Outdoor Revival
By Julie Morris | Updated Jun 22, 2026

30+ Epic Tanning Fails That'll Have You Saying "Pass the Sunscreen"

You are relaxing on a tropical beach with a cocktail in hand reading a book or just listening to the waves crashing on the shore. We dream of the perfect tan, but that doesn't always happen. From lobster-like tans and unsuccessful spray tans to hilarious tanning lines, here are examples of how we don’t want to look on our tropical vacations…


Lets Play Tic-Tac-Toe

Photo by reddit.com

As a woman, there are many factors to consider when buying a bathing suit. The shape, the price, whether it’s comfortable to wear all day, how it will look under your clothing, and perhaps, what the tanning lines will look like. It seems that this poor girl may have forgotten to check the last item on this list!

We can imagine that the top of her bathing suit looked very good while she was wearing it, but the aftermath of some time in the sun has got her looking rather comical. The lines are so clear, one can almost play a game of tic-tac-toe in them. She may opt for some strong sunscreen next time, but until then, she will probably want to wear some high-necked shirts.

A Lunch to Remember

Photo by Pinterest

We have established that sleeping in the sun or on the beach can have some nasty after effects, but eating on the beach is very enjoyable, isn’t it? Sure it is, unless you eat and sleep at the same time, then it can burn you in all the wrong ways.

It would appear that this young lady was enjoying her favorite cereal in the sun when she dozed off for some reason. Maybe having cereal for lunch is not such a good idea. She will have to stop wearing shorts for a while if she wants to avoid some pretty awkward looks and stares, or questions like, 'was she born with a spoon on her leg?'.

Croc Circles

Photo by Reddit

There has been much debate about the attractiveness of Crocs. Even though they are not to everyone’s taste, apparently their comfort and practicality make up for their looks. You can wear them on any terrain and in any weather.

Clearly, this man is a big fan and supporter of Crocs. In fact, it seems he practically lives in his. He has been wearing them for so long that he tanned the little Croc circles that the shoes are famous for on his feet. Well, now he better keep wearing them to hide these embarrassing tan circles!

Caught Red Handed

Photo by Reddit

If you have ever dozed off for an afternoon siesta, you may well know that you should do it in the shade. The sun is at its strongest during these hours of the day and it can cause some serious damage if you are not protected by shade or sunscreen.

This guy looks like he already has quite light and sensitive skin to start with, so there’s already that disadvantage. The other problem is that he has been caught red-handed for taking a leisurely snooze. Or should we say white-handed? There will be no hiding from this hand tan for a few days.

Not Farmer Brown

Photo by Reddit

If there is one tan or sunburn that has earned our respect, it’s the farmer’s tan. It is a clear indication that you have been working hard to earn your keep and bring home the bacon. Luckily, these tans are usually hidden by our clothing most of the time, so they don’t burn our egos too much.

There is no telling how this poor fellow got his extreme sunburn. He doesn’t really look like a farmer in our opinion. Unless it was his first day on the job. Well, in that case, we do hope he has learned his lesson and that he has a large supply of aloe to get him through the next few days.

A Swimmers' Nightmare

Photo by cutucanao.com.br

Being fashionable is key. Being able to show up every day of your vacation with a different swimsuit is important to your image. But still... some pre-thinking is needed.

Choose similarly designed swimsuits, otherwise, you will end up like this poor girl in the picture. Play with the colors of the swimsuit, not with it's build.

From Braveheart To…

Photo by motika.com.mk

The power of the sun is not to be underestimated. That giant ball of nuclear energy powers our whole world, we couldn’t begin to exist without it. Spray tans can go wrong, but the sun deserves our respect on a different level.

This young man went for a fun day in the sun dressed up, or painted on as William Wallace’s brother, perhaps? Well, it seems like his body paint had pretty good UV protection… We are willing to bet that he didn’t see himself ending up with a funky zebra tan! Maybe he can wear this look to his next party.

Too Cold To Handle

Photo by playboy.com

Your bikini is important at the beach. It's a statement. Even if the weather is not fit for a bikini, or even to be at the beach - you have to. What would the others say?!

So you go to the beach to take advantage of the sun for a few hours, but it's cold. So you fall asleep with a light cover. It's light, but it blocks "the light". And there goes your final summer tan.

Love Hurts

Photo by tert.am

This is literally the meaning of love hurts. When your loved one tells you "let's skip work and go to the beach." You should still think of the consequences.

But if you plan on not being smart at the beach - at least do it with someone you love, so you won't get that "I told you so" look, and simply "look" at each other in loving pain.

