Hotel Photo Moderation - October 2018 update

Our image guidelines have undergone recent changes. Please take note of the following revisions.

The full set of guidelines is located here.

Image categorization changes

For image classification, we have added some new categories, and reorganized the category selection process to make it easier to quickly find the correct category.

Of note, there is a new Activities and Sports section with categories such as Snow and Ski Sports, Horseback Riding, Boating, Tennis Court, and many more. Many images that would have been previously flagged for being a Local Attraction should now be classified accordingly, leaving the Local Attraction flag for non-activity or sport images. Examples of photos that should be flagged as a Local Attraction are sports stadiums, landmarks (e.g., Statue of Liberty, Space Needle), or other local attractions that are not related to the property.

Winter Sports

We are now accepting Winter Sports images. Winter Sports can include:

  • Snowshoeing
  • Snowmobiling
  • Skiing / Snowboarding
  • Ice Skating
  • Sledding
  • Snow Tubing

Safari

We are now accepting Safari Images. Safari images typically include safari vehicles or photographs of wildlife in nature.

Please do not accept images of wildlife near hotel properties.


Black and White



  • Special care should be taken to determine whether or not an image is truly black and white. Some interiors may not be very colorful, and extra attention should be paid to these properties.
  • Some interiors are intentionally designed to only have black and white elements. Use your best judgment-- if a photo looks 'natural,' even if it is not very colorful, it should be kept. Some images will seem obvious-- a black and white photo flower or person should be more readily apparent.

When in doubt, do not flag the image.

This image should be flagged, as it is clearly edited to be black and white


This image should be flagged, as it is clearly edited to be black and white

This image may appear to be black and white at a glance, but under closer inspection the subtle colors of the pillows become evident

The mirror glass has a slight greenish/blue tint to it. Additionally, some stylistic choices may involve using just black and white interior design elements. These images should not be flagged.


Close-up Photos


Flag

    • Close-up photos of people without any greater context. For example, a bellhop smiling for the camera does not highlight any hotel amenities or show the property. Additionally, a photo of people enjoying dinner does not provide useful context for the restaurant at the property.
    • Close-up photos of plants / flowers at the hotel should be flagged.

Do not flag

    • Food
    • Interior details
      • Candles
      • Signage
    • Toiletries
    • Hotel amenities


When in doubt, do not flag the image.

All close-ups of people should be flagged.

All close-ups of flowers should be flagged.

Close-ups of food are fine.

Close-ups of hotel amenities and room features are fine.

Close-ups of candles are fine

Close-ups of hotel signs are fine

Nudity


  • Images containing nudity should be flagged
  • Acceptable photos include people in the spa, paintings containing nudity, artistic decorations, wall hangings, etc... -- basically, anything that is not a truly nude person.


When in doubt, do not flag the image.

This image is too revealing for a spa photograph and should be flagged.

This photo should be flagged because it displays a bare buttocks.

This image should not be flagged, as it does not show any explicit nudity.

This image should not be flagged, as it does not show any explicit nudity.

This image contains artwork, and should not be flagged.

This image contains artwork, and should not be flagged.

Contains Culturally Insensitive Content

Images that contain culturally insensitive content should be flagged.

Culturally insensitive content can fall under the following categories:

    • Racially Offensive imagery
    • Racially insensitive imagery
    • Imagery that marginalizes a culture

Contains a readable license plate

Images that contain clearly readable license plates should be flagged.


Contains a local attraction

Images that are not of the hotel or property grounds, including famous landmarks or cityscapes, should be flagged.

Images that could reasonably be a view from the hotel should not be flagged, even if they contain a landmark or cityscape.

Local Activities such as segway tours should not be flagged.

When in doubt, do not flag the image.



Property Maps


  • Property map images should be flagged and removed. This includes isometric, illustrated views and floorplans of the overall hotel.
  • Take care to flag property maps correctly; while floor plans may look similar, they should be flagged separately as "Floor Plan".


Floor Plans


  • Please flag floor plan images separately from Property Maps. A floor plan contains specific details of a set room or suite on a property.
  • Computer renders of individual rooms are also floor plans, including 'cut-away' and stylized 3d floorplans.

Contains Drugs / Drug paraphernalia

Images that contain drugs or images relating to drug culture should be rejected.