Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Humanity and hotel reviews

"We went to Italy for a week. We had a great time until our last night we stayed at this hotel because we were flying out of Rome the next morning. There was no air conditioning and we begged the manager to turn it on, at least in my mom's room. It was VERY hot in the hotel. He never did and she died at 4:30 a.m. on 10/4/10 in her sleep. She died of a heart attack brought on by excessive breathing difficulty due to lack of air conditioning. DO NOT STAY HERE!!!!"

If you are searching for a good hotel the best place to go is undoubtedly the tripadvisor website.


It is comprehensive, easily searchable and its independent rating system gives the best guidance on if a hotel, hostel or B&B is any good. I've unearthed some brilliant places to stay in London, Berlin, New York and Jerusalem.

Every once in a while you see a review whch stands out, that makes you wonder. This is one of those.

It's a review of the Grand Hotel Fleming in Rome. The reviewer, from Texas, goes on to give the hotel ratings for cleanliness, service and sleep quality. The ratings are not good. Nor are they good from other guests.

Obviously a catastrophic event, the review adds a new tragic element to the way the internet is used to pass on information and how we consume it. Would you stop in this hotel? It would not be my first choice but - at the right price - I might consider it. Don't think I would take mother with me though.

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