Risk vs Reward

Photo by pinterest.ca

So far, we haven’t been very impressed by people’s efforts towards suntan or, should we say, sunburn art. The idea is creative, but there may be certain unhealthy side effects that won’t be worth the risk for most people. The rewards don’t seem to outweigh the risks.

This little turtle design does look rather cute, though. Who doesn’t adore a baby turtle, especially if you have watched Finding Nemo? The thing that worries us is that this design was burned on in one day, which is not a safe or healthy way to get a tan or a ‘tantoo’.

Star-Spangled Back

Photo by press24.mk

It is a great feeling to love your country and some people are very passionate about expressing their patriotism. If buying a cap or t-shirt with your nation’s flag on it just won’t suffice to show your commitment and love for your country, a sunburn expression may be the next best thing.

While we give him five stars for commitment and effort, there seem to be a few stars missing from his flag. Perhaps he will never notice this as he can’t see his back and was probably assisted by a friend to create his masterpiece. What you can’t see can’t hurt you, right?

Burn, Batman, Burn

Photo by sanddas.com

Some people have been very creative with sunburn. They purposely expose their skins to the sun to burn a specific pattern or shape. It doesn’t seem like a very healthy hobby, but this guy did a pretty good job with his project. There is no question as to what he wanted to temporarily burn on himself. It’s clearer than the signal in the sky…

It’s batman himself! If these die-hard fans are not shaving the bat signal in their chest hair (yes, it happens), they are burning it on themselves. The natural next step would be committing to a tattoo, right? On a side note, sun-burned nipples are apparently very painful - maybe that explains the expression on his face.

Panda Eyes

Photo by twitter.com

When you frequent a tanning salon, you will know that it is vitally important to wear those protective goggles to keep your eyes safe. It is quite clear that this lady has been visiting the tanning salon on a very regular basis and also taking care of her eyes, but something doesn’t look quite right.

Either her protective goggles were rather oversized, or she was a bit hasty with her tanning process. If you happen to wear sunglasses out in the sun all day, you could also end up with this phenomenon which looks like you have panda eyes. Maybe a more gradual tanning schedule would be able to prevent this from happening in the future.

Put Your Back Into It

Photo by press24.mk

Whether you’re a hopeless romantic or not, most of us have fantasized about that big day when somebody proposes to you or you ask for your loved one’s hand in marriage. There is one aspect that we all surely have in common when we dream about this day – we want it to be as special as possible.

This guy must have had some serious help from his friends for his marriage proposal. There was obviously no talking him out of this curious way of expressing his commitment. Hopefully, his prospective fiancé doesn’t mind that he is asking the big question with his back to them! At least he passed the planning, commitment, and effort tests.

Don’t Cry for Me

Photo by womenshealthmag.com

Spray tanning has pros and cons. It is a fast and effective way to get your dream tan without exposing yourself to the sun’s potentially harmful rays. On the other hand, spray tans can also be unpredictable in how they turn out…

Perhaps this young lady didn’t get the memo on the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of spray tan care. Well, she must have figured out that crying before your tan dries properly is a big don’t! And she will be reminded of this for the next week as she waits for the evidence of her unfortunate mishap to fade away. Lesson learned!

Creepy Crabs

Photo by inkedmag.com

This tan is quite scary. Not because of the sunburn, but because of what the sunburn shapes on her back suggest. Not only must she have fallen asleep for a very long time in the sun, but it also looks like some crustaceans may have taken advantage of her warm back to take a nap themselves!

These crabs must have been happy to find a warm, inviting, soft, and sand-free sun-bed on their beach. By the looks of it, they were happy to lay around on her for a decent amount of time. Perhaps she will think twice before napping on the beach again.

Facing the Wrong Way

Photo by intermedia.ge

There are definitely parents around the world whose famous last words before their kids leave the house on a sunny day is: ‘Wear a hat!’. And it is for a good reason. But wearing a baseball cap facing backward is like wearing sunglasses on your head. It’s more of a hair accessory than sun protection.

This young gentleman must have thought he looked very cool with his hat and it did protect him from the sun, but not in the right places. The back of his neck is probably not sunburned! And neither is his head, which could have been even more painful than his burned face. Hopefully, he learns how to wear a hat properly next time.

Sexy Burn

Photo by playground33.com

Any summer burn is a sexy burn. NOT. This one has the potential of being a sexy burn, but it turns out to be a simply burned bun.

Laugh all you want, but put on some sunscreen. It's sexy at a young age, but as years go by, bad tanning turns against you and your body.

A Very Natural Bikini Top

Photo by luhringaugustine.com

Trying to bronze yourself in the sun in time for summer can become a bit of an obsession. ‘Just a little bit browner’, some might say to themselves as they start seeing the results of their tanning. As one’s skin becomes darker gradually, you may not notice your tan lines until it is too late.

