Tripped Advisor

For years, people have been relying on Trip Advisor's unbiased travel reviews to plan their business trips and holidays. Recently, the culmination of a number of experiences has made me question Trip Advisor's fitness as a travel advisor.

rottentomatoes

According to Wikipedia, Microsoft (aka the Evil Empire) set up Expedia, Inc in 1996, selling it three years later to Ticketmaster, who spun it off in 2005. Trip Advisor (TA) was founded in 2000, and became connected with Expedia, Inc (EX) in 2004. Yet as subsidiaries of EX, TripAdvisor Media Group would appear to have certain vested interests in the travel industry. After all, how many other companies have caved in to advertiser displeasure?

If you've watched The Corporation (2003)¹, you know what I'm getting at. It's not a good idea to bite the hand that feeds you. Consider the fact that web sites such as TA and Ancestry encourage you to work for no remuneration. Then they use your work for gain. Something to keep in mind when next partaking of their "free" services.

* * *

Any ideals I had regarding EX died after a stay at Chicago's Club Quarters. Still rated three stars on EX, my room had a shower and one skylight, but no tub or windows. I stayed just over a week and was awakened almost nightly by a cacophony of clanging. Not once, but throughout the night. The bed was comfortable, but who cares when you don't sleep? We were there during a huge conference, so the room was far from cheap. The last night we were finally offered a discount, which disappeared by morning.

Cute, but not me.

Courtesy Sandos (from Wikipedia)

At home, I telephoned EX to find out what constituted 3-star accommodation in a big US city. It took a great deal of probing, but the answer was enlightening. The owner says so. Incredibly, EX had no verification procedure. Apparently, EX prefers to rely upon travellers like us to keep its hotels honest. I spent a long time on the telephone and spoke to several people. My reward? A $50 credit. I didn't use it.

Other people are welcome to act as guinea pigs. It's been years since I booked any travel on EX. It's great for comparison shopping, though. If you can't find the same place cheaper elsewhere, try harder².

* * *

But Trip Advisor has good and bad reviews, right? And there are procedures to weed out bogus and malicious posts. So what's the problem?

I've been travelling without my parents for more than 40 years. Over a number of years, I've tried to post two reviews about accommodations that have taken the cake for exceptionally bad service. The first was a place right on the beach, newly renovated. It had great reviews before the construction and had reopened with some enticing offers. What they failed to mention was that the poolside bar/restaurant had a calliopean live band. The stage had more speakers facing outward than into the bar/restaurant. Seven floors up, I tried everything to drown out the noise. Days later, they offered a new room close to a noisy construction site. 

Former construction site
(T Thurston, from Wikipedia)

Finally, we were moved to a room on the other side of the hotel. The balcony doors were enough to close out the sound. All of this took days. I only found one decent employee in the whole place, a bell boy. When I asked if there were anywhere, in the entire hotel, where I could sit down and read in peace, he suggested I try the lobby of the hotel next door. He reiterated that there was nothing at the place I was staying. 


With hotel speakers also braying towards the Pacific, there would be no peace at the beach, either. And if only the noise had been the sole problem. I've never been so happy to leave a so-called vacation spot in my life!

Thinking Trip Advisor (TA) would be a good place to warn people, I posted a review on the site. I spent hours editing out most of my anger. The result? Rage.

* * *

Bad trip: Sole subject of my beach
photos. Now doubling as TA avatar!

Now I'm back from being ripped off in Florida and my negative review on TA has been pulled. "Pending" it says. I had laboured to keep it factual, but I know some anger remained. First, I received a automated message asking me to confirm that I was referring to the right location. Reasonable, I thought, given that the other reviews were favourable. But then they tended not to be about my room, the one with the biggest problem. 

I know this for a fact, because I spent hours in the second "condo" and spoke to inmates of the other two. When my review didn't reappear after a couple of days, I sent an inquiry. The 48-hour promised response deadline passed, so I sent two more. Only the hiss of silence.

Perhaps my mistake was having posted a question on TA's Siesta Key forum: Was the quiet place I expected really a party town? Big mistake. Now, I'm accused of tarring the whole island with the same brush (when?). I've been told I should have researched the location (it came highly recommended from a trusted source and TA loves it). I'm apparently so stupid, I booked a room over a bar (yeah, it would have been, had I done so). Others have stated they've been there so my description must be untrue (funny, I thought I was alone in the Siesta Pit). 

On the basis of two other less than stellar reviews, I've been summed up as incapable of being happy anywhere. Well, that should have been easy to fix. I posted some very good ones, excellent too³. Does that count as rehabilitation?

* * *

Apart from the vitriol, it's the disconnection between what I have written and the accusations pitched at me. Talk about off topic. do commenters actually read what I have to say before launching into the attack, or are they simply reading-comprehension challenged?

