. In none of these scenarios would you want to open your hotel room door to discover nothing but a pane of glass separating the bed from the bathroom.
Unfortunately, this is precisely what this guest found, so they couldn’t resist sharing their frustration on social media. And no, moving the towel across might isn’t exactly a solution.
When the Curtains Are Designed by Freddy Krueger
This hotel guest was a little concerned when they looked at the curtains in their room and for good reason. What were the designers thinking when they came up with this blood-spatter print? Presumably, they didn’t think it looked like the scene of a crime, but most guests will be looking twice before being able to sleep at night. This certainly wouldn’t get anyone in the mood for room service.
We hope this guest ended up having a relaxing stay at the hotel once they’d gotten over the initial panic of the curtains. They still probably bolted the door, though.
Watch Out for Blackmailing Hosts
The great thing about platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo is that they open up a whole new marketplace for travelers looking for great places to stay. The downside is that you’re reliant on individual owners being decent, honest people. This, of course, isn’t always the case, as this conversation shows. Imagine being provided with a sub-par service and then being blackmailed into giving a good review in order to be refunded your money. Awful.
Let’s hope Steven, the owner of this Vrbo rental, has his comeuppance. An exchange like this can ruin an entire vacation, so we really feel for the poor guest who had to deal with it.
This Bathroom Comes With an Obstacle Course Included
Whoever designed this hotel bathroom really didn’t want to make life easy for its guests! In what might be the worst-designed bathroom of all time, the poor person needing to use the toilet has to climb in and out of the bathtub before they can relieve themselves. Is it like a gameshow, a challenge? Do the different colored tiles mean something? Who knows. But good luck if you need a pee during the night.
What’s especially crazy about this design is that the sink area could easily be half the size to accommodate the toilet beside it. Unfortunately for the guest, we’re not in the business of designing hotel bathrooms.