This girl is either very proud of her tan lines or not very impressed at all. It must have taken hours in the sun to achieve such a drastic result. She looks like she is wearing a white bikini underneath her strapless top. Perhaps, that is the look that she is going for this evening.

Nothing Rhymes With Orange

Photo by wordpress.com

It’s hard to tell if this guy is posing for a photo and therefore holding his kiss at a distance, or perhaps he doesn’t want his lips to suffer the same fate as his girlfriend’s skin. It looks like the color could smear or rub off, and he probably doesn’t want to look like he’s wearing orange lipstick on their night out.

She has a beautiful smile and eyes, but it looks like she had a few too many visits to the spray can. Usually, any person getting a fake tan wants it to look as natural as possible, but this lady looks quite happy about her tone.

Fashion Cons

Photo by nine.com.au

it's always good to be fashionable, even at the beach. You always want to look as good as you can. If you can make everybody around you think of you as a fashion icon - that's even better.

But that comes with a price. As you can see, being fashionable at the beach has a lot of pros, but it also has its cons. Think before you dress.

It Doesn’t Work Like Deodorant

Photo by sanddas.com

This guy may have burned his ego more than his body. It is good to have a front and back picture to appreciate the extent of his funny tan. He has given a whole new meaning to ‘tan lines’. Perhaps roll-on toiletries should stick to deodorants… Or was it an application error?

By the looks of it, he had a helping hand to put sunscreen on his back. The application process looks like it missed a few steps though. There is clear evidence that the sunscreen works against sunburn, but perhaps he should try rubbing it in next time or get a lotion for a more even cover instead.

Just One More Song

Photo by mirror.co.uk

Here we can see another victim of a sunny siesta. It looks like he must have been listening to some very relaxing beachy beats, because he slept in the sun for longer than he should have!

He didn’t just tan his phone on his chest, there’s even evidence of his headphone cable plugged into his phone. Maybe his friends couldn’t tell that he was fast asleep since he was wearing sunglasses. Or that was part of his clever plan to sleep on the beach undisturbed.

Old McDonald’s Tan

Photo by espreso.rs

Most of us are likely to have gotten a farmer’s tan before, but this poor guy has really got it really bad – it looks rather painful. One has to guess that he’s not a farmer, because they surely know to at least wear sunscreen on their arms.

He looks like he needs an ice bath and tubs of after sun. Whether he is an amateur farmer or just your average joe, hopefully he doesn’t have to learn this lesson more than once.

Let’s Get Tank-Topped

Photo by korabox.ru

It’s not a good idea to rush into a tan in time for summer, especially not if you have pale skin. People with red hair generally have the most sensitive skins and should avoid prolonged direct exposure to the sun, but this guy did not get the memo!

This is one way of getting out of doing your laundry, wear your colored tank top one day and then your white one the next day. Oh wait… he’s not wearing a shirt! His skin is almost the same color as the white trim on his shorts, but his nipples and belly button are a dead giveaway, unfortunately.

The Long and Short of It

Photo by paleisthenewtan.com

This man has quite the skin tone for achieving a bronze tan, which isn’t obvious when you see his pasty complexion where the sun doesn’t shine. This tan would appear to be of the unintentional kind since there is a very clear and abrupt line where it ends which is probably every professional tanner’s nightmare.

The question is, what kind of activity is he doing in the sun for so long to get so tanned? The shorts he’s wearing in the picture look quite long compared to the shorts that caused his tan line, and those very short shorts must be tight too to make such a clear line… Are they long speedos perhaps?

‘V’ Is For Very Sunburned

Photo by diaforetiko.gr

Wow, this guy doesn’t look so good. He must be feeling quite ill from his intense sunburn, he might be lying on his couch for the next few days. Luckily, his face is not quite as burned as his chest – or at least the part of it that was sticking out from his shirt.

This young chap was evidently wearing a V-neck shirt and the shape he burned is rather interesting. Once he has recovered from his burn, he may have to stick to wearing more similar V-necks. If he decides to switch to round-neck t-shirts, he may look like a bit of a geometrical disaster.

Don’t Forget to Smile!

Photo by onedio.com

If you have ever suffered a sunburn, you would know that life can be pretty miserable having one. Nobody wants to get sunburned, but it’s usually a sign of such a good time that you forgot to wear sunscreen, a hat, or even your clothes.

This guy has a pretty important message that he is willing to suffer for – smile! And, to be honest, even though it’s not a very good thing to do to your body, we can support his friendly reminder. Besides, he is wearing a massive smile even though he is a certain shade of lobster.

