DennyP Travel Message Boards Forums Archives - Read Only Hedonism II Archives Trip Advisor Review of Hedo recently

Two things I noticed.
1) There has been a run of 5 star reviews (some noting how perfect everything is at Hedo), many of them are from reviewers who have one review ever on Trip Advisor. While I will not, and would not,presume any of these to be the notorious 'fake' reviews that turn up on TA at times I will say that if they had been poor reviews someone would presume they were fake. Hopefully they are all real and everything is perfect! Good news is always welcome!

2) Is this a typo? In a response to a review Hedo management posted this,

"We recently completed over 5 million renovations to rooms and our piano bar and are currently undergoing construction to our spanking courtyard to be equipped with free Wi-Fi access, which you should experience in your next trip."

If it's not a typo, what is a 'spanking courtyard' (or do I dare ask?)

It was only a matter of time before Hedo plunged into the BDSM pool? Let's hope the writer meant spanking-new?

Or sparkling

Or we Americans are reading British English — it is a different language.

IF TA had a mascot it would be a $3 bill !!! I read that on TA!!! LOL

Friends got back from Hedo last week and indicated that room and other problems still existed frustrating some guests. They said they had a decent trip themselves, but other guests that they spent time with had the typical room problems and runarounds involving the Front Desk, Maintenance, etc.

These same friends were encouraged by a Hedo employee to write a positive trip report for Tripadvisor.com. They decided not to write a review because it would not have been fully positive and they felt pressured to write one emphasizing just the positive attributes of their stay. Perhaps there have been other recent guests with similar experiences and views feeling it's best to just not write a review on anything but a "perfect" trip?

Roy, give it time. A combination of positive and negative reviews will again be finding their way back on to the Tripadvisor.com website.

A spanking courtyard? Why weren't we informed of that three weeks ago, when we ran a series of BDSM seminars/play events there? We had to make do with the disco and the hammock poles by the nude hot tub.<G>

Interesting. Indeed, some of those are from 1st time TA posters. Others are from folks with a handful of posts (tho mostly recent). We've been to other places that had a subtle suggestion to post on TA. Most recent was Roatan and our stay wasn't quite up to expectations... so we didn't post. Perhaps should have...?

I've always thought a post with negative comments was the most helpful. When I see a list of good and bad things about a place it gives me better insight. Often, what someone else sees as a negative (say, loud music all night) I might see as a positive, or at least not important to me. I'll just bring ear-plugs.

So please, post negative things. It helps me to know what to pack (i.e. Lysol for the AC, poor WiFi), and lets me know what to expect.

Fort a good example of messed up TA posts see the hotel listings around Salt Lake City. There was a posting war between ski resorts that was so over the top it put me off a trip out there. If the operators were so willing to slander each other, why should I trust any of them?

I use TA all the time but ignore the 5 star and 1 star reviews. I find if you read the 3 star, you get a better sense of what the hotel is really like.

We stayed 5 times at BGN and twice at Hedo and were never asked for a good TA trip report. According to front office folks at BGN, it was common knowledge that a few resorts did use "other" methods to get "free" publicity !!

Courtyards and spankings aside, 5 million renovations is one big number! That's 13,698.63 renovations per day, on average. Productivity has gone off the charts!

Wow!! I never though about it that way!!!!!!! Is replacing a pillow a 'renovation' then.....? Hmm.. no, since even that wouldn't add up. Must be dollars spent so far.

No, each blade of grass taken by the mower counts as a "renovation". And raking the beach - another several thousand.
Heck, now it sounds like 5 million isn't enough...

I would think any smart businessman is going to encourage their customers to give positive reviews of their experience in an effort to improve business. Is there anyone that has too much business? That your friends declined to provide feedback in the form of a review (positive or negative or a mixture of both) because they "felt pressured" is, IMHO, ridiculous and a disservice to the traveling public. Did they think Hedo staff would hunt them down? (rhetorical question)

The "runarounds" that we are constantly reminded of on this and other forums, while not excusing them if they are true, may just be a result of a different business and/or social climate.

The Jamaican WaterSlide Team will begin it's 15th Anniversary trip to Hedo in just under a month now (9/6-9/13 & FREE membership is still open for those last minute travelers). Shortly after our return we will, as always, post a trip report for your review.

I know I don't have anywhere near the number of posts as others on Denny's board which apparently leads some to believe that they are less valid. That brings me to my final observation/question for those, one in particular, that post often ... when was YOUR last trip to Hedo?

Dave - Do you post your trip reports (or a sanitized version) on Trip Advisor? That reaches a much wider audience, so would be helpful for the traveling public at large.

