logo
I noticed disgusting smell in my hotel so checked under bed – I saw two eyes staring back & thought I was going to die

I noticed disgusting smell in my hotel so checked under bed – I saw two eyes staring back & thought I was going to die

Scottish Sun01-05-2025
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
A HOLIDAYMAKER has told how she spotted two eyes staring at her from under her hotel bed - after smelling what she thought was a dead body.
Ukrainian model Natali Khomenko told The Sun about her "horror movie" encounter which turned her dream trip to Japan into a "nightmare".
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
9
Natali Khomenko's dream holiday turned into a nightmare when she found a stranger lurking under her hotel bed
Credit: Instagram/@natalisi_taksisi
9
Natali was backpacking in Japan when the horror unfolded
Credit: Instagram/@natalisi_taksisi
9
The Ukrainian influencer said she 'thought her life was over'
Credit: Instagram/@natalisi_taksisi
Her birthday week holiday morphed into a living hell - as she "couldn't sleep" and was "constantly on edge, checking every corner of my room".
She said: "I thought my life was over."
Natali explained that after a day of sightseeing on March 30, she returned to her hotel room at about 7:30pm and got undressed before laying down in bed.
After 15 minutes of relaxing, she started to notice a "weird smell".
Thinking it might be her hair or the bed sheets, the 32-year-old then made the realisation that the stench was coming from under the bed.
She said: "Jokingly, I thought 'what if there's a dead person laying under the bed?'
"But when I leaned over to check, I saw a pair of eyes staring at me."
Shaken to the core, Natali froze up in fear, thinking that she must have been hallucinating.
She jumped up and got ready to defend herself, hurrying to the corner of the room in desperation.
"And then I just started screaming... A lot of people [next door] heard me screaming," she told The Sun.
The two locked eyes for three seconds - with Natali trapped on the bed in the corner of her room and him blocking the door.
At that point, she thought "my life was over".
"I was screaming and crying. It was like a horror movie. And then he just started to scream."
She claims the ominous figure then fled the scene, leaving Natali still crying out in shock.
I was screaming and crying. It was like a horror movie. And then he just started to scream
Natali Khomenko
She added that neighbouring guests in other rooms could hear her screams and shouted back asking which room she was in.
"People were afraid to go out from their rooms," Natali explained, due to her ominous wailing.
"I was just in my underwear, so I needed to put on some pants before I opened the door and I screamed my room number."
She then met two men in the corridor and begged them for help.
Police were called to the hotel and started to investigate.
They even managed to find a portable charger and USB cable that the perpetrator had left behind.
9
Natali said the horror encounter left her 'constantly on edge' for the rest of her trip in Japan
9
Police retrieved a cable and charger that Natali claims the man left behind
9
Natali says she is not being taken seriously - and there has been a lack of investigation into the incident
Credit: Instagram/@natalisi_taksisi
But Natali's hopes ended there - as she was quickly informed that cops "probably wouldn't find him".
Feeling completely unsafe, she immediately left and took a cab to a different hotel - but was still restless.
She described the rest of her holiday as "five days of horror".
"I'm afraid he just wanted to wait until I switched off the lights, fall asleep and then climb from under the bed and choke me or do whatever," she feared.
"It's like my nightmare."
Devastated, she sent multiple emails to the hotel demanding compensation money for her trauma as well as expenses - including the new hotel she had to book in the middle of the night after her chilling experience.
The investigation proved fruitless after the hotel told her there was no CCTV footage and that cops told them that they were unable to identify the culprit even after taking fingerprints.
"I was like no way - it ruined my birthday trip to Japan... I had severe emotional damage," the tourist said.
I'm afraid he just wanted to wait until I switched off the lights, fall asleep and then climb from under the bed and choke me
Natali Khomenko
Despite defending Japan and claiming that it had nothing to do with the situation, she said that she will never return to the country alone.
"I don't want to scare all girls travelling to Japan - but be cautious.
"Check everything. Under bed, in the bathroom, everything," she warned.
After taking to social media to warn followers about her frightening ordeal, she was met with support and backlash.
She claims dozens of women, Japanese locals and tourists alike, were "telling me their stories, saying that no one takes women seriously".
Natali was accused by many of fabricating her story for attention - but called these comments "disgusting".
"The women who are writing to me, who are supporting me, they are giving me so much power," she said.
Natali has since written to the Ukrainian embassy in Japan in hopes that they will help her obtain a police report - but she has had no response so far.
The influencer explained that she didn't post her story for a month because she was so scared that she "could not speak".
"I'm just starting to speak out now and I'm crying," she said.
Natali sent The Sun video footage of her hands trembling in the days after the horror encounter.
I didn't post my story for a month because I could not speak. I'm just starting to speak out now and I'm crying
Natali Khomenko
She said that she still has "severe panics" whenever she enters a hotel room, and that the ordeal "absolutely changed my life".
"I need some small light next to me like always, or I'm afraid to fall asleep," she explained.
The nightmare has also put an end to eight years of solo travelling the world.
"Right now I can't [travel] - I have severe panics in hotels," she said.
Traumatised Natali wants the hotel to take full responsibility and receive compensation for the "breach of safety" so that "travellers are more aware".
She admitted: "I am not sure I will see justice."
9
Natali said her hands couldn't stop shaking after the horror encounter
Credit: NATALI KHOMENKO
9
Natali says she has been put off travelling alone
Credit: Instagram/@natalisi_taksisi
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Win an unforgettable 7-day £7k Texas road trip with supercar experience, wine tour & night on a ranch in our competition
Win an unforgettable 7-day £7k Texas road trip with supercar experience, wine tour & night on a ranch in our competition

