Can Tripadvisor remove our review of our horrifiying experience at a hotel?

[AlicePalace99]

I'm definitely not one to air my dirty laundry in public but really would appreciate some advice on a problem I am facing with Tripadvisor.

We stayed at a hotel in Ibiza 2 months ago. We were there for a friends wedding and was our first full weekend away as a couple from our one year old daughter. To cut a very long story short (see here for the longer unabridged version: www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g664638-d238597-r540630731-THB_Los_Molinos-Ibiza_Town_Ibiza_Balearic_Islands.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT), we were subjected to a horrifying and unprovoked attack by security on as we arrived back to the hotel from the wedding and made our way to our room. The motivation for the attack was wrongly that they believed that we were not guests at the hotel - yet no one came to speak to us - rather we were simply attacked as we got into the lift. They then called the Police after my husband shouted at them for kicking me (probably also realising they had made a mistake in attacking guests....) We were then beaten in our room, our possessions thrown around and ultimately thrown into the street. To boot, I was in the early stages of pregnancy, which I tried to explain to the hotel staff - though they took no notice and allowed the police to throw me to the floor, kick me etc. It was truly shocking and quite simply nothing that I have ever experienced in my life. We were lucky though - walking away with bruises and bust lips - rather than anything more serious...

Having deliberated about whether to post our experience online (we felt totally shocked and embarrassed that something could happen - we are not hard core clubbers or big drinkers and were having a nice weekend together) we decided to post on Tripadvisor. In a world of fake news and easy transmission of thoughts online, I was surprised to find that my posting took 5 whole weeks of checks and re-writes before it was signed off and posted by TA. Now one week after the posting - the hotel is trying to have it removed.

My question is - has anyone had experience of this? What have you done in regards to having your post re-instated?

It really does make me wonder now about the reviews I read on TA- how clearly they allow the good ones through and many of the real, unabridged stories are cleansed from sight at the behest of hoteliers...

LINK TO THE TRIPADVISOR REVIEW: www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g664638-d238597-r540630731-THB_Los_Molinos-Ibiza_Town_Ibiza_Balearic_Islands.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT

Not sure what the answer to your question is. However, I have read your review and 'thanked' you for it on the Trip Advisor site. The hotel needs to understand that if itvdoesnt want bad reviews they need to properly address complaints. Good luck and I hope you've recovered
.

Jesus! Would you go to the press with that story? It's horrific!

Bloody hell! There’s got to be some recourse to that surely??!!

Alice If I were you I would contact your MP and raise this with them. You have been assaulted by the Police overseas and your MP can take steps to speak to the Spanish authorities and seek proper recourse against them.

NumberEightyOne: We have been in contact with the British Consulate and Police here but they are unable to help us with legal matters. We have also written to the Spanish Police (with pictures of the injuries sustained and the police involved - what I could take before he attacked me again) but as with all these things, when you are not a national it takes longer.

Thanks for the tip on the MP - hadn't thought of that actually!

This is absolutely shocking! I think you should consider going to the press too, tbh.

OP, I also suggest you look at the website of an organisation called Fair Trials. They may have some good advice for you.

Wow. That’s shocking.

NumberEightyOne - Many thanks I will take a look. I've not approached the press. To be honest I feel so embarrassed that this could happen. But I do want the review to stand - it is an honest account of what happened and the hotel are totally at fault for putting us in that terrible situation. Lets just hope justice prevails.... Thank you!

Evening all. So we recieved a response to our review from the hotel this evening. Clearly they are getting frustrated with TAs long lead time to review, so have taken matters into their own hands...

As expected the hotel have written fabricated response and whilst i was expecting this - I feel mixed emotions; half angry/half upset. What has heartened me is that they actually have acknowledged that it happened. In response to our review on booking.com (the site we booked the hotel) they denied all knowledge of the event. So I think this discrepancy in response speaks volumes.

Anyway thanks again for kind words and advice. Have a great weekend!

This is disgusting behaviour on behalf of the hotel. I have also liked your review but I suspect it will not be allowed to stand. TripAdvisor fears revenue loss more than anything.

Sorry that your big weekend away was ruined..