bilboburgler

I just thought you would like to see how one hotel has resolved its quality issues

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30100973

PatrickLondon

Goodness me. No sand in the bedrooms, and extra for use of cruet, eh?

Lucky we have such strict gun laws, or they'd have shot both their feet off long ago.

crellston

Bad review or not, I can't imagine many people wanting to stay after this! Spread the word...

thursdaysd

Interesting. Doubt they will get away with it, and even if they do it is certainly generating lots of the wrong kind of publicity! Would not be surprised if TA pulled the listing.

Morgana

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop...e_England.html

kja

I think I saw something similar to this situation on Fodor's in the recent past, but I can't find it. As I recall, a regular Fodorite who worked for an airline had a bad experience at a hotel, made note of it on TA, and got in a heap of trouble. Maybe someone else remembers? My recollection of the lesson learned was that we all need to be VERY careful about how we phrase our less than fully positive comments. I could be wrong....

Melnq8

That would have been a post by dutyfree kja. She was staying in a hotel provided by her employer, but IMO that doesn't mean she's not entitled to her opinion.

I adamantly disagree that one must walk on eggshells when posting a review...otherwise what the heck is the point?

Yes, there's a distinct difference between being inflammatory and fair, but I feel the average reader can tell the difference. The fact that this establishment feels it necessary to impose a fine for bad reviews speaks volumes about the place in question. That alone would make me avoid it.

PatrickLondon

Is the proprietor called Basil, by any chance?

kja

That's it, Melnq8 -- thanks! I still can'f find the link to dutyfree's thread; if anyone else knows of it, it might be worth posting the link.

I certainly did NOT mean to question dutyfree's opinion <b>or</b> her right to express it. My sincere apologies if that's what anyone thought!

I also didn't mean to suggest that people should not be honest in their reviews. I just remember thinking that that thread gave some very useful suggestions about how to express negative views without placing oneself in legal jeopardy -- for example, ways to use passive voice and / or hypotheticals to clearly communicate problems without incurring legal culpability for "defamation" or other allegations -- ways to express honest criticisms without legal culpability. Maybe I'm mistaken, but that's what I remember and why I brought that thread up.

Melnq8

I've looked for the link, but can't find it kja, Fodor's search function is pretty worthless.

kja

@ Melnq8 -- isn't that frustrating? For some time now, I have had better success searching Fodors by using google, but that often leads to a MASS of listings. I so wish that Fodors would fix it's search feature!!!

I look forward to learning more about your next foray into winter's wonderland. Have you already seen the awesome murals in Lavin's parish church? Might be worth considering....

kja

Here's dutyfree's thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/fodo...m#last-comment

Melnq8

That's the one kja, well done.

Murals? I absolutely want to hear about those...very much looking forward to our trip to Europe, especially as it heats up and the files make me crazy here in Perth. I'm much looking forward to warm gluhwein, bratwurst and cold temps!

RM67

Oh bugger I was going to post this

Somehow I think their booking diary may not be exactly replete going forwards....

Alec

Local paper's report with video clip showing the room the reviewer stayed in:
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/ne...view-1-6960026

bvlenci

It looks as though the hotel has had a talk with Fair Trading and is having second thoughts about the policy:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-30111525

Now they need to have a talk with all the hotels (and other services) that reward people for good reviews.

flanneruk

"Somehow I think their booking diary may not be exactly replete going forwards...."

The TripAdvisor reviews before (going back to 2008!) were truly, truly, diabolic - and it's not clear who shot the film the local paper's got on its site. In the BBC interview, the complainants make no mention of this film.

I'm not accusing anyone of faking anything - but it's clear that there's either a massive conspiracy against the owners, or they're simply incapable of acting on years of terrible reviews.

Either way, it's understandable that they very may well believe there's a conspiracy against them, and that they need to fight back against it.

It's not an unusual attitude among a certain kind of British small businessman: I've found it in newsagents, pub landlords, garage proprietors and sub-postmasters (independent holders of franchises to run the privately managed businesses that make up 95% of all post offices in Britain.)

Threats of losing business have no effect. The owners probably believe customers are taking liberties, and probably think they're doing their peers a public service by standing up to bullying.

Alec

Mind, the reviewer paid £38 for a double room for two with full breakfast and parking, which is bargain-basement rate even for Blackpool.

chartley

"It's not an unusual attitude among a certain kind of British small businessman: I've found it in newsagents, pub landlords, garage proprietors and sub-postmasters"

They are usually described as "characters".

flanneruk

"They are usually described as "characters"."

Or arseholes. Less often, oddly, by customers than by their fellow-small businesspeople, who see them much as ordinary decent kleptocrat dictators see North Korea's Kim dynasty.

Bringing honest ripoff merchants into disrepute.