Pippi Longstocking

Photo by reddit.com

You may have to do a double-take for this tan line. This person has flipped the norm. Instead of a white sock tan, they have three-quarter pants kinda tan which has left them looking like they are wearing pink socks this time. How on earth did they manage that?

One theory could be that they were wearing cycling pants which could be this exact length and tight enough to make this sharp tanning line. Another scenario may be that they were wearing a diving suit whilst snorkeling, which would explain the burn on the back of the legs… You can use your imagination, but either way, this person could be Pippi Longstocking.

Smile for the Funny Photo

Photo by twitter.com

When we wear a hat to protect us from the sun, bigger is usually better. Sunhats can protect your face, neck, and ears which is the best way to avoid sunburn. Baseball caps are also useful, especially if you need to be agile whilst playing sports or working.

Unfortunately, these baseball caps only work one way. And that is if the peak is facing the front to protect your precious face. It looks like this guy has been developing his tan over some time. Perhaps he never takes his backward cap off, unless it is for a funny photo like this one. He doesn't look very happy about the exposure though.

Double Burn

Photo by milliyet.com.tr

So, we are all well aware by now that stick sunscreen should be reserved for protecting your face only, or else… It is impossible to see where you have already put sunscreen or where you haven’t at all. It’s like one of those magic pens that you write with but can only see later when you color over the writing with another special pen and – surprise!

This guy definitely got a surprise when he saw this mess on his back. It honestly looks like he asked a child to apply his stick sunscreen for him. They didn’t even put any on his lower back and looking at that tan line too, all we can think is ‘ouch’! You got burned by the sun and by whoever tried to help you protect your back.

I Wanna Moana

Photo by inkedmag.com

Now here is a stick sunscreen burn we can back, lol! There is definitely something different going on here, like a purposeful or planned pattern. It looks pretty tropical and islander style or like something from the movie Moana.

Either this man had some spare time on his hands to play around or perhaps he is testing out the pattern for a tattoo in the near future. It’s hard to tell what he thinks of it since we can’t see his face, but we can say with certainty that a tattoo of this scale would definitely be more painful.

X Marks The Spot

Photo by jenite.bg

There is a reason for and a purpose behind every patch of hair on your body. Even our eyebrows and eyelashes serve an important function. While most of us see our hair as something that can add to our good looks or make a fashion statement, it also protects us from the burning rays of the sun. Therefore, bald guys have an extra body part to lather with sunscreen unless they wear a hat instead.

This man doesn’t seem to be losing his hair to the hereditary phenomenon of going bald. It looks like he shaved his hair, perhaps to look tough? He missed a peculiar spot though and burned the rest of his head leaving him with a big cross on the back. He is even peeling in his neck, that’s first or second-degree burns right there!

The Case of the Disappearing Nipples

Photo by kutsaldamacana.com

It’s always good to have some mystery in your life. Well, here is a mysterious picture for you to ponder about. What could possibly have caused these horrendous tan lines? If this was his attempt at stick sunscreen, we are very disappointed. The streaks aren't of even width, it must have been something else...

It is hard not to notice how severe his burn is. And again, on the most sensitive parts of his torso – his nipples. It’s even difficult to see them since his body is burned to the same shade of pink which makes them look camouflaged. That has got to hurt!

Fitting in With Fashion

Photo by tilestwra.com

Knee-high socks made a comeback in fashion recently. It looks like this girl took the trend quite seriously, unless she is actually a soccer player. Either way, she has obviously been spending a lot of time in the sun donning some long socks, so perhaps playing sport is a more likely answer.

If we take a closer look at her shoes and t-shirt, it becomes clear that she likes black and white together. Maybe she is not too concerned with her strange, zebra-like, long sock tan, but if she would like to avoid this funny phenomenon in the future, we strongly suggest some sunscreen for the knees!

Think Happy Thoughts

Photo by vietdesigner.net

It’s clear by now that there are some undeniable pros and cons to spray tans. On the plus side, it’s a quick way to get your bronze tan on without exposing yourself to the harmful rays of the sun. But surely they should warn you at the salon of the protocols for aftercare, like: do not cry at any cost.

This poor girl still has puffy eyes from her crying episode. The streaks on her face are probably not helping and are as good a reason as any to cry some more. It could make for a cool Halloween outfit, but that would only solve one day of having this disaster on her face. It’s better to think only happy thoughts after your spray tan.

Burning Sandals

Sandals are fun in the summer; Having the cool summer breeze run through your toes, feeling free and wild... well, choose when to wear them. Having them on all day, in the sun can cause, as you can see, sandal burns!

