An unusual view hidden behind a curtain at an Airbnb venue in Venice, Italy, has baffled users on Reddit.
Images of the view were shared by the guest in a post on Reddit under the username empirepark and the post was titled: "Here's what's behind the bedroom curtains in my Venice Airbnb." The post has amassed 2,900 upvotes and dozens of comments since it was shared around a month earlier.
The poster, who did not share their name, told Newsweek that their Airbnb stay, which was from October 29 to 31, was at a one-bedroom located directly on the Grand Canal near the San Silvestro vaporetto waterbus stop in Venice.
The images on Reddit show a view of a curtain, behind which is a window with metal fencing on the opposite side of it. The window overlooks an empty, dilapidated room with a table and bare walls.
Asked whether they spoke to the Airbnb host about the unusual view behind the window curtain, the poster told Newsweek: "No, it didn't bother me. Was just interesting and creepy, hence my post," emphasizing that "the apartment was great and as advertised."
Newsweek contacted Airbnb for comment but the company could not verify the booking for this Airbnb listing—which the poster shared with Newsweek but declined to disclose any further details—due to the lack of information, such as the guest's name and booking reference number.
The Reddit post comes as Airbnb's total revenue worldwide reached $9.92 billion in 2023, marking a rise from the previous year's total of $8.4 billion, according to data compiled by Statista, the global data firm. In the same year, Airbnb reported over 448 million booked nights and experiences, which was nearly double the number of bookings of five years ago, the firm noted.
In a caption shared with the images in the Reddit post, the poster said: "I rented an apartment in a Palazzo from the 13th century. I guess only part of it was redone."
The poster told Newsweek that "the front living/dining room has windows directly onto the canal, which is the main draw. It's on the ground floor so almost at water level."
Noting that they were not aware of the hidden back window view before they made the booking, the poster said that the Airbnb host "obviously didn't highlight the view from the back, just the front [view], which looks out onto one of the best views in Venice."
The poster added: "I think the front [view] more than compensates" for the back view, noting: "I think this is more of a regional thing than a gross misrepresentation, to be honest."
The guest did not ask for a refund or any other form of compensation for their booking. "I'd never ask for a refund unless a vacation rental was significantly not as described. This was fine," the poster told Newsweek.
Airbnb requires its hosts to meet a set of "ground rules," which includes listing accuracy and cleanliness, among other requirements.
Airbnb guests are also protected via the AirCover policy, which provides support for "serious issues" with your booking, such as the host canceling your booking before check-in or the heating not working in winter. It does not include "minor inconveniences," such as a broken toaster, Airbnb notes.
Guests can also access Airbnb's 24-hour safety phone line, which connects them directly to the company's safety team for support, including with refunds and rebooking.
'Eerie'
The unexpected back window view in the Reddit post has left users intrigued.
TikkiTakiTomtom: "Huh that is actually quite creepy," and Social_Liz agreed, saying: "Whoa! Yeah, a little creepy. Lol."
"That dirty, shabby ceiling with faint light coming through it really adds to the creepiness factor," noted cytherian.
Vephar8 wrote: "Man that area on the left is eerie," and Cypher___ said: "Don't stress, that's just the torture room."
Icy-Variation6614 noted: "Airbnb or horror game intro," and diofantos asked: "humm .. you in prison?"
Ghouliejulie86 noted: "Is it an old confessional or jail cell? I can't figure it out."
User garden_gate_key offered a different perspective, noting: "That's quite common is old buildings in Spain and Italy. Some of the bedrooms/bathrooms/kitchens have windows that open to a light shaft, while the living room and some bedrooms/kitchens open towards the street. That used to be useful before aircon as you could create a nice air draught though the flat during the hot months..."
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