I can't believe you people fall for such a troll!<BR>So obvious from the Doc's e-mail address: "the big [email protected]"<BR>And who doesn't remember the recent thread re the 5th floor of a hotel in Amsterdam? Hotel Asterisk just opened their 40th room...

Also Culp. Short for culprit.

Well, Hotel Asterisk does exist (sounds like Hotel ***) and has 40 rooms. But rooms are often numbered so the first digit refers to the floor. So that doesn't prove anything.

This post caught my eye because I am going to Amsterdam in June. Staying at Hotel Kap (across the street from Hotel Asterisk). So many things seem fishy about this post, but what would be the purpose of this type of "troll"?

Robbed WHILE THEY WERE SLEEPING? I know the size of a normal room in an Amsterdam hotel. BOTH these people slept threw this crime? I gotta BIG problem with that story.

I was interested in staying at Hotel Asterisk. After seeing Mr. Culp's story I checked with the hotel. The owner replied and said that Mr. Culp refused to use the safe and left without paying; therfore, they reported him to the police. I don't know who is telling the truth.<BR><BR>

XXX, I'm curious. When you checked with the hotel, did they admit the robbery had occurred and that the thief wss a former employee--who may have had help from a current employee? Did they say whether there were previous thefts and if they had changed the locks?<BR>Something's up here--I don't know who to believe--but if I were robbed in my hotel room by an ex employee with the collusion of a current employee and there had been robberies before with no change of locks, etc., and the management simply told me I should have used the safe (although hotel safes aren't theft proof or guarantee insurance coverage), who knows, I might not have been so happy to pay my hotel bill either. Especially if the items stolen were a video camera or something that you wouldn't normally put in a safe while you were IN THE ROOM. This is a strange case and we're not getting the whole story from anybody.

Mea culpa. somethin ain't right. why bitch about it on a forum?

To BTilke:<BR>No, the hotel only said that the guest refused to use the safe and then refused to pay. They said nothing else regarding former or current employees. What is curious to me is that both sides contacted the police. The guest says he filed a report and the hotel says they reported the guest to the police.<BR><BR>Like I said and as others feel, something isn't right somewhere. And we all still do not know who to believe.

Another curious thing is that "Dr. Culp" hasn't posted any replies since. And "Tom Bucker" sounds like the hotel in disguise.

This all sounds very fishy to me. The original story, and the response from a guest at the hotel at the same exact time, what are the odds of that? My question to Fodorites - how would you feel if the Asterisk Hotel responded legitimately under their own name? Or to hoteliers - would you get involved in a public argument on a message board in order to clear your name? Or to lawyers - can a hotel sue someone for posting untrue negative info on the internet?

just a reply for the credit card comment. you can contest the purchase as long as doesn't have all of these three carateristic: signature, imprint or swipe of card and authorization number. if he is missing one of the above you are garanteed to get that money back.. good luck.. and thanks.. I'll make sure to stay away from there on my trip in august.

OK, I'll put in my 2 cents' worth as a view of this whole thread. First, it is likely that Dr. Culp could have stayed at the Asterisk, but under his real name which clearly isn't Culp. Second, he probably got ticked off at the hotel management about something, and decided this is the way he would get even, by concocting a completely untrue tale and trying to get people to join in. Third, either bucker is an accomplice troll or an independent troll who obviously had nothing to do with the hotel, didn't ever stay there, and didn't contact them. Wanna bet this is the real scoop? I'm just wondering why we are all so foolish (including me) as to not only pay attention to this kind of garbage, but perpetuate it as well.

I'm beginning to think that Wayne is correct.

But, interestingly, there is a Dr David A Culp

Also another interesting thing, there's a reply to the title "Best Hotel in Amsterdam for $150 US". It states that the Hotel Asterisk is a nice and friendly hotel and so are its owners. Is this a coincidence only or is the hotel promoting itself?

I think Culp is a pitty old man who tried to rip off the hotel and after that his insurance company. Heard that he stayed there a long time, stayed after the incident for over 5 days, started complaining after checking out and left without paying his bill. After that, made this complaint on the internet. Why would the hotel double his bill????? <BR>Who believes this man. Note well: everyone can say everything about anybody on the internet. Intelligent people think twice before believing any story as fishy as this one.

Mr. Culp left without paying, or can he proove he did pay? I thing he is the crook.

Time to talk about something else. It's too bad that this is all over Fodors. Spend time answering people's questions and investigating new travel sites rather than freaking out about whether Dr. Culp is a crook!

I don't believe the story as told, but it IS upsetting regardless because I will be staying in the same area but at a different hotel, female, traveling alone. I wish I'd never read this post.<BR>