kirk0233 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I recently stayed at a hotel in Pattaya with my wife and was very disappointed. I wrote a negative review which, when posted on Agoda's site, was significantly altered. All negative aspects of the review were deleted. I have used Agoda before and have never posted such a negative review so i don't know if this is common. My experience that led to the negative review was a flock of 10 prostitutes on the roof of the hotel that were swimming in the pool at night during a hotel sponsored barbecue in two-piece swimsuits. There was much giggling going on by the girls who looked to be in their early twenties and much ogling by middle-aged farangs. My wife was horrified by this and we left immediately. In the night we were awakened by laughing in the hall and in the morning the maid confirmed that many of the girls were taken to rooms of some guests. My question to members is has this happened to you? I read on the Internet that one person's trip adviser review was deleted due to its negative nature. I am sure that other couples have experience similar problems with this hotel, but if these reviews are altered by Agoda and other booking agencies how can reviews help customers unfamiliar with a hotel? Any similar problems? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manarak Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 (edited) ugh - a complaint that people were actually having fun at the hotel. There are several things I don't understand about your complaint: - why take your wife to Pattaya, especially to a low priced hotel near the center? You are a member of this forum and probably know what's going on in Pattaya. - if you wanted a prostitute-free hotel, why didn't you inquire at the hotel before booking if they allow girls into the rooms or not? I think you could have stayed at the hotel right next to the one you stayed in without being troubled. (if my hypothesis on the hotel is correct) - why are you offended by girls in bikinis? Bikinis can be seen at the beach and swimming pools. And I guess the 20 yo giggling girls were much easier on the eyes than 50yo 120Kg short-haired grim-looking tourists wearing bikinis (which in that case would really be a reason to complain). - if you change your perspective, your 'negative' review could have attracted customers to the hotel instead of turning them them away. Many people coming to Pattaya are actually looking for that kind of entertainment. Your negative review was not only negative but also promoted prostitution - the coin has 2 faces. Edited July 23, 2011 by manarak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundman Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Previous post, I think you missed the point of the OP. The topic appears to be about Agoda changing a customer feed back review. Thailand has harsh defamation laws, IMO Agoda may have modified the review in respect of these laws. ................................. Since this has nothing to do with Bangkok, I'll move the topic to the General discussion section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 There may have been reasons for editing although I believe that in all cases where a persons words are altered it should be noted that they have been and he should always be advised and if he asks have his entire post deleted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manarak Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Previous post, I think you missed the point of the OP. The topic appears to be about Agoda changing a customer feed back review. Thailand has harsh defamation laws, IMO Agoda may have modified the review in respect of these laws. ................................. Since this has nothing to do with Bangkok, I'll move the topic to the General discussion section. Well, my first points were about the substance of the complaint - like complaining that there is too much gambling going on in Las Vegas - as a publisher/editor I would probably also tone down criticism of a Vegas hotel because of "too much gambling". My last point was specifically about a possible reason why Agoda changed the review: Agoda and the name of the hotel associated with "prostitution" in google searches for example. Also I don't know in which terms OP formulated his review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 There are lots of fake posts designed to promote a business or hurt a competitor on this kind of websites. Trip Advisor is the same. They really have to be careful of libel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 It seems as if this may be a case of "If you can only say good about somewhere it may be better to remain silent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokie36 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I slated a hotel on booking.com a while back. When I read the review my words weren't altered at all but they said I scored it 5 out of 10. Believe me if I had rated it would have been zero. