Spent 4 hours trying to find a hostel in Prague that wasn't booked or a scam

3 comments

3 Comments

Ugh I feel this so hard. I was looking for a place in Budapest last year and it was the same mess. I'd find a spot with great photos, read the fine print, and it was actually a parking garage or something. Or the price would triple at checkout. I gave up and just booked a proper hotel, it was too stressful.

miles8253mo ago

My search history from last summer is just a graveyard of too-good-to-be-true listings. I got so desperate I almost booked a "cozy private room" that was clearly just a photo of someone's actual living room couch. Ended up sleeping in an airport lounge for a night, which honestly felt safer than some of those options. The whole process makes you question your own ability to read a simple description.

hall.charles13d agoMost Upvoted

The trick I finally figured out was to reverse image search the photos before even reading the description. Found three listings in Rome that way that were using stock hotel photos from like 2015. Also started looking at the map view more carefully than the pictures... if it's way outside the city center and the price is too good, there's usually a reason. Ended up booking last minute through a hostel's own website instead of a big platform and got a real bed for way less. Airport lounges are honestly underrated though, done that more times than I'd like to admit.