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Article created by: Eglė Bliabaitė

It’s always nice to be pleasantly surprised by how an accommodation exceeds your expectations. You arrive at your hotel or Airbnb and realize you've got more than you bargained for in the best possible way, making your trip much more enjoyable. 

However, things can also go the exact opposite way. This is what we’re focusing on for today, as we share photos of some of the worst rooms travelers had to endure. We’re talking about worn-out carpets, filthy, stained mattresses, and toilets next to beds. 

Scroll through and see if you’ve encountered anything similar, or worse.

#1

View From My Window In My Hotel Room In Cambodia

Several crocodiles in a neglected hotel pool area surrounded by incomplete construction and old brick walls.

reddit.com Report

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    #2

    End Of The Hallway In My Hotel

    Mural in a hotel hallway showing three frogs stacked, illustrating one of many hotel fails people vent about online.

    Trebekshorrishmom Report

    #3

    A Room I Booked In Belgium

    Man sitting on bunk bed looking frustrated at a toilet in a small room, illustrating hotel mess ups shared online.

    bigb123b Report

    #4

    Hotel Left This Upon My Arrival

    Tray with covered hotel meal, water bottle, and thank you note next to spoiled strawberries with mold on hotel dessert.

    I came flew in from a 4 hour flight to be greeted with this.

    iHitAirplanes Report

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    #5

    The Hotel We’re Staying At Has Bright Lights On Outside All The Time. It’s 3 AM In This Picture

    Dark hotel room with curtains closed but light visibly leaking from window edges and below door, showing hotel mishap.

    cheftastic11 Report

    #6

    The Most Unsafe And Dangerous Design Feature I've Seen In A Hotel

    Person with sneaker stepping dangerously close to an open hotel balcony window, illustrating hotel safety mess-ups and guest complaints online.

    That path is about 30 feet below!

    Rougmeister Report

    #7

    Checked In To A Hotel And Promptly Checked Out

    Rusty and dirty hotel heater grill showing poor maintenance and cleanliness issues in a hotel room setting

    Smelled like black mold, lights didn't work, bathroom door didn't even shut. I was also offered [adult workers] and [illegal substances] before I even made it to my room.

    gravityblast10 Report

    #8

    The Hotel I Booked Weeks Ahead Didn’t Have A Room For Us When We Checked In. Gave Us A Sofa Bed In A Conference Room

    Hotel room with sparse furniture and a makeshift bed on the floor, illustrating hotels messed up experiences shared online.

    Husband kept trying to get the tv to work, even though it was 30 feet away. Also - floor to ceiling windows do NOT block any noise and there was a fire station right across the street from us.

    Llebanna Report

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    #9

    Found When I Checked Into A Holiday Inn In Florida. Guess I’ll Get A New Room

    Stained hotel pillow with large brownish discoloration, highlighting hotel mess ups shared by people venting online.

    Ancient_Chris Report

    #10

    The Cleaning Staff At My Hotel Stole All Of My Prescription Medication

    Top-down view of an empty prescription bottle on a glass table with a wooden frame, highlighting hotels messed up moments.

    hmmmmmmpsu Report

    #11

    Never Thought I Would See The Infamous Carpeted Bathroom With My Own Two Eyes

    Hotel bathroom with a carpeted jacuzzi tub and mirrored walls, showing unusual and poor hotel design mistakes.

    Red_The_Russian Report

    #12

    This Hotel Room Has A Window Into The Bathroom

    Hotel room with a mirror showing a bathroom reflection, highlighting unusual design choices and hotel mess-ups vented online.

    DonkeyTron42 Report

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    #13

    Eating Breakfast At My Hotel This Morning When The Staff Quickly And Urgently Ushered Me And Some Other Customers Out Of The Lobby

    Collapsed ceiling and debris inside a hotel lobby with caution tape blocking the damaged area after a major hotel mishap

    reddit.com Report

    #14

    The Wallpaper In The Women's Restroom At The Hotel I'm Staying At

    Wallpaper in a hotel room featuring surveillance cameras hidden among bright orange flowers, an example of hotels messed up badly.

    hybridginger Report

    Bec
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What the actual f...

    #15

    Got Bumped To A Different Room In A Seedy Motel I Hadn’t Requested. My Excitement Lasted For 3 Minutes Until I Read The Sign

    Hotel room with a jacuzzi tub and a sign warning guests not to fill the tub to avoid damage, highlighting hotel mess-ups.

    For anyone wondering, this place is in Edmonton, Canada.

    reddit.com Report

    #16

    Hotel Room Light Switch Hidden Behind Pillows, So You Wake Up Inexplicably In The Middle Of The Night

    Crumpled hotel bed sheets and pillows showing messy hotel room setup reflecting hotel mess ups.

    philfr42 Report

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    #17

    This Carpet In The Hotel Looks Like Splattered With Blood

    Hotel hallway carpet with a large, irregular dark stain, one of the many hotel mess-ups people vent about online.

    reddit.com Report

    #18

    This Sign Went Up After Me And My Family Started Using The Pool At Our Hotel. Pic Two Is How Red It Made My Eyes

    Sign at Hilton Garden Inn stating pool and hot tub closed due to chemical imbalance paired with frustrated guest’s red eyes.