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryLH Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 "My experience that led to the negative review was a flock of 10 prostitutes on the roof of the hotel that were swimming in the pool at night during a hotel sponsored barbecue in two-piece swimsuits. There was much giggling going on by the girls who looked to be in their early twenties and much ogling by middle-aged farangs. My wife was horrified by this and we left immediately." That has to be a true story. Who would make it up, and if you did, who would believe it? "...a flock of 10 prostitutes..." Flock, eh? Was anyone else wondering what you called a bunch of prostitutes? I posted a review on Agoda for a HK hotel several years ago. Both pro (no relation to OP's complaint) and con comments. It wasn't changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalJ Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I have used Agoda for awhile, and every time I post something negative, (musty or smoky smelling room, or dirty room, staff unfriendly, etc) it is omitted. I have also tried to post tips on near-by attractions or restaurants and most of the time it was altered as well. I have found Trip Advisor is better at posting what I have actually written in my review. And now I do not trust any reviews given on Agoda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyrobert Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 (edited) I had a bad experience at Bally's Serviced Apartments in BKK where the a/c was permanently set on meatlocker for a whole week without repair. I wrote about it on Trip Advisor. It's still there, unchanged. However, a few weeks later I had an appalling experience at the eponymous Robin Hood Pub in Sukhumvit and posted it on Durian Seed. It was approved, but two days later *POOF* gone into the ether. Sponsors? Edited July 23, 2011 by metisdead Font reset to default forum font, please use that when posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirk0233 Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 ugh - a complaint that people were actually having fun at the hotel. There are several things I don't understand about your complaint: - why take your wife to Pattaya, especially to a low priced hotel near the center? You are a member of this forum and probably know what's going on in Pattaya. - if you wanted a prostitute-free hotel, why didn't you inquire at the hotel before booking if they allow girls into the rooms or not? I think you could have stayed at the hotel right next to the one you stayed in without being troubled. (if my hypothesis on the hotel is correct) - why are you offended by girls in bikinis? Bikinis can be seen at the beach and swimming pools. And I guess the 20 yo giggling girls were much easier on the eyes than 50yo 120Kg short-haired grim-looking tourists wearing bikinis (which in that case would really be a reason to complain). - if you change your perspective, your 'negative' review could have attracted customers to the hotel instead of turning them them away. Many people coming to Pattaya are actually looking for that kind of entertainment. Your negative review was not only negative but also promoted prostitution - the coin has 2 faces. The hotel was not cheap (2,300 baht up) and 4 star on Agoda. I am not offended by girls in bikinis, but I am concerned that prostitution was endorsed by the management of the hotel. Do you think if I had called the hotel and asked they would have told me they nightly provide prostitutes on the roof by the pool? My wife and I were not looking for that kind of entertainment. My review was to inform people of this practice so they could avoid it or enjoy it if they wanted. But since Agoda censors negative elements, the next couple or individual who wants a prostitute free hotel will not know to avoid this one. You may PM me if you are interested though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkkjames Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I'd like to know what criteria they use for determining star ratings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrjlh Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 There are many ways to post a negative reply. In your case a simple "Party Friendly" but not "Family friendly" statement would have sufficed. You might re-posted it that way and see what they do. So next time look for a "family friendly" hotel. Many people want the "party friendly " place, you are just not one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manarak Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 ugh - a complaint that people were actually having fun at the hotel. There are several things I don't understand about your complaint: - why take your wife to Pattaya, especially to a low priced hotel near the center? You are a member of this forum and probably know what's going on in Pattaya. - if you wanted a prostitute-free hotel, why didn't you inquire at the hotel before booking if they allow girls into the rooms or not? I think you could have stayed at the hotel right next to the one you stayed in without being troubled. (if my hypothesis on the hotel is correct) - why are you offended by girls in bikinis? Bikinis can be seen at the beach and swimming pools. And I guess the 20 yo giggling girls were much easier on the eyes than 50yo 120Kg short-haired grim-looking tourists wearing bikinis (which in that case would really be a reason to complain). - if you change your perspective, your 'negative' review could have attracted customers to the hotel instead of turning them them away. Many people coming to Pattaya are actually looking for that kind of entertainment. Your negative review was not only negative but also promoted prostitution - the coin has 2 faces. The hotel was not cheap (2,300 baht up) and 4 star on Agoda. I am not offended by girls in bikinis, but I am concerned that prostitution was endorsed by the management of the hotel. Do you think if I had called the hotel and asked they would have told me they nightly provide prostitutes on the roof by the pool? My wife and I were not looking for that kind of entertainment. My review was to inform people of this practice so they could avoid it or enjoy it if they wanted. But since Agoda censors negative elements, the next couple or individual who wants a prostitute free hotel will not know to avoid this one. You may PM me if you are interested though. Well, maybe you will be surprised, but nightly guests are mostly observed