Comments on: Should I delete my TripAdvisor review of the Grand Hotel Minneapolis?

By: The Good Doctor

The Good Doctor — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:39:54 +0000

Ah – I’ve identifed the source of the confusion – the identical article (including the same photo) was posted on elliott.org and so far has attracted 78 comments, including some from eyewitnesses. My mistake – feel free to delete my comment above! :-)

By: Christopher Elliott

Christopher Elliott — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:18:32 +0000

@Good Doctor, I don’t think so.

By: The Good Doctor

The Good Doctor — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:57:19 +0000

Speaking of deletions, is it my imagination, or have several of the comments previously posted on this thread been deleted?!?

By: Victoria

Victoria — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:14:28 +0000

I had a similar experience with a hotel in Phoenix recently. The front desk was unhelpful and I posted a less than glowing review. The manager tracked me down, called me, apologized and offered me a voucher for 2 free nights. I don’t want to remove the review because it was in fact my experience but at the same time I’d like to let folks know that the manager stepped up to the plate. There’s no way to do that on TripAdvisor (I was not asked to remove my review either).

By: mary gallagher

mary gallagher — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:51:25 +0000

I agree with other comments that the post should stay up on Trip Advisor if for no other reason than to remind people to keep an eye on their belongings in public places particularily hotels, hospitals (one of the worst) and any place the “public” can easily walk through. Hanging your purse on the back of a chair is also an invitation to theft.
As a longtime travel writer and commentator I would say generally the least helpful people at a hotel are likely at the front desk as well as the most helpful. It’s a real luck of the draw which you’ll run into.

By: SoBeSparky

SoBeSparky — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:16:32 +0000

I am a Destination Expert on TripAdvisor and post my share of reviews. I perceive one of the purposes of user reviews is to hear from people who actually stay (or visit) a hotel rather than a single professional reviewer for a guide book who might walk through, maybe look at a room or two with staff, and then leave. The professional reviewer never hears the banging pipes at night, the construction next door off and on, or in this case, experience the thief in the second floor restaurant.

By all means the review should have been kept on line, and it should be reposted. It happened to a hotel guest inside the walls of the hotel. If TA removes it, then we should hear the reasons. Editing and omitting reviews strikes at the very heart of the “independent” reviews by travelers.

I travel extensively overseas, can see and “feel” the lobby security at many properties, and appreciate the effort to protect guests. These usually are men in black suits and ear buds, very alert and scanning the room. Many times they note the faces and greet me the second or third time I enter the hotel. This effort at prevention warns potential criminals that there are personnel hired to catch them if necessary.

First, apparently there were no security personnel in the lobby. Second, the front desk was non-responsive in pursuing the thief. Third, they would not even help after the fact. All good reasons to tell potential guests to stay away. Security is always a concern and this abject lack of effort should be noted prominently.

By: mdnomad

mdnomad — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:41:58 +0000

I say put the review up again but add the follow up from the hotel. This way its not a bad review and its not good either. Shows the hotel does care in some aspect.

By: Al in So CA

Al in So CA — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:51:05 +0000

The main point of Mary’s review is that she stated what happened to her–”my wallet was stolen… my friends proceeded to the front desk and they were not willing to call the police and said it wasnt their issue”–and the opinion she formed because of it–”i wouldnt feel safe to stay here.” The only TA reviews that I consider in a booking decision are those that explain–giving details like service, cleanliness of the room, wait time, etc.–why a reviewer likes or dislikes a property.
If the review had remained on TripAdvisor, Mary should have left it there, but added the hotel’s response. Mary’s situation was horrible and I do not think the front desk’s response was acceptable either from a service point-of-view or a humanitarian one, but it is important to see how an establishment or business responds when things go wrong. Few vacations or events are 100% “perfect”. Geoff’s reply to Mary was good except for the part where he asked her to remove the review. If TA allowed it or kept her review, Mary could have put an ETA… edited to add… line where she explained the hotel’s response and let the readers to decide for themselves whether to visit the hotel or not.

By: Linda K.

Linda K. — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:40:42 +0000

I’m disappointed also that the review was deleted. As a woman that travels alone, I’d be really upset if I asked for help in calling the police and the employee refused for ANY reason. This employee should have been fired–not relocated.

By: SpotLight

SpotLight — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:09:51 +0000

I would recommend that the customer of this or any other travel facility should post the facts that: 1) the arrangement of the restaurant is such that persons with criminal intent can easily wander through the facility without being challenged by the staff – which in this specific case, resulted in a theft; 2) the facility personnel were not inclined to call to 9-1-1 on behalf of someone in their lobby (guest or not) which they admitted to being a “public” place; 3) the facility made efforts to suppress negative reports about them. This would be very useful information for me in selecting restaurant, lodging, or transportation offerings.

PS: If this lady had been physically assaulted in the lobby, would the staff have watched and done nothing? Seems like they would have done nothing because they “did not want to get involved.”

PPS: The objective of a travel review site (IMHO) is to give others a sense of a travel facility and its environment. It is useful information to know that pickpockets frequent a certain transportation medium. Whether the facility wants to act on the review or not is their business and not that of the customer.