When Christen Puckett and Jordan Carlyle opened the door to their hotel room in Japan, they weren’t expecting mood lighting, red curtains and what was described to look like a set from a Fifty Shades of Grey film sequel.

The two best friends, who run the TikTok travel account @wheretonextyall, documented their unexpected experience at the BNA Alter Museum, a boutique art hotel in Kyoto, on July 15. In the clip—which has since racked up over 3.4 million views—the women burst into laughter upon realizing their room looked less like an art exhibit and more like a love motel.

Puckett, 28, from Kentucky, and Carlyle, 27, from Colorado, created their TikTok page to document their travels around the globe. “We are best friends and created our travel page to showcase how the world truly is,” they told Newsweek. “Three years ago we quit our corporate jobs to travel and now we’ve traveled to over 30 countries together.”

Text overlaid on the video sets the tone: “POV [point of view]: your friend told you she booked a two bedroom art hotel in Kyoto but you open up the door to this…”

A screenshot from a viral video capturing the moment two women check into an art hotel in Japan and are shocked by the room they’ve been given. A screenshot from a viral video capturing the moment two women check into an art hotel in Japan and are shocked by the room they’ve been given. @wheretonextyall on TikTok

The video captures the moment they step into the room, where a single large bed sits beneath dark red drapery in dim lighting.

“It’s like a sex room,” one of the women says through laughter, noting that it’s like “Fifty Shades of Grey…what did you book us?” The other jokes: “They really wanted to make it romantic I guess… literally I feel like we’re in a love motel.”

Their surprise resonated with viewers amid a strong year for international travel. The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reported that 300 million tourists traveled globally in the first quarter of 2025, about 14 million more than the same period last year, driven by what the agency called “robust and sustained travel demand.”

The hotel in question, the BNA Alter Museum, is a boutique property known for its avant-garde, art-themed rooms. The two friends had never stayed there before and were intrigued by its creative aesthetic.

“We knew the hotel would be artsy because it looked like a super cool art museum online,” they said. “But when we booked it with credit card points it was advertised with two beds. It only had a large king when we walked in.”

Even during check-in, the room assignment raised questions. “When we checked in, we got our room and even asked if it was a two-bed suite because that’s what we booked,” they explained. “They said no, but if you need us to put a second bed in there we can.”

Not wanting to cause any trouble, they declined the offer and proceeded to the room, unaware of what awaited them. “We didn’t want to be difficult and had no clue what it looked like,” they said. “So, we declined and said it was okay. We walked in and then the rest was documented in our video. We were definitely shocked but we loved the hotel overall and it was super unique and artsy.”

Despite the mix-up, the two friends didn’t let the awkward setup derail their stay. “We had no clue the room would be romantic,” but “it honestly was such a cool hotel,” they said.

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