coming in at 4 and 5 star hotels. Second, there is a difference between inviting girls to join a bbq party at the pool to lift the atmosphere and "endorsing prostitution". As I see it, what the girls are doing after the party is their own private business and it doesn't necessarily mean the hotel provided prostitutes - if you follow that line of thought, you could probably say that any venue in Pattaya where girls are present is endorsing prostitution if some girls decide to go with customers of that venue. In Pattaya, most of the girls who would visit pool parties would also be available for more, depending on what the girls want. Think about it: for the hotel, the only way to avoid this would be for them to escort the girls out after the party and to bar them from coming back in the same night, which would be totally ununderstandable for the hotel's clients and a very guest unfriendly policy. Another way would be to do no pool parties at all, or to restrict it to checked-in guests only. Funkiller. And it could have been worse: it could have been a party organized by a ladyboy forum! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirk0233 Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 I'd like to know what criteria they use for determining star ratings? It would seem by removing negative reviews, possibly fabricating positive ones and then positioning the hotels into stars accordingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carib Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 (edited) Same thing happened to me. Agoda left the negative comments about a few hotels out, on various occasions my whole comment was rewritten to make the place look better than it in fact was. I am talking mildly negative comments here, like smelly room or hallways, dirty furniture in the room, smelly sheets, things like that . So yes, Agoda does "adjust" the customers reviews by not accepting negative comments about a place which could help another costumer to make up his mind about booking. Edited July 23, 2011 by Carib Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moe666 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Pattaya and a girl free hotel isn't that a oxymoron. I have never trusted these booking services, I go thru them looking for prices and then contact the hotel direct and ask for same price about 95 percent of time no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monty1412 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 "My experience that led to the negative review was a flock of 10 prostitutes on the roof of the hotel that were swimming in the pool at night during a hotel sponsored barbecue in two-piece swimsuits. There was much giggling going on by the girls who looked to be in their early twenties and much ogling by middle-aged farangs. My wife was horrified by this and we left immediately." That has to be a true story. Who would make it up, and if you did, who would believe it? "...a flock of 10 prostitutes..." Flock, eh? Was anyone else wondering what you called a bunch of prostitutes? I posted a review on Agoda for a HK hotel several years ago. Both pro (no relation to OP's complaint) and con comments. It wasn't changed. Excellent point Super Member.. collective pronouns are indeed curious.. a "parliament of owls", a "murder of ravens", a "wrench of plumbers"... I would propose a flock of prostitutes should be a " blow of prostitutes" or a "sack drain of prostitutes". Just to throw my opinion in here on the actual post.. Im all with the guy about his compliant... ahh what specific hotel was it and ahh, umm, ahh do you know the date of the next party so I can definitely not be there.. ohh brother get a life... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattayaParent Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 (edited) but I am concerned that prostitution was endorsed by the management of the hotel. In Patttaya?? Your jokiing right ??? This is just a wind up yes???? Edited July 23, 2011 by PattayaParent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattayaParent Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 "My experience that led to the negative review was a flock of 10 prostitutes on the roof of the hotel that were swimming in the pool at night during a hotel sponsored barbecue in two-piece swimsuits. There was much giggling going on by the girls who looked to be in their early twenties and much ogling by middle-aged farangs. My wife was horrified by this and we left immediately." That has to be a true story. Who would make it up, and if you did, who would believe it? "...a flock of 10 prostitutes..." Flock, eh? Was anyone else wondering what you called a bunch of prostitutes? I posted a review on Agoda for a HK hotel several years ago. Both pro (no relation to OP's complaint) and con comments. It wasn't changed. Excellent point Super Member.. collective pronouns are indeed curious.. a "parliament of owls", a "murder of ravens", a "wrench of plumbers"... I would propose a flock of prostitutes should be a " blow of prostitutes" or a "sack drain of prostitutes". Just to throw my opinion in here on the actual post.. Im all with the guy about his compliant... ahh what specific hotel was it and ahh, umm, ahh do you know the date of the next party so I can definitely not be there.. ohh brother get a life... I was brought up to understand that the collective pronoun is 'a cumload of prostitutes' ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishken Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 can u name that hotel.sound like a nice place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonsalviz Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 It seems as if this may be a case of "If you can only say good