Window with a Sea View: How Not to Fall for Dishonest Hotel Owners 0 7

Recently, influencer Clarissa Murgeia complained that she splurged on a hotel room with a sea view, but upon arriving in her room, she realized she had fallen for a bold scam. When she was shown her room, she quickly discovered that the breathtaking views from the balcony, featuring the blue sea, a sailboat, and a mountain range, were not what they seemed. Instead, a giant poster of a sea view was glued to the wall of the building outside her window, writes the Daily Mail.

Meanwhile, analysts at Which? Travel advise tourists to always double-check the hotel or apartment before booking to ensure that the stated conditions match reality, including mapping the route. This is especially important when it comes to proximity to the beach.

According to a survey, 64% of readers on the platform stated that they expect a hotel described as being near the beach to be no more than 500 meters away. However, quite often these "500 meters" are not what they expect at all. For example, one traveler complained that the route to the sea went "up steep hills" in Tenerife, while another reported that he had to travel two miles (about 3.2 kilometers) to reach the nearest stretch of coastline in Corfu.

At the same time, analysts remind that if the provided accommodation does not match what was described in the booking offer, the customer is entitled to compensation under the Consumer Rights Act.

Four Tips on How to Check Your Hotel's Location

1. Be cautious with hotel descriptions and read the terms carefully. For example, is five minutes to the beach by foot or by car?

2. If you don’t have a car, this can make a huge difference for your vacation.

3. Enter the hotel address into a mapping app to check its location yourself.

4. Use Google Maps' "Street View" if you want to get a clearer picture of the hotel’s location.

Additionally, google.com/travel allows you to search for hotels or vacation rentals near the beach or another attraction of your choice.