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Hotel Charges Guests $500 For Bad Online Reviews

Posted by timothy on from the may-require-substantial-deposit dept.

njnnja (2833511) writes In an incredibly misguided attempt to reduce the quantity of bad reviews (such as these), the Union Street Guest House, a hotel about 2 hours outside of New York City, had instituted a policy to charge groups such as wedding parties $500 for each bad review posted online. The policy has been removed from their webpage but the wayback machine has archived the policy. "If you have booked the Inn for a wedding or other type of event anywhere in the region and given us a deposit of any kind for guests to stay at USGH there will be a $500 fine that will be deducted from your deposit for every negative review of USGH placed on any internet site by anyone in your party and/or attending your wedding or event If you stay here to attend a wedding anywhere in the area and leave us a negative review on any internet site you agree to a $500. fine for each negative review."

9 of 183 comments (clear)

  1. I wonder if Barbra Streisand has ever stayed there by NotDrWho · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe she could have warned them what happens when you try to bury the truth.

    --
    SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
  2. Damn them with faint praise by SJester · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd be so tempted to write a positive review that damns them with faint praise. "I was delighted to discover that the toilets on the first floor do flush adequately, and that the water stops rising eventually and goes back down!" Or "the cheap fake strawberry air freshener reminds me of my best year in college."

    1. Re:Damn them with faint praise by CanHasDIY · · Score: 4, Funny

      John J. on Yelp beat you to it:

      Apparently we are not allowed to write negative reviews, so I will write a positive one.

      I very much enjoyed my stay at the Union Street Guest House, which met or exceeded every expectation! Everything felt authentic and vintage, like the bathroom, which did not have working toilets. ("Just like olden times," noted the concierge.) Similarly, the beds were very uncomfortable, just like in the days of yore, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had taken the trouble to obtain several hundred bedbugs to place in the bed, for the sake of authenticity.

      The food in the dining room was similarly amazing -- totally inedible! One bite of the cold porridge and my wife said, "Wow, this stuff is unbelievable!" So true.

      I can't recommend this place enough. It is by far my favorite plague-infested parasite haven in Hudson, NY.

      Please don't fine me $500; I spent all my money getting rid of the bedbugs I brought back with me.

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
  3. Re:Contract binding third parties by mythosaz · · Score: 4, Funny

    I sign those contracts all the time.

    Sometimes my contract says that I believe a group of people will perform better than another group of people, and if my chosen group of people perform badly, I have to pay a penalty to the other party.

    The other party is my bookie.

  4. There are ways of posting bad reviews by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 5, Funny

    without posting anything bad. For instance:

    - This hotel definitely has 8 rooms, and all of them have beds.
    - The hotel's owner is very dedicated to ensuring your bill is correct when you leave.
    - Checkout time is strictly enforced, so you're sure to find your room empty when you arrive.
    - Staying at this hotel is much better than camping on a landfill.
    - This hotel is much less expensive than the George V, and much more comfortable than a Texas motel.

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  5. Re:Is it a bad review to mention they charge for o by thieh · · Score: 3, Funny

    How stupid can places get?

    Zeroth Law of Stupidity: There is no upper bound on the amount of stupidity that can exist within any particular individual. First Law of Stupidity: We always underestimate the number of stupid people, even after the First Law of Stupidity is applied/accounted for. Does that answer your question?

  6. Re:Good by tchdab1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    A good review can be just as effective: "I really loved the cold soup, the dirty sheets, and the rude staff attitude - it made me feel just like home."

  7. So... by Greyfox · · Score: 1, Funny

    If you've never stayed there, you can post a bad review for free? Because I have a special review I've been saving for years for just such an occasion!

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  8. Re:Good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Have you ever considered a new wife?

    (Posting anonymously because some stuck up people think women are some kind of sacred beings and sexist jokes on them are some kind of blasphemy.)