A travel blogger was gutted to search out out that the hotel he booked in Egypt turned out to be ancient history.
Mark Jeavons, 43, was excited for his 4 night stay on the Pyramids and Sphinx View Hotel in Giza, Egypt, which was quoted as £40-per-night ($52 US).
But when he arrived on the listed address at midnight, he was alarmed to find there was no hotel – just an empty back alley.
It was nothing just like the photos on the listing he had booked via Booking.com – which had dozens of positive reviews and featured a rooftop area from which you would see the Pyramids.
Mark, an English teacher, from Wolverhampton, said: “There was nothing on the address.
“It was a back alley with no sign of a hotel.
“The taxi driver was asking people on the road but nobody had heard of it.
“I used to be totally stranded – it was not ideal.”
He had reserved a room from January 4 to 7 2024 for his “bucket list” solo adventure.
Mark was quoted around £40 ($52 US) an evening to be paid in person on the non-existent hotel with the address of Gamal abd al nasser st nazlet elsemman, 12557, Egypt.
He reserved the room through Booking.com but was not made to pay any deposit and had made plans to pay in person on the hotel.
He was forced to roam the streets until he found emergency accommodation greater than an hour later at The Sun and Sand Hotel.
He ended up shelling out greater than £80 ($104) an evening on his last-minute refuge.
Mark said: “You only assume it’ll be good if the reviews are all good.”
Mark said the hotel’s reviews were glowing and he didn’t think twice before booking.
But on his return, he set about unearthing the mystery of the invisible hotel.
He said: “I later discovered on Google reviews that there have been a number of people saying it was a scam and never to book it.”
After Mark complained to Booking.com, the hotel vanished from the location.
A record of the hotel still exists on hotel comparison site Trivago – with no photos or reviews but a location still visible on a map.
The Sphinx and Pyramids View hotel in Giza was uploaded to the Booking.com site on July 19, 2024 – and is listed on the identical street as The Pyramids and Sphinx View hotel on Trivago.
The hotel has up to now received 44 reviews to garner a 9.0 rating, with glowing recommendations drowning out a handful of reviewers calling the hotel a scam.
The hotel’s Booking.com photos depict luxurious bedrooms, scantily-clad women posing in bath tubs and girls standing in front of the pyramids.
Despite the false start, Mark had an ideal time touring the pyramids, temples and taking to the skies in a hot air balloon over Luxor.
He said: “There may be more freedom when you find yourself solo travelling.
“It might have been worse if there have been wife and children.”
Mark has travelled to greater than 40 countries, writing up his experience for his MJ Travel Guides blog – https://mjtravelguides.com
A spokesperson for Booking.com said: “We were sorry to listen to in regards to the experience of this customer with a property listed on our platform.
“While the hotel has successfully hosted quite a few guests, we’re investigating further and will likely be involved with the client directly to supply any further support.”
A travel blogger was gutted to search out out that the hotel he booked in Egypt turned out to be ancient history.
Mark Jeavons, 43, was excited for his 4 night stay on the Pyramids and Sphinx View Hotel in Giza, Egypt, which was quoted as £40-per-night ($52 US).
But when he arrived on the listed address at midnight, he was alarmed to find there was no hotel – just an empty back alley.
It was nothing just like the photos on the listing he had booked via Booking.com – which had dozens of positive reviews and featured a rooftop area from which you would see the Pyramids.
Mark, an English teacher, from Wolverhampton, said: “There was nothing on the address.
“It was a back alley with no sign of a hotel.
“The taxi driver was asking people on the road but nobody had heard of it.
“I used to be totally stranded – it was not ideal.”
He had reserved a room from January 4 to 7 2024 for his “bucket list” solo adventure.
Mark was quoted around £40 ($52 US) an evening to be paid in person on the non-existent hotel with the address of Gamal abd al nasser st nazlet elsemman, 12557, Egypt.
He reserved the room through Booking.com but was not made to pay any deposit and had made plans to pay in person on the hotel.
He was forced to roam the streets until he found emergency accommodation greater than an hour later at The Sun and Sand Hotel.
He ended up shelling out greater than £80 ($104) an evening on his last-minute refuge.
Mark said: “You only assume it’ll be good if the reviews are all good.”
Mark said the hotel’s reviews were glowing and he didn’t think twice before booking.
But on his return, he set about unearthing the mystery of the invisible hotel.
He said: “I later discovered on Google reviews that there have been a number of people saying it was a scam and never to book it.”
After Mark complained to Booking.com, the hotel vanished from the location.
A record of the hotel still exists on hotel comparison site Trivago – with no photos or reviews but a location still visible on a map.
The Sphinx and Pyramids View hotel in Giza was uploaded to the Booking.com site on July 19, 2024 – and is listed on the identical street as The Pyramids and Sphinx View hotel on Trivago.
The hotel has up to now received 44 reviews to garner a 9.0 rating, with glowing recommendations drowning out a handful of reviewers calling the hotel a scam.
The hotel’s Booking.com photos depict luxurious bedrooms, scantily-clad women posing in bath tubs and girls standing in front of the pyramids.
Despite the false start, Mark had an ideal time touring the pyramids, temples and taking to the skies in a hot air balloon over Luxor.
He said: “There may be more freedom when you find yourself solo travelling.
“It might have been worse if there have been wife and children.”
Mark has travelled to greater than 40 countries, writing up his experience for his MJ Travel Guides blog – https://mjtravelguides.com
A spokesperson for Booking.com said: “We were sorry to listen to in regards to the experience of this customer with a property listed on our platform.
“While the hotel has successfully hosted quite a few guests, we’re investigating further and will likely be involved with the client directly to supply any further support.”
