Hundreds of hotels plan potential lawsuit against TripAdvisor

by Melanie Nayer on

Seems the TripAdvisor “reviews” are rubbing some hoteliers the wrong way. According to Tnooz.com, more than 300 hotels from the UK and United States have expressed interest in pursuing legal action against TripAdvisor, accusing the user-generated review site of defamation.

The planned pursuit is being organized by KwikChex, a UK-based company specializing in online reputation management, and reports say the hotels have already paid the £35 preliminary fee to join the action against TripAdvisor.

KwikChex is gathering hoteliers’ grievances against TripAdvisor and investigating them. Among the complaints against TripAdvisor, as spelled out in an open letter from KwikChex:
  • “TripAdvisor claims that they are not responsible for user generated content – but claims ownership of all posts.”
  • “TripAdvisor has singled out businesses and directly advised consumers not to trust them – even when the majority of their own posters recommend these businesses.”
  • “TripAdvisor overstates the level of trust that can be placed in an individual review on their site. They are thus directly seeking to influence consumer opinion.” “TripAdvisor has failed to take appropriate action when offered evidence of falsehoods – thus removing their blanket disclaimer defense.”
KwikChex is currently investigating the possibility of filing dual lawsuits in the UK and United States against TripAdvisor.

Readers, We want your thoughts! Are these lawsuits justifiable? Do you think the user-generated comments on TripAdvisor put hotels in a bad light? Are hotels justified in suing TripAdvisor for defamation? Share your comments below.

Toilet bomber fails in Denmark

by Tom Johansmeyer on

A man has been detained in what’s being called a suicide bombing attempt. Injured in the blast, the suspect is believed to have tried to ignite the bomb in the Jorgensens Hotel in Copenhagen, with the toilet being the scene of the (alleged) crime. He sustained injuries on his face and arms. Police picked him up in a park, where he’s said to have run following the blast.

The low-cost hotel is on Israel’s Square, in the center of Copenhagen. It’s also located close to Norreport Station.

Little is known about the man’s identity, though he is said to have carried papers from two countries. Also, his intended target hasn’t been established conclusively yet, but the newspaper Ekstra Bladet, is believed to have been a possibility.

[photo by jemsweb via Flickr]

London’s Cumberland Hotel unveils Jimi Hendrix-themed suite

by Melanie Nayer on

Paying homage to one of the greatest musicians of all time, London’s Cumberland Hotel is unveiling its new Jimi Hendrix-themed suite, complete with swinging mirrors and a purple haze.

The hotel, where Hendrix is said to have given his last ever interview, created a suite worthy of a rock legend, complete with a giant bed adorned with velvet cushions and zebra throws. The suite is being unveiled on Sept. 18, the day Hendrix died 40 years ago. An hour-long recording session of Hendrix talking to his music writer friend Keith Altham can be played on the iPod docked in the suite. “Everybody should have a room where they get rid of all their releases. My room was a stage,” Hendrix said in the interview.

Among the typical amenities and decor, guests can marvel at the Hendrix-inspired Flying V guitar that hangs on the wall alongside framed copies of NME articles. For a truly memorable trip, you’ll notice a rainbow that swirls across the ceiling past a cascading light in the form of a human figure. A mirror swings towards the bed, showcasing the crimson carpet, orange curtains and, of course, a haze of purple.

The Hendrix Suite at London’s Cumberland hotel costs 399 pounds a night (approximately $612 USD) for two people, which includes a bottle of Hendrix’s favourite Smokehead scotch and breakfast.

Minnesota porn ban to spank some hotels, except when too expensive

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If a porn ban in Minnesota‘s Winona County passes, hotels will have to operate under a “clean hotel” policy. County employees wouldn’t be able to stay at properties that have adult fare on the menu, though there are some specific exceptions to this rule. Ostensibly, this measure is intended to lower incidents of sexual and domestic violence, which the county says has a link to porn according to some studies (though there are indicators the other way, too).

According to a Winona Daily News:

“In and of itself, this policy is not a cure-all,” the document reads, “but it is an important effort to help prevent a social disease and its related costs to the public.”

Winona County officials believe that keeping porn out of hotels will alleviate the $221 million spent on issues related to sexual violence (in 2006). They feel that this form of prevention will lead to lower law enforcement costs. Winona Daily News continues:

“It is logical to assume that prevention of certain criminal activities would reduce the costs of providing these services,” the issue paper states. “Prevention would also prevent the much greater social cost to the community.”

In an effort to keep county workers from viewing adult entertainment – and banning local hotels from selling it in order to get county business, the state could be doing far more harm than good. The question staring me in the face is a simple and important one: does the county bring hotels more business than porn?

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For county workers, hotel stays entail local travel, so the business opportunity can’t be terribly high. The Winona Daily News notes that “law enforcement officials and other employees often require they spend the night in a hotel.”

Meanwhile, in-room adult entertainment is good for some big cash. The Family Research Council and a dozen other anti-porn organizations estimate that this form of entertainment is good for 60 percent to 80 percent of in-room entertainment revenue (though this is a dated estimate). Of course, the opponents of the freedom to view adult entertainment have had a tendency to pump up market size and other business-related numbers (as I found during four years of covering the business side of the adult entertainment industry) in order to emphasize its reach and influence. So, it makes sense to take a look at another source.

J.W. Marriott, whose background makes him no fan of adult content, is pretty clear on the importance of steamy televisions to his business. He wrote to the American Decency Association:

“If we were to eliminate R and non-rated offerings, the systems would not be economic [sic]. We believe it is more practical to have a system available through a wider variety and to allow our guests to make their own selections.”

Of course, the choice between county cash and porn cash may not be necessary. Given the nature of the hotel market in the state and the existing porn options, the measure may be close to irrelevant. Already, more than 480 “clean hotels” exist in the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. And, the rule only applies if a property is the “host site” for an event that the county employee is attending. Also, money does talk: if staying in porn-free digs would cost at least 15 percent more than staying at a porn-friendly establishment, the cost of “morality” isn’t worth it.

[Via USA Today, photo by Steve Zak Photography]

New Wisconsin hotel smoking ban: big fines, no choice

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Wisconsin has just cracked down on smokers from out of state. It’s only the second state with a smoking ban that applies to every hotel room in the state. This differs from most smoking bans, like the one in Kansas, in which the properties can allow smoking in a certain percentage of guestrooms. Michigan is the only other state with a hotel smoking ban this severe.

The hotel business in Wisconsin wasn’t thrilled about the legislation and did push against it. The greatest challenge, however, seems to be convincing the guests that it’s not a scam – that the ban is actually the law. It’s a lesson worth learning, for guests, because the consequences are severe. Notes USA Today:

Wisconsin’s roughly 2,000 hotels post signs declaring their building a non-smoking facility. They’re also requiring guests to initial a statement promising to comply or face paying a fee. Hotels are charging penalty fees anywhere from $100 to $300, she said.

[photo by ell brown via Flickr]