A first-time T&L writer/tourist to Maui writes all about a $2,500+ night accommodation, doesn’t mention the wildlife he’s snorkeling with is endangered, or the issues about his recommended Road to Hana, and flies Southwest to get here.
A first-time T&L writer/tourist to Maui writes all about a $2,500+ night accommodation, doesn’t mention the wildlife he’s snorkeling with is endangered, or the issues about his recommended Road to Hana, and flies Southwest to get here.
Frankly, if a writer is comped and discloses it, that’s fine. Even those writers who are not comped have biases that probably creep into some of their reviews.
They are just travel reviews. They’re not expressing life-changing views.
Doesn’t bother me. The BOH focus on Southwest bothers me more than anything reported about the article.
Perhaps you are not aware Rod that SWA well represents what Hawaii has dealt with for a long time.
Mainland interests have always tried to milk what they could out of Hawaii with little regard for the people that live here. SWA has stated they want to be “predatory”…. using their deep pockets when they are pretty clueless about Hawaii’s history, environment and economics. They are taking what they can out of Hawaii and pocketing it on the mainland.
John,
SWA is an airline – they fly folks from Point A to Point B. They, hopefully, make a profit doing so. They have opinions, they have goals, just like you and me.
I rarely fly SWA and have never flown them to Hawaii. We almost always fly Hawaiian and they do as good a job as most, but no better. Now that they are the only airline to fly N/S from Ontario I’m sure we will fly Hawaiian for all future trips. I wish I’d kept track of how many visits to Hawaii we’ve taken; but I have not. The first one, courtesy of the USMC, was a short one in 1965. Since the mid-1970’s at least 35, as many as 50 trips. At my age, not many more to go.
I visit to take a break from work. Not interested in all the b/s going back & forth. All the hate, anger.
BTW, I assume when Jeff and Rob travel, they travel under their own names. So, if they wanted to, the airlines could know as well.
Saying they don’t let the airlines know they will be on board is a nice gesture, but, practically, meaningless.
According to FTC guidelines, if a stay was comped, that information should have been disclosed by the writer. Common sense would be that they would even state if they paid for it themselves to give more credibility to the review.
Aloha guys,
Of course you get special treatment, that’s what hotels sell! My business is in tourism and the post(?) covid visitors are different, and not in a good way. No rules for them. No accountability. A few but enough for me to note a difference. Covid has changed the world.
Aloha Rob & Jeff!
I read the article, which is clearly a promo for the property. Other than the brief mention of the sea turtles,
which you’re absolutely right about: not one word of their endangered status—there is nothing else said
about the splendor of the island, the breathtaking sunsets, the stunning foliage, the exotic island birds,
the color and feel of the ocean, trade winds…I could go on. What a shame—it seems all the reasons to be
on the islands was missed or taken for granted by the author. He could have been reviewing a 5-star hotel
anywhere on the mainland.
Exactly.
I don’t think it’s a big surprise that a writer that was likely put up to the story by SWA would be so clueless about Hawaii. He is pretty reflective of the type of tourism SWA has hurled upon the State. (Good luck rocking up to a local surf spot with your hotel supplied Cadillac, SWA bag tags and new ukulele, make sure you tell everyone what a good surfer you are so you get lots of waves!😀)
hahaha good one. “Comped waves” 😄
Frankly,whether it’s a travel review or product review, if I see it’s a comp or giveaway I don’t read any further. I believe reputable travel experts, like BOH, pay so you can maintain your neutrality. I appreciate your frank & honest reviews. Our family has been blessed to travel to Hawaii multiple times. The Aloha & culture is what draws us back, not Cadillac escorts. Please keep informing us so that we tread lightly. Mahalo. We look forward to being back on the Big Island in Nov.
Just remember how much of Hawaii has been hobbled up by Zuckerberg, Ellison and Oprah!! I’m amazed these people all get a pass. Their carbon footprints are unparalleled by us!! And yes, things are destroyed so elites can live large. We know-Gates tore down a huge mansion in Del Mar, only to build an epic fortress, complete with requisite gates and fences!! Let’s keep in mind, Hawaii has immigrants from the East and all over the world!! Very few are Hawaiian..❤️
T&L sold their souls years ago, they’ve gone like so many others, the fact that it’s 1/3 thinner, indicates Advertisers do not see Value. I wonder if the writer knows his manse was once Ritz-Carlton Timeshares. Agree 100% on the Credibility aspect, flying Southwest and staying at the Montage, does not collate, nor the freeloading approach to the Breakfast, the Cadillac deal, strictly “amateurville”.
I’ve been a T&L reader off and on for years and the content of the article truly missed the mark. T&L should be chastised for allowing such an article in their publication and the author showed his lack of credibility and experience. he obviously took advantage of T&L’s clout to get a stay at a high end resort but the reality is that most people are going to travel more budget conscious so espousing the lobster Benedict just shows how out of touch the author is. Granted T&L targets the more affluent traveler but all types of travelers read the magazine for useful nuggets of information.
If travel had been comped, I completely discount the review. I may read it to get info about activities I didn’t know about, but any reference to quality or service simply isn’t valid.
I read the article last night, many hours before I saw this. I viewed it as you did, a free trip in return for a glowing review. And heck, if I was wined and dined and staying in a luxury accommodation on someone else’s dime, it would have to be pretty miserable for me to say anything bad about it. The writer has zero credibility.