A long-awaited anniversary holiday in Madrid turned into a frightening ordeal for a British couple after they discovered a camera hidden inside their Airbnb bedroom and apparently aimed directly at their bed.
Donna and Raymond Nunn had travelled to the Spanish capital for what was supposed to be a special “bucket-list” trip marking their 39th wedding anniversary. Instead, the couple ended up abandoning their accommodation, finding another place to stay and cutting their Madrid plans short after the disturbing discovery.
Couple discovers camera pointing directly at bed
Donna, 62, and Raymond, 87, arrived at their Airbnb in Madrid’s Lavapiés neighbourhood on August 3. At first, there was nothing that immediately suggested their stay would become a nightmare.
The couple noticed what appeared to be a security device or camera in the living room, positioned towards the front door. Because it did not have a flashing light, they assumed it was switched off and did not think much more about it.
But the following day, the couple discovered another device. Donna went sightseeing while Raymond remained inside the apartment. That was when he noticed a camera in the bedroom. The device had a green light flashing and was positioned in a corner with a direct view of the bed.
Donna said the camera was around four inches long. The discovery was particularly alarming because the couple had already spent the previous night sleeping in the room without knowing that the device was there.
‘We were both shaking when we realised’
The couple immediately became frightened and contacted Airbnb on August 4, 2026. Donna described the moment they realised what they were dealing with, saying: “We were both shaking when we realised, and reached out to Airbnb.”
Airbnb reportedly advised them to leave the property immediately. There was, however, a major problem. By the time the couple contacted the company, it was around 8pm and they had nowhere else to stay nearby.
Raymond removed the camera from the wall and turned it around while they worked out what to do next. Donna said: “Raymond took the camera off the wall and turned it around but it was horrifying.” Eventually, they found another apartment roughly two hours south of Madrid and left the Airbnb the following morning.
Their 39th anniversary trip was cut short
The couple had booked the accommodation months earlier and were looking forward to exploring Madrid as part of their anniversary celebration. Instead, their holiday was disrupted just two days after they arrived.
Donna said: “We managed to book another place a couple of hours away, which was nice but meant that we couldn’t finish the sightseeing.”
The experience was so unsettling that she said the couple no longer wanted to return to the Spanish capital. “It’s a shame because we will never go back to Madrid now because of this,” Donna said.
Airbnb suspends listing after hidden camera discovery
Airbnb responded to the complaint and provided the couple with a full refund, including the cost associated with rebooking alternative accommodation. The property listing was also suspended while the company investigated.
An Airbnb spokesperson said: “We have issued a full refund to the guest and have suspended the listing while we conduct a further investigation into this matter.”
The company also pointed to its rules regarding surveillance equipment inside rental properties.
According to Airbnb, indoor security cameras have been prohibited in its listings since 2024, regardless of where they are placed or whether they are switched off during a guest's stay.
The company added: “In 2024, we banned all indoor security cameras in listings regardless of where they are placed or whether they are deactivated during guest stays.”
Airbnb said that when its policies are violated, possible action can include removing listings and users from the platform.
