Hotel threatening to sue us for bad review

[Itsalongwayto]

Unashamedly posting in AIBU for traffic. We stayed in a truly dreadful place over the August BH weekend. I wrote to the owner afterwards expressing our displeasure and with a long list of complaints including unsecure blind pulls, a trampoline with no safety net, water features with no warning, general filth and 1980s decor (I expect more at £300/night). Additionally one of the curtain poles fell down on my head. He wrote back ignoring most of my points but stating that he was disappointed that I hadn’t said thank you to them for fixing the curtain pole so quickly . I submitted a review on reevoo and Tripadvisor, neither of which have been published yet......but he has emailed threatening to sue us if we don’t take our review down (I’m assuming he has been sent a preview). We have photographs of everything except the awful smell.
I’m assuming it’s safe to just ignore and block? I’m not taking my review down.

I'd to the review you have been threatened OP. So bad.

Sorry I meant add

Grim - no wonder you gave it a bad review.

As for TopnThorn Holiday Cottages - minging!

I doubt he will sue just calling your bluff. But it can't be worse than the one me and my ex stayed in 1984 in Victoria, it was convenient to get to Gatwick. It was just a stop over and we arrived late without booking anything, but the next morning we had barely woke when this young guy opened this hatch door in the wall pushed his head through looked around and shouted breakfast and shoved 2 boiled eggs on to the table beneath the hatch with a couple of slices of bread and margarine. No reviews in those days but it always makes me laugh and I have since always checked for wall hatchs.

Sorry to hear about your horrible stay! I would have kicked off straight away You have images to back up your review, a review is your personal opinion, when writing bad reviews I will always be careful to write I think, my view is, my opinion.

@lucyioannou

Sorry to hear about your horrible stay! I would have kicked off straight away You have images to back up your review, a review is your personal opinion, when writing bad reviews I will always be careful to write I think, my view is, my opinion.

Sorry didn't finish before I pressed post, if your careful with your wording they can't do anything no one can sue you on your personal opinion and experience. Someone might go stay somewhere and for their standards might be absolutely filthy but for someone else might be cleaner than their own home...hope that makes sense the point I'm trying to get across...

I know I’ve already said but looking at those images get onto Moneyclaim Online and get your money back. It’s terrible!

Stand your ground OP, your review is important and I for one appreciate people like you being honest on these pages to help us avoid such places.

Sue you for what? Assuming your review is truthful he hasn’t a leg to stand on!
Bully tactic ...

Did you pay via debit or credit card?
If the pictures on the site where misleading and Is not where you stayed you can raise a chargeback for being not as described.
Add to that the state of the place I would defiantly be raising!

Any chance you paid by credit card? I had a similar hotel stay and received a 50% refund from my CC provider. (I realise this isn't what you're asking here but it might help if you can just hand the whole thing over to them.)

DH mentioned the credit card thing. Paid in full by CC. he’s going to contact them in the morning.

Those pictures look quite rundown. Given other hotels in a similar area that’s insane. Although Covid did mean everything got booked up.

Just to ask about the blinds - I recently removed all of the white catches that secure them to the wall. Was this bad?

I didn't realise about the safety catches!

@flatwhite99 it’s bad if you have young children in your house or visiting. About 15/year die from getting their neck stuck in the cords.

Those blind cords are outrageous, so, so dangerous.

Blind safety

www.gov.uk/government/news/check-your-blind-cords-and-keep-your-home-safe

As someone who has worked in hospitality for 11 years (holiday resorts with lakes etc). Any open water should be marked with warning signs (not a legal requirement but covers the owners ass should anything happen). Blind cords always secured wherever I've worked and sorry to say but photos online are always of the best rooms and there are usually less nice rooms than there are mediocre rooms!

I have been in senior roles and can honestly say that I genuinely do not believe this would even be considered for court.

Post the threats on the review along with photos. Contact tourist board and also contact local media.

Unfortunately I don't think your credit card company will refund you as you've stayed in the apartment. I think they would only refund if it was cancelled and you did not stay

What difference would it have made to your stay, if there had been warnings for the water features??

If it was that bad I would have left, No I do not think they can sue if what you said was correct but I also think then unless they have broken child safe laws then you cannot blame them for the non-law things, it is parents responsibility to keep children safe

Does anyone else here remember a similar thread a while back where OP ended up,having to get the thread deleted as the owner had found the thread slagging off the place she stayed at (and she had got a prior solicitor’s letter warning her re defamation about her review)?

a long list of complaints including unsecure blind pulls, a trampoline with no safety net, water features with no warning, general filth and 1980s decor (I expect more at £300/night)

Why does a grown adult need to be warned about blind pulls and trampolines? Seriously!

Libel is extortionately expensive - if the owner doesn't have the funds to maintain the hotel properly, unlikely he has the resources to bring a libel case.
Even if he did, you have the defence that everything you've put in the review is true.

I'd amend my review or post an update if possible to say what has happened since re the owner's threats And report them to local trading standards, and environmental health if there were serious cleanliness concerns.