I booked a luxury hotel in Egypt - but when I arrived I found out it didn't actually exist

A travel blogger who booked a stay at a luxury hotel in Egypt was horrified to discover that it didn't actually exist once he arrived.

Mark Jeavons, 43, reserved the Pyramids and Sphinx View Hotel for his four-night vacation in Giza, Egypt, back in January.

But when he got to the listed address around midnight, the avid traveler said there was no hotel in site - just an empty back alley.

He was forced to roam the streets in the middle of the night for over an hour as he desperately searched for a place to stay.

And Mark ultimately had to fork over almost double what he originally thought he'd be paying due to the last-minute booking. 

A travel blogger who booked a stay at a luxury hotel in Egypt was horrified to discover that it didn't actually exist once he arrived

Mark, an English teacher, from Wolverhampton, England, said of the shock discovery: '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 totally stranded - it was not ideal.'

He explained that he had reserved a room at the Pyramids and Sphinx View Hotel through Booking.com from January 4 to January 7, 2024, for his 'bucket list' solo adventure.

He added that the listing had dozens of positive reviews so he never expected it to be fake.

It featured images of a rooftop area from which you could see the Pyramids, luxurious bedrooms, and scantily-clad women posing in bath tubs.

Mark was quoted around $52 per night and was told by the website that it would be paid in person. He was not asked to pay any deposit.

Upon arriving and discovering that it didn't exist, the horrified tourist spent over an hour wandering Giza until he found emergency accommodation at The Sun and Sand Hotel.

And he ended up shelling out more than $100 a night on his last-minute refuge. 

Mark Jeavons, 43, reserved the Pyramids and Sphinx View Hotel for his four-night vacation in Giza, Egypt, back in January 

But when he got to the listed address around midnight, the avid traveler (seen during the trip) said there was no hotel in site - just an empty back alley

He was forced to roam the streets in the middle of the night for over an hour as he desperately searched for a place to stay

'You just assume it is going to be good if the reviews are all good,' Mark reflected of the experience.

Upon Mark's return home, he set about unearthing the mystery of the invisible hotel.

'I later found out on Google reviews that there were lots of people saying it was a scam and not to book it,' he revealed.

And after Mark complained to Booking.com about it, the hotel vanished from the site.

A record of the hotel still exists on hotel comparison site Trivago - with no photos or reviews but a location still visible on a map.

Despite the false start, Mark said he had a great time touring the Pyramids, temples, and taking to the skies in a hot air balloon over Luxor.

He gushed: 'There is more freedom when you are solo travelling. It would have been worse if there were wife and kids.'

Mark has traveled to more than 40 countries, and documents his experiences for his blog, entitled MJ Travel Guides.

A spokesperson for Booking.com said: 'We were sorry to hear about the experience of this customer 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 contact with the customer directly to offer any further support.'