The photos that expose what those dream resorts in glossy holiday brochures REALLY look like

Still wish you were here? The photos that expose what those dream resorts in glossy holiday brochures REALLY look like

• The so-called 'photo fakeouts' were revealed to show how different resorts can be to their promotional pictures 
• The compare and contrast images were taken by review website oyster.com to highlight the issue
• Hotels in Jamaica, Las Vegas, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic all featured for 'creative' photography

It's an all too familiar story for seasoned holidaymakers the world over.

The glossy brochure was packed with enticing pictures of pristine beaches and luxurious hotel rooms, but you arrive at the resort to find the reality is rather different from what you had been led to believe.

Now in a bid to stop dream holidays turning into nightmares, one online hotel guide has begun publishing its own pictures of some of the world's most popular resorts to expose what they have dubbed the holiday 'photo fakeouts'.

Scroll down for video 

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Spot the difference: The photograph featured on the website of the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana resort in the Dominican Republic, top, and the shot of the same stretch of beach featured on Oyster.com

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Oyster shows how some hotels such as Riu Negril Club in Jamaica, use what it terms the 'sexy lady phenomenon' to help present its facilities in a more positive light

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However the reality at the Jamaican hotel is very different from the serene pool the 'sexy lady' looks out over in the brochure

From pristine sands and enormous infinity pools to opulent double rooms with sea views, it seems there is no limit to the 'creative' representations made by some holiday companies.

Among the resorts highlighted on honest review website Oyster.com is the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

Few would not be tempted by the resort's own photo of a young couple walking hand in hand along an almost empty beach with the turquoise waters of the Caribbean sea gently lapping against their feet.

But Oyster's picture of the same resort reveals a rather different scene altogether with hundreds of holidaymakers packed onto sun loungers stretching as far as the eye can see.

Another hotel that fares no better is the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, which despite being in land-locked Las Vegas boasts its own artificial beach made with 2,700 tons of real sand.

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Hotel La Mariposa on Costa Rica's Pacific coast shows one photo of a 'Full Ocean View' Room on its website

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However when an Oyster reviewer checked into that same room type, they only found one of three windows shown in the hotel's photo

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Man goes surfing in hot tub: The Aqua Hotel on Miami's South Beach boasts a 'pool' seen here in a cleverly cropped photo featuring a surfer dude striding out with his board. But a diferenbt photo reveals the pool is in fact is no bigger than a hot tub

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Jamaica's Riu Negril Club website photo shows a beautiful sea view room, complete with kingsize bed and towel display

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But when an Oyster employee checked into their room at the Riu Negril Club they found two double beds pushed together

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Brochure vs reality: The Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino boasts an artificial beach made with 2,700 tons of real sand

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But in reality, the manmade beach is so popular, it often becomes crowded with fellow Las Vegas holidaymakers during the day

Race is on for sun loungers! Tourists run to get first pick

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Mandalay Bay's own marketing photo, presumably taken at the crack of dawn, shows the beach area completely empty - not a soul in sight.

Compare that with Oyster's picture showing another crowded scene of holidaymakers packed onto the ubiquitous sun loungers so tightly you struggle to see any of the sand at all.

It's not just the exterior shots that are leading holidaymakers up the garden path either. 

Hotel La Mariposa, on Costa Rica's Pacific coast, shows one photo of a 'Full Ocean View' Room on its website. However when an Oyster reviewer checked into that same room type, they only found one of three windows shown in the hotel's photo.

The website was careful to point out that the room shown on the hotel's website does exist and it was not a case of Photoshop trickery.

However the Full Ocean View Room pictured was located at the corner of the hotel while the one they received was in the middle of the hallway, and therefore only had one window.  

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The Sofitel in LA used a picture which is carefully cropped to show an idyllic pool that is not at all overlooked by other buildings

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However, in reality, the pool is smaller than it seems in the original shot and a huge Macy's superstore is right nextdoor

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Sandals Carlyle in Jamaica used this beautiful image to market their luxury resort set right on the white sands

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But the reality appears to be very different, showing a much smaller beach than expected and golden sands instead of white

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Thinking of a beach wedding at the Riu Palace Punta Cana resort in the Dominican Republic? It certainly looks idyllic in the brochure

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But in reality you may have a few more guests than anticipated as beachgoers love to have a look at what's happening on the sands

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The Don Juan Beach Resort in the Dominican Republic uses a carefully angled picture for their marketing, left, which amazingly manages to hide the fact that a large part of the hotel actually overlooks the pool

Anyone considering a romantic beachside wedding at the Riu Palace Punta Cana resort in the Dominican Republic would be wise to check out the Oyster's pictures as they may be unaware their nuptials may well end up getting crashed by large numbers of lobster-red tourists in a variety of eye-catching swimwear. 

A spokesman for Oyster said: 'You can't return a bad vacation, so it's our goal to show travelers exactly what they're getting before they arrive. 

'Many people only get one or two vacations a year, so they understandably don't want any ugly surprises!  

The Ritz Carlton in LA boasts a pristine pool but their marketing photo, left, manages to make the surrounding decks seem far larger than they actually are

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The luxurious Trump Soho hotel in New York City manages to make its rooftop pool seem a perfect oasis with plunging fountains

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But in reality, the pool is much smaller than expected, making it just large enough for a quick dip to cool off

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A look at this picture of the Hyatt Regency Washington makes you believe the hotel is situated right next to Capitol Hill

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But the hotel is actually over a third of a mile away as the picture taken by the Oyster.com reviewer reveals with a candid photo

'Hotel marketing photos are often deceiving; we've seen everything from carefully staged images with attractive models and no crowds, to artfully cropped photos of pools that may be much smaller than they seem. 

'Some hotels have even Photoshopped in fake views from the rooms. When looking at hotel photos, just keep an eye out for super close-up shots — it's what you don't see that might be a problem. 

'So if you're only seeing a tiny corner of the pool, there may be a reason for that — the pool may be the size of a hot tub.'