The Social Diary is a social review and reporting site that goes ‘Beyond Yelp.’ For this specific page, we are reporting on major fails by businesses and organisations that should know better. We take organisation, execution, security and staffing very seriously.
This page maintained by: Bev & Jake1
Beyond Yelp Tagline2
Our Members have spoken. We tested two tagline on this website section for our Members to vote. And the clear winner is “Beyond Yelp.” Since we already live the Platinum lifestyle, the Members felt it was redundant. We totally agree!3
The Social Diary started as diary entries for our social engagements, but became something so much more impactful. We also have a moral duty to be truthful and transparent. Some might say, “opinionated” too. However, we believe that high standards are achievable. Excuses, we daresay, are for cowards.
Exposing the chasm of sham
Besides, as investigative reporters, we have a moral obligation to open wide the chasm of sham. We start with The Preserve Resort and Spa. Is it any wonder that if this business didn’t act like the Gestapo during their Annual Members Meeting of February 19, 20244, would we even be talking about them beyond a review?
Our reviews are mostly positive, and The Preserve was on their way to receiving one, until the hint of impropriety reared its ugly head. The Social Diary does not accept rude and crude manners. We distain “snootiness,” regardless whether from staff or hosts. We believe in treating everyone with respect, unless they prove themselves undeserving.
The blame is squarely on the shoulders of the rude and crude membership personnel. This person exposed another chasm of sham at The Preserve. Hiring practice.5
How The Social Diary Goes Beyond Yelp
The Social Diary delivers the goods and documents the total experience.
Additionally, our stories go beyond the typical Yelp reviews, which can be boring, repetitive and non-descriptive. We don’t want to write that “everything was amazing” when in fact it wasn’t. Moreover, Yelp doesn’t cover nuances of the visit and experience. Yelp also hates the behind the scenes detailed coverage, even when it exposes troubling business practices. Yelp only wants general impressions, even when those reviews are fake. Besides, Yelp has their own set of glaring chasm of sham, as we expose.
Consumers have a right to know not only the details of the visit and experience, but also the warning signs, if any. Not all businesses, companies, organisations and venues provide the best service. Neither do they provide the highest standards of care. Therefore, members and guests have the right to call out these establishments for less than stellar practices.
If a “self-promoted” five star feels more like a three star or below, call it out in detail. If you lived the five-star lifestyle, you definitely know what it is and importantly, what it isn’t.
You can’t even call out business practices that’s borderline dodgy on review sites like Yelp. But The Social Diary does! In addition, does Yelp have a “pay to play” scheme? Some former Yelp business customers6 believe this to be the case. Moreover don’t trust Yelp’s “algorithm.” They rely so heavily on this, which sometimes suppresses legitimate reviews and elevates the fake ones.
Lifestyle + Investigation
The Social Diary has a Preferred list. In order to be on it, the business or organisation must be worthy. In order to be worthy, they have to do right by their employees, partners and shareholders.
The Social Diary promptly removed Stoneacre Brasserie and Stoneacre Garden (“Stoneacre”) from our Preferred List. We do not support sham businesses who withhold their employees’ tips. We don’t dare venture to the Chinese Tea House at the Marble House either. Stoneacre manages it! No amount of “rebranding” is going to wash away this sin. Besides, they ruined an otherwise great venue for tea!
Why are organisations and businesses so greedy? Like Stoneacre, The Preserve Resort and Spa (“The Preserve”) pays only 17% of the 20% gratuity to their spa professionals. And, we have the proof! Now, is that moral? You be the judge. However, you are not going to find this “exposure” on Yelp. The chasm of sham at Yelp is too deep, and deeply rooted in their business culture.
Beyond Yelp: The Preserve’s disinformation
During the Annual Members Meeting at the Preserve, a member made a similar remark about “gratuity” red flags. The management promptly shut that down. End of discussion. Rather there was no discussion at all. Instead, they fed some line that compensation for staff was above the norm. Total disinformation! This also started the ball rolling on shining a spotlight on this “resort.” This member addressed that wages and tips being off, and that it didn’t make sense. Then, that member was cut off immediately by “management.”7.
Apparently, The Preserve treats members like “grant” money. They are big on recruitment with doing little retention. Initiation fees start at $15,000 (as of 2023), plus dues, with the top level paying at least $250,000 initiation fee (as of 2023), plus dues.
