Ian and Denise Feltham, a couple from the UK, spent $11,800 for two weeks in a VIP penthouse in Ibiza, Spain, listed on Airbnb, which apparently did not exist.
The Felthams' Ibiza vacation plans included booking the Airbnb penthouse complete with a Turkish bath, hot tub and marble-decked terrace. The couple was traveling with their two Yorkshire terriers so they selected the so-called dog-friendly listing.
As it turned out, photos of the Airbnb listing, which were subsequently removed, were compiled from various condos for rent or sale on the Las Boas complex's website. According to a Las Boas staff member, the Airbnb listing was fake and no such property exists.
Ian Feltham confirmed that the photos on the Las Boas' website matched the photos on the listing they booked.
Maria Cala, owner of a Las Boas unit and co-founder of The Suites, a residential rental website that lists some Las Boas units, pointed out that the Turkish bath for the so-called VIP penthouse is actually for the entire complex and not dedicated to a single unit. Cala also said that while "there are some nice penthouses in the building with direct access by lift," there are no private lifts, contrary to the amenity posted on the listing.
Airbnb released a statement saying: "Our handling of this issue fell below our usual high standards and we have reached out to the guest to apologize and refund them in full. We have suspended the listing while we investigate and are continuing to work with the guest to make things right."
Feltham narrated that he grew wary of the listing days before the trip because the original poster of the listing, Lux Travel Collective, was not responding to them days before their scheduled arrival. He expressed dissatisfaction over how Airbnb handled the issue, making them search in panic for a dog-friendly hotel when they arrived in Ibiza.
