Vegas tourists share hotel booking cautionary tale

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1JBcVTFZ6A

Vegas Tourist Shares Hotel Booking Cautionary Tale

Published: August 21, 2026

A Las Vegas vacation took an unexpected turn for one woman after she booked a hotel online, only to discover that the property she arrived at was not the hotel she thought she had reserved.

Utah resident Ariana Patino said she booked what was advertised as Palette Las Vegas through Booking.com for a weekend trip with her sister. But when the sisters arrived in Las Vegas, they couldn't find the address listed on their reservation.

Hotel Booking Raises Red Flags

Patino said she and her sister spent about 45 minutes driving around trying to locate the hotel. The closest address led them to OYO Hotel & Casino, a property Patino said she had intentionally avoided because of its negative reviews.

Once inside, Patino said she recognized the registration area from photos of the Palette Las Vegas listing.

She approached the front desk and said she had booked Palette Las Vegas. According to Patino, the receptionist told her that the property was the same location and that different listings had been created to see which would attract more bookings.

Hotel Apologizes for the Confusion

OYO Hotel & Casino told ABC News that it had been evaluating how different sections and room categories could be marketed under different brands. The company said the listing went live before renovations and signage were completed and apologized for the confusion and inconvenience.

Travel expert Nick Ewen of The Points Guy called the situation highly unusual, saying it went beyond a typical hotel rebranding and appeared to be an attempt to mislead guests.

Booking.com Removes Listing

Following Patino's complaints, Booking.com said it conducted an internal investigation and removed Palette Las Vegas from its platform.

The company also said a refund was being processed for Patino and acknowledged that sophisticated fraud tactics are becoming an increasing concern for travelers.

Patino said she also filed complaints with her bank and the Better Business Bureau.

How Travelers Can Protect Themselves

The experience serves as a reminder to carefully research a hotel before completing a reservation.

Travelers can help protect themselves by:

• Checking the hotel's official website and address before booking.

• Comparing the property's photos and reviews across multiple platforms.

• Confirming the hotel's name and location directly with the property before traveling.

• Being cautious when a listing has limited reviews or unusually low prices.

• Keeping screenshots and confirmation details from the original booking.

For Patino, what was supposed to be a relaxing Las Vegas getaway became a frustrating lesson in carefully verifying where you're actually booking.

Source: ABC News / Good Morning America