Tourists arrive for holiday at Italian ‘hotel’ but all isn’t as it seems

Holidaymaker Matt Hey was shocked when he arrived at his booked accommodation in Sorrento, Italy, as the “luxurious resort” he booked wasn’t what it seemed

A holidaymaker was left completely bewildered after turning up at what he thought was a luxury resort in Sorrento, Italy, only to discover that his group were the sole guests at the entire property. Matt Hey, from Sydney, Australia, had been travelling through Europe for four weeks, staying at budget lodgings in cities such as London, Rome and Pisa to maximise his travel experience with his friends.

But they then chose to treat themselves to a more upscale and luxurious accommodation. As they made their way to the Italian coastal town of Sorrento, they opted to check into what they assumed was a lavish seaside resort.

However, they quickly realised their blunder upon reaching their holiday spot. In a TikTok post, Matt was filmed describing the moment they discovered their “hotel resort” came with far more than they’d bargained for.

“I’m just baffled, I’m honestly baffled,” Matt said at the beginning of the clip as he gazed out at the neighbouring coastline. “This is bizarre.

“So we got here, we walk through the gates up there,” Matt said gesturing towards the entrance in question. “We walk down here because Google Maps just said it was at the end there. We walk all the way down here and I’m saying ‘wow, isn’t this nice and peaceful and quiet?”

Warning: Below video may contain offensive language

He went on to say that he’d found it odd they hadn’t encountered anyone else on the property. As they approached the main building, he initially mistook it for a private residence before considering it might be the check-in area or perhaps one of the guest rooms.

“Anyway, so then I’m like, let’s go around looking this way and we’ll have a look,” he recounted, with the video then cutting to their discovery of a new section. “And we get down here and this is what I see.”

He proceeded to reveal a spacious patio with a sea view, complete with tables and chairs, yet still devoid of any other guests. He panned the camera back to the house, highlighting a balcony with large glass doors on the upper level.

“There’s like a little wedding reception area sort of thing,” he commented, before shifting focus to another door draped with white curtains.

Continuing their exploration, they moved towards the edge of the patio, unveiling that the “hotel” was perched atop a cliff overlooking the azure waters, with a beach directly beneath.

“Looks amazing, right? So I’m thinking, ‘why haven’t I seen anyone yet?'” he pondered, before disclosing that a woman suddenly appeared, offering assistance.

Matt explained that, after informing the woman they were in the wrong place, they said they were hoping to check into their room and she confirmed she’d call the concierge. As they explored further, they stumbled upon what Matt described as a “wedding dance floor” and speculated there must be smaller villas available for their stay.

The concierge eventually greeted them and conducted the check-in at one of the sitting areas by the dance floor before handing over the key. He then showed them to the house, which also appeared to be set up for a wedding celebration.

“And to be clear, we thought we were getting a hotel,” Matt said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, we’re going to have a beautiful time here. But we didn’t need an entire wedding venue. I’m rattled, actually. Like, genuinely rattled.”

In his video’s caption, Matt disclosed that they had paid $600AUD (£292) per night for their stay at Villa Antiche Mura Relais in Sorrento, which advertises itself as “villas for weddings” on its website.

Commenters were astounded by the value they received for the price paid. Yet, some were puzzled about how such a “mistake” could have occurred.

“Is this Sorrento? ? How is this 600 dollars?????” one perplexed user questioned. Another suggested: “Invite some locals round for a party not like you don’t have set-up, haha.”

“Send the details I’ve found my wedding venue,” a third viewer said.

Another viewer went on to share: “I got married in Tuscany because we got the wedding plus a full week’s accommodations for 30 people for less than we would have paid for a single-day sit-down dinner wedding for 150 people at a major US city.”