For those not in the know. The initiation fee is the money you “invest” into the club for membership. Moreover, you still pay dues and any incidentals not covered by your membership. There is a “no return” policy on initiation fees, so you are out of pocket for this amount, should you decide later to cancel the membership all together.
Beyond Yelp and Flawed Ratings
For these reasons, The Social Diary goes “beyond Yelp.” You are not going to get the whole story from reading superficial reviews on how “everything was amazing.” These ratings are also flawed. On Facebook for instance, The Preserve had a 4.8 rating!!!8 When you drill down, several “recommended” are bogus reviews about BITCOIN! We made some trimmings, however these two bogus Spam posts were still live9 in addition to the Herpes spam “non-review.”
The Preserve can report these spams to Facebook, but they don’t since it helps elevate their ratings. So, they keep the spams, however, they do respond directly to positive reviews. That means, The Preserve is reading the “reviews.” Interesting.
Bogus star ratings like these elevated their star profile. But they are fake “non-reviews.”
The Funniest “Non-review”
It’s all about Herpes! Yet, at any time, The Preserve Resort & Spa or The Preserve Sporting Club could have blocked and reported this non-review to Facebook. They never did. So for more than nine months, this fake non-review helped elevate their ratings.
By the way, this is how Yelp works as well. They aggressively promote their “magical” algorithm, but it elevates plenty of fake non-reviews. The Preserve is also on the receiving end of these fake reviews on Yelp. So, what does that say about a business that can’t police themselves?
Yet, The Preserve is fine with this because it adds to their “bloated ratings” ratio. However, when you give them a one star review that told the truth, they come after you in a “staged” ambushed meeting with a C-level executive. Have they seen this bogus 5-star review inflating their ratings on Yelp? In addition, Yelp highlighted it. This after The Social Diary drew attention to this fake review.
The Social Diary is part lifestyle and part investigation, because we are not afraid of conflict. We rather you don’t waste your wealth and energy on organisations and businesses that are morally bankrupt. It’s obvious businesses can’t police themselves to do the right thing.
Addressing our “Critics”
So far it’s one, but could be more as The Social Diary takes flight.10 Our soft launch began in January 2024 with two whoppers. Exposing the Hope Club’s lack of security protocol was always in the cards, but the Ocean House’s silence to our multiple emails started the ball rolling on The Social Diary. It all began with the multiple fails that was their New Year’s Eve Ball.
The reason Yelp, Google and Trip Advisor11 exists is to put organisations and companies on notice. They are supposedly reporting forums for the good, the bad and the ugly. Except with Yelp, as others have revealed, may be “pay to play” and can’t be trusted12.
The Social Diary reports on events and issues, as we experience them. Additionally, any negatives are provided documentation, in debate format. Anyone is welcome to rebut the argument. We will debate any critics on facts.
The Social Diary lays out an honest representation of the experience. There is nothing to “deduce.” Sneaky approaches to trip-up The Social Diary will fail.
Hey, not everyone can correctly set a table to standard. Or even interested including the C-level executive in charge of operations. That’s their prerogative. But at the end of the day, the poor table setting display by the Hotel Viking still makes them ignorant. That doesn’t mean that the hotel can’t improve. There is always room for improvement and to achieve high standards!
About Transparency
Beyond Yelp: The Chasm of Sham
Fake Review Watch – November 19, 2023 – Fake review watch trumps Yelp’s algorithm, again
Yelp’s Extortion Racket
The Social Diary has left the building and no longer on Yelp13, All our reviews have been sourced in the PDF below (as of April 5, 2024). Yes, we keep backups. Just in case.
Since transparency is very important to us, we share the following email received from “Yelp HQ” on April 17, 2024, AI generated template. This email does not include a personal greeting, and no one at Yelp takes responsibility in writing this. Yelp is very lazy. They need instructions on how to write proper communications. What do you expect from a business exposed as a ‘Billion Dollar Bully?‘
We don’t believe in coincidences. But we never back down either. Our first review on Yelp was on February 21, 2024. Yelp is trying to force The Social Diary to open up a business account in the middle of April. Again, the weird timing of this email says it all.14
This is how Yelp deals with conflict since we called them out. In addition, they support businesses who “pay to play” to bury criticism. The Social Diary is not a business and we don’t “pay to play.” However, we are a social review and reporting site for the good, the bad and the sham. Ironically, The Preserve’s “ambushed” meeting on March 30, 2024 led us to the Yelp chasm of sham.
