The owner of an Inverness hostel has spoken about the “big impact” of a negative social media review.
Donald MacLean, who runs Rooms in Inverness on Academy Street, said the online posts have hurt his business and his personal wellbeing.
Rooms in Inverness sits above the Panasonic store and is generally busy, particularly during the summer months.
Donald has owned and operated the hostel for the past three years. It offers a variety of accommodation, from single rooms to five-bed family options.
An issue arose last month, when a guest who visited the hostel booked three rooms – a twin and double and a cheaper single room.
The single rooms are in a separate, wooden-clad building at the back of the property.
These rooms are also not visible on the hostel’s Booking.com profile.
Why was the guest unhappy?
The guest described the building as resembling a shed, with mould, missing furniture and that the single, along with the double rooms, did not match the photos available online.
She also claimed there was a smell of smoke, dirty bedding, broken blinds and no kettle in the bedroom.
As a woman staying in the single room alone, she also said she felt unsafe and isolated sleeping in the back of the building.
The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “I opened the room up and immediately decided I could not sleeping there that night.
“I would not have felt safe sleeping in there on my own, it’s so isolated.”
The guest slept in one of the other rooms in the main building, which she had booked for friends.
She shared her experience on social media the following day and the post gained many comments and shares.
Social media post affecting hostel bookings
Donald, who owns the hostel, said the social media posts has led to a drop in bookings.
He said: “People read these posts on Facebook and social media and they immediately think what was said is true.
“It really affects our bookings, we have had last minute cancellations. Customers cancel on us because they think they are coming to a terrible place, when its not.
“It can take weeks or months for us to recover as a business once these things are in the minds of the public.”
After being contacted by The Press and Journal, Donald invited a reporter to view the Inverness hostel in person.
We visited the single-rooms in the wooden-clad building where there are four rooms behind a locked gate and a high fence.
They are small but include a single bed, a TV, a kettle, and an en-suite bathroom.
The rooms in that section range in price from £65 to £85 per night.
They appeared to be clean and comfortable, offering good value for a short, budget stay.
Donald has been working hard to rebuild the business and has had several safety inspections of the hostel.
Donald said: “As a small business and on me personally, this has had a big impact.
“I’m still recovering from an accident and my heart is not good. Added stress is the last thing you need and this has been very much added stress.
“We have had lots of officials round at the hostel and 95% of them are happy. The same goes for our guests.”
The guest who booked the rooms at the hostel is trying to get a refund for her stay through Booking.com.
She wants the website and hotel owners to do more due diligence in future and be more transparent about properties.
Conversation