So if you know it's going to be one of those days, choose your sandals wisely, as we've already seen what Crocs can do to a foot in summer.

The Bronze Goes To...

Photo by sublimly.com

Athletes train extremely hard and their schedules are not filled with much downtown. On the odd chance that they do have a few hours to spare, they may enjoy lounging around in the sun, just like this swimmer clearly did.

What's easy to see from her tan, however, is that this athlete's bathing suit is not the same one she wears when she's winning medals in the swimming pool. It would be interesting to know if she would win gold with the same bikini that allows her to get so bronze.

What Friends Are For

Photo by gazeta.pl

Unless you are extremely flexible or a professional contortionist, we all have a spot on our backs that we can’t reach. You can rub your shoulders from the top and try to reach a bit of your lower back from the bottom, but there is an unnavigated area in between. If you don’t know what we are talking about, refer to Exhibit A below.

This fellow made a really great effort of doing the responsible thing by wearing sunscreen. Only one problem: his coverage wasn’t perfect. Most people wouldn’t be able to do any better, though. That’s what we all need a friend for...hopefully, he doesn’t have to go to the beach alone again.

I Do Things My Way

Photo by unblog.fr

When it’s a sunny day, you want to make sure you have your hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses. You only have one pair of eyes so it’s a great idea to protect them, especially from the sun. This guy remembered his sunglasses, but not his hat or sunscreen, it appears…

He is beyond a panda tan. It looks like he has Zorro’s eye mask on, but in white. That’s not all bad, is it? He has a semi-permanent superhero tan going. It might work with the ladies? As Zorro would say – I do things my own way! He looks rather pleased with himself.

Rudolph The Red Nosed Raccoon

Now here is a unique tan and this man looks as shocked about it as we are. He has almost perfectly burned only the lower half of his face and also his nose. It surely can’t be a sunglass tan as the area is too big (although fashion can be unpredictable these days). So it’s more severe than just ‘panda eyes’ or ‘raccoon eyes’ from his sunglasses.

Our first guess is that this guy went skiing in the sun for the first time. The problem with that is that the sun doesn’t only shine on you from above, but it can also burn you from below by reflecting off the white snow. This would catch any amateur by surprise the first time. Hopefully, there won’t be a second sunburn like this again!

When you're on a trip to the beach, you'll likely need somewhere to stay and will be looking for lodging. Up next, more fails - this time, of hotels...

Section 43

Photo by onedio.com

Hotels That Make the Bates Motel Look GoodWhen you check into a hotel, you’re looking for your stay to be stress-free. Whether you’re on a business trip or vacation, you’re in the need for a place where you can rest and relax and feel at home. Most hotels do their best to make you feel that way. They go above and beyond to give you an as close to perfect experience as you can get. But not all hotels are at that level.

The hotels on this list failed so bad that you have to laugh so you don’t cry. The guests had an experience far from their dream vacation.

When You Have to Call For Help

Photo by kenh14.vn

If you’ve ever found yourself in this hopeless situation, you know the procedure. You can either waddle over to the nearest toilet paper roll, or if things are really desperate you swallow your pride and reach for that nearby towel knowing full well that you will have to burn it afterward.

Your only other option really is to call out for help. That only works though if someone’s close enough to hear you and if you didn’t lock the door. Next time remember to check for extra rolls before you sit down.

Let’s Hope There’s Another Entrance

Photo by reddit.com

This is the last place you want to spend the night if there’s an emergency. It’s already panicking enough to hear the fire alarm. Now you have to decide which wall you’re going to try to run through.

Best case scenario, the door to the right is the real exit otherwise you’d have to pray that the wall has a magic portal you can slide through.

So Many Regrets

Photo by reddit.com

On what was supposed to be a fun trip with his girlfriend across the country visiting friends, this guy somehow got stuck inside his hotel show. The girlfriend did the only thing she could. She called the front desk. It took a repairman three hours to free him.

Getting stuck in a show is probably the last thing you’ve ever worried about. At least he had plenty of time to contemplate those deep show thoughts.

The Best Vacation Destination

Photo by tacorelish.com

When parents make a booking for Motel 6, they’re hoping that the kids get to spend the day at the pool and out of the way. But for this hotel parents and kids were equally disappointed. Is it the pool full of grass that’s so funny, the ladders coming out of it or the shepherd’s hook hanging on the fence? Regardless, there was no swimming that day.

These give cause to believe that Motel 6 will refurbish it’s swimming pools in the very near future.

You Have to Shake it a Little Harder

Photo by playboyrussia.com

It makes sense that the hotel restaurant would have packets of salt and pepper for the guests to use. That is just good hospitality. But what if all those packets were shoved into the shakers? It leaves a lot of questions for us and the guests.

