Man books a Paris Airbnb with a promised view of the Eiffel Tower. Then he sees the ‘view’: ‘Well, it’s not lying’

An Airbnb listing in Paris promised a view of the Eiffel Tower, but a new video appears to show what that actually looked like from the balcony. Edgar Dierks, who posts on TikTok as @edgardierks, shared the TikTok clip that has gained hundreds of thousands of views.

The video opens with a high-angle shot from a balcony overlooking a busy street intersection in Paris. Pedestrians cross at a zebra crossing, cyclists ride along the street, and cars and a tram line are visible. The architecture is distinctly Parisian, with cream-colored stone apartment buildings lining the streets.

The camera then pans slowly to the right, following the street as it stretches into the distance. The view is dominated by the facades of multi-story buildings, with trees and streetlights below. The lighting suggests late afternoon or early evening, with a soft, warm glow on the buildings.

The distant tip of the landmark becomes visible only after a zoom

Finally, the camera zooms in toward the far end of the street. Tucked away in the distance, barely visible between the buildings and trees, is the very top tip of the Eiffel Tower. The zoom emphasizes just how small and distant the landmark is. Not every Airbnb letdown is this harmless, though, as one woman who lost $4,000 on a New Jersey Airbnb found out.

Viewers appeared to react with a mix of amusement and acknowledgment that the listing was technically accurate. One commenter described the listing as accurate yet unhelpful. They wrote, “Technically true….but in a pointless kind of way!” Another added, “View is a view.” A third stated, “Well, it’s not lying.”

One commenter suggested the situation could have been more misleading. They wrote, “Could have been worse and instead it was an electrical pylon, then a complaint would be valid.” Another commenter acknowledged that the landmark was visible. They wrote, “I mean… It is there… You can see it…” Other guests have had it much worse, like a Florida woman who found blood all over her Airbnb.

A different commenter noted the limited quality of the sightline. They wrote, “I mean there is a view, just not a good one.” One commenter expressed that the view might not be the priority for a stay. They wrote, “I never understood why the view matters, you’re not planning on only staying in your room all visit.”

Another commenter compared the faint appearance of the tower to something else. They wrote, “it’s like my tiktok views. They are there but very faint to see.” One person noted the size of the landmark in the frame. They wrote, “Low key looks like the eiffel tower is giving you the finger.”