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49 Times People Fell For The Nice Airbnb Photos And Found That The Reality Was Very Different
Photos can be surprisingly deceptive. And no, we’re not talking about AI-generated images here. Sometimes, all it takes is a carefully chosen angle, clever lighting, a bit of Photoshop, or some seriously flattering editing to make something look far better than it does in real life. And when it comes to architecture, hotels, and vacation rentals, the gap between expectation and reality can sometimes be absolutely hilarious.
For today’s collection, we scoured the internet for some of the most disappointing expectation-versus-reality photos out there. From buildings that looked impressive online but turned out to be underwhelming in person to Airbnb listings that could give catfishing a whole new meaning, these pictures prove that you really can’t always trust what you see. Keep scrolling to check out these spectacular cases where reality definitely failed to live up to the photo.
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#1
Upstaged75 1 month ago
Always look at the place from multiple angles. Sketchy places can fake things - like pools end up being a kid's pool or the "ocean view" ends up being a sliver between buildings. If it seems too good to be true it probably is. I refuse to use Airbnb anyway. It's gotten ridiculous.
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#4
The Airbnb I’m staying in says it’s a laundry room, so I’ll be wearing dirty clothes all week.
#5
Just saw this on Airbnb - What £2100 per month get's you in central London
#6
Booked an airbnb with 4 bedrooms, the ad didnt say anything about bedrooms separated from the house, so now my brother and i have to sleep in the little shed on the left.
#9
My Airbnb host used some creative lighting in the listing
#10
They said there was a sea view at our AirBNB
Upstaged75 1 month ago
If you didn't see pics proving it you shouldn't trust them. Technically they're not lying, but that's totally sh.itty.
#11
Hubby and I decided to get away for a week. Found a little hotel with a decent price on Expedia. It had mixed reviews, as most places do. We don’t need a place at the ritz, just a clean, quiet safe place to lay our heads at night in between activities. Behold, the photos all over the internet vs what we walked into. Can’t help but to laugh at the situation
#17
Upstaged75 1 month ago
This is where you contact the company and insist they move you somewhere that is consistent with what you paid for. Just don't use Airbnb is probably a better solution.
#20
Well, the AirBnB looked nice online...
Upstaged75 1 month ago (edited)
😂 That looks like one of those fancy playhouses for kids! How do they get away with it?
#21
Airbnb listing vs reality.
Obviously the place hadn’t been cleaned prior to our arrival, but also it was absolutely filthy and doors were broken and so much more. Got a full refund and went to a hotel. Customer service (air bnb, not host) was amazing and fast though.
#25
Upstaged75 1 month ago
The resort is responsible for notifying guests of this ahead of time. Really shady.
#26
#27
Norwegian🇳🇴panda 1 month ago
«Dont rent before checking pictures match the description» they say. And pay attention to small details. Well this list made me realise no matter how much you look at pictures and descriptions, you can never be sure what’s waiting for you when you arrive. So many uses AI pictures and get away with it. Sad, because I want to say that most people are honest but some a-holes ruin the Airbnb reputation.
#29
Daniel Atkins 1 month ago
Can people not tell the difference between an inground pool an an above ground pool. The visible frame in the corner the fact that the bottom of the house is below the water level in the pic.
#32
Norwegian🇳🇴panda 1 month ago
Is the bathroom walls WOOD? Doesn’t that turn into mold very quickly when people shower and the heat from shower go into the walls??
#39
Laszlo Larthlanc 1 month ago
It costs less to keep a pool treated than it does to bring it back from being green, especially if the algae gets into the plaster.
#41
#42
BarkingSquirell 1 month ago
Welcome to London. You'll need to go down the hall to use the loo and bathe.
#45
Norwegian🇳🇴panda 1 month ago (edited)
Looks like a Norwegian prison from the outside. Not saying that’s a bad thing, our prisons are pretty much like hotels so😅
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What do you think ?
FreeTheUnicorn 1 month ago
If you don't mind their support for the occupation of the west bank and you don't mind their active lobbying against affordable housing in many cities, you won't mind using Google, so you should Street View and satellite view anywhere you're staying just as a matter of course, even if you don't read the reviews
FreeTheUnicorn 1 month ago
If you don't mind their support for the occupation of the west bank and you don't mind their active lobbying against affordable housing in many cities, you won't mind using Google, so you should Street View and satellite view anywhere you're staying just as a matter of course, even if you don't read the reviews
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