Travel blogger ‘totally stranded’ after learning Egyptian hotel he booked didn’t actually exist

A travel blogger was upset when he discovered that the hotel he booked in Egypt turned out to be ancient history.

Mark Jeavons, 43, was excited about his four-night stay at the Pyramids and Sphinx View Hotel in Giza, Egypt, which was quoted as £40 per night (US$52).

But when he arrived at the listed address at midnight, he was alarmed to find there was no hotel – just an empty alley.

It was nothing like the pictures in the listing he had booked through Booking.com – which had dozens of positive reviews and featured a rooftop area from which you could see the Pyramids.

Mark, an English teacher, from Wolverhampton, said: “There was nothing at the address.

“It was a back alley with no sign of a hotel.

“The taxi driver was asking people on the street, but no one had heard of it.

“I was completely stuck – it wasn’t ideal.”

He had booked a room from January 4 to 7, 2024 for his “bucket list” solo adventure.

Mark was quoted around £40 (US$52) per night to be paid in person at the non-existent hotel with the address of Gamal abd al nasser st nazlet elsemman, 12557, Egypt.

He booked the room through Booking.com but was not required to pay any deposit and had made plans to pay in person at the hotel.

He was forced to wander the streets until he found emergency shelter more than an hour later at The Sun and Sand Hotel.

He ended up shelling out more than £80 ($104) a night on his last-minute accommodation.

Mark said: “You just assume it’s going to be good if the ratings are all good.”

Mark said the reviews of the hotel were excellent and he didn’t think twice before booking.

But on his return, he tried to unravel the mystery of the invisible hotel.

He said: “Later I found on Google reviews that there were a lot of people saying it was a scam and not to book it.”

After Mark complained to Booking.com, the hotel disappeared from the site.

A hotel listing still exists on the Trivago hotel comparison site – no photos or reviews, but a location still visible on the map.

The Sphinx and Pyramids View Hotel in Giza was uploaded to Booking.com on 19 July 2024 – and is listed on the same street as The Pyramids and Sphinx View Hotel on Trivago.

The hotel has so far received 44 reviews to receive a 9.0 rating, with glowing recommendations drowning out the handful of reviewers who called the hotel a scam.

Booking.com hotel photos depict luxurious bedrooms, scantily clad women posing in bathtubs and women standing in front of pyramids.

Despite the false start, Mark had a great time visiting the pyramids, temples and taking to the skies in a hot air balloon over Luxor.

He said: “There is more freedom when you travel alone.

“It would have been worse if he had a wife and children.”

Mark has traveled to more than 40 countries, writing about his experience for his blog MJ Travel Guides – https://mjtravelguides.com

A spokesperson for Booking.com said: “We are sorry to hear about this customer’s experience with a property listed on our platform.

“While the hotel has successfully hosted a number of guests, we are investigating further and will be in direct contact with the customer to provide any further support.”