I discovered a hidden camera in our Airbnb — and the host’s chilling response forever changed my view of travel safety.

The Airbnb that wasn’t really an Airbnb.
The more I thought about it, the more obvious it became. This place wasn’t a real vacation rental at all. It wasn’t a welcoming home open to travelers for extra income.

It was a facade.

A system designed to observe, record, and perhaps even track people who had stayed there. The “opinions” that had reassured us were probably fake. The staged photos that had given us a sense of security were nothing but cleverly orchestrated illusions.

We were not simply visitors to a stranger’s home. We were pawns in a game we did not yet understand.

Breaking the connection.
We drove for hours that night, getting as far away from that house as possible. Arriving at the hotel in the next town, we were exhausted, but a new fear had taken hold of us.