Couple kicked out of Airbnb for being naked in the 'private' spa

The Airbnb listing promised guests “privacy and relaxation”

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A couple who were kicked out of a New Zealand Airbnb lodge for being naked in a private spa pool have said they were “made to feel awful” by hosts.

Lauren Eve and her partner were staying at a lodge in Paihia, a town on New Zealand’s North Island. The couple got up early on their first morning to watch the sun rise from the lodge’s private pool.

Eve wrote on Instagram that the lodge owners were residing next door and had told the couple they only wanted guests to stay in the spa for an hour.

After they stayed in the pool for approximately six minutes over the allotted one hour time slot, one of the owners entered the pool area and ordered the couple to get out and vacate the property immediately.

“It is clear to us that the hosts used a few minutes violation of the spa pool timing rule (that we only got informed about after we had paid) to kick us out because they had a problem with us being nude in a private area we had booked and paid for,” Eve told Stuff.

Although Eve and her partner were apologetic and complied with the owner’s instructions, she described the hosts as “aggressive”, adding that they refused to “talk about it like adults.”

“One of them then followed us around screaming about how it’s disgusting and what if they found a pube etcetera for an hour while we packed up.

“[Our hosts] were obviously really angered and confronted by us being our natural selves. We were there to enjoy our weekend and do some snorkelling – not to cause issues. We treated them and their home with respect. We were not treated in kind.”

The pair were then required to arrange alternative accommodation at the last minute and cancel pre-booked plans.

The lodge’s “interaction with guests” policy on its Airbnb page says: “While we live on the property, you can rest assured you will have privacy and relaxation during your stay. It does however mean we are close at hand should you require any assistance or information about the local area or the facilities we offer.”

Eve reported that since their stay, a nudity clause has been added to the lodge’s listing.

"Hosts should not be able to come into areas they have told you are private and police your behaviour outside of this,” Eve said. She added that she felt it was unfair they were required to pay for the 12 hours they spent in the property.

For those seeking a more natural holiday experience, NaturistBnB, an Airbnb booking site for naturists, was set up earlier this year.