A woman says the lush Bali Airbnb villa she booked ended up looking more like a 'prison cell'

18.09.2023 - 10:37 / insider.com

After getting hyped up for a stay in a luxe Bali bungalow, Hatty Morton was shocked at the state of the property that she'd booked on Airbnb.

"So we booked two nights at this particular place that should've cost us £50 a night," Morton told Insider. "Obviously, when we walked in, it felt like we were in a prison cell of some sort."

The incident happened when Morton was traveling in Bali with her friend in August. Morton posted videos and photographs on TikTok that she says were from the bungalow.

€50 a night too !!!!! (did come with free bed bugs tho) #traveltok #travellife #travelbali #bali #airbnb #airbnbbali #airbnbexperience #travelfail #backpacking

"Gentle reminder: Always triple check your air b&b's when staying in Bali just in case you end up in the same prison cell as we did that night xx," Morton wrote in a TikTok post that was published on August 7.

Morton made a subsequent TikTok post that contrasted the listing photos on Airbnb with the photos that she took on August 10.

Replying to @Kara HELL #airbnb #airbnbfinds #airbnbfail #bali #baliaccomodation #airbnbexperience #traveltok #indonesia

The washroom in Morton's post appeared to be poorly furnished, with cracks and grime lining the floors and walls. This was a far cry from what the Airbnb listing advertised, which showed a brightly lit and cleaner room.

Insider viewed an Airbnb review for the Bali property linked to Morton's verified profile that indicated the booking for the property took place in August 2023.

Morton told Insider that she and her friend were forced to stay for the first night as it was too late to find alternative accommodation.

"We had to almost sit on the edge of the bed because of how filthy it was, and wait for the sun to rise," Morton said.

Morton said she managed to book a hotel the next morning and proceeded to ask Airbnb for a refund.

"They told us we needed to provide photos, and then the host also needed to comment on the situation," Morton told Insider. "However, after about 20 seconds of sending those photos, Airbnb immediately said we could get a refund."

"We were only covered 33% of the first night for the refund so we did end up paying around £20 for that first night, which felt like a Bushtucker trial," she continued.

Morton's experience stood in stark contrast to the positive reviews on the bungalow's Airbnb listing page. The property is at press time rated 4.71 out of 5 stars, based on 156 reviews.

Most of the reviews were positive and complimented the bungalow's proximity to popular tourist locations.

However, some reviews did criticize the listing's cleanliness. One review claimed that the canopy bedding was stained and dirty.

People viewing Morton's TikTok video expressed their shock in the