Scottish Sun

time27 minutes ago

  • Scottish Sun

Win an unforgettable 7-day £7k Texas road trip with supercar experience, wine tour & night on a ranch in our competition

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IF you know an Oasis- loving Toon fan who backed 33-1 shot Nick Rockett to win the Grand National, I'll admit they're having a good year. No. Better than that. They're having an incredible year. 8 We're giving away a dream trip to celebrate the Jeep Wrangler being crowned The Sun's Road Trip Car of the Year Credit: gorillamedia2021@ But we can top that. How about we send YOU AND A PAL on a DREAM ROAD TRIP TO TEXAS worth £7k. We're talking the real Texas here. Cowboy country. Dance halls and live music. Rodeos and rideouts. Brisket and beers. All that good stuff. Think Kevin Costner's Yellowstone. Without the chaos. To celebrate the Jeep Wrangler being crowned The Sun's Road Trip Car of the Year, we've pardner'ed with Travel Texas to give away this once-in-a-lifetime trip for two. Jeep shares first photos of new 'Wrangler-like' model ahead of late 2025 launch – but drivers have crucial question The unforgettable seven-day experience in Texas Hill Country includes: Direct flights from London Heathrow to Austin Jeep Wrangler hire car Premium accommodation One night's stay at a working ranch Rodeo show Cowboy breakfast Live music at Luckenbach Wine tour Supercar experience at Longhorn Raceway After-dark glow-up kayaking Personalised cowboy hat I know. We're spoiling you. This isn't Tex-Mex. This is Tex-MAX. All you need is a bit of spending money to buy a pair of cowboy boots. To enter our free draw, go to and register your details. That's it. Entries close at midnight on September 18. Winner chosen at random. T&Cs apply. Texas is known as the Lone Star state. No, mate. I've just got back and it's five stars all the way. Be lucky. Here's a day-by-day rundown of what your unforgettable week will look like. DAY 1 8 You'll be heading to Camp Lucy, a stunning 248-acre retreat in Dripping Springs Credit: gorillamedia2021@ Pick up your Jeep Wrangler hire car and head to Camp Lucy to relax and recharge after the ten-hour flight. Camp Lucy is a stunning 248-acre retreat in Dripping Springs with beautifully-designed lodges, a five-star spa and old wooden chapels shipped from Vietnam. Try archery and hatchet throwing. Hike around the vineyards. Dine at Tillie's. Owners Kim and Whit Hanks know how to look after people. They also run The Old Bell here in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, a 12th-century hotel, serving their own Camp Lucy Malbec and rose wines. DAY 2 8 You'll definitely want to go back later for the glow-up kayak tour Credit: Supplied Make your way to the university town of San Marcos and go tubing (English translation: Sit on inflatable rings) on the warm, gently-flowing San Marcos River. It's a lot of fun. You'll definitely want to go back later for the glow-up kayak tour. Make sure to refuel at the legendary Black's BBQ restaurant, serving slow-smoked brisket, ribs and more There's a H U G and E shopping outlet nearby where you'll find Cavender's – basically H&M for cowboy gear. Stay at the charming Crystal River Inn and have beers at the open-air Zelicks bar next door. Ask the locals about chicken s**t bingo and the swimming pig. That's all I'm saying. DAY 3 8 The supercar driving experience at Longhorn Racing Academy will have you lapping like Lando Credit: gorillamedia2021@ Lamborghini or Ferrari? Pick your favourite. Your pal has to settle for the other. Poor thing. The supercar driving experience at Longhorn Racing Academy will have you lapping like Lando in no time at all. Back in the Jeep and stop at Boerne for lunch. It's a lovely