He visited Sorrento (stock image) (Image: Maya Karkalicheva via Getty Images)
Going on holiday can be stressful, especially when things don’t go to plan. This was the case for Matt Hey from Sydney, Australia, who spent most of the month of July touring Europe for four weeks, staying in budget accommodation in cities like London, Rome and Pisa to fully embrace the travelling experience with his friend.
But the duo soon decided it was time to spend a bit more on their next accommodation. As they made their way to the picturesque coastal town of Sorrento in Italy, they booked what they assumed was a fancy seaside resort. But, upon reaching their destination, they quickly realised their blunder.
Taking to TikTok, Matt shared the moment they discovered their “hotel resort” was quite different from what they had initially anticipated.
“I’m just baffled, I’m honestly baffled,” Matt begins in the video, surveying the sea view. “This is bizarre.”
“So we got here, we walk through the gates up there,” he continues, gesturing towards the gates. “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?'”
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He went on to say that he found it odd they hadn’t encountered anyone else at the property. As they approached the main building, he said he’d initially mistaken it for a residential house before assuming it might be the check-in area or 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 another part of the site. “And we get down here and this is what I see.”
He proceeded to reveal a spacious patio offering a stunning seascape. There were tables and chairs set out, yet the place was eerily deserted. 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, swivelling the camera to another entrance draped with white curtains.
Caution: The accompanying video contains strong language
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Advancing towards the edge of the patio, they realised the “hotel” was perched atop a cliff, affording a spectacular view of the azure waters below and a beach directly beneath.
“Looks amazing, right? So I’m thinking, ‘why haven’t I seen anyone yet?'” he pondered aloud, just before a woman appeared, inquiring if they required assistance.
Matt went on to explain that he’d informed the woman they appeared to be in the wrong location, but mentioned they were seeking to check into their accommodation, prompting her to offer to contact the concierge. They then carried on wandering around the premises, discovering another section that resembled a “wedding dance floor” in Matt’s words, leading him to assume there must be smaller properties available for guests.
The concierge subsequently appeared and conducted their check-in process at one of the seating areas adjacent to the dancefloor, before presenting them with their key. He then escorted them to the property, which appeared to have been dressed for a wedding celebration.
“And to be clear, we thought we were getting a hotel,” he explained. “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 caption, Matt disclosed they’d shelled out $600AUD (£292) per night to stay at Villa Antiche Mura Relais in Sorrento, which markets itself as “villas for weddings” on its official website.
Viewers flocked to the comments section, expressing amazement at the incredible value they’d received for their money, though some remained puzzled about how such a booking “error” could occur.
“Is this Sorrento?? How is this 600 dollars?????” one bewildered commenter enquired. Another proposed: “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,” declared a third viewer. Another individual revealed: “I got married in Tuscany because we got the wedding plus a full week’s accommodation 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.”