Not to be confused
 with Boethius
(amazon.com)

Of course, these splenitive characters have their own agendas and what they write has more to say about them than it does about me. If Humptydumptism is their thing, fine. I've even worked with people who insisted that every discussion end in consensus. 

Unfortunately, I've seen the result of mental and physical abuse and I know that not speaking up is often interpreted as acquiescence⁴. One thing I've learnt is that when you stand up for yourself, the more the other person is in the wrong, the harder they argue that everything is your fault⁵.

Philosopher Alain de Botton suggests in his The Consolations of Philosaphy, that Socrates has an answer to unwarranted criticism. The people refuting my statements haven't put on my shoes, let alone walked in them. What do they know of my experiences? The more a person knows about a subject, the more valid their criticism. Hence, worthless. Completely ignorable.

Does Trip Advisor speak with a forked tongue? Caveat emptor indeed. Ta ta, TA.

* * *

Notes

amazon.com

¹ Should you enjoy demonizing the corporate world, you may love Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work. Written by experts on psychopathic behaviour, you'll learn how to protect yourself and discover why these reptiles are so successful in gaining employment. Note that you don't obtain the skills necessary to identify these monsters. However, you may be convinced that they view normal humans as prey, and be assured they are rarely long-term employees.

I found this tome absolutely fascinating. But I'm a people-watcher. I've also worked with some pretty miserable characters, none of whom had the requisite cocktail of evil traits. Lucky me.

amazon.ca

If you're into bad behaviour, you may find Lawyers Gone Bad a lively read. Written by legal insider, Philip Slayton, is a veritable feast. The non-fiction version of the ever-popular lawyer joke. 

Payback. These are the people who characterized members of my profession as "Sons of Satan" and "International Buccaneers".

A long time ago, when I was following post-graduate studies at McGill University, one of my instructors told us of a US study comparing various occupations with public perceptions of trustworthiness. As expected, car salespeople were scraping the bottom of the barrel among the pond scum. I forget whether lawyers ranked just above or just below. The real kicker was that the lawyers were said to be happy with this. 

Here's the equation:

Low rating = Fear = Respect + Success 

Apparently, we understood, legal clients, adversaries and juries could be counted upon to act according to a lawyer's best interests. No wonder Dick the Butcher suggested killing all of them.

² It's always a good idea to check the accommodation's own web site. Even mentioning where you've found a lower rate elsewhere may get you a reduction. The bonus is that you generally pay at the end of your stay, while EX's same or higher rate will likely be a "special deal" requiring payment up front.

I wouldn't bother with Travelocity's gnomes either. Orbitz always disappoints too. And be careful of Priceline's European subsidiaries, I had the price on a London hotel increased after I booked. After many communications by email and telephone the booking agent's approach was tough, you've been upgraded to a more expensive room.

I'm not living in the US, so I have not been able to sample Priceline or Hotwire. To me, their advertising screams caveat emptor.

³ One of those five reviews. Hopefully all removed at my request. Let someone else write free review to earn money for Expedia and its ilk:

"Bibliophile Heaven

5 Stars

I discovered this gem a few years ago and now I don't feel my visit to NYC is complete without stopping by.

See it for the art, the architecture, the books and manuscripts, the films, and the shop. My only complaints are that the place is too small (I'm greedy) and that it doesn't have ridiculously long hours (selfish, I know).

Some temporary exhibitions I've really enjoyed have been Demons and Devotion: The Hours of Catherine of Cleves and A Woman's Wit: Jane Austen's Life and Legacy. The colours and attention to detail of the illuminations were incredible. It was marvellous to see the film and hear comments from people who had been given access to Jane Austen's letters and then to be able to view the letters. I only wish there had been fewer visitors, so I could have spent more time reading them!

Visited January 2011"

amazon.ca

⁴ The Oscar-winning, In a Better World (2010), is a wonderful exploration of methods of responding to bullying, from the school yard to the theatre of war. The various characters take different stands, learning the consequences of their actions and the difference between theory and practice. 

No concrete answers, but plenty to think about. In English and subtitled Danish. Recommended.

⁵ Here's a sample.

My attempt at a neutral defence after being told the "truth" about the location. Please note that the hyperlink addresses have been replaced with hyperlinked descriptions:

"Proof:

See map with Siesta property (2) on Avenida Navarra, smack in the heart of the village and one block from the beach: map

See map with Oyster Bar described as restaurant. As the Siesta property's manager [Eileen Town] said, no bars [close by]: map

See videos of quiet Siesta property, taken in and beside room:

(1) Outside noise from inside the Pit

(2) Immediately outside the Pit's door walking towards the side and the  in the direction of Avenida Navarra

(3) Walking past the Pit's door with additional noise provided by Oyster Bar speakers"

Response from a Florida "expert". Note that each of the several nasty posts by this UK "writer" was blessed with errors galore:

"Save your proof for your complant [sic] to the Better Business Bureau. I already looked it up via Google maps and there are planty [sic] of places between Pearl and the Beach [I had described the Pit as being a block from the beach, which it is].

