Yeah I heard about this a week or so ago and couldn’t believe what I was reading!
Can hotel’s really be so short-sighted that they think this is the way to respond? fair enough, some idiot will always post an offensive or deliberately damaging review but that’s what mods are there for.
These people need to realise that the ability of these sites to generate content from user reviews is a game-changer and they need to respond.
The days of a printed Hotel review in a magazine from a travel-writer based on a pre-arranged visit where the very best of everything is laid on for them are looooooong gone. Consumers no longer want and are unwilling to allow ‘some one else‘ to filter or decide what should or shouldn’t be included in a review of a service and they will go to the trouble of posting their own experiences for the benefit of others.
The ability of any company to absolutely control the discussion and perception of it’s brand are gone. Smart companies are learning that they have to engage with their customers (like sheeesh, what a radical idea that was!)and the ones who do well out of that won’t be those who have to be dragged into this century kicking and screaming.