Accommodation Scams in Kathmandu

Thamel Guesthouse Bait-and-Switch Room

Guesthouses in the dense tourist district of Thamel advertise clean, well-photographed rooms at competitive rates online, but on arrival guests are shown a completely different room — darker, smaller, with broken plumbing or no window. When the guest asks for the advertised room, staff claim it is occupied and offer the inferior room at the same price. Paying the deposit in advance eliminates the guest's leverage to dispute the change.