TripAdvisor is now branding hotels which have had sexual assault scandals and similar issues with a red notice.
The warning reads: “TripAdvisor has been made aware of recent media reports or events concerning this property which may not be reflected in reviews found on this listing. Accordingly, you may wish to perform additional research about this property when making your travel plans.”
The process is a response to the recent reports saying the travel website was blocking reviews that mentioned customers who had been sexually assaulted by hotel employees.
Several people told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel earlier this month that they were sexually assaulted at Mexican hotels and resorts, but when they mentioned the crimes in their online reviews, those reviews were taken down.
One woman said she was raped by a security guard at a Mexican resort, but when she wrote about the attack on TripAdvisor in 2010 to warn other travellers, but the post was deleted. It was recently restored.
Officials at the site said at the time their policy needed to be “G-rated” which prevented information like the woman’s story to be deleted.
“When we were made aware that this post had been removed under our previous guidelines, we republished it in line with our revised policy,” a statement from TripAdvisor last week read.
“We are horrified that this victim experienced this assault on her vacation in Mexico, and other travelers should be aware of this incident.”
The notice, which appears as a banner or badge at the top of a hotel’s page on the website, will last for three months, a TripAdvisor spokesperson told the New York Times.
“However, if the issues persist we may extend the duration of the badge,” Kevin Carter said.
He also said the badges were meant to inform people, not punish the hotel.
WATCH: A TripAdvisor review body shaming a Lethbridge waitress is sparking action from a restaurant owner and employee. Matt Battochio has more.
Whether a hotel gets a badge will be determined by an employee group, and not automatically. It will be based on news reports, and comments or reviews from the TripAdvisor community, the New York Times reports. The company also has an obligation to ensure reports are true, travel analysts said.
It’s not the first time TripAdvisor has used the badge system. They have also used it to mark hotels which are suspected of posting fake reviews and to mark when major news events do not reflect the hotel in question.
*with a file from the Associated Press
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