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Photo Fakeouts

Exposed: We Reveal the Truth Behind Jetsetter's Virtual "Reality"

    This morning, Jetsetter released a new sale to much fanfare. Why all the hype? Well, this sale was the first of its kind. While the hotel booking site is already known for its great deals on luxury hotels, this sale promised the best of the best that Jetsetter has to offer in the world's first virtual reality hotel. Yep, you read that correctly. As the sale advertises, purchasers will "be among the first in the world to experience a virtual reality vacation" with "levels of personalization not available at traditional hotels" and "the best design elements and amenities curated from among Jetsetter hotels and distilled into one hotel experience." But as we know all too well at Oyster.com, things aren't always as they seem -- and this deal appeared too good to be true. Turns out it is. 


    Since we share NYC offices with Jetsetter, it was pretty easy to sneak over and test out the virtual reality headset. And what we found in the Perception virtual reality hotel experience ended up being totally different than what was advertised. Take a look at the reality behind this virtual reality below.

  • The Virtual Reality

    • Guests supposedly slip on the headset and instantly find themselves at Perception, a hotel experience that one can only dream of. Above, potential purchasers are led to believe they'll find a pristine, white-sand beach all to themselves.

  • Exposed: The Reality Behind the Virtual "Reality"

    • All to themselves? Not so much. Just like in other photo fakeouts, the virtual reality ad wants you to think you'll be relaxing solo, but instead you'll be sharing the beach with tons of other guests vying for much coveted lounge chairs.

  • The Virtual Reality

    • The Jetsetter sale promises "virtual spa treatments in overwater bungalows."

  • Exposed: The Reality Behind the Virtual "Reality"

    • We found more of a shack. We're not sure how relaxing a spa treatment would be if we were worried about the hut collapsing at any moment!

  • The Virtual Reality

    • And don't get us started on the difference between how the treatment rooms appear on Jetsetter…

  • Exposed: The Reality Behind the Virtual "Reality"

    • …and what they're actually like.

  • The Virtual Reality

    • Plus, before you purchase, you should remember that a virtual experience relies heavily on technology, which we know can't aways be trusted. Even "groundbreaking technology with sensory integration" can mess up sometimes.

  • Exposed: The Reality Behind the Virtual "Reality"

    • Trust us, because it happened. No one likes to get an error message, especially while on vacation.

  • The Virtual Reality

    • We were particularly excited about Jetsetter's claim that the Perception hotel experience had "partnered with local chefs in major US hubs to deliver cuisine matched to the locavore tasting menus you’ll experience through the headsets."

  • Exposed: The Reality Behind the Virtual "Reality"

    • But when we slipped on the headset, it wasn't so appealing.

  • The Virtual Reality

    • After all of these not-so-pleasant surprises, we just wanted to find the large, plush mattress advertised and take a nice long snooze.

  • Exposed: The Reality Behind the Virtual "Reality"

    • Even that, though, just didn't feel right.


    What do you think? Would you test out a virtual reality hotel experience like Jetsetter's Perception? Let us know in the comments section below!