Most businesses have a note or sign to the effect "If you had a good time, tell others. If you did not, tell us." There is nothing wrong with asking a departing guest who says he or she enjoyed their stay to post on TA. If the guest did not have a good time, it would make matters worse to ask them to post, much less give a good review. I suspect that sometimes the staff does not get the message straight from management and just tells everyone to post a good review.

Yes pillows are part of any hotel renovation, check with any us chain and when they talk renovation they are speaking soft goods. Pillows, mattress, sheets, tv all have to be purchased then shipped then import tax, and customs has to be paid....you have no idea the cost of that it's crazy. So a few hundred mattress sets at say 800 a set that's 23k plus shipping, plus import and customs.......you could pay 50k for just 280 mattresses alone to get them to jamaica. I can see just for soft goods getting it to the island, a good 500k being spent for all the rooms. The. The rooms that got the upgrades had all new bathrooms added and hottubs ect the expense isn't like going to Home Depot and picking up a sink.

Speaking of Tripadvisor.com reviews...

Can't think of a friendlier blog (ATF) toward Hedo even in bad times, so interesting to see such objectivity in a recently posted trip report on that website.

http://www.adulttravelforum.com/forums/showthread.php?17605-Thumbs-Down-for-Hedo-for-us

Chris, we usually post them here, TA and on our website www.jwst.com and it is the complete trip report written by a different member of our group every year. While we experience little glitches at the resort from time to time we tend to talk mostly about all the fun we had during the week as it far out ways the problems we have, if any. You can read trip reports on our site from 2013, 2012 & 2011.

There have been reports in the news about resorts and hotels suing people for posting a bad review to places like Trip Advisor. It is part of the fine print in the reservations. Has any one checked into this for Hedo?

Yes, but the "fine print" can't be used to break the law. You may have to go to court, but you will win. Frankly, the bad press from just One client who is willing to go before a judge should be enough to stop such practice.
There is more than one way to skin a cat.

I believe it's Trip Advisor that is being sued, not the guests.
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39799954/...ion-threatened-over-tripadvisor-reviews/

We were considering filing a lawsuit against a Mexican resort. I called and asked my long time lawyer and friend. His reply was "LOL,LOL, no need to come in for a consultation on that one, forget it". I can assume Jamaica would be just as bad, or evem worse.

As I've mentioned probably one too many times....

Superclubs tried to sue me in federal court in 1998 when the 1st edition of the Hedo II book came out in an effort to stop distribution.

They didn't get beyond a hearing stage b/c the judge recommended that SC negotiate with me since the judge "wasn't in the business of banning books." Still cost me $8,000+ in legal fees to defend myself. Glad that's well in the past and book sales eventually covered that cost.

Posts to Trip Advisor are similar: fair comment and criticism is allowed. False statements are a different category of law.

By itself this information is not very helpful. If the reason for your suit could be considered frivolous your friend and lawyer's laughter would make sense. If it has some solid foundation maybe your lawyer is too busy, if not you need a new lawyer.



Just because it says it, is meaningless, It's a tactic used to dissuade people fromn suing, which I'm sure it does. If you leave you coat at an attended cloak room and a club, let's say, the sign says not liable but if your coat comes up missing, you better believe they are liable. Also, as long as it is the truth, as Chris basically said, you've not a problem.

I have limited knowledge of the Mexican court system but I doubt that anyone would have much luck with a civil action there. I know of rather serious Jamaican lawsuits that have been lingering in the system for over five years and the parties are all domiciled on the island. I once became very upset with an agency in Barcelona and swore that they would answer in court for their misdeed. I spend valuable time in municipal court and several months after returning home, received a check from the court-got those ba**rds I thought!The check was in PESETAS!!!, the currency at the time!. The award was a relatively small amount and when I finally figured out how to cash it for dollars, I think that I would have almost lost money. I hope that I learned my lesson. My wife thought that the whole affair was funny.

There has been a couple news reports about the hotel sueing the guests here is one of them.

http://pagesix.com/2014/08/04/hotel-charges-500-for-every-bad-review-posted-online/

And if you read the one it show they put it up as a joke
http://www.technobuffalo.com/2014/08/04/hotel-says-500-fine-for-negative-reviews-was-a-joke/
Be careful what you read until you read both sides

According to our Lawyer, Mexican resorts are not held to the same liability standards as those in the US. My wife fell and broke her arm on a very slick and dimly lighted area of Temptations resort, with no handrails . Never even a "sorry for the accident" or "hope you get better". My lawyer told us we would probably get something, someday !!! Simply wasn't was not worth the effort. He was just being practical.

If you have never been to Temptations, the resort is full of ramps. Most are adjacent to a set of steps and make it easier for staff to push the small carts/wagons around. Really dangerous !!!

The whole Ai concept (with all included Alcohol) would be very interesting in the US ( from a liability standpoint) !!!

Yes, few are as ridiculous as the US where one can sue because coffee is hot ... duh!!