little town with a smart one-mile strip of shops. The other Rodeo Drive? The food and drinks at Cibolo Creek brewpub are off the charts. If you have time, visit the Cave Without A Name. Honest. The locals say it's 'too pretty to have a name'. Next stop, Bandera. It's like arriving in the middle of a country and western movie set. It really is. Stay at Rancho Cortez where Larry and his daughter Katie (a pro barrel racer) will have you riding horses and feeding cattle in no time at all. After that, you're going out out. First to watch a rodeo at Mansfield Park Rodeo. Instagram gold. Then to master the Texas two-step (left, left, right . . . left, left, right) at the 11th Street Cowboy bar. Make sure to have a beer at the famous honky-tonk Silver Dollar saloon with sawdust on the floor. The biggest names in country music have played in Bandera. Search 'Bandera Playlist' on Spotify for the next leg of the road trip. DAY 4 8 You can ride a horse to the campfire for a Cowboy Breakfast Credit: gorillamedia2021@ Early start. But you won't want to miss the Cowboy Breakfast just down the road at the Mayan Dude Ranch. You can either ride a horse to the campfire or jump on a wagon. When my Emily climbed on a horse unaided, a ranch hand quipped: 'Looks like I'm going to marry her. That's the cowboy code.' Cool experience. Tasty breakfast. Eggs, sausage, bacon, chorizo, hot sauce and coffee. All accompanied by cowboys singing cowboy songs. Head into Bandera to bag some gifts from the 'Cowboy capital of the world' and then get on the road to Fredericksburg. 'Freddy' is a charming, vibrant town known for its strong German heritage . . . and peaches. That means good food and drink at places like the trendy Hill & Vine kitchen. Pop into the Felt Boutique on Main Street to customise a cowboy hat. Stay at the Trueheart Hotel, a lovely little hideaway in the middle of town, with its immaculate cottages with king-size beds and private porches. DAY 5 8 On Day 5 it's time to explore Texas wine country Credit: Supplied Lazy start to the day with a breakfast basket delivered to your door. Then it's time to explore Texas wine country. Yep, wine country. So no driving today. Texas is actually America's fifth largest wine producer. But not much leaves the Lone Star state. They sup it themselves. Becker Vineyard is pretty . . . and pretty tasty. Live music? You didn't need to ask. Slate Theory Winery is ultra-modern, like a Lamborghini dealership. The wine labels, designed by the owner's son Cody, could be modern art. The underground cellar is like a Bond set. Altstadt Brewery has strong Oktoberfest vibes with long wooden tables and steins of beer aplenty. It was a really, really good day . . . I think. Back in Freddy, head to the Velvet Lounge for some late-night karaoke. DAY 6 8 Day 6 is yours to end your Texas adventure however you please Credit: Supplied The day is yours. Relax? Retail therapy? Explore? All three? Just make sure you're ready to put on your cowboy gear and head to the legendary Luckenbach Dance Hall. This place is so famous there's a song named after it. Jerry Jeff Walker recorded the 'gold' album Viva Terlingua here. Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnic (the Texas Woodstock) was held here in 1995. Luke Combs (Beautiful Crazy) has played here. It's a bucket-list venue for every country rocker. Luckenbach has live music 365 days a year. Sunday to Thursday is free. Grab a cold beer, kick back, and two-step under the string lights. The perfect way to end your Texas adventure. DAY 7 8 Then it's time to head home full of unforgettable memories Credit: Supplied Set the Jeep's satnav to Austin airport and fly home with your head – and iPhone – full of unforgettable memories.

