At the end of April last year, a woman who goes by Anayaa Kb on TikTok booked a 7-night stay at a hotel in Antalya, Turkey, for 350 GBP (roughly 460 USD). She loved it and said everything was perfect.
So, this year, she went back to the same city, but this time, she chose a different establishment. However, it was nothing like the one before.
The traveler took to the internet to warn others but has received a fair amount of backlash, saying she brought this onto herself.
There's always some uncertainty when you're booking a place you've never been to
Image credits: Cristian Bortes (not the actual photo)
But this woman believes the 5-star Turkish hotel she went to scammed her
Image source: @anayaakb
So she tried to warn others about it
Image source: @anayaakb
Image source: @anayaakb
Image source: @anayaakb
Image source: @anayaakb
Image source: @anayaakb
Image source: @anayaakb
Image source: @anayaakb
We got in touch with Anayaa and she told Bored Panda they chose that particular resort based on the good reviews it had online
Image credits: Curated Lifestyle (not the actual photo)
"I did have some initial doubts about whether the children's activities — like the aqua park, kids club, and kids park — would be open during our stay," the woman explained to us. "These activities were a top priority for us. To be sure, I called the resort directly, and they confirmed that everything would be operating. I even double-checked via text with the booking agent, and they reassured me again that everything would be open."
Unfortunately, when they arrived, all the kids' facilities were closed for "maintenance," which was supposed to last until May — something that, again, was never mentioned beforehand.
"We initially tried to resolve things with the staff, and they admitted fault, saying we'd be refunded, but refused to give anything in writing, which was a red flag," Anayaa added. "Still, I trusted them and we left for a new resort we booked last-minute."
However, when she called the next day for an update, the representatives began backpedaling. "I returned to the resort to speak with them again. We spoke to several different managers, all of whom made excuses, despite us having clear evidence to support our claims. That visit turned into a horrible experience."
"The receptionist manager was extremely rude, tried gaslighting us by falsely claiming the beach park was open (it wasn't, I have photos), and even pushed my phone out of my hand when I tried to show her proof. So, to this day, we haven't received a refund," the disappointed Anayaa revealed. "Another guest I spoke to said her sister wasn't even given a room on the first night and was told to sleep on the couch in the lobby—absolutely outrageous."
A lot of people who saw her post offered their two cents on the situation
And some said it was the woman's own fault for ending up in such a predicament
It's true that April is not the best time for a beach vacation in Turkey, but that wasn't the point of Anayaa's complains
Turkey sits between Southeastern Europe and Western Asia, and many of its attractions draw influences from both the West and the East. Intrepid Travel, a small group adventure travel company, says the best time to visit the country's beaches is between June and August.
Online bulletin boards also have locals saying that in April, the water is still cold, and tourists would be better off spending their time in Istanbul or Cappadocia. For example, in this discussion on Tripadvisor, one person said they were planning to go to Antalya (the same city where our TikToker went), and another replied, "I just want to make sure you understand that March/April is not yet beach season. It might be warm enough to enjoy sitting by the sea, but the Mediterranean is probably going to be too cold to be enjoyable. Of course, with global warming, I suppose anything is possible. I just would not plan a beach vacation for that time period in Turkey.
"There are plenty of things that you can enjoy in Antalya. There are many ancient ruins, a lovely museum, good restaurants, and possibly some more adventurous activities such as paragliding. If it is too cold to go in the water, you can still have a great vacation, but it probably will not be a traditional beach vacation."
But regardless of the time of year, our TikToker Anayaa's biggest complaint was that she did not receive what was promised, and she reiterated that point in her second video.
But the TikToker released another video to emphasize that it was the mismatch between what the hotel promised and what it delivered that she had an issue with
Image source: @anayaakb
Image source: @anayaakb
Which also went viral
"Booking a resort last-minute was definitely expensive and stressful, especially with children, but it was necessary," the author of the video told us.
"We managed to find a decent place nearby to continue our stay. Thankfully, we also had another week booked at a different resort we'd stayed at previously, which helped save the trip." Hopefully, the family can also get the refund that was promised to them.