Hotel Tried To Fine Guests $500 Per Negative Online Review

Is it me, or is this some time in the Middle Ages? New York’s Union Street Guest House is certainly one that stands out from the crowd, not because of its price, its location, and definitely not for its service, but for the bad press that it has started to receive after word broke out that this hotel sports a policy on its website that will give the hotel leeway to fine guests $500 for each negative online review.

Yes sir, as you can read from the offending part below, it does not really make much sense in this day and age to have such a Draconian bylaw.

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.

Needless to say, this has seen the hotel’s ratings on Yelp drop faster than an Angry Bird hits its target, and it is rather poetic justice that the very thing it seeked to prevent in the first place has resulted in downright contempt from many. Hopefully this will be a learning experience for the management over as USGH.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Computers
Tags: hotel