A hotel in Hudson, N.Y., has a policy of fining wedding couples $500 for every negative review on Yelp, the New York Post reports.
Under the “Events & Weddings” section on the Union Street Guest House’s website, it says that “despite the fact that wedding couples love Hudson and our Inn, your friends and families may not,” touting itself as “historic” and its furniture as “hip, period furniture that you would see in many design magazines.”
“If your guests are looking for a Marriott type hotel they may not like it here,” the policy says. “If you have booked the Inn for a wedding or other type of event anywhere in the region and given us a deposit of any kind for guests to stay at USGH there will be a $500 fine that will be deducted from your deposit for every negative review.”
Of course, if the negative review is taken down, then the Union Street Guest House will refund the fine.
The Union Street Guest House is apparently sensitive to criticism.
According to the Post, any bad review that is posted online will be met with responses from the hotel calling it “mean-spirited nonsense” and that “she made all this up.”
The Post even reported on one response from the Union Street Guest House to a review that complained about ill-mannered treatment because of a bucket of ice: “I know you guys wanted to hang out and get drunk for 2 days and that is fine. I was really really sorry that you showed up in the summer when it was 105 degrees . . . I was so so so sorry that our ice maker and fridge were not working and not accessible.”
The hotel currently has a one-star rating on Yelp. Many reviews lambasted the negative review fine.
“Shame on the hotel for fining people who post a negative review,” Dave C. wrote. “I should bill them $500 for having to tolerate the news articles being posted online.”
One review written someone named Stephen S. described the the Union Street Guest House as “terrible” with staff that are “surly and extremely rude.”