Racecourse Backpackers Hostel

*Please read the whole thing. I haven’t stayed here myself. A friend told me about his New Zealand trip and said the room was okay, but the facilities were in poor condition: scraped walls, a bathroom door that wouldn’t lock, and a canteen barely large enough for six people. He gave the motel or homestay one star on Google, with no written comment. I only got involved after seeing a message the owner sent to my friend’s dad. The owner called my friend disrespectful, said he had welcomed the family well, and claimed my friend’s online behaviour was unacceptable and reflected on his parents’ upbringing. But my friend had only left a one-star rating. The review was about the stay, like the beds and shower, not how friendly the host was. The owner seemed offended by the rating and said it should reflect the host’s friendliness rather than the quality of the stay. I’ve seen a similar response from the owner to another bad review, so he seems to be in denial. Worse, he threatened to ban my friend’s family from his properties unless my friend deleted the review, saying it would tarnish his 2.4-star rating. Threatening a 14-year-old? *giggle* I could post a screenshot of the message as proof, but it would destroy his career.