Sofitel Los Angeles/Facebook/Marquita T./Yelp
There are a few photography tricks that can deceive the eye.
- Hotels and resorts tend to publish photos of their biggest hotel rooms and empty, paradise-like pools.
- Review sites such as Yelp and Foursquare can tell a different - and sometimes more accurate - account of what it's like to stay at a hotel.
- From London to Las Vegas, here are some of the most shocking fantasy vs. reality photos.
When booking a hotel for your next trip, you might think you know what you're getting by looking at the hotel's website and social media.
But traveler beware - every company wants to put their best face forward.
From making hotel rooms and swimming pools look bigger than they actually are, to adding props to a hotel room during a photo shoot, there are a few photography tricks that can deceive the eye. In many cases, they're fooling the potential customer and making the space look a whole lot more glamorous than it actually is.
Review sites such as Yelp and Foursquare can sometimes be a more reliable source of what a hotel room or pool might be like. Whether it's smaller, more cramped, crowded, or dimly lit, the reviewers have little reason to try to make a room or accommodation something that it's not.
Below, a collection of photos from hotels that have posted some wonderful photos of their space - but didn't quite accurately capture what it might be like during a typical stay.