Yelp Chasm of Sham Alert
There is no such thing as a FREE Yelp business profile. Businesses who naively signup for this “free” account, won’t be able to delete their page once created. Your page is forever, whether you want it or not. In addition, you will get marketing calls from “aggressive” Yelp sales people. It’s a total extortion racket.
Billion Dollar Bully – Documentary (2019)
Yelp’s culture is nothing to be proud of either. Probably the same reason why Chef David Burke “quietly” left The Preserve, removing all branding with the “resort” from his website. Besides people are catching on and warning others to stay away! Yelp’s culture hasn’t changed in over 10 years!
Roofing Insights – August 9, 2018 – Listen to real phone call with Yelp sales rep (Scam Alert)
Washington Post – May 21, 2013 – Why does Yelp hide reviews?
Beyond Yelp: Win/Win
The Social Diary will continue to provide quality reviews of our social engagements, in addition to exposing the shady side of business practices.
Yelp’s fraudulent description is frivolous at best. As Angel Investors we enrich the world by contributing to it. At the same time, we offer practical advice and warn consumers about dodgy businesses in the process. We call this a win/win
The Social Diary Beyond Yelp Coverage
Read our full coverage of The Preserve, even when they want Yelp to suppress the truth. Thank you to our community of members, subscribers and supporters!
About Google and Trip Advisor
The Social Diary is on Google and Trip Advisor.15 After our “Hump-day” Members’ forum, we decided to go full steam ahead. However, investigative reviews will be on several other platforms.
We discovered something very interesting, especially on Google. Many of the top liked reviews were for two stars and below. There is a legitimate reason for this when viewing the stats on the backend. It has to do with people’s visceral reaction to a particular establishment or facility based on their own experience. Many potential reviewers stay “hidden” for whatever their personal reasons. However, their “likes” carry full weight. And they know it too.
Google owns 92% (estimated) internet marketplace space. Unlike Yelp, you can review directly from your Google account. We are cross sectioning Google and Trip Advisor, among others. The Social Diary is your local guide to Newport Rhode Island and other storied communities.
Go Beyond Yelp: Be Social
Yelp reviews are not “worth a hill of beans.” That’s why The Social Diary goes beyond Yelp. Join us as we delve into the vibrant social scene. Immerse ourselves in the cultural fabric of Newport and beyond. We will also report on altruistic causes close to our hearts, especially of the four paws variety! So grab your diary and get ready to make a lasting impression this season. The Social Diary is your key to a memorable and stylish experience.
- Bev and Jake worked as investigative reporters in a ‘previous’ life. They work full time for The Social Diary covering stories relevant to our members. In addition, Bev covers Members, Fashion and Hospitality. Jake is the Foundation’s Technical Analyst. ↩︎
- Mrs. Astor has left the building. We deleted this reference, to streamline for clarity. ↩︎
- We put our tagline to a vote. “Beyond Yelp” or “Platinum Lifestyle.” Overwhelming 82% clear winner! ↩︎
- Editor’s note: The Preserve Resort & Spa annual meeting was February 19, 2024. The members mixer was March 30, 2024. ↩︎
- The Preserve Resort and Spa’s hiring practise is a sham. They keep promoting personnel who are beyond incompetent. ↩︎
- Former Yelp business customers interviewed between April 5th and April 16th (2024). ↩︎
- Updated information post Yelp suppression. Member’s name withheld for privacy. ↩︎
- Rating checked on Facebook April 8, 2024 ↩︎
- The investigative team spot checked on April 17th (2024). An update could have occurred since this time period. ↩︎
- This section was added to address a recent occurrence. ↩︎
- Public review sites have come under scrutiny for many FAKE REVIEWS. ‘Take with a grain of salt.’ ↩︎
- Yelp’s culture breeds a host of “Elite” reviewers who may post FAKE experiences to elevate the business profile. ↩︎
- The Social Diary was commissioned by our Members to test Yelp’s infrastructure. The story has been compiled. ↩︎
- Yelp is “forcing” a non-commercial account to go “commercial, even when The Social Diary is not a business entity. This event occurred as a direct result of a one star Yelp review of The Preserve Resort & Spa on February 27, 2024, and subsequent “ambushed” meeting with The Preserve C-level executive and “Toplofty” on March 30, 2024 during the monthly member mixer. ↩︎
- Google and Trip Advisor were added in April 2024 for additional feedback, but not investigative stories. ↩︎