Aussie hotelier calls in the media after "malicious" posts on Agoda and Trip Advisor

[Arandora]

"The police advised them to gather evidence and make a report to press charges of malicious posting."
Obviously he has misunderstood the police advice and made a report to the Press instead of making a report then press charges of malicious posting. Smart move - not!

[jenny2017]

3.5 

 

81 reviews

• Excellent16%
• Very good46%
• Average11%
• Poor8%
• Terrible19%

    With these ratings, POOR 8 % and TERRIBLE 19 %, no wonder. And asking for 20 baht when people don't know how to switch on the light is purely insane. I know where I'd never live in. 

 

And when you start to read the sign attached you'll understand some people's' frustration. At least, i do. 

 

 Unlocking safe "after hours 100 baht???? And I thought the paying hotel guest is King? Not there, that's obvious. I don't think that it was a good move from the owner. 

 

Help with carrying bags (if suitable person is available) 20 baht? That's a service all hotels usually offer. To ask for 20 baht will hardly give them a tip. 

 

Showing, or "teaching" on how to operate the safe = 60 baht??? My a..e

Showing how to turn on TV 20 baht? My god. 

Edited November 6, 2017 by jenny2017

[jenny2017]

5 minutes ago, Arandora said:

"The police advised them to gather evidence and make a report to press charges of malicious posting."
Obviously he has misunderstood the police advice and made a report to the Press instead of making a report then press charges of malicious posting. Smart move - not!

He shot himself in his foot. 

[Scouse123]

8 minutes ago, jenny2017 said:

3.5 

 

81 reviews

• Excellent16%
• Very good46%
• Average11%
• Poor8%
• Terrible19%

    With these ratings, POOR 8 % and TERRIBLE 19 %, no wonder. And asking for 20 baht when people don't know how to switch on the light is purely insane. I know where I'd never live in. 

 

And when you start to read the sign attached you'll understand some people's' frustration. At least, i do. 

The guy is a lunatic!

 

I can honestly say I have never seen such stupidity and ' nickel and diming ' in over 35 years of travelling and being in the trade.Never.

 

Also, it is a hotel / hostel. It is a public space. It is a dedicated area for sleeping, eating and drinking and MANY people do not like animals in the same space, be they family pets or not.

 

Animals do not belong in hotels, hotel rooms, breakfast rooms or anywhere that the public uses.

 

. OK, Some resorts allow them which have areas for them and designated, well advertised pet lover hostels and resorts in countryside places but not a hotel in the centre of a city.

Edited November 6, 2017 by Scouse123

[jenny2017]

2 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

The guy is a lunatic!

 

Also, it is a hotel / hostel. It is a public space. It is a dedicated area for sleeping, eating and drinking and MANY people do not like animals in the same space, be they family pets or not.

 

Animals do not belong in hotels, hotel rooms, breakfast rooms or anywhere that the public uses.

 

. OK, Some resorts allow them which have areas for them and designated, well advertised pet lover hostels and resorts in countryside places but not a hotel in the centre of a city.

There's not one rating from an experienced traveler, as you've already mentioned. And the outstanding posts are usually from Aussies. Very easy to read between the lines. And i don't want "hello Kitty" everywhere and barking and eventually shitting dogs when I want to sleep. Let's meet at another location then, okay? 

Edited November 6, 2017 by jenny2017

[Bantex]

I regularly post reviews of hotels, restaurants etc that I have visited but my reviews reflect my personal experience at that time. If I intent to visit a new place I check the previous reviews but I also look at the reviewers previous posts to check the consistency before I take note of what they post. In other words I Review the reviewer.

[Peterw42]

Its a little like Donald trump owning a hotel, all the good reviews are ok but the bad reviews are all fake and should be not allowed.

[Rc2702]

Just now, jenny2017 said:

3.5 

 

81 reviews

• Excellent16%
• Very good46%
• Average11%
• Poor8%
• Terrible19%

    With these ratings, POOR 8 % and TERRIBLE 19 %, no wonder. And asking for 20 baht when people don't know how to switch on the light is purely insane. I know where I'd never live in. 

