A model’s solo trip to Japan turned terrifying when she discovered a man hiding under her hotel bed — all because of a strange smell.
Natalisi Taksisi, a model based in Thailand, shared the shocking experience in a viral TikTok video posted in April 2025, which quickly racked up millions of views. The incident happened during her stay at the APA Hotel & Resort in Tokyo, a place she chose because she believed Japan to be “very safe.”
On the first night, everything seemed normal. The hotel appeared secure, with key card access to her room and floor. But things changed dramatically on her second night.
“I came back around 7:30 p.m., unlocked my room, took off my clothes, and lay down on the bed,” Taksisi said in the video. That’s when she noticed a “weird smell.”
At first, she thought it might be from her hair or the sheets. But as the smell lingered, she bent down to check under the bed — and was horrified to see a pair of eyes staring back at her.
“I saw a man under my bed, and I started to scream and jumped to my feet,” she recalled. The man then climbed out, stared at her for a few seconds — which she described as feeling like “her life was over” — and then screamed himself before fleeing the room.
Taksisi screamed for help, and hotel staff quickly called the police. Authorities later found a power bank and a USB cable under the bed, but the hotel couldn’t explain how the man had gotten into the locked room.
“The hotel had no answers for me,” she said. “They also said it would be difficult to track him down because there were no security cameras in the building.”
After the frightening encounter, Taksisi switched hotels for the night. She also demanded a refund from the APA Hotel, which initially refused. Agoda, the booking platform she used, offered her about $178 in coupons — which she called “ridiculous.” Only after contacting the hotel directly did she receive a full refund.
In the days that followed, the model said she couldn’t sleep and was constantly checking every corner of her new room. “It was a nightmare,” she said. “I’m left wondering how someone knew I was alone, and how the hotel allowed this to happen.”
Taksisi is now sharing her experience to raise awareness about travel safety, even in countries considered safe. She hopes her story will push hotels to improve security and help travelers stay more alert.
