TripAdvisor suspends reviews for NatWest hole in wall after pranksters hail it a ‘national treasure’

TripAdvisor has blocked reviews for a hole in a wall outside a branch of NatWest after pranksters flooded the site with spoof reviews.

The otherwise unremarkable dot on a highstreet in Derbyshire was transformed into a “one of a kind architectural masterpiece,” thanks to the parody posts.

One reviewer branded it a “1990’s Stonehenge” while another commented: “To say I was blown away would be an understatement”.

The tongue-in-cheek odes to the hole – located beside a cash machine in Ilkeston – first started popping up in December 2018, soon making it one of the top five “points of interest” in the town.

But after media coverage over the weekend sparked further interest and further reviews, TripAdvisor decided it was time to block new posts to the account.

The travel site said in a statement: “Due to a recent event that has attracted media attention and has caused an influx of review submissions that do not describe a first-hand experience, we have temporarily suspended publishing new reviews for this listing.

“If you’ve had a firsthand experience at this property, please check back soon - we’re looking forward to receiving your review!”

It comes after one man, named only as FlavaDan, described the Ilkelston hole as “the East Midlands’ most exhilarating experience.”

He wrote: “The city of Agra has the Taj Mahal, Paris has the Eiffel Tower and Sydney has its Opera House. But they all pale in comparison to the impact on the soul of first laying eyes on Ilkeston’s Hole in the Wall.

“Pilgrims flocks from afar, Kodak disposable cameras gripped in their sweaty excited palms, to witness one of Britain’s true wonders.”