Tourist Duped By Pic of Hotel's Infinity Pool—That's Really a Hot Tub
Christopher Duran
Updated on February 22, 2026
We've all been there. You find a hotel online that looks like a modern-day version of paradise, complete with an Olympic-sized pool, a lush garden, and a rooftop deck, and arrive to find a veritable scrap heap with a bunch of water filled in an abandoned dumpster.
Such is what happened to Jenny Kershaw, a social media user who found what appeared to be an amazing hotel in Vietnam on booking.com, completely with a sun-drenched infinity pool, and arrived to find a dark, tiny hot tub instead.
Our hotel pool in Vietnam…booking.com VS reality 😂🤣😂 we've been done there
— Jenny Kershaw (@jennykershawx) May 12, 2018
She shared her website versus reality photos on Twitter, where they promptly went viral, gaining over 72,000 retweets in just 5 days.
The steps leading up to the pool are so small they couldn't even fit the word "welcome" on the mat.
Too small to even put the E in welcome 💀
— + (@ZaePadre) May 12, 2018
People thought it was hilarious.
The first picture is accurate … if you're a mouse.
— Nathan Weeks, Esq. ⚖ (@NateWeeksLaw) May 13, 2018
Not to mention, a striking indictment of how everything on the Internet is a lie.
Me posting vs what I look like in real life
— Richie Tozier (@mylifeasdose) May 13, 2018
Some even compared it to the experience of kittenfishing in online dating.
something similar to tinder
— V0DKAPRXNCE (@HxnsDxnixl) May 15, 2018
In their defense, travel websites are doing their best to crack down on hoaxes like this one, which is probably why booking.com reached out to Kershaw shortly after she posted the photos, asking her to send information about the hotel to customer service.
Hi Jenny, our support team can definitely look into this and help you with a complaint. We recommend sending the photos to [email protected], including your confirmation number. Our team will get back to you as soon as is possible.
— Booking.com (@bookingcom) May 14, 2018
Kershaw declined to do so, however, saying she found the whole situation kind of hilarious. What's more, the photos on the hotel's website have now been conveniently "updated" anyway to reflect reality.
It's ok, I don't want to file a complaint…it's just funny😂 and I notice the pictures convinently been changed now anyway … 😂🙄
— Jenny Kershaw (@jennykershawx) May 15, 2018
Eagle-eyed sleuths on social media have identified the hotel as the Mari Gold Hotel & Apartment in the coastal city of Da Nang. It's got a 9.2 score in reviews and is one of the best-selling properties in the area, according to the site. In all fairness, the booking only promises "a hot tub," without giving any indication of size and scope.
Another look at the jacuzzi shows it's not really so bad, but it also proves that angles and lighting are everything in photos.
For more on how people create these kinds of optical illusions, check out This Is the Secret Trick to Those "Before and After" Weight-Loss Photos. And for some sage travel advice, be sure to learn The Single Best Way to Get Your Hotel Room Comped.
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Diana Bruk Diana is a senior editor who writes about sex and relationships, modern dating trends, and health and wellness.Read moreFiled UnderVacationRead This NextThe World's Longest Zip Line Is More Epic Than You Ever Imagined—Video
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