Glam DAZN presenter Giusy Meloni labelled ‘the most beautiful of them all' as she stuns in tiny string bikini
Glam DAZN presenter Giusy Meloni labelled ‘the most beautiful of them all' as she stuns in tiny string bikini

The Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Sun

Glam DAZN presenter Giusy Meloni labelled ‘the most beautiful of them all' as she stuns in tiny string bikini

SPORTS presenter Giusy Meloni had fans melting as she shared stunning pictures of her summer holidays. The glamorous presenter works for Dazn 's Italian branch, and is often seen covering football matches for them. 5 5 5 5 But ahead of the new Serie A season getting underway this weekend, Giusy has reminisced about her summer break. Taking to Instagram, the Italian beauty shared a series of pictures of herself enjoying her down time. She captioned her post: "Summer things." The first photo Giusy, 26, shared to her page saw her with a glowing sunlit smile as she wore a tiny black bikini on the beach. Her next snap showed her in a brown bikini showing off her curves as she stepped into a swimming pool. Another saw her take a photo of a stunning scenic view from the top of a building with a city skyline below. Others showed her at a harbour and enjoying some tasty treats, before she revealed a second post of herself sunbathing in a black bikini. The final picture of the collection saw her front on in the bikini, with a filter over the top to give a more washed effect on the picture. Many of her 574,000 followers rushed to the comments to share their thoughts. One smitten fan wrote: "The most beautiful of them all." A second said: "From which galaxy does she come?" A third added: "There's really no match when it comes to style and beauty." Another said: "Your eyes and hair are beautiful." A fifth said: "Always super gorgeous." Giusy has even been able to convert Inter fans to become AC Milan fans. She has previously worked for Italian TV sports show La Domenica Sportiva.

US Open set to be terrorised by sex-crazed invasive BUGS as fans are warned to alert the authorities
US Open set to be terrorised by sex-crazed invasive BUGS as fans are warned to alert the authorities

Scottish Sun

timean hour ago

  • Scottish Sun

US Open set to be terrorised by sex-crazed invasive BUGS as fans are warned to alert the authorities

The pesky critters have been spotted in 29 of New York State's 62 counties BEING A PEST US Open set to be terrorised by sex-crazed invasive BUGS as fans are warned to alert the authorities Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE US OPEN is braced for an invasion of sex-crazed, crop-hungry BUGS. British hopes Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper might have to take evasive action when they start their singles campaign next week as they chase the record $5million champions' pot. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The US Open is braced for an invasion of sex-crazed, crop-hungry bugs Credit: Volkan Furuncu/2 Lanternflies recklessly munch everything and frantically mate in August Credit:The three-week tennis Major may be marred by a swarm of spotted lanternflies, currently enjoying a population explosion. The pesky critters have been spotted in 29 of New York State's 62 counties during a red-hot summer. Flushing Meadows, the Slam's venue, is the fourth-largest public park in the State, with a total area of 897 acres. Should any bugs appear at the venue, fans and players have been advised to report them to local authorities — then STOMP them to death. Read More on Tennis DOUBLES TROUBLE Tennis' original badboy was US Open finalist & partnered Hollywood royalty Lanternflies recklessly munch everything from vegetable gardens to fruit trees and generally hatch in late May. With people tending to notice them while they are frantically mating in August. Kelli Hoover, professor of entomology at Pennsylvania State University, fears they will spread like wildfire across the States. She said: 'They're hopping on trains, planes and ships. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS "These guys are brave hitch-hikers.' And Brian Eshenaur, an invasive species specialist at Cornell University, said: 'When somebody sees an insect, we ask them to take a picture first. US Open Suspended as Hurricane Erin Floods Flushing Meadows "And then stomp on it.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store