Woman shares ‘abandoned mall’ she found under her Airbnb

Claire Scheulin posted a video on her TikTok last week claiming that the Airbnb she and her friends were staying in was located above an “abandoned mall”. The TikTok has over 7 million views and has sparked a multi-part “tour”, which left most commenters feeling a little scared.

In the TikTok, Scheulin walks through the abandoned space with the caption “pov: when your airbnb [sic] has an abandoned mall in the basement.”

Many commenters were quick to share that they felt like she was in “The Backrooms.” According to urban legend, The Backrooms is where one will end up if he accidentally teleports out of reality. Backrooms are said to be an endless maze of old rugs, fluorescent lighting, old wallpaper, and the like.

“Not the yellow lanes come out bestie,” one user commented.

In response to the video’s massive viewership, Scheulin posted a follow-up video the next day in which she and a friend explained that while Airbnb was “a bit scary,” they were fine. She also promised to update her audience with a mall tour.

“Gets thousands of comments to leave, them: let’s explore,” one commenter joked.

Her next video, released later the same day, gives viewers a better sense of space. The Airbnb appears to be a room in an old hotel. When she and her friends take the elevator down, they find themselves in a room covered in carpet and old furniture. From there, they enter the mall. As in any other mall, there are elevators, stairs and shop windows, but here everything is abandoned.

Although many reviewers still found the space a nightmare, others were quick to post that the building is actually a Florida resort/mall and not as scary than users think.

“This is Hollywood Beach Resort in Florida and it’s being renovated,” one commenter said.

Another said: “By the way, this hotel is in Hollywood Beach and used to be a hospital.”

Scheulin’s next video was a duet with a TikToker named whojosh, who confirmed that not only is the Airbnb real, but that it’s in Hollywood, Florida, according to users.

According to Josh, he and his friends once stayed at the Airbnb during spring break in college and agreed that the place looked like a “strange simulation problem.” He also shared that the mall cafe was still operational and was usually full of older people enjoying the coffee.

In another TikTok posted on his account, Josh shared the Airbnb information, and his address is the same as the Hollywood Beach Resort.

According to his website, the Hollywood Beach Resort dates back to the 1920s. What was once a bustling hotel is now a cluster of condos that sits above the Oceanwalk Mall, the now-closed mall that many believe to be the abandoned mall that Scheulin, Josh and their friends found them all. More likely than not, one or more of the condos doubles as an Airbnb, allowing tenants to access the mall from inside the building.

So, while Scheulin and his friends were certainly not in The Backrooms, the odd Airbnb accommodation surely made for an unforgettable stay.

Screenshot TikTok/claire.scheulin

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