Perhaps it’s just another hotel ploy used to get more money out of your pocket. My guess is they charge a dollar or two per packet.

Did You Pack Your Towel?

Photo by dailymail.co.uk

You look out over to the sandy, white beach as the morning sun glistens on the waves of Honolulu. Palm trees gently sway in the breeze and you’re ready to sip your coffee out on your balcony. The catch is that you have to walk through the shower to get there.

We’re not certain why the hotel designed the balcony this way. Maybe they thought that everyone needed a view of the ocean halfway through a scrub.

The Hell Sink in the Helsinki Hotel

Photo by reddit.com

Some designs are so simple that fails seem impossible. Somehow, they still manage to mess it up. We still don’t understand how the sink installation got this far without anyone noticing.

It wasn’t just a simple mess up by one person. This sink had a plumber, architect, contractor, and handyman who all worked on it and never noticed that it needed a longer faucet. Needless to say, the countertop is probably spotless.

Clearly the Honeymoon Suite

Photo by motika.com.mk

This hotel bathroom was clearly designed for a couple that is extremely comfortable with each other. And while it might work for you on your honeymoon, there are a few situations that we can imagine in which this design would not be okay.

What if you had to share this room with a co-worker on a business trip? It would definitely take your relationship to a new level whether you wanted it to or not.

When It’s Time To Leave

Photo by yaplakal.com

We’re usually under the impression that the hotel room we’re about to stay in has been scrubbed from top to bottom. But let’s be honest. This is rarely the case. While most housekeeping services do their best, they’ve been known to skimp on clean bedsheets and towels.

Nothing could make you check out of a hotel faster than finding this note in your bed, not even that subpar complimentary breakfast buffet.

When the Guest is Worse Than the Hotel

Photo by novi.ba

What’s worse in this picture? The shower curtain design or the dad-joke it turned into. There’s little to do but cringe as we see his pretend fall and cry for help. His wife probably had a mini heart attack when she saw all the blood squirting out of his neck.

Let’s hope they’re suite came with an extra pull out bed because that’s probably where he’s sleeping tonight.

And You Thought Paying for Breakfast Was Worth It

Photo by net.hr

It turns out that this $15 room service breakfast wasn’t much better than the free continental breakfast you were trying to get away from. Maybe you were thinking waffles or bacon but not this time. The bread can’t even be toasted for you.

This looks like the kind of cafeteria meal you’d get in prison. Maybe it’s the Motel 6 Death Row Special. It’s not the last meal I want to eat.

When Your Room Has Multiple Uses

Photo by ruinmyweek.com

This San Francisco hotel has a door that seems to be just a little off. Upon first look, it seems like a railing blocking access to the room. Ok so it’s off-limits, so what? Now you see that the railing has a hinge that allows you to reach the door. Spooky.

That only means that there’s something on the other side of the door that they still need access to. Maybe a secret penthouse or some sort of holding cell.

No More Hot Water

Photo by bzlinong.com

After a long day of traveling, conducting business, or exploring, there’s nothing you want more than to shower off all the dust, grime, and sweat and preferably in hot water. But at this hotel, your only hope for hot water is if you channel your inner MacGyver.

It seems like a classic “dad” design was integrated into this hotel in the name of saving money. It’s just a simple way to keep the hot water bill down.

Assuming It Was Lost in Translation

Photo by reddit.com

We’re hoping that this Chinese hotel simply mistranslated. Most likely it was someone working at the front desk that was told to translate for English travelers, so he just threw the words into Google translate.

It could’ve been a mistake, but it also could have been a genuine warning not to slip and fall to your death in the shower. If you do, it better be gracefully because they don’t want to be bothered by cleaning up your mess.

Is There a Tulation In the House?

Photo by thechive.com

This hotel is one of those special stays where they tried to go above and beyond to give this couple a special evening. But whoever had the job of writing “congratulations” with rose petals had a bit of a struggle. At least the towels were turned into swans.

However, we could be totally wrong. Maybe it wasn’t a mistake at all. Maybe the person staying in the room has the name “Tulation” giving this hotel a win.

A Hotel or a Library

Photo by thechive.com

Most people assume that anything in a hotel is theirs for the using. If the shampoo and instant coffee are complimentary, why aren’t these books? Really, they’re just there for decoration. It gives the room a much fancier look.

The sign was probably created after a number of people started taking the books home like it was the public library.

Searching For Your Room

Photo by playboyrussia.com

When you check into your hotel late in the afternoon, this doesn’t seem like much of a problem. But jump forward to a few hours later after drinks and dinner, a few at the party, maybe one more in the cab ride home, and the nightcap in the elevator up to your room.