    OhAces Report

    #19

    Hotel I'm Staying In With My Mum Has The Shower Open To The Entire Room

    Hotel room with a confusing partition blocking the view of the shower, highlighting hotel design mistakes shared online.

    Makewayfornoddynoddy Report

    #20

    Hotel Charging Cable That Requires You To Register An Account And Sign In With The Qr Code In Order To Work

    Tangled multi-device charger with multiple connectors on a wooden surface, illustrating hotels messed up charging solutions.

    It gives you a 5-minute free trial and then requires a fee per hour of use.

    nekomichi Report

    #21

    Hotel Shower Head Has Batteries

    Showerhead with poor water flow, dirty bathtub stains, and a hotel remote with exposed Amazon Basics batteries.

    Checked in to my fair field hotel after work took a shower wanted to change the water coming out the shower head to a jet messed around with it couldn't get it to changed noticed a button looking thing pressed an out pops a battery pack... im like wtf the batteries are all gross and the turn the shower head an out comes a cup of rust water. What is going on... reporting to front desk.

    ballinOnABudget77 Report

    #22

    Nice Idea Badly Executed

    Confusing hotel directory sign with overlapping text showing multiple floors and room descriptions.

    judd_in_the_barn Report

    #23

    My Friend Is On Vacation. His Hotel Room Has A Sliding Door That Leads Directly To A Sure-Death Five Story Fall. Who Thought This Was A Good Idea?

    View from a hotel room window shows a narrow outdoor space with limited privacy and poor view, highlighting hotel mistakes.

    Kanel0728 Report

    #24

    Not Enough Space To Open The Pullout Sofa In My Hotel Suite

    Folded mattress on a hotel fold-out bed in a room, illustrating one of the times hotels messed up badly.

    I was told by the front desk that this was a known issue in some of the rooms since their renovation. The phone in my room also doesn’t work- another known issue from the same reno. Staff didn’t seem to see it as a problem though? No compensation or even apology.

    CaptainSprinklePants Report

    #25

    The Size Of The Pasta Dish I Ordered At (What I Am Told) Is The Fanciest Hotel In Gurgaon, India

    Small hotel food portion with two tortellinis on a plate and hand showing tiny serving size, highlighting hotel mess up.

    Literally two bites.

    marsovec Report

    #26

    This TV In My Hotel

    Hotel room with unmade bed, small wall TV, and open doors showing bathroom and hallway, illustrating hotel mess up experience.

    T47E Report

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    #27

    Marriott Hotel Night Stand LED Aimed At My Face

    Hotel room bed with blue light glowing, illustrating times hotels messed up causing guests to vent online.

    MCWoody1 Report

    #28

    Can't Put My Store-Bought Items In The Hotel Room Fridge Because It's Fully Stacked And Moving Anything Will Incur A Charge

    Hand holding a note about minibar charges in front of an open hotel minibar with various beverages inside.

    ZarathustraGlobulus Report

    #29

    This Closet In A German Hotel Needs Several Warnings... And I Still Almost Hit My Head

    White hotel lockers with multiple opened doors revealing empty interiors next to a bunk bed in a guest room setting.

    MichiWiegi Report

    #30

    Hotel Mirror Blocks The Only Outlet In The Bathroom

    Light switch in a hotel room blocked by a frosted glass panel showing a common hotel design mess-up shared online.

    DaBrookePlayz Report

    #31

    Entire Hotel Numbers With Room Numbers At Random

    Hotel room doors numbered 15 and 31 in a plain, white-walled corridor showing typical hotel setup and signage.

    The host told us to search for room 22, not by the small numbers.

    ChristianTheOne Report

    #32

    Hotel I Stayed At Last Night Advertised "Free WiFi". This Was That Free WiFi

    Slow internet speed test results showing extremely low download and upload Mbps and high ping, illustrating hotel internet problems.

    This is in rural australia too, so there's no mobile data reception to fall back on. Good thing I had some movies downloaded to keep me occupied.

    but_its_dez Report

    #33

    Finding A Pin In A Hotel Towel

    Close-up of a white towel with a dangerous needle hidden inside, illustrating hotels messed up moments shared online.

