In recent days, social networks have continued to stir up the incident of Royal hostel being accused of "exploding" rooms even though guests have paid in full through the online booking application. Accordingly, a social media account posted a video recounting the experience of being refused a room despite having paid 100% for 3 nights. The video quickly went viral, attracting tens of thousands of views and comments criticizing the hotel.
The strong influence caused a large number of social media users to rush to Google to "show off" 1 for this facility. In just a few days, the hotel has received more than 30,000 negative reviews, becoming one of the hottest keywords on the Internet.
By the evening of November 11, O Cho Dua Ward Police confirmed that the two sides had worked and reached an agreement. During the administrative inspection, the authorities also discovered that the hotel had many violations: not carrying out procedures for notifying accommodation and business in conditional industries without a certificate of security and order eligibility, and not maintaining fire prevention and fighting equipment according to regulations. The police have drawn up a record for handling.
A notable detail is that immediately after the information was published, more than 30,000 1-star reviews on Google disappeared.
Talking to Lao Dong, social media expert Nguyen Ngoc Long commented: The incident of Royal hostel hotel on Hang Chao street, Hanoi, being bombed with more than 30,000 ratings of 1 star overnight is truly a vivid testament to the spreading power of social networks in the digital age.
From a brief video reporting that the facility arbitrarily canceled rooms and chased guests at 2am despite full payment, the story quickly exploded, turning into a wave of collective outrage on platforms such as Google Maps and TikTok. The media impact of its is not only due to huge ratings but also the ability to globalmaintain negative messages, causing the hotel's brand image to be seriously defamed in the blink of an eye.
It is noteworthy that although Google has quickly intervened and deleted more than 30,000 fake reviews to restore fairness, the backlash is still lurking, with thousands of negative comments spreading to other forums.
According to experts, this is a valuable lesson in the risks of review bombing - a form of online attack that can paralyze business reputation in just a few hours, while emphasizing the role of large platforms in controlling misinformation.
Expert Nguyen Ngoc Long commented that although the wave of negative reviews may be causing initial disruption, in the case of the hotel, the impact on reputation and business operations is not really as serious as appearance.
Accordingly, Google Maps quickly activated the anti-virtual spam review mechanism, deleting more than 30,000 fake reviews in just a few days, helping to restore average scores and bring fairness to businesses.
Moreover, timely intervention from KOLs and official media channels has played an important role in making sense and clearly explaining the concept of "no-show" when guests do not arrive on time even though they have booked rooms - proving that the hotel's decision to cancel rooms is reasonable according to regulations, not a subjective mistake.
The only thing that needs to be improved here is the unprofessional service attitude of the receptionists at midnight, an issue that can be easily overcome through internal training. As a result, the story has mainly created a short-term impact, such as a slight reduction in bookings in the first few weeks, but not significantly in the long term. The business has maintained a stable customer base thanks to its accumulated reputation and the ability to recover quickly on the digital platform, said the expert.
Experts say that when faced with a "star bombing" crisis, businesses need to react quickly and consistently to turn negative situations into opportunities to strengthen trust. In the context of many unverified users spreading fake reviews to hospitals with the same name, admitting the problem on official channels - through social media posts or press reports - is a very important first step.
Expert Nguyen Ngoc Long emphasized: A suitable apology, with a transparent explanation, helps reduce stress and shows respect for customers. Facilities such as Royal Hanoi Hotel or The Royal Hotel also proactively call on users to check their address before making an assessment to avoid unjust damage - a humane and necessary approach in the digital environment".
In parallel with the communication, businesses need to closely coordinate with platforms such as Google Maps or Booking.com to report fake reviews. This is a technical step but determines the ability to restore reputation. Update internal assessment reporting and guidance policies also help businesses be more proactive in similar crises.
The expert added: In the long term, encouraging real customers to leave honest reviews is an effective way to neutralize negative comments; at the same time, taking advantage of KOL and legitimate media to fully tell the story will shift public opinion from anger to understanding the true nature of the matter. Businesses should combine this with internal review - from the operating process to employee training - and publicize the improvements to create more evidence to strengthen reputation".
The overall handling, including information transparency, timely platform interventions and substantial service improvement, not only helps to minimize immediate damage but also enhances brand image, showing that the business is responsible, professional and connected with the community.
