Sexual assault during hotel stay

[Tripadvisornotloading]

Myself and 3 friends booked a spa night at a popular hotel on the Wirral.
A drugged up strange man broke into one of the rooms during the night and got into a bed with one of the young ladies and sexually assaulted her, we were subsequently all traumatised and extremely upset. We were up with police most of the night giving statements, the doors on the rooms were different and one automatically locked, so we’ve assumed the other did - it didn’t as it wasn’t a fire door. We spent most of the time in the bigger room (with the fire door) getting ready etc as a group so had gotten used to the door slamming locked.
Anyway, during the night and next morning the reception assured us both rooms would be free of charge. We had already paid for lunch, dinner and drinks as and when purchasing. We spent a considerable amount in the short amount of time we were there.
Then as the lead guest on the booking I contacted the hotel the following Monday to ask guest relations to call me - I just wanted to clarify - as directed by reception staff - whether there was a key card used to enter the room or if the door was faulty, I didn’t put any information within the email; just that I would like management to give me a call.
I got a rude email back, not asking about the welfare of the assaulted party or other traumatised guests but demanding payment for the rooms - the ones we had been told were free of charge.
I then get further threats of taking me to a debt collection agency and pay the bill in full for both rooms.
Now 7 months down the line I get an email from
TripAdvisor asking for a review, I post a review stating what happened and how the management l/guest relations have responded and treated us and the management have said it’s completely inaccurate and they’ve only asked for payment for food and drinks! I’m absolutely raging! I’ve tried to edit my review to include the screenshots of emails stating the exact amount in question is for the 2 rooms but it won’t let me edit my review, I’ve then tried to post another review to back up the initial review and it’s only bringing my camera roll up to post from earlier today, I’ve deleted and redownloaded the app etc to no avail - I can’t get them posted to back up my version of events

As a pp suggested, I would also advise to remove the review on TA. Knowing the area, I was able to find the review very easily.

I would write a letter directly to the hotel for the manager’s attention, and might be worth contacting the travel association.

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-complain-about-hotel-accommodation-ahSjZ5G5jq77

I’ve just looked at the TA review and response - it’s seems Guest Services are quite bad/rude indeed at responding to any negative review, not only this one.

Sounds to me the man (off his face through drink and drugs) thought he’d entered his own room to be with his bride. Not minimising this in the slightest. It’s a shame men (and women) don’t see the danger they pose when high like this.

I hope you get better responses to your latest email efforts OP, I hope you all, especially your friend, recover from this as quickly as possible.

@Bookworm1111 totally agree with you

This is awful.

FWIW if I read your review and their comment I would believe you and think they were arse covering to cover that they can’t keep women safe.

I agree with putting on a Google review and also recapping their reply to you and rebutting that.

i hope you are all ok

Maybe some people are just more concerned about the friend and her feelings to what happened to her over the fact OP can’t rage at trip advisor

@Moonpie6 It was Liverpool Central!

This is an awful thing to happen and I hope there is a resolution from the court and the hotel. Id be concerned that your friend didn’t want this discussed in public though on here or Tripadvisor. Hope she has support and recovers soon.

If that is the case it can still be done in a way that isn’t so blunt and ignores the rest of the issue.

Can I just reassure everyone concerned that the friend who was assault is fully on board and aware of any posts, reviews, emails etc. Not that any of this is outing, as the people who already know what has happened know all the details and the people that don’t know anything but know us wouldn’t identify us from the review/this thread or anything else, not that she’s concerned with it being anonymous. I appreciate some may be in her situation and that’s their prerogative, but why should she? She hasn’t done anything wrong here so why should she be shamed into silence? She’s conflict avoidant, fortunately for her I’m not so she’s happy for me to tackle this on her behalf.
In terms of this jeopardising the case, it’s very cut and dry and video evidence is available, he was arrested at the scene and has appeared in court. He can’t exactly use us complaining of the hotels response as an excuse for sexual assault; it’s expected he will use alcohol/drugs as a defence but it’s hardly an excuse. Millions of people get drunk everyday, it doesn’t give them the right to violate random strangers.

@Tripadvisornotloading
Good to know that your friend is fully onboard, best wishes to you going forward with this on her behalf .

I can’t believe that you are willingly and deliberately interfering in an ongoing case by publicly naming the hotel where the incident happened.
You need some legal advice because you are on thin ice here.

@Terrribletwos

I think it would be best if you ask MNHQ to delete the thread in case it interferes with any legal proceedings

Or legal action against the OP for publicly slandering the hotel. It took a minute to find the review in question.

I don't know why people are so keen to try and prove this is false.

OP I've seen your review. Me and some friends were going to book the hotel for a girls weekend and looked at the reviews on TripAdvisor. We were shocked that it happened, shocked that the general manager replied in the way he did, and shocked they didn't comp your entire stay without being prompted. From what I recall, the GM didn't address the point of the locks and just said they were only chasing for payment of services.

They're a bunch of cunts.

But you're unlikely to be able to post another review or edit yours. However, you could post a review elsewhere, like on Google, and include your screenshots.

FYI we booked elsewhere!

Don't be so ridiculous. For one, slander refers to the spoken word and for two, it only applies if the things being said are untrue. Otherwise, every negative review of anything would leave people open to legal recourse.

I'm distracted by you referring to your group as young ladies

This is shocking shocking from the hotel.
I don’t see what more you can do but I would think your review would be seen and understood by many. In a way even more so if the hotel have put a shitty response.. that never looks good does it. Sorry this happened to your friend.. awful x

You can edit them. However you can’t add photos I believe e

Surely then no one would beable to post their reviews on trip advisor for fear of repercussions? I’ve posted a factual review and have evidence to book it up. FYI one of our friends is a solicitor 😉

What a peculiar point to pick at after reading a ‘young lady’ was sexually assaulted in a hotel bed asleep.
I thought the distraction would’ve been a male entering someone else’s room, sexually assaulting them and threatening to kill them…on his wedding day, but yes, us ‘young ladies’ and our comments and wording are ever so distracting.
I hope you don’t have a daughter 🥲

Whoops didn't need to post

I'm distracted by you referring to your group as young ladies

Peak 🤦‍♀️

It’s good to hear your friend is on board, I only asked the question does she know because sometimes friends take this sort of stuff into their own hands when it’s not wanted which doesn’t sound like the case here. Hope your friend is doing ok.

If it's a key card there would be no other way of locking it from the outside, surely? There may be a bolt on the inside but it wouldn't be possible to lock if you were leaving the room therefore the door is not secure.