about somewhere it may be better to remain silent. Had that problem right here on TV. Now I don't use any of their advertisers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirk0233 Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 but I am concerned that prostitution was endorsed by the management of the hotel. In Patttaya?? Your jokiing right ??? This is just a wind up yes???? I have stayed at many hotels in Pattaya including Amari, Garden Cliff, etc. . There were no prostitutes at these hotels that I could discern. Sorry to hurt your feelings, but not everyone is after a prostitute in Pattaya. Some of us have families. A typical hotel does not encourage individuals who are not guests to enter the pool area especially knowing they are prostitutes and is then rated 4 star on Agoda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliaminBKK Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I had the same issue, the deleted my entire post on a hotel in Manila, it was a complete dive but based on all those so called positive reviews I chose the dump, I merely wanted to warn others what to expect. Agoda is a travel agent, they charge upwards of 20% commission so I guess hotels get pissy when they see all the negative reports. BTW tripadvisor is owned by is owned by Expedia, I don't think there is a neutral site for reviews anymore. Perhaps TV will dedicate a section for hotel reviews in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terryp Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 but I am concerned that prostitution was endorsed by the management of the hotel. In Patttaya?? Your jokiing right ??? This is just a wind up yes???? I have stayed at many hotels in Pattaya including Amari, Garden Cliff, etc. . There were no prostitutes at these hotels that I could discern. Sorry to hurt your feelings, but not everyone is after a prostitute in Pattaya. Some of us have families. A typical hotel does not encourage individuals who are not guests to enter the pool area especially knowing they are prostitutes and is then rated 4 star on Agoda. WELL SAID ...too many members here think everyone should put up with bad service and low standards because you go to Pattaya ....like it is some kind of excuse????? We all know what Pattaya is about BUT many places are not just about bar girls or low life sex tourists Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaby Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 (edited) but I am concerned that prostitution was endorsed by the management of the hotel. In Patttaya?? Your jokiing right ??? This is just a wind up yes???? I have stayed at many hotels in Pattaya including Amari, Garden Cliff, etc. . There were no prostitutes at these hotels that I could discern. Sorry to hurt your feelings, but not everyone is after a prostitute in Pattaya. Some of us have families. A typical hotel does not encourage individuals who are not guests to enter the pool area especially knowing they are prostitutes and is then rated 4 star on Agoda. WELL SAID ...too many members here think everyone should put up with bad service and low standards because you go to Pattaya ....like it is some kind of excuse????? We all know what Pattaya is about BUT many places are not just about bar girls or low life sex tourists Wow, someone who likes a shag is a low life. Were was the bad service and low standards? Girls in bikinis in the pool and some couples having sex in a room. Wow, shock horror, I suppose the girls should have been wearing burkhas in the pool. Pattaya is Pattaya, you know what it is like, what do you expect. Saying your wife was 'horrified' because girls were in bikinis in the pool? How can anyone that goes to Pattaya be horrified of seeing girls in bikinis having fun and, god forbid, having sex in their room. If a room is booked for two people then I would exepect a typical hotel to allow ANY guest I decide to take with me. Do the girls wear a tag saying they are prostitutes? If I pick up a farang girl and buy her a few drinks and she agrees to go back to the hotel with me will they allow it? I bought her drinks so she must be a prostitute. Jeez some people are so precious. I have put reviews good and bad on trip advisor and they have remained. I even received an email from management in response to my review. Edited July 24, 2011 by Wallaby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wandrinstar Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I was shocked and Disgusted, i found a Lump of Coal in Newcastle once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHCP Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I had the same issue, the deleted my entire post on a hotel in Manila, it was a complete dive but based on all those so called positive reviews I chose the dump, I merely wanted to warn others what to expect. Agoda is a travel agent, they charge upwards of 20% commission so I guess hotels get pissy when they see all the negative reports. BTW tripadvisor is owned by is owned by Expedia, I don't think there is a neutral site for reviews anymore. Perhaps TV will dedicate a section for hotel reviews in the future. You make a good point. I am sure it is done for commercial sale reasons both by agent and hotel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB1955 Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I had a night mare of a stay at a hotel I booked with Agoda . I pretty much told all in my review as well. I checked a few hours later there it was just as I had wrote it . But I made sure what I wrote was correct and true . Its still there as of a few minutes ago . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.png.3b3332cc2256ad0edbc2fe9404feeef0.png)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now