 

And when you start to read the sign attached you'll understand some people's' frustration. At least, i do. 

 

 Unlocking safe "after hours 100 baht???? And I thought the paying hotel guest is King? Not there, that's obvious. I don't think that it was a good move from the owner. 

 

Help with carrying bags (if suitable person is available) 20 baht? That's a service all hotels usually offer. To ask for 20 baht will hardly give them a tip. 

 

Showing, or "teaching" on how to operate the safe = 60 baht??? My a..e

Showing how to turn on TV 20 baht? My god. 

That list is amazing he should get charged with extortion on the basis of that list alone.

[jenny2017]

3 minutes ago, Rc2702 said:

That list is amazing he should get charged with extortion on the basis of that list alone.

"Showing how to open windows or lock doors = 20 baht. With all these hidden fees such a room can be more costly than a 5 star hotel. I call it insane to make that to some much bigger problems for his place.

 

  It backfired. 

[Peterw42]

24 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

The guy is a lunatic!

Better watch out, he will be calling the police for a review like that.

[Top Chef]

"And part of that will no doubt be hotel and restaurant owners posting fake reviews to purposely damage competitors".

 

Or feathering their own nest !!!

[madhav]

This is a serious issue and TripAdvisor refuses to deal with it. Customers can and do basically write whatever fantasy story they want, and there is no policing system. There is also no verification system required, so basically anyone can write an anonymous review regardless to whether they actually stepped foot in the place. 

 

I manage a health resort and we keep very strict records of all our guests. We know each and every person who comes and stays. We get so many fake negative reviews and are constantly complaining to TripAdvisor to remove them but they won’t do anything. They just say that the reviews are within their guidelines. It becomes increasing difficult to run an honest business because of dishonest people like this, it seriously damages our reputation. Of course I can pay for fake positive reviews but I don’t want to go down this path. But one begins to think what options are left?

[suzannegoh]

1 hour ago, Gregster said:

The hotelier has evidence (a copy of the guest’s passport & CCTV footage) to prove that the Brazilian lied in his review about being from “Lebanon” and waiting “2 hrs” to check in. So I wonder how many more malicious, deliberate lies the guest wrote in his review?

 

TA should remove the guest’s post if the hotelier provides said evidence to TA. 

 

TripAdvisor will remove reviews in some cases but generally they try to avoid being arbiters over who is telling the truth.  If the customer says that there were pterodactyls in the attic of the hotel, as far as TripAdvisor is concerned there were pterodactyls in the attic.

Edited November 6, 2017 by suzannegoh

[wvavin]

Hoteliers should know what they have done by commonly showing some ridiculously beautiful shots showed on online sales platforms. Why review? The purpose is to have honest opinion from customers. 

[digger70]

As one Aussie to an other ,,,Take a spoon of cement and Harden up,,,,You always will have good  & bad reports from Tenants be that for Renting houses to Hotel/Motel rooms.

[jenny2017]

27 minutes ago, madhav said:

This is a serious issue and TripAdvisor refuses to deal with it. Customers can and do basically write whatever fantasy story they want, and there is no policing system. There is also no verification system required, so basically anyone can write an anonymous review regardless to whether they actually stepped foot in the place. 

 

I manage a health resort and we keep very strict records of all our guests. We know each and every person who comes and stays. We get so many fake negative reviews and are constantly complaining to TripAdvisor to remove them but they won’t do anything. They just say that the reviews are within their guidelines. It becomes increasing difficult to run an honest business because of dishonest people like this, it seriously damages our reputation. Of course I can pay for fake positive reviews but I don’t want to go down this path. But one begins to think what options are left?

If you've got such signs on the wall that you have to pay for everything that's included in "service" ( and I assume that a hotel, resort, or place that has rooms for rent, should provide such service for free), then you don't have to wonder why such negative comments are made.

 

  If I were you, I'd look at some guys who're running the same business. These are usually the ones who write some bad <deleted> about your place, hoping that they'll get the booking.

 

  I'm sorry to say that, but the world nowadays with all the online opportunities has become to a very difficult one.

