Okay, this is pretty damn funny. About two dozen Russian models were in Dubai for a photoshoot, and were staying at the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah. Not surprisingly, they took a ton of pictures of themselves for Instagram around the pool, in bathtubs, etc. (assuming they actually live in Russia, I imagine Dubai is a nice temperature change for them in January).
Well, it appears that the hotel wasn’t all too happy with the racy pictures they were posting, and asked them to untag the hotel on Instagram. Per The Mirror:
The hotel, where a suite can cost more than £1,000 a night, wants the models to stop sharing the name of the hotel and their precise location in geotags on the images.
It says it prides itself on its family-friendly image and has suggested that some of the images would be more befitting of an erotic lingerie catalogue.
The hotel’s bosses said their chief concern was the comfort of their guests.
A hotel spokesman said: “You have to understand that this is an Arab country. We have had a lot of complaints from families with your children.
“We do not want to see our geolocation on photos of girls in semi-naked and erotic poses. Let the photograph simply state the location as Dubai.”
It’s sort of funny that they’re suggesting they not tag themselves at the Waldorf Astoria because the UAE is an Arab country, but instead suggest they tag themselves as being in Dubai. It appears as if not all of the models complied with the hotel’s request, because the top tagged Instagram pics at the hotel are still of said Russian models.
The reason I’m amused by this story is because I swear every time I’m in the UAE and looked at who else is geotagged at my hotel, the top few results are always Russian models. So this “problem” is hardly specific to this hotel.
From a marketing perspective you’d think this is a good thing — presumably the hotel is getting a lot of free publicity out of the tens of thousands of likes these girls are getting. While some pictures cross the line (you can see most of them in The Mirror article), for the most part you’d think a hotel would love this kind of publicity.
Interesting stuff…
(Tip of the hat to @istrakhov)
This is more likely to do with the "Tag the Sponsor" controversy of recent history. My guess is they don't want to be tagged in that manner or be associated with the possibility of being labeled in that manner. I don't blame them. Read this article if you want to know more. And yes, it is Arabs hiring these women for their filthy fetishes despite the way they treat women in their own country.
http://www.returnofkings.com/57571/tag-the-sponsor-exposes-the-depravity-of-modern-women...
This is more likely to do with the "Tag the Sponsor" controversy of recent history. My guess is they don't want to be tagged in that manner or be associated with the possibility of being labeled in that manner. I don't blame them. Read this article if you want to know more. And yes, it is Arabs hiring these women for their filthy fetishes despite the way they treat women in their own country.
http://www.returnofkings.com/57571/tag-the-sponsor-exposes-the-depravity-of-modern-women
And there is even a website dedicated to it http://tagthesponsor.com/
They are actually called FES.. Foreign Exchange Students here in DXB..
They are brought here by the high up locals for a fun filled week
Then fly back to their home country and buy themselves an investment apartment.
Living here I hear these stories everyday.
Russian 'models'... Yeah; right... Russian yes but models no...
Wow. U are good at getting people all riled up ;)
It certainly wouldn't bring discomfort to me!
Maybe the UAE's airlines, hotels, and micro-princes need to stop pretending that they have any business whatsoever entertaining modern western audiences in the year 2017.
When one travels to the British Isles, one says things like "lift" and "zed". One drinks tea brewed with water from an electric kettle and beer from a keg that isn't pressurized.
When one travels to France, one learns to say "bonjour" and "merci". One learns to appreciate a relaxed...
Maybe the UAE's airlines, hotels, and micro-princes need to stop pretending that they have any business whatsoever entertaining modern western audiences in the year 2017.
When one travels to the British Isles, one says things like "lift" and "zed". One drinks tea brewed with water from an electric kettle and beer from a keg that isn't pressurized.
When one travels to France, one learns to say "bonjour" and "merci". One learns to appreciate a relaxed pace of life. And one drinks the world's best wine over protracted, exquisite meals.
When one travels to the UAE, one ignores the local culture entirely because it simply isn't worth adapting.
Only yesterday I was looking at the Instagram pics for the Sofitel (around the corner from the Waldorf) as I'm staying there this weekend and it's practically the same. Infact check out any top Dubai hotel and you will see the same!
For god's sake, do these women have no shame. I can't look again.
@anon Colorado resorts are excellent in the summer. Hiking around town and the mountains when they're not so crowded is delightful. The cool sunny weather is a relief from hot steamy or rainy coasts.
And, as you said, they're cheap. Don't tell or everyone will want to come!
"A hotel spokesman said: “You have to understand that this is an Arab country. We have had a lot of complaints from families with your children."
Maybe the "families with children" shouldn't be on Instagram looking at "photos of girls in semi-naked and erotic poses"?
That Mirror article...yikes. Verging on NSFW.
It improved my opinion of Russia, though :)
The models should just tagthesponsor.com ;)
In my opinion, the hypocrisy is not with the Arabs or with the Muslims, but with Waldorf management who gladly take the money from guests, but then want them to disavow that they are staying there.
@Kris : same reason you can get a suite on CO slopes in the summer for $200. NO ONE WANTS TO BE IN CO AND DXB IN THE SUMMER
Fantastic hotel. During summer you can get a suite for $200+HHonors Gold.
to bad I didn't know this otherwise I would stayed in the Walldorf ;-)
Yah, all the Russian models are there for a "photo shoot." Let's not be naive. The hotel doesn't want attention drawn to the real reason the "models" are in town. This is the family image issue, not the photos.
Huh, first time I've ever agreed with Credit.
Although I understand and respect the reason for the concern (Muslim rules regarding modesty), it still makes me glad I don't live in a country where folks take life so seriously.
It's not arab hypocrisy. It's religious hypocrisy. Religiono gives you power to control people if you act and make them act a certain way. So you have arabs denouncing the hot white female as immoral and then hiring them as call girls in the evening. And then using Islam to justify to your filthy heart (like isis)
Christians do it too. Watch all the family oriented republican hypocrites cheating on their wives, taking bribes etc....
It's not arab hypocrisy. It's religious hypocrisy. Religiono gives you power to control people if you act and make them act a certain way. So you have arabs denouncing the hot white female as immoral and then hiring them as call girls in the evening. And then using Islam to justify to your filthy heart (like isis)
Christians do it too. Watch all the family oriented republican hypocrites cheating on their wives, taking bribes etc. Happens most often in the south. (And don't give me example of weiner or spitzer.) They didn't hide their hypocrisy behind religion. RELIGION IS THE PROBLEM.
@keitherson : expats??? lol, just kidding. it's emiratis
Might it be because that the hotel gets in trouble with the authorities
Typical Arab hypocrisy. Who do you think hires these Russian models to be there?