Woman was excited about her stunning 'sea-view' room on vacation — then she took a closer look

Imagine waking up to a breathtaking sunrise over the mountains or getting a room with a view of the ocean. Many travelers willingly spend more on staycations to get rooms with such a view. However, the reality might not always do justice to the pictures shown on websites. Don't believe us? Well, meet Sonja Dennig (@sonnyloops on TikTok), a travel influencer who believed she had booked the perfect sea-view room for her getaway—only to receive a nasty surprise.

A now-viral TikTok video featured Denning walking into her room, taking in the gorgeous ocean view through her window. However, as she stepped closer, she made a surprising discovery—the ocean wasn't real; rather, it was a poster, illuminated by a lamp to create the illusion. "We thought, 'Wow, what a great view we have,' but look, it's just a photo. We're just in the basement," Deening chuckled, as she shared her story. However, that wasn't the most amusing part—a switchboard controlled the lighting of the lamp, allowing a guest to change the illusion according to their mood.

Denning's Airbnb video, captioned, "We were completely ripped off by Airbnb," received an overwhelming response on TikTok, garnering over 4 million views as netizens chimed in with their own bad experiences. A person shared, "I think they made the best of the situation; it looks better than a white plastic wall, but yes, while booking, a photo like that can be misleading." Another noted, "But that's such a cool solution for basement rooms to bring in a feeling of natural light. And depending on whether you're in a hot region, it's also practical because basement rooms are always nice and cold. After all, there are usually no windows. However, if this view was advertised, then it's a bit rubbish, but otherwise, fake windows can be cool, haha!"

As the comments poured in, another suggested, "Maybe, before you book, take a look at the location of the property, then you know that you don't have a thin view or sea view or lake view, but everything is done right." Another echoed, "Tip for next time: Always google the location. Whether via Maps or Earth. It has never been so easy to prevent scams." Meanwhile, a person quipped, "Well, my apartment is just around the corner, and I look out onto a parking lot. Maybe I'll stick a photo in front of the window."

Denning also shared another follow-up video, capturing her partner attempting to open the window and step outside. He went out, only to find a tiny, cramped space, barely big enough to accommodate a person. But the man pretended to enjoy the scene, tilting his head up toward the light, as if soaking in the sunlight. He playfully pretended to swim in the nonexistent ocean as Denning laughed uncontrollably in the background at his over-the-top performance.

You can follow Sonja Dennig (@sonnyloops) on TikTok for more travel content.