British holidaymaker speaks out after being catfished by 'boutique' hotel's 'AI photos'
Two UK holidaymakers were left mortified after their luxury break to a Greek island turned out to be a complete 'catfish'.
Booking holidays abroad can be stressful for a number of reasons, but two British travellers were left completely devastated when their trip to the island of Corfu turned out to be a complete disaster.
Friends Lewis Stacey and Christopher Smith had chosen the Greek island as their destination to soak up some sun before the colder months rolled around, forking out £750 each on the island's four-star boutique Porto Demo hotel.
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Booking the trip through travel agent loveholidays, the listing promised a 'luxury' stay close to the sandy beach, with complimentary entertainment, an all-inclusive buffet, and amenities such as table tennis, billiards, and hydro massages.
But instead of a sun kissed paradise, the pair say they were greeted by a completely different scenario upon arriving at the hotel and have since claimed the advertised images were either 'AI or computer-generated'.
LADbible has since seen a number of images provided by Lewis, which show a comparison between images advertised online and photos taken by the friends.
LADbible has put these claims to the Porto Demo hotel, which they responded by calling the the friends' account 'unfounded allegations' and added they take 'pride in maintaining our facilities and addressing concerns promptly'.
Recalling the moment they arrived at the complex, Lewis told LADbible: "It was mortifying, like, my stomach completely sank."
Not quite the emotions you'd hope to be feeling as you kick off your holiday, eh?
Further unpleasantness awaited them as they located their room, which was covered in dust and a shower door that 'looked like it had fallen off' and subsequently replaced by a curtain.
Sadly for the pair, this wasn't the end of the nightmare.
'Inedible' food served to guests also meant that Lewis and Chris felt forced to fork out for meals out, adding another £250 onto the already spenny week away.
Lewis revealed that he and Chris had complained to the hotel's reception the following day and were moved to a 'bigger, equally shabby room' before being told to take any further complaints up with loveholidays.
Lewis explained that he had travelled across the world and wasn't adverse to staying in basic accommodation, but was particularly upset as he'd specifically chosen the location for a 'luxury' break and didn't feel as through he received the experience advertised.
"None of it looked like what was advertised online. That was a huge part of the problem," he claimed.
"The bed, I rub my hands across the headboard and dust fell onto the pillow. The rooms were never cleaned during the seven days we were there.
"Everything was just so bizarrely not real, you know, like it just felt surreal."
Even more strange was Lewis's claim that hotel staff then approached him and requested he leave a positive review on his final day at the hotel.
"On the last day, the manager and the co-manager approached me, I was on my own, and tried to encourage me to write a review, with them overshadowing me, to sort of intimidate me into writing a good review," he recalled.
"And then when I went back to the bar and spoke to some people, that's pretty common practice there."
Lewis added that complaints made to hotel staff were ‘dismissed’, and that they were told to speak to travel operator loveholidays. They have since lodged a formal complaint which they are still waiting to hear back from.
“We wanted some level of responsibility to be taken because we've paid up £1500 for this four-star boutique, luxury experience," he said. "And none of it matches."
Lewis isn't the only disgruntled holidaymaker to speak out about his experience at the hotel either, with fellow Brit Will Marsden also branding the hotel a 'catfish' on social media.
A loveholidays spokesperson told LADbible Group: “We are very sorry to hear of Mr Smith and Mr Stacey's experience at their hotel, and are investigating their complaint with the hotel. While we conduct regular checks of the content supplied by our hotel partners, we are also undertaking a full review of this hotel's listing for accuracy as a matter of urgency."
They also said that they were still investigating the couple's complaint, and 'will remain in touch with them throughout this process', adding that they were 'within the industry standard timeframe (28 days) that we allow for post-travel complaints'.
This timeframe reportedly ensures that they 'have enough time to conduct a thorough investigation with the suppliers involved', they wrote.
Meanwhile, the manager for the Porto Demo hotel told LADbible: "We have reviewed Christopher Smith and Lewis Stacey’s complaint regarding their stay at our hotel, and we must address their claims with the seriousness they deserve.
"Their allegations of false advertising and misrepresentation are not only exaggerated but also appear to be a deliberate attempt to seek financial compensation through misleading assertions. Our marketing materials are designed to accurately reflect the property, utilising professional photography to highlight its features.
"While we recognise that they might have experienced some issues during their stay, their descriptions of the hotel and its services are inflated and in no way reflect the reality of our offerings."
Topics: Lifestyle, Social Media, Travel, Viral, Holiday
Brenna Cooper