Guests 'fined' for bad hotel review on TripAdvisor

A hotel in the UK has attracted some unwelcome attention after its decision to ‘fine’ a couple £100 (US $156) caught the attention of the national media.

The couple, Tony and Jan Jenkinson, had spent one night at the Broadway Hotel in Blackpool and left distinctly unimpressed. They had paid £35 (US $54) for a double room.

---SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE FULL REVIEW LEFT BY THE COUPLE---

However, they later found that an extra £100 (US $156) had been charged to their credit card, with the hotel saying it had a policy to charge for ‘bad’ reviews, BBC reports.

The hotel’s policy, contained in a booking document, reads: "Despite the fact that repeat customers and couples love our hotel, your friends and family may not.

"For every bad review left on any website, the group organiser will be charged a maximum £100 per review."

Trading Standards is now investigating the fine and its legality, and the couple is attempting to get a refund from their credit card provider.

North trading standards area manager John Greenbank said: "I have worked for trading standards for many years and have never seen anything like this.

“The hotel management clearly thinks they have come up with a novel way to prevent bad reviews, however we believe this could be deemed an unfair trading practice."

Earlier this year, a hotel in the US grabbed headlines around the world after it emerged that it had a policy of fining US $500 if any negative reviews are left after any bookings for events and weddings.

Here’s what Tony Jenkinson said on TripAdvisor, leading to his £100 (US $156) fine:

We chose this hotel because it had 'ample parking' , car park was full so had to park across the road at another hotel.

Couldn't believe the state of the room. The hot tap didn't work, when we reported it we were told they knew about it and it would be fixed in the morning (we were only there for one night.) The drawer fronts fell off when we opened the chest of drawers.

Again, they knew about this and it was supposed to be dealt with in the morning. The kettle wouldn't work, were told you had to switch on the socket it was plugged into, also switch on another socket to make it work. This was because the whole place was rewired wrongly according to the member of staff who dealt with us, and they couldn't afford to have it put right. There were instructions on how to make a phone call, we would have had a job as there was no phone!! The wallpaper was peeling off the walls, the carpet was thin, dirty and stained. The bed was something else, it must have come out of the ark, the base was all scuffed and dirty and the springs in the mattress attacked you in the night. The curtains were tattered and filthy, there were polystyrene tiles on the ceiling which are a fire hazard.

BREAKFAST... This was a joke and consisted of 1/2 cooked rasher of bacon, 1 'plastic' sausage, 1 egg, 1 hash brown and a spoonful of beans!! Oh, I nearly forgot, 2 slices of toast each, but no marmalade to put on them. Weak tea and coffee. YUMMY!!

This place should be shut down, I don't know if they are ever inspected, but if so, I don't know how this place has passed!!

If you are offered this place to stay for a fortnight for 10p, you are being robbed!!

STAY AWAY!!!!