A Travel Agent Explains How To Avoid Getting Catfished By Dazzling Hotel Pictures Online

Have you ever experienced one of those "hire the photographer" moments? You know, when you arrive somewhere, and the photos are so much better than reality that all you can think is: "Wow, talented photographer." It's particularly easy for hotels in far-flung vacation spots to pull this off. After all, how would we know that the stunning snaps of luxury hotel rooms overlooking the aquamarine ocean have been photoshopped to within an inch of their lives? Add to that the difficulty of knowing how to interpret hotel star ratings, and we're primed to be fooled when booking a vacation.

With increasing numbers of people feeling like they've been "catfished" by hotels, Explore called in an expert! We spoke exclusively to Victoria Fricke, owner of luxury travel agency Vic's Vacations, who gave us some invaluable tips to avoid being taken in by fake hotel photos. But first, we were curious: Do hotels really use doctored images? Fricke says yes.

She's careful to point out that many accommodations make only slight adjustments to their images — enhancing the lighting, for example. This is what sets professional photos apart from our own blurry holiday snaps. But other hotels only photograph their updated rooms and even erase "eyesores in the ocean," says Fricke. In fact, one of her first tips focuses on the ocean in the hotel's images. If the seascape looks like a screensaver from the Maldives (and you're not heading for the Maldives), that's a huge red flag!

Victoria Fricke's next three tips were all about the hotel itself. She warns vacationers to watch out for resorts that post only one or two strategic photos of the common areas, restaurants, and pools. If hotels are truly proud of all they have to offer, they'll post more than just one lonely image that shows the pool from a decent angle.

Another of Fricke's tips is to look out for hotels that list room categories without photos. Most hotels offer several room categories — family, suite, economy, etc. If only the glamorous suites appear in the photos while you're in the market for one of the economy rooms, run for the hills!

The final red flag is one we'd never have thought of but is the biggest indicator of hotel quality for Fricke: the bedding, or more specifically, the pillows. Fricke told us that lower-quality resorts often skimp on their pillow set-ups. So what does that mean in practice? If you look at a photo and see a couple of flat pillows with one or two "flimsy or outdated throw pillows on top," it might be a sign that the hotel is cutting corners. Meanwhile, higher-quality spots have "multiple pillows for decoration/comfort." So look closely at where you'll be laying your head. Plush pillows make a hotel a go for our expert!

Despite your detective work ahead of time, you arrive to your hotel only to find out it's more Econo-Lodge-under-a flight-path than the luxury Caribbean resort you were promised. What do you do? Victoria Fricke's first tip is to say something to the person at the front desk: This is usually the only way to remedy the situation once you've already arrived. She recommends showing the images from the website or brochure side-by-side with photos of your room. To feel even more prepared, read our article about how to report a hotel room that's unclean or has pests.

And what can you hope to get? Fricke says you should ask for compensation, complimentary spa services, or even to move resorts if you're really unhappy. Companies that have several resorts in the same area might be able to do this. If the front desk won't or can't help, Fricke recommends calling the reservations center. However, she has a word of warning! Unhappy customers will very rarely get a free trip or even one free night's accommodation under these circumstances. "It's buyer beware," writes Fricke. And that brings us to her next tips.

How can you make sure your next booking lives up to your expectations and that you don't end up going to war with the front desk? Victoria Fricke has some tips. She recommends going well beyond what the hotel wants you to see before you make a booking.

Social media is your go-to for this. Other guests will likely have posted and tagged photos or videos of the hotel online or may even have uploaded videos to YouTube (though look out for sponsored content). If real guests' content basically matches the marketing photos, you're good to book. If not, you can avoid making an expensive mistake! Fricke also recommends reading reviews on independent sites like Tripadvisor, though she cautions that reviews are "very hit or miss." Inveterate traveler Rick Steves agrees and says we should think twice before trusting travel review sites.

Finally, Fricke told us that one surefire way to avoid booking a disappointing vacation is to use a trusted travel agent. She personally visits over 20 resorts every year, taking her own photos and verifying that the hotel's images line up with reality. For times when you want to make sure that all that glitters is truly gold, a travel agent could be your saving grace.