8 hotels that look nothing like the photos on their websites

ClubHotel Riu Bambu
What you see if often not what you get what it comes to hotel photos. ClubHotel Riu Bambu

While most travellers rely on reviews and recommendations before booking a hotel, many may not realise how drastically different photos on hotel websites can be from what they're bound to find in real life.

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Hotel review website Oyster.com visits hotels in person and takes pictures so visitors know exactly what to expect, often exposing a stark difference between the online fantasy and reality.

From the falsely enticing blue of a pool or an ocean to a deceivingly tranquil environment devoid of people, see some of Oyster.com's best "photo fakeouts" below.

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While the angle of the image from Ava Hotel in Athens suggests a close proximity to historic sights best enjoyed with a bottle of bubbly, reality shows a much more cramped and less glamorous situation that's really not that close to anything.

Ava Hotel Athens
Ava Hotel Athens / Oyster.com

ClubHotel Riu Bambu may look like the perfect place for a peaceful swim on the hotel's website, but Oyster.com discovered a much less tranquil scene.

Club Hotel Riu Bambu
Club Hotel Riu Bambu / Oyster.com
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Crown Reef at South Beach looks like a secluded spot for some family fun, but be prepared to join countless others who had the same idea.

Crown Reef
Crown Reef / Oyster.com

The vibrant blue pool and white walls shown on the website of Hostel El Corazon may have undergone some slight photo editing, as the scene discovered by Oyster.com was a bit less bright.

Hostel El Corazon
Hostel El Corazon / Oyster.com
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The serene rock beach and sparkling waters at La Plage Resort suggest the perfect adult getaway, but in reality visitors would be lucky to find a spot to sit.

La Plage Resort
La Plage Resort / Oyster.com

Maca Bana may seem like the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail with a view, but you'd better hope there are no other guests – the pool's size is comparable to a very large bathtub.

Maca Bana
Maca Bana / Oyster.com
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LA Sofitel looks like a lovely place to take a dip at dusk – if you're fine with swimming underneath a Macy's, that is.

LA Sofitel
LA Sofitel / Oyster.com

The cleverly (and tightly) cropped image on the Trump SoHo website hides the thin, plain pool and bleak city view that are actually found at the hotel.

Trump Soho
Trump Soho / Oyster.com
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BONUS: This underwater hotel room floats in the middle of the ocean

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