- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
Comments (5)
Print
Save/ShareWhen I recently complained on this blog that TripAdvisor plays it a little too straight, I wasn't sure I'd get any response—or even if I deserved one. But we recevied more than 40 wide-ranging, insightful comments from readers. (Thanks!)
Here's one from TripAdvisor itself:
Thanks to Sean, and everyone who has written a comment about additional content you would like to see on TripAdvisor. We are continually improving our site, and feature changes are frequently based on traveler suggestions. Whenever people advocate for a new data stream or filter, we evaluate adding it to the site, and we do plan to make that evaluation around gay & lesbian-friendly data collection.In addition, we're currently working on a gay & lesbian-friendly U.S. hotels list, and discussing the possibility of adding a gay & lesbian-friendly category to our Travelers' Choice Hotel and Destination awards. Topics on the Forums home page, including Gay Travel, all rotate so that each is featured for a period of time.
While we can't adopt every suggestion we receive, our goal is to add the features that will help more travelers better plan their trips. We encourage travelers to keep the feedback coming so we can continue to improve our site.Thank you,
April Robb
Social Media Program Manager
TripAdvisor
User reviews and comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions.
Do we really have to advertise or be listed specifically as gay/lesbian friendly? That should be taken for granted. Our B&B is open to people of any sexual persuasion/religion/race etc but we don't feel the need to advertise it. What kind of sad country needs to have places specifically gay-friendly?
Posted By TripAdvisorWatch on May 12, 2010, 3:57 PM
I have asked a couple of times for TripAdvisor to do something about rating the LGBT-friendliness of hotels. Of course it's necessary!
It's a key ingredient for me whenever I'm looking for accommodation for me and my partner when we travel! It's particularly needed when travelling outside of big urban centres, or when wanting intimate accommodation like a B&B.
I think it's a *huge* hole in TripAdvisor's otherwise awesome service, and I really don't think their suggestion goes far enough. It should be an option for every review to rate LGBT-friendliness, so that searches can be filtered by this, or at least search results examined. It's not enough to have a list of gay-friendly establishments- we want to know which ones are un-friendly too, as rated by other gay travellers.
If any TripAdvisor users object to this, surely they can use the rating to avoid gay-friendly establishments. Win-win as far as I'm concerned- we'll never need to cross paths!
To the previous commenter: You *should* advertise your gay-friendliness because we have no way of knowing before we get there. Can you imagine how it might ruin a holiday or even a stressful trip like a family funeral or something, to be greeted and treated with hostility and contempt?
Posted By Sarah Currier on May 12, 2010, 4:42 PM
In response to Sarah Currier's comment:
There are places in this country that are more gay-friendly. Yes. However, the world is much less friendlier as a whole.
Research.
Posted By Iris on May 12, 2010, 9:10 PM
My partner and I own a guesthouse in Provincetown which is highly rated on Trip Advisor. We cater to anyone and everyone, but being located in a town noted as a destination for gay and lesbian travelers, this is our primary target market. We found that our Trip Advisor rating dramatically increased the number of straight guests wanting to stay with us. This made us realize that Trip Advisor really did not cater to LGBT travelers, and so we launched Pink Choice in 2006 which specifically lists gay and gay-friendly accommodations worldwide. Based on guest reviews and ratings posted on the site Pink Choice Awards are presented annually to those properties providing the very best services to LGBT travelers.
Posted By Trevor Pinker on May 13, 2010, 7:34 AM
"Do we really need to be rated gay-friendly? Shouldn't it be taken for granted?" I wish. As a gay traveler, unless I'm staying at Marriott-like or a Westin-like hotel, I always have to check. Especially B&Bs and ALWAYS when I travel abroad. Dirty looks, bad service, or worse, getting turned away, are things I wish to avoid. It happens.
Posted By David on July 6, 2010, 4:01 PM