You are going to be waking up a lot of people on your floor knocking on every door trying to find your room or you’ll end up having to sleep in the hallway.

Watch Out for False Advertising

Photo by reddit.com

We have learned as a society not to believe everything we hear and see. It’s obvious how easy it is to lie on the internet or Photoshop and image to make it seem something it’s not. This person had a major let down when he was led to believe there was a big, blue pool at their hotel. Who could blame them? It’s in all the pictures.

The good news is that now you know who to hire for photographs if you ever put your house on the market. They’ll get that tiny house looking like a castle.

A Memorable, Personalized Message

Photo by postfun.com

A good hotel does it’s best to make your stay not only memorable but personal as well. Many places will upgrade your suite, send up champagne or flowers on a special occasion, and even leave little notes. They want to make sure you’re comfortable during your stay.

The least they could do with the personalized items is remember the “your sample text here” in the artwork over the bed.

Art Imitating Life

Photo by szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu

An overall problem that hotels have is that of choosing attractive decorations and designs. Many times they’ll go for the abstract look as a simple fall back. Apparently someone thought this piece of art was just abstract enough. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if it hadn’t been placed over the toilet.

Maybe they’re just trying to inspire their guests. It’s an inspiration, however, that could go very, very wrong. Just imagine a guest that had too much to drink, making his own art piece.

Mixed Signals

Photo by whamly.com

I feel bad for smokers at this hotel. Can you or can’t you smoke? It’s like the ash tray is taunting you. That is if it is in fact an ashtray. Hopefully the guest clarified the answer. It seems as if you can smoke in the room but you have to bring your own ashtray.

I guess you’ll just have to travel with portable ones now. This hotel is just trying to make you feel guilty while you release the stress of the day.

The Perfect Room for That Comfortable Coupled

Photo by ultraluxeanaheim.com

There’s nothing like waking up after a romantic evening next to your significant other. But what if they’re next to you using the bathroom? That’s what’s going on at this hotel. The extra weird part is that it’s a room with twin beds.

Let’s take it to another level. Now imagine waking up sharing a room with your business trip roommate rather than your lover. I think anyone would prefer Motel 6 to this.

Show Curtains

Photo by tacorelish.com

I wonder what they said about the view of this room when the hotel was booked. It’s not impossible that a window was once behind these curtains but that’s clearly no longer the case.

This is one of those situations that you either laugh it off or you ask for a new room. Preferably one with windows. But if you got a great deal on the room then it’s not the worst that could happen at a cheap hotel. Hopefully, you’re not spending too much time in your room anyway.

When You Have Three Temperature Options

Photo by fishki.net

The sink set up in this hotel room is confusing, to say the least. We aren’t sure why there are three separate faucets. One is obviously for the cold water while the other is for the hot, but what could that third faucet possibly be for?

We also aren’t sure the significance of the gold faucet. One another note, why are there two showerheads? It doesn’t seem possible that all the faucets could work at once. How do we know which one to turn? It doesn’t sound like a fun game.

What Did That Say?

Photo by justclick.sg

Whoever posted this hotel fail had children that were understandably upset that the pool was closed. It probably didn’t help the situation when their parents laughed about it.

Go ahead and read the sign carefully. You should notice that one big mistake. We think they were trying to say “inconvenience.” Spell check really let this one slip. Unless of course, that’s what they wanted the sign to say. At least they’re being honest with us.

Another Unusable Pool

Photo by postfun.com

The problem with this pool is that it probably will never be fixed. Maybe the owners of the hotel were trying to shut down a 2 am party and resorted to filling the pool with gravel.

That doesn’t mean there’s no upside. Perhaps the hotel is offering a discount now. Who would want to pay full price to stay at a hotel that doesn’t have a pool? That’s half the fun.

We Don’t Need Cabinet Space

Photo by reddit.com

We’re still going to count this as a hotel fail, although it seems a little more on the Air Bnb side. No matter where you stay, there should be storage under your sink, island, or stovetop.

Never, ever should cabinet doors be just for show. As soon as you discover those fake doors, check yourself out and demand a refund. Worst case scenario it was a cheap stay and you’re only staying for one night.

Where in the World?

Photo by postfun.com

A wall map displaying the world times is actually a really good idea for a hotel room. Even if you don’t have to be anywhere anytime soon on your vacation, it’s kind of a cool thing to ponder. That is if the map was correct.

Where this map came from is unknown, but we do know that whoever made it didn’t have a great concept of geography. One of two things happened here. Either someone messed up creating Pangea, or China owns much more of the world than we thought.