    So I’ll give you a little update. I am here from germany for a nice relaxing vacation in Italy in a 4 star hotel (the 4 stars here would be more like 3 in Germany) This happened on our 3rd day after the cleaning staff had already cleaned the room a few times and provided new linen. I had first dried my hair with the towel and then my body, when I noticed a scratching on my side and then saw that there was a pin stuck in the towel. Luckily nothing more happened to me as the scratch didn’t really hurt anymore. I immediatly took photos and a short video of this and went down to the reception. They told me that they couldn’t do anything because the laundry was handled by an external company, but they would let them know. I told them, that this could be so much worse for me or other guests and this should not, cannot happen again. They then told me to send them an email with the details, the photos and my contact informations so they could take care of it. I probably should have been a bit more persistent, but this had never happened to me before and I didn’t want to go full karen mode. This is the answer I got from the hotel: "Dear Mr. , We would like to apologize again for this incident. Our linen is supplied by the industrial laundry. Unfortunately, we are unable to lay out all the towels to check their condition as they are already folded and ready for use. We will forward photos and inform the laundry and ask them to take more care when packing and folding. We will also ask our staff to take more care when changing linen. Thank you for your understanding. Yours sincerely" So now i am debating what to do. I would write that this is the least they have to do. And that I couldn’t care less how they do their laundry and bring it to the rooms. I give my money to the hotel for a reasonable stay and not to the cleaning company. And if they don’t accommodate me, I would take legal action.

    sub_mojo Report

    Bec
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You clearly have no idea how most hotels work, and are a Karen.

    #34

    The Pool At My Hotel In Birmingham, Alabama. Yes, Those Are Toilets

    Empty hotel pool filled with broken dishes and debris showing a major hotel mess up visible from above.

    jasonsmithatlanta Report

    #35

    Drove For 14 Hours To Sleep On This

    Stained mattress in hotel room showing a clear example of hotels messed up incidents that guests vented about online.

    I drove for 14 hours and had a family member book a hotel for me while I was driving. Arrived at my hotel ready to crash and it was kinda gross. Decided to check for bedbugs and found this.

    OrcinusVienna Report

    #36

    My Hotel Towel Had A Pair Of Eyelashes On It

    White hotel towel with false eyelashes stuck on it, showcasing one of the times hotels messed up in guest service.

    It was fresh from the laundry but they were stuck to the towel pretty firmly.

    tauhou_ Report

    See Also on Bored Panda
    #37

    My Hotel Room Opens Into The Lobby Restaurant

    Hotel room sliding door opens directly to an indoor dining area, showcasing a major hotels mess-up and guest frustration online.

    Maybe I’m the one out of the loop but I’ve never seen this.

    afk3 Report

    #38

    Paid Extra For A “Tower” Room At Our Hotel And Were Told We’d Get A Nice View Of The River

    View from hotel window showing a blank brick wall and rooftop, illustrating frustrating hotel design mistakes shared online.

    justjokay Report

    #39

    Just Checked In To My Hotel For The Night And It Looks Like Someone Left Their Sock

    White sock hanging from ceiling corner in a hotel room, illustrating funny hotel mess ups captured by guests online.

    WestCoaster206 Report

    #40

    The Placement Of The Knobs For This Hotel Sink

    Corner sink in hotel bathroom with a faulty faucet and misaligned plumbing, illustrating hotels messed up moments shared online.

    kerpowie Report

    #41

    Hotel Room Has A Light Under The Bed That Can’t Turn Off Unless I Also Cut Power To The Sockets

    Unmade hotel bed with rumpled sheets and dim lighting revealing shoes on carpet below, illustrating hotel mess up.

    So I’m staying at a hotel tonight and I go to turn off the lights and discover there is no independent switch for the light under the bed. To turn it off I have to turn the main switch off in the room which also turns off the power for the sockets. My choice is to now sleep with a light on or not charge my phone up over night. I’m travelling tomorrow so I kinda need my phone on full battery. Why do hotels have the weirdest lighting setups. I’ve never been in one with a single overhead light. Instead the room is illuminated by 20 smaller wall lights each with their own switch combination.

    SpiralGremlin Report

    #42

    Maximum Security Hotel

    Hotel door with a broken chain lock and misaligned frame, showcasing a hotel safety fail caught by a guest.

    bellbros Report

    #43

    “Art” Installation Spotted In A Hotel Lobby

    Surreal sculpture of a strange creature with human features and horse-like body, illustrating unusual hotel mishaps online.

    User-McUserface Report

    #44

    This New Hotel Carpet That Looks Like It’s Worn Out Beyond Threadbare

    Worn and stained hotel carpet near window and furniture, showing a hotel mess-up with damaged flooring in the room.

    PretzelsThirst Report

    #45

    They Way They Laid The Carpet In Our Hotel

    Hotel carpet with mismatched black and white geometric patterns in a hallway, showing a clear hotel mess up.

    Aaaaaaarrrrrggggghh Report

    #46

    My Hotel Sanded The Door After Realizing It Hit The Toilet

    Toilet in a hotel bathroom with a broken door preventing it from opening properly, a common hotel mess-up vented online.

    saltysaturdays Report

    See Also on Bored Panda
    #47

    Just Got Done With My Morning Run And Came Back To The Hotel To This

    Note about hotel water shut off for leak repairs placed on dark tiled floor, illustrating common hotel mistakes vented online.

    Aurorastar73 Report