Sheanner Navarro is not your typical vlogger. Instead of hip hangouts, his must-visits include restaurants and hotels bombed by negative online reviews.
Navarro scours the internet for establishments with the worst ratings. Concealing his camera, he visits the poorly reviewed places to check if they’re as bad as the internet says.
In one video, the Gen Z vlogger went to a Makati chicken wings joint with a rating of 1.3 stars out of 5. Some reviews complained that the restaurant took 30 minutes to serve their order.
But Navarro, a hospitality management graduate, used his phone’s timer to show that he got his order in around 20 minutes. He also noted that chicken is usually cooked for 10 to 12 minutes. In the end, he gave the restaurant a score of 4.
“Ganoon na ba kalakas ang reviews ngayon, to the point na ‘yung mabibitawan mong review nakaimprenta na for the rest of their lives?” he mused in the video with 1.7 million views on YouTube.
“Hindi ko naman puwedeng i-invalidate ‘yung feelings ng previous reviewers kasi ‘yun ang experience nila. [But] we should always remember change is constant, nai-improve lahat ng bagay,” he added.
There were also instances when he agrees with the bad reviews — like when he slept at Quezon City’s “worst rated apartelle” with a score of 2.2.
After finding a crawling cockroach in the washroom, hair strands on the bed, and vandalism on the furniture, he gave the establishment a rating of 2.
Navaro said his content was inspired by the “One Star Review” series on VICE, which also ventures into establishments plagued with one-star reviews.
“I only aimed to produce valuable content that people would enjoy and learn from. I wanted to inspire and provoke discussions among my Filipino viewers,” he said.
Navarro’s viewers applaud him for giving establishments the chance to redeem themselves after drawing the fury of disgruntled customers.
“Galing!! Ganda ng ganitong series!” vlogger Cong Velasquez, also known as CongTV of Team Payaman, commented on one video.
Another vlogger who explores offbeat places is Zarckaroo, a content creator from HEPMIL Media, the company that also handles Navarro.
His recent trips include a World War 2 shipwreck, an abandoned hotel in Cebu, and an alleged haunted tunnel in Corregidor.
He believes that by adding mystery to his content, he can provide a fresh perspective to his audience and give them a break from the ordinary.
“I love exploring extraordinary destinations, delving into the rich history of historical sites, and even venturing into abandoned places,” he told ABS-CBN News.
“The thrill of discovering the stories behind these places and the excitement of exploring the unknown is what makes it so fascinating for me.”