 

  You might have a beer with them and they smile in your face, but once they come home they write a new review under a pseudonym. There';s no restriction on how many e-mails someone has and a VPN is easy to use.

 

  

Edited November 6, 2017 by jenny2017

[balo]

The Australian owner is clearly a lunatic, read his hotel rules and you'll understand why most of the guests complain . Pay 20 baht to open the door or turn on the TV ? ?

 

 

 

[Media1]

5 hours ago, petermik said:

Living close by I pass by often.......not an inviting looking establishment by any stretch of the imagination

Yes in basic terminology well pick a name

 

4 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

How many years the lebanese man should go to jail according to the farang hotel owner?

 

Lol the hotel owner has been here to long. Colonised 

[Media1]

9 minutes ago, jenny2017 said:

If you've got such signs on the wall that you have to pay for everything that's included in "service" ( and I assume that a hotel, resort, or place that has rooms for rent, should provide such service for free), then you don't have to wonder why such negative comments are made.

 

  If I were you, I'd look at some guys who're running the same business. These are usually the ones who write some bad <deleted> about your place, hoping that they'll get the booking.

 

  I'm sorry to say that, but the world nowadays with all the online opportunities has become to a very difficult one.

 

  You might have a beer with them and they smile in your face, but once they come home they write a new review under a pseudonym. There';s no restriction on how many e-mails someone has and a VPN is easy to use.

 

  

If it's a dump it's a dump simple

 

1 minute ago, balo said:

The Australian owner is clesrly a lunatic, read his hotel rules and you understand why mlst of the guests complain . Pay 20 baht to open the door or turn on the TV ? <deleted> ?

A goose deserves what he gets

[jenny2017]

35 minutes ago, Top Chef said:

"And part of that will no doubt be hotel and restaurant owners posting fake reviews to purposely damage competitors".

 

Or feathering their own nest !!!

You got me thinking . How many fake reviews did the guy who's now whining wrote about other establishments? It's sad but true and it's also not unusual at restaurants with competitors. 

 

   Restaurant XX in city YY has the best review just because the owner gave some free food and drinks to some particular people in a particular city.

 

 Even when their food is absolutely crap. 

 

  That's not fair, but it seems that almost all are doing it. 

Edited November 6, 2017 by jenny2017

[jenny2017]

4 minutes ago, balo said:

The Australian owner is clearly a lunatic, read his hotel rules and you'll understand why most of the guests complain . Pay 20 baht to open the door or turn on the TV ? ?

 

 

 

What's more annoying is the safe rule. If you want to open it at an "unusual time", you've got to pay 60 baht. Only the hotel owner knows when the unusual times are, nobody else. 

 

It's a total rip off place and he made it public how shady his place really is. Apparently, he wanted the opposite and more guests, me thinks. 

[jenny2017]

13 minutes ago, Media1 said:

Yes in basic terminology well pick a name

 

Lol the hotel owner has been here to long. Colonised 

I hope that THIS hotel owner has got a work permit !! By law he isn't even allowed to open a door for 20 baht, which is considered work.

Edited November 6, 2017 by jenny2017

[PremiumLane]

2 hours ago, BobbyLambo said:

and has responded civilly to all points in the negative reviews

we must have read very different responses - calling people liars and saying they smell is not civil in my book

[jenny2017]

Here's a good explanation from a customer who stayed there:

 

  

   The down side, is VERY rude owner who will nickel and dime for everything he can get out of you. He's unfriendly, and don't seem to care about you returning for another holiday in his hotel. The owner will read this review but instead of trying to use it as helpful criticism he'll start making excuses for his poor customer service skills.

