Peter Hook, Accor's Sydney-based director of communications for the Asia-Pacific region — who described himself on Twitter as "director of propaganda" — had been posting TripAdvisor reviews under the pseudonym "Tavare" since 2006. Over seven years, he wrote 106 reviews across 43 cities.
The scheme
Hook posted glowing five-star reviews for Accor properties — Sea Temple Surfers Paradise, Sofitel Phnom Penh, Novotel Manchester — while leaving negative reviews for competitors. He called Park Hyatt Sydney's bar food "very ordinary" and InterContinental Adelaide "stuck in a time warp."
How he was caught
KwikChex, a UK-based reputation management firm, identified Hook after TripAdvisor launched a Facebook app. Unlike the anonymous website, the app displayed real names and photos from Facebook accounts. The "Tavare" profile revealed Peter Hook from Sydney, complete with his LinkedIn photo.
The outcome
On June 5, 2013, Accor placed Hook on leave, acknowledging "a breach in their social media policy." TripAdvisor removed all his reviews, stating that senior executives reviewing their own hotels violates policy.
What this case reveals
When a major hotel chain's own communications director secretly posts fake reviews, it demonstrates that the problem isn't just individual bad actors — it's systemic. If the people running the industry are gaming the system, how can anyone trust the reviews that remain?