A Stress-Free Stay

Photo by radiosarajevo.ba

Why would you stay in a place where you’d have to get out of bed to walk to the bathroom when you could just stumble into instead. This might be the ideal hotel room.

That is of course unless you prefer your privacy. In that case, you need to ask for a new room. But imagine if you were staying alone? Think of the freedom you could experience in this all-inclusive, stress-free room.

No Way They’re Gonna Pay

Photo by pholder.com

The guest at this hotel was shocked when he saw what the cost of parking was when he checked out of the hotel. This is more than most people make in several years. Could it be the real price?

It turns out a mistake was made. For some reason, the parking meter printed the year 1996 on the ticket. So that’s how much parking costs if you decide to live at a hotel for a few decades. Now we know!

They’re Not Helping

Photo by novi.ba

Did you think that staying at a hotel would make life easier for you? Well, not at this hotel that hires the extra lazy hotel staff. If you wanted salt and pepper in the shakers then that’s exactly what you get.

Now how do you plan on opening the salt and pepper? Tear open the shakers then take as many as you’ll need for your room service dinner. What are you going to order now?

Cutting Legal Corners

Photo by postfun.com

This particular sign was designed to include all people with disabilities. That is everyone except for the blind. The glass is covering over the braille that says “DO NOT USE ELEVATORS.”

Hopefully, someone reported this useless sign to the hotel staff so it could get fixed in time. It makes us wonder what else in the hotel has been designed incorrectly. Maybe they have a sink with more than two faucets you could use.

Broken Promises

Photo by reddit.com

This guy claims that when he first booked the room he noticed the gym in the pictures was huge. That could have been why he chose the place. Imagine his disappointment when he finds this.

The only reason the gym looks so big in the pictures is because of the mirrors on the walls. They cover them from floor to ceiling. That makes this room that only has a few pieces of equipment look like a huge gym. We hope he gets there early to beat the rush.

Mystery Numbers

Photo by postfun.com

Let’s hope that this is just a temporary number. Otherwise, we’d be confused. Just like the last few slides, if this is real, then the hotel has some big problems.

There is cutting costs to stay open, and then there’s just being cheap by refusing to replace number plates when it’s legally your responsibility. But again, maybe this is just temporary. They’ll just have to ignore it until it’s fixed.

Water is Life

Photo by tilestwra.com

Is this a pirate-themed hotel? It looks like it from the sign. If there really are themed bars like this everywhere, it’d be nice to find out where they all are.

Ok, so it’s not a pirate bar. The translation on the sign was just off. At least we know that the water is safe to drink at the hotel. That’s not always the case in hotels around the country or the world. Then you have to pay for clean water and that adds up.

Coco What?

Photo by motika.com.mk

This was not what I was craving for breakfast! While Coco Pops are delicious, they are not what this hotel is offering. Those would be best left in the toilet and flushed.

The health inspector needs to step in on this one and shut the place down. This establishment is going to lose a couple of stars at the very least. Just kidding. We know that it was a simple mistake and that the hotel isn’t serving Coco Poops for breakfast.

Can’t Quite Reach

Photo by onedio.com

This is the worst hotel fail so far on this list. The last thing you want to worry about in the bathroom is whether or not you’ll be able to reach the toilet paper. That’s horror film material.

The last thing that anyone wants, including you, is to have to stand out and walk to the toilet paper when it’s time. This is not only an awkward feat but could lead to extremely unsanitary messes if you're not careful.

No Weight Limits Here

Photo by sabah.com.tr

Most elevators have a weight limit posted inside them. But this particular elevator is so small that it limits how many people can be in it at once. In this case, it’s only two. Talk about private service.

The real problem here is that everyone will have to wait for a very long time before they can actually get on. Talk about the inconvenience. It would hard to know when people would be getting on and off and when you would finally get your turn. Maybe take a number?

Keeping That Sidewalk Clean

Photo by imgur.com

There’s nothing that says “fancy” like a hotel that has its staff vacuums the sidewalk. The usual protocol for this would be sweeping or even spraying with a hose.

This is a commendable level of efficiency that we rarely see. I wonder how much it costs for a room here? You definitely get what you pay for. This isn’t a hotel fail. Rather it is merely an oddity that we thought you needed to see.

The Great Deluge

Photo by reddit.com

Every time you think you’ve found the ideal hotel, something goes wrong. You go to take a well deserved hot shower and then the entire bathroom floods. Whether it was caused by a clog or a faulty drain, this wheelchair-accessible shower got water everywhere and now they’re out of towels from trying to clean up the mess.

How frustrating. At least they still got their hot shower. They’ll just have to be ok with air drying now that all the towels are dirty.

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