As I said, I think you have a claim on the Noise and the Wifi [sic] Front. Arguing here isn't going to help you get your money back, so put all your energies into that.

The rest of us Know [sic] the SK  [sic] has the best beach int he [sic] USA, and plenty of nice quiet places to stay outside of the village area. So sorry you didn't book one, you would have had a great time [maybe].

At least you didn't book yourself into "quiet' [sic] Miami Beach which recently had the Urban festival and the crowds and bab [sic] beahviour was rampant and made the national news. I imagine then you would have heard a real noisy party town [no comment on the grammar, sorry]."

Nobody's perfect, but give me a break. What can I say, I sent her a private message stating that spelling and factual errors detract from one's response. Then I blocked communications. Didt wont Mor ab-yuss.

* * *

Books mentioned

• The Consolations of Philosaphy
• Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work
• Lawyers Gone Bad

The Siesta Pit

Have you ever considered the variance between your holiday expectations and the experience itself? When planning and anticipating a trip we tend to discount the mundane. The petty annoyances of packing, travelling to the airport, and the whole security nightmare once you're there get left by the wayside.

That's why I try to re-read philosopher Alain de Botton's The Art of Travel before I depart on holiday. He reminds us that expectation and reality are often at odds. That our fantasy trip is just that -- fantasy. He looks at why we travel and what we expect from our experiences. It's a good way to help keep everything in perspective when you run into the inevitable headaches of travelling.

amazon.ca

Anyone who's spent any time on the road understands that no holiday destination will be exactly as advertised. That's why web sites such as TripAdvisor are so popular. But sometimes members of the hospitality industry outdo themselves by painting a far too rosy picture of the situation. Why not check out my post on weasel words, Humpty Joins Weasels: Toad Hall to Fall?

That's what's happened to me in Siesta Key, Florida. Two weeks of sun and sand in a relatively sedate community sounded like heaven. On the outskirts of the Village, I'd be within walking distance of everything. And just a block from the beach.

I could have breakfast outside every morning and barbecue my dinner. Grocery shopping and a myriad of restaurants were only a few blocks away.

So much for the fantasy. The reality was a nightmare of unremitting loud noise. Yes, there were a table and chairs, as well as a barbecue at the Siesta Pit¹. But there was also a big rooftop air conditioning unit on the next property and disturbingly close to my door. So much for spending time outside. Then I discovered the Oyster Bar² . I could even feel the so-called music in my room, it was so incredibly loud. Amplified so you could hear it for blocks!

Outside my door at the Pit:

I bet you'd get into serious trouble subjecting animals to this kind of cruelty.

And thus my fantasy week of sun and sand turned out to be more like heat and dust. Two days wasted attempting to get the promised WiFi working (it never did, not properly), migraines and misery. Yes, a few hours at the beach. But even that was marred by the speedboats roaring back and forth, dangerously close to shoreline swimmers. Apparently, the boats can come as close to shore as they wish, despite the swimmers. The key is not to behave recklessly. Or so I was told by the sherrif's office.

Needless to say, I'll not be taking advantage of my second week's rental. I've already fled Siesta Key. I must admit it's an experience I'd yet to enjoy, paying for two accommodations at the same time. So much for the Siesta Pit. And so much for Florida too. At least I'll be saving money on the souvenirs. Why would I want any? I haven't even taken any pictures.

* * *

Notes

¹ Actually the Pearl, but I'm not one for weasel words.

² Incredibly, this place advertises itself as the "Home of the Village Idiot". They've got one thing right.

* * *

Book mentioned

• The Art of Travel

Beach and Other Booking

It's generally taken as given that beach and other holiday reading is on the light side. But must this always be the case? Why not read something worthwhile on holiday this summer?

I travelled south to Florida about a week ago armed with my usual Rough Guide, three non-fiction books (including a biography) and a half-read mystery. I can't say I planned it this way, they were the first volumes on my bookshelf to take my fancy. And not that the mix really matters. It went without saying that I'd be picking up a few volumes while I was here.

However, my book-buying didn't go quite as planned. First, the places I visited, not being at the top of the tourist trail, didn't have the wealth of local interest books I'd imagined. The two State Parks provided a variety of bird-watching, tree-, plant- and animal-identification guides, as well as some thin local history tomes and kids books, but I was looking for something meatier.

