By BRETT BARROUQUERE
Associated Press
The inclusion of a Tennessee hotel on an unflattering list on a travel website wasn't dirty pool after all.
The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals today rejected a bid by the owner of the Grand Resort Hotel and Convention Center in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., to reinstate a defamation lawsuit against the site TripAdvisor.
Judge Karen Nelson Moore concluded for the court that the hotel's inclusion on the "2011 Dirtiest Hotels" list doesn't rise to the level of defamation because it is obvious the list simply communicates the opinions of TripAdvisor users.
Hotel owner Kenneth M. Seaton sued Newton, Mass-based TripAdvisor in 2011. He accused the website of defamation and portraying his business in a false light.
Judge Thomas W. Phillips in Knoxville rejected the claims in August 2012.