A British woman’s travel plans took a strange but pleasantly surprising turn when she accidentally booked an entire hotel to herself on the beautiful island of Bali…
With all the unexpected issues that travelling can bring — from a man urinating all over business class to a disgusting sock-stuffed seat, from a woman being publicly weighed in the airport to a hostess being beaten with an in-flight phone — it’s always nice to hear of those rare occasions when travellers get a win, no matter how unexpected or unintentional it may be. This story of a British woman heading to Bali is one such gem…
The woman’s holiday plans took an unexpected twist when she arrived at what she thought was a luxurious AirBnB villa in Ubud, Bali, only to discover that she had accidentally booked an entire hotel, as reported by The Independent. The hilarious if unintentional ‘travel hack’ was shared by the woman, known as Jas (@jxx) on TikTok, who couldn’t help but laugh at the strange turn of her fortunes.
WATCH: The woman in question explains how things unfolded…
Jas, a social media manager, had meticulously planned a family vacation and made the reservation on Airbnb a year in advance. The booking was for a week at a villa that claimed to accommodate up to 11 guests at a reasonable cost of $3,000 USD(~ $4500 AUD). Given their advancing years, her grandparents had the privilege of selecting the property from several options that she has compiled. Naturally, they decided to go with “the most expensive one.”
As the vacation date approached, Jas became slightly anxious about potential price changes, a common occurrence in Bali. She feared that her reservation might be cancelled at the last minute, or arguably even worse, the price would suddenly skyrocket. However, her concerns seemed to be put to rest when the new owner of the property confirmed the booking, albeit in a somewhat frantic manner due to the unexpectedly low rate.
When Jas and her family finally arrived, they noticed some disconcerting clues that something was amiss. The property, which had been reserved as a villa, now appeared on Google Maps as a hostel, and there was even a till perched in their kitchen area, indicating a more commercial setup. On further inquiry, the manager informed Jas that more guests would be arriving, since she had booked at a “special rate.” Not too pleased with this development, Jas expressed her displeasure, making it clear that she had not been informed of any such arrangement.
Refusing to share the place with strangers, Jas stood her ground, prompting the manager to cancel the additional bookings. As a result, she and her family ended up having the entire hotel to themselves, complete with twelve bedrooms, accommodating up to eighteen people. Boasting a full-time bartender, a well-equipped kitchen, a talented chef, an on-site restaurant pool area with comfortable loungers, a firepit, and even a ping pong table, it’s safe to say the family had a pretty good time once the initial confusion was cleared up.
Jas documented her unexpected experience on TikTok in a video that quickly went viral, garnering three million views and more than 300,000 likes. Giving us all a travel planning and social media masterclass, Jas is welcome to book my next holiday any time she likes… so long as her grandparents are happy to foot the bill.