When I asked at my hotel, I learnt that the local Borders had closed its doors a few weeks earlier, and the owners of the best independent shop had tossed in the towel several months ago. I was in a veritable book desert. Or so it appeared until I began my Internet search. I soon located a Barnes and Noble (B&N) not too far from my planned outing for the day, and so I was off.

Of course the B&N location only looked close on the map, the road, much busier than expected, was home to a good many strip malls. I found Borders with little problem. And yes, it was closed. Getting to B&N required going in circles a few times, but it yielded up some items of interest that I hadn't seen at home.

* * *

amazon.ca

One of the books I brought with me, was The Widow Cliquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman who Ran It. It's a must for those who enjoy a bottle of the Widow. This is a relatively slim volume about a remarkable woman who seized her chance to make her mark upon the champagne industry. What's even more interesting is how small her window of opportunity was.

Widowed before she was 30, the Widow Cliquot sought and surprisingly, received the necessary family backing to produce and market a product that was quite different from what we know today. The secrets to her success included the development of a cheaper method of production, audacious marketing and a willingness to adapt her product to a changing market. Nevertheless, the impact of the politics of the Napoleonic Wars on international trade was almost her undoing.

amazon.ca

Andrew Taylor's The Barred Window was a very different sort of read. A story of manipulation and immorality, it's easier to decide which character to dislike. The lives of two cousins, one rich and the other poor, slip onto the same path after a suicide.

Thomas Penmarsh has alway's been looked after by Esmond, but it hasn't been easy. Mrs Penmarsh treats Esmond like a son, a preferred son. While Thomas' ambitions have been stifled, keeping her true son under Mother's thumb well into adulthood. Despite this, Thomas has managed to father a daughter, Alice.

Alice, now grown, and heir to Mrs Penmarsh's estate is coming to visit. How will Esmond and Thomas manage to continue their comfortable life? A creepy but compelling read with the type of nasty characters Taylor portrays so well.

amazon.com

Fans of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey and Maturin series will enjoy Under Enemy Colors. Royal Navy Lt Charles Hayden has been denied his own command, his loyalty questioned because of his mother's French birth. Instead, he's to be 1st Lieutenant to Captain Hart, with a secret order to spy upon this fellow naval officer.

It doesn't take Hayden long to discover what's wrong with the despicable Hart. Hayden's life is quickly reduced to matter of survival. With so many enemies -- Hart and his supporters, mutineers, Napoleon's forces -- what's Hayden to do?

A very enjoyable read, full of interesting sailing terms. My favourite was "scandalize the sails". A pity it wasn't explained.

* * *

amazon.com

Charles Cumming's A Spy by Nature tells the tale of Alec Milius, a London School of Economics graduate whose life suddenly takes a heads up when he's interviewed by the British Secret Service. The trouble with Milius, is that he's still in love with Kate. So he mentions her in the interviews. Rather than tell the truth, he lies. He does that often. Lying.

Much to his surprise, he doesn't get an offer. But all is not lost. He's given a chance to run a scam -- the victims being an American oil company and two CIA operatives working with it. If he succeeds, that job offer will be back on the table.

The result leads right into the sequel, The Spanish Game. Milius is now in hiding in Madrid, terrified the CIA and MI6 are after him. He keeps his head under the radar and uses all the spycraft he's learnt to maintain his anonymity.

amazon.com

Then he gets a visit from his former best friend, Saul. Is Saul on the up-and-up or is he part of an MI6 plot? Or have the CIA got to him? Is there anyone Milius can trust?

Or is Saul right? Is Milius small fry, long forgotten by the denizens of the spy world?

Gritty and hard. A thought-provoking story of a man with dubious morals in a game lacking any morals at all. 

I was on a roll, so I picked up Cumming's Typhoon. This time, the main character is a decent spy. It's his counterpart at the CIA who's no good.

A Chinese man makes the dangerous night swim to Hong Kong from the mainland just before the British handover to the Chinese. His excellent command of English and insistence that he has information of vital political importance, convinces the soldier who finds him to turn the man over to SIS, rather than the Chinese.

amazon.com

Joe Lennox is too far down the feed chain to conduct this type of interview, but everyone else is busy. The Chinese mainlander spins a gruesome tale of torture and murder, and Joe falls for it, head first. But next day, Joe discovers the man has disappeared, the explanation  being he was a liar known to the CIA and has been returned to mainland China.

Eight years later, Joe's back in China. This time in Shanghai. So is everyone else of importance from the Hong Kong Fiasco. He wants another chance to put things right. He also wants a chance to win back the woman he loves from Miles, the unprincipled CIA agent who stole her all those years ago.

Another enjoyable read from Cumming, this time with a hero you can cheer for without holding your nose.

* * *

Books mentioned

• The Widow Cliquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman who Ran It
• The Barred Window
• Under Enemy Colors
• A Spy by Nature
• The Spanish Game
• Typhoon