Tourist’s wild view from her hotel room leaves her face to face with diners
A woman has gone viral on TikTok after realising the promised views in her New York City hotel room were vastly different to what was advertised.
This isn’t exactly a room with a view.
Tourist Desiree Baker was left stunned after checking into a New York City hotel room to find its window looked directly into an adjoining Times Square restaurant, the New York Post reported.
Ms Baker booked a suite at the Cassa Hotel and Residences in Midtown via Airbnb last week, with the listing photos showing a window which looked out over the city.
But the excited traveller was shocked when she pulled back the curtain in the room and discovered that there were diners seated in a restaurant on the other side of the glass.
Creepily, the patrons were seated just a foot away from Baker and had no idea that she was watching them.
The glass on the restaurant side of the window is reflective, with diners believing it is nothing more than a mirror.
“When we got to the hotel it was dark and we just went to bed,” Ms Baker explained in a TikTok video, which has been viewed more eight million times.
A person at the Cassa’s front desk told The New York Post that they “didn’t see how the story was newsworthy.”
“When we woke up there were blackout shades but I was so excited to see the view. I thought I was going to see a building, a skyline or whatever.”
“I roll up the shades and we are in a restaurant. We are fully in a restaurant. I can open up this window and fully join these people at their dinner, at their lunch,” she stated.
Ms Baker filmed footage of the unsuspecting diners eating just centimetres from her inside the restaurant.
Bizarrely, the room’s window even opens up so Ms Baker is able to reach directly into the eatery itself.
“HOW IS THIS LEGAL? You literally cannot make this up. I can open the window and touch their table,” the tourist captioned the clip.
Ms Baker reportedly reached out to the “Airbnb host” to complain about the situation, saying the photos and description of the room listed on the website did not match the reality.
“Apologies for taking some time to reply to you, actually we were going to cancel your reservation as we had some room issues, however, we were able to manage to host you,” the host replied.
“I believe everything went and is going well during your stay and glad to know that we were able to host you during this time of year.”
However, Ms Baker’s viral TikTok was viewed by Airbnb employees, who promptly emailed her to apologise for the situation and offer her a voucher for free accommodation in the future.
The New York Post has reached out to Airbnb and Baker for further comment.
The Cassa listing has been removed from the holiday rental website, however a different suite in the building appears to be listed for $US153 ($A214) per night.
Rooms on the Cassa’s official website are listed between $US299 ($A418) and $US499 ($A698) per night.
It’s unclear whether that room can be rented through the hotel or whether it is a privately owned residence.
When asked about the video, Cassa’s front desk claimed to The New York Post that they were unaware of the viral TikTok.
“Did something bad happen?” the concierge asked. “Was there a crime?”
This article originally appeared on the New York Post and has been republished here with permission.
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