 

Sam S

 

[jenny2017]

8 minutes ago, PremiumLane said:

we must have read very different responses - calling people liars and saying they smell is not civil in my book

A very friendly response to a paying customer:

 

   

Thank you for your fake review.Seeing as its the only review you ever made and joined 2 days ago also happens to be when you stayed with us, makes it even more so a fake review. Its truly amazing what CCTV with Audio recording can prove this days.
To start with what does the owner have to do with checking you in? Absolutely nothing, and not only owner did not check you in, but you did not see the owner at all. You booked our 400 baht room through Agoda while eating a 50 baht meal in our restaurant. You had to wait for 10 mins for Agoda to notify the hotel of your booking. You also failed to mention that you are "friends" with one of the reception girls, i am guessing were hoping to get to know her more intimately, but she was not interested. Secondly safety box was working just fine, but you failed to read basic 3 step instruction provided and locked it. Yes for guest security only the manager has the override key. You did not wake up at 4 am, but 7:00 am and room had a smell because you were in it, no other reason for room to have a smell, tiled floors do not start to smell in the middle of the night.You did not check out at 6:30 am but 7:30 am and did not wait for an hour but 5 mins for staff to check the room. Not sure how you saw what was outside, as you did not leave the room from the time you checked in at 16:00pm till 7:30 am. Breakfast is from 9-11 however you demanded to have your breakfast at 7 am, and after being told it starts at 9, you were hysterically screaming you would cook yourself and to open the kitchen for you. Bed and pillow were not comfortable? were you expecting Posturepedic mattresses in a 400 baht room? Nevertheless we do provide 4 pillows, surely you could have made yourself comfortable with 4 pillow, no? You were threatened by a sign which says no smoking?
Very sorry about that, hope you did not suffer too much as this kind of signs are very common pretty much anywhere you go. So fairly safe to assume your raging either because you did not get breakfast in 400 baht room or that our reception girl did not spend the night with you or possibly both. Funny enough, hotel has a huge sign in reception clearly stating breakfast times. 400 baht rooms always attract certain type of clientele who always seem to think because they pay 400 baht they entitled to it all.Oh and just for your information only airport hotels start breakfast at 6 am, and MOST importantly MOST hotels do not provide breakfast for 400 baht rooms.

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[Si Thea01]

5 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

How many years the lebanese man should go to jail according to the farang hotel owner?

 

I'd say Go directly to gaol, do not pass Go; Do not collect $200.00. Social media. bah. By the way a Lebanese is classified as  Farang here. 

[Rc2702]

This hotel is so far from what you would want from a hotel it's worth experiencing. Should capitalise on its poor attitude and market it as the world's worst hotel. - 1 night is more than enough.

[dotpoom]

8 hours ago, kg1947 said:

Part of the “risk” when dealing with Cyber World , you have to deal with

FAKE COMMENTS & REVIEWS , probably under FALSE IDENTITY .

Establishment owner must counter this with FACTS then Legal Action.

Can NOT be avoided , so deal with it .....

Yes...isn't that what he is doing?

[ttrd]

8 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

Interesting to look at trip advisor , a fair share of negative reviews and the manager arguing with (even abusing the reviewers) the reviews. 81 reviews, and 18 say poor or terrible, and the manager arguing the point. Manager is saying the reviews are fake, they are not fake if someone stayed there and its their review.

Basil Fawlty would be proud.

 

RE Single Superb postings through Tripadvisor

What about all the hotel, guesthouse and restaurant -owners who create  tens if not hundreds of different email accounts and post  superb reviews about their own business - that is really something that should come to an attention...;)

Pay attention to the establishment who have a lot of superb reviews where those superb posters do not have posted anything else ever...

Edited November 6, 2017 by ttrd

[chickenrunCM]

2 hours ago, RandolphGB said:

Only in Thailand would someone try to sue people for a review of their service 

Yes, we have a restaurant & bar, and we got from 1 person 2 negative reviews within 10 month, and we made also a police report to indentify this person. Because for on Tripadviser you do not have any chance to let delete a clear negative comment. You get only automatic emails response if you claim something. Positive comment will not be published. Even if you not register your bussines on Tripadviser, everybody can register it and post pictures of it.

In any European countr you can go to court and force Tripadviser to delete your busssines or the fake comments, if not they will be punished, but in Thailand this way not work. So we have to go after the person who wrote it. On Tripadviser you can write reviews even you never visit the place. This is not possible on agoda or booking.com, what makes a big different. 

And by the lastest study more than 40% of all reviews online are fake. It´s a big industry and and especially Tripadviser earns a lot, they offer you for 40 USD/month a special customer service and you can be sure no bad comments to be published.