Mamta B. from Google posted her first time in the Google My Business Help forum detailing a lot of the changes that is happening with the new Google+ Local pages, not just that they are removing reviews but more.
Mamta said the following features are no longer supported for Local pages; reviews, categories, directions, stars, photo uploads, interior photos, maps, hours, opentable/apps integration. That is a lot to remove, but Google+ is now about collections.
Here is the full FAQ she posted, just in case it changes:
What does this mean for Local Pages?
We found that Profiles and Pages were easier to understand if presented in the same style, and we’ve simplified both in the same consistent way. The following features are no longer supported for Local pages - Reviews, categories, directions, stars, photo uploads, interior photos, maps, hours, opentable/apps integration.
How can people to see my local information?
People can still see information on local pages in classic Google+ on web. In addition, people can see some local details (such as email, address, and phone) that you’ve decided to share as well as their history of communications with you when they click on information symbol on left hand side of the Follow button in the new Google+ page.
Where do I upload or manage my Photos?
People wanted a home for their photos to be separate from a social network, and so we launched Google Photos as a standalone app, outside of Google+ for better uploading and managing experience.
How to add manager or view analytics?
We’ve streamlined both people and page profiles with the new Google+. You won’t see advanced page management features in the new Google+, including adding and removing managers and viewing analytics just yet. To use those features you’ll have to switch back to classic Google+ for now.
Page Profiles look different in the new Google+, and other information may show up on your old +Page Profile. You can switch back to classic Google+ to see and edit your old +Page profile. +Page Profiles may also look different on different platforms
Highlights
Your Google+ profile includes posts you’ve made on Google+, Collections you’ve created or followed and Communities you’ve joined. You can also add a cover photo, a profile photo, and a tagline, which are public.
To see your Google+ profile, click Profile in the navigation menu.
From your Google+ profile, people can also see more information about you by clicking on the information icon [i].
You can also edit some of this information through About Me. When you change your name, tagline, profile photo, or cover photo in Google+, it is reflected in your About Me information.
Forum discussion at Google My Business Help.
