Fishing for Compliments on TripAdvisor

I’m sure the Sheration Park South in Richmond, Virginia isn’t the only hotel to do this, but it put me off.

When I was checking out earlier this week, the front desk clerk asked me if I enjoyed my stay.

The conversation went something like this:

Clerk: Did you enjoy your stay?

Me:  Yes

Clerk:  Was everything OK?

Me:  Everything was fine.

Clerk:  Did you get room service?

Me:  No, we ate in the restaurant.

Clerk:  How was the food?

Me:  It was fine.

Clerk:  Was your room clean?

Me:  Yes it was very nice.

Clerk:  We are undergoing renovations.  I hope you weren’t disturbed by the noise.

Me:  No, not at all.

I guess I made it through the gauntlet, because the clerk then handed me business card and suggested I write a review on TripAdvisor.

There was really nothing of note about this particular Sheraton.  It was just like many others I have stayed in, no more, no less.

I wouldn’t bother to write a review on TripAdvisor unless there was something terrible or something outstanding about my experience.  I did not appreciate being screened in this manner.

Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite

Of course, I check TripAdvisor when I travel.  The big thing I noticed about hotels in Richmond and Petersburg were the reports of bedbugs.  Not just reports, but pictures!  These pictures gave me the creeps!

It doesn’t seem to matter if it is a 4 star hotel or a 1 star hotel — bedbugs are a big problem in Richmond.  In fact, I read an online review of this very hotel that reported a recent occurrence of bedbugs.

Was that why the hotel was prompting guests to write favorable reviews on TripAdvisor?

Do you check the Bedbug Registry before you travel?

FWIW, I found this informative resource on 15 Tips for Avoiding Hotel Bedbugs on Health.com.