TripAdvisor

I reviewed the Marriott Aloft in Portland (negatively) and uploaded a photo of the nightclub bar that I took myself, I swiped up to show the date and time of the photo on the bottom half and screen shot it. The photo was rejected by trip advisor because they allege it was a photo of the property taken by someone else.

I tried to reply that it was my own photo, as shown on my phone with the metadata, but replies aren't allowed. I complained to the BBB and received a letter that TripAdvisor can't fix anything because my email wasn't given to them.

Then I check and it has so many complaints that it's not credible to waste my time with. I'll deal with Marriot directly.

TripAdvisors Corrupt Review System A Warning to Travelers

TripAdvisors review process is a sham, and my experience proves theyre more interested in protecting businesses than amplifying honest user feedback. I submitted a truthful review about a business, but TripAdvisor forced me to rewrite it four times, each time demanding changes that stripped away the facts until it was a watered-down lie.

This isnt moderationits censorship, plain and simple.

When I appealed their decision (Content ID: 102422****), I got a canned email on August 21, 2025, from their so-called Support Team (email@***.tripadvisor.com) claiming theyd thoroughly reviewed my case but were upholding their decision. No explanation, no transparencyjust a brush-off. They even had the nerve to say I cant appeal again, which screams of a system rigged to silence critics. Its obvious TripAdvisor is cozying up to the businesses they claim to rate, likely for financial gain.

This isnt a platform for travelers; its a pay-to-play scheme that buries honest feedback.

If youre looking for real reviews, skip TripAdvisor and find platforms that dont manipulate user voices to please their partners. Save yourself the frustration and dont trust their rigged system.

We were totally blown off !!!

Dear, Our travel community appreciates you wanting to share your experience with them. Unfortunately, we cannot publish your contribution as it does not meet our review guidelines.

For more information, please see our policy about Bias & Attempts to Manipulate Tripadvisor Rankings. Your reviews help your fellow travelers and we look forward to your continued participation in our community. Tripadvisor Support Team If you have a moment, we'd like to get your feedback on your experience with this short survey. Thank you!

This was my post

Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort Wailea Disrespected and Unwelcome A Disturbing Experience at Grand Wailea

As a timeshare owner, I expected to be treated with the same respect as any guest.

Instead, my family and I were kicked out of the pool area by management, who claimed that we didnt have access to the resort amenities despite the fact that nowhere in writing does it say that timeshare owners are excluded. What made the situation even worse was the tone and attitude of the staff. The interaction left me feeling not just dismissed, but singled out. As a Black person, I cant help but feel that race played a role in how we were treated.

The lack of clarity in policy combined with the way management approached us made the experience humiliating and painful. There is no need to keep mentioning how expensive your rooms are! A timeshare is way more expensive! Weve invested thousands of dollars into this resort through ownership, and to be treated this way was unacceptable.

Grand Wailea needs to train its staff on both proper guest relations and cultural sensitivity.

Every guest and owner deserves dignity and fair treatment, no matter their background. Until the resort addresses this issue and clarifies its policies, I cannot in good conscience recommend Grand Wailea to anyone

Tripadvisor/Viator has private tour companies go through their site to make it easier for customers to book tours. They get a kickback from the company or they upcharge the customers forthe privlage of using their site or maybe even both happen.

That said, they take no responsibility for those companies who cancel at the last minute or do not refund you in a timely manner or leave you hanging for over an hour. I booked a tour to Innisfallen Island. They cancelled the day of the tour. I requested a refund and it has been 12 days since the cancelling.

I was told that the refund was sent and it takes 3-7 days for the refund. I had to call Viator Just go to the tour company itself. You might to get them to issue the refund. We also booked a Walking Tour of Limerick and the guide was over an hour late.

We had to reach out to the company only to be told that the guide was on their way. The guide tells us the company never scheduled him for the day. No discount for the wait, not even a formal apology from the company for the issue. Here's the thing.

TripAdvisor/Viator has a responsibility for those they do business with. The company drops the ball, that not only causes that company to get a "black eye", but also TripAdvisor/Viator gets a black eye.

Hotel air conditioning was not working when I tried to check in. The receptionist advised me that I would need to contact Trip Advisor for a refund.

Was sent an email that stated that we didnt arrive on time so our refund refund was declined. That fact of the matter was that we arrived at around 5:30 PM on the day we had our reservation for. That is when the receptionist told us that the air conditioning was not working! She also advised that we would need to contact Trip Advisor for our refund.

After many attempts to contact Trip Advisor I was told that I would receive a call within 30 minutes. That was about 9:45pm, waited until 10:36 pm at which time I went to bed. The phone rang a round 2:00 am, I didnt answer in time as I was asleep!

Then I get an email this morning that stated that we didnt arrive on time so our reservation was cancelled which is not true! I dont know if that is jus a way for Trip Advisor to get out of refunding our money or just the usual AI response?