OT: tripadvisor -- how much do you read into it?

[pampamz]

We've booked a trip and I did do extensive research, but am still hooked on reading the tripadvisor.com reviews regularly.

Am I the only one who is 'obsessed' with these? I keep finding negative ones and question where I booked the hotel, despite all the good reviews I've read.

ACK!

[surpriseimamom]

I look at the overall rating myself. I look at the dates of when the reviews were made. Turnover, a change in management, etc. can all have happened since that review. Finally click on the person leaving the review. It could be they have a habit of seeing the glass half empty whereever they stay.

We have cruised four times and drove ourselves crazy before the first one. Now we review the cruise with an open mind, but still have had a good time.

I do say all of this with a caveat, in that we have stayed at Motel 6s and JW Marriotts. They all look the same to us once we fall asleep. Usuaully we are in a hotel room just to sleep and shower. No the towels and sheets and pillows are not ours, but they do serve their purpose.

[pampamz]

"They all look the same to us once we fall asleep" -- very true! Afterall, we are not planning on staying in our room 24/7 (this is no honeymoon!)

Thank you for your response & tips.

[kristenk]

I love tripadvisor and spend way too much time there before a vacation begins! It seems that there will always be at least a few negative reviews. I try to read carefully to see if what bothered that person would bother me. For example, one hotel that we've booked (but haven't yet stayed in) had one negative review that the hotel was out in the middle of nowhere and more of a conference center. That's okay with us b/c we're meeting my family there and staying near the hotel is a positive for us! LOL The trick is to step away from the computer if your hotel reservations have a penalty for cancellation and just assume that you picked the best one that you could.

[Laurel]

I do it too-I thought I was the only one! I freak out over bad reviews. I do try to think of them as things to be aware of so that I can make my stay even better. If someone had a bad experience in a certain wing of a hotel, I'll ask to stay in another wing, etc.

No hotel can be perfect all the time, I guess.

[kcandz]

I look for a trend, not the occasional bad review. Anyone can have a bad experience and usually those are the more vocal. I know if I have a perfectly pleasant experience I don't go out of my way to review it, only the really good or pretty bad prompts me to make the effot.

[hobokenmom]

I do read reviews there, but I always keep in mind that people are FAR more likely to post bad reviews than good reviews in my mind.

I think this is just human nature, in general. How often do people write letters or make comments about great service, compared to people who are so quick to complain when they've received bad service?

Just my opinion.

[SnuggleBuggles]

My last trip I obsessively read that and travelocity's reviews. But, only *before* I booked the hotel. :) Oh, and I try to leave reviews as well since I figure you should give back.

If I read them after I would just kept track of what issues other people had so I could try and avoid them. Usually that just involves good communication btw you and the staff.

It'll be a great trip. :)

Beth

[gatorsmom]

ooh, yeah, I LOVE to read the reviews on there. I love reading the reviews on nightmarish places. I think those reviews are hilarious (even though I feel very sorry for the people who chose to stay there)!

However, if I"m reviewing a place we are planning to visit, I check 2 things- the date of the review and if several different reviewers complain of the same problem.

For example, we recently were considering the Club Med in Ixtapa, Mexico, however, MANY reviewers complained of the outdoor buffet. They complained that the bugs and birds helped themselves freely to it. Gross! As it turns out though, as of November of this year they'll have finished major renovations including moving the eating area indoors(I talked to the Club Med agent). So, all those old reviews will be obsolete. kwim?

Lisa
Mom to Gator July 2003
And Cha-Cha July 2005

[sidmand]

Me too, but I try to read them with a grain of salt. Like a PP said, if it's something specific that would probably bother me too, I'd take it more into consideration, but someone is always going to have something negative to say no matter what.

We were looking to go to Atlantis and some of the reviews were positive, but said something like, "yeah, what the other people said about bed bugs was true, but we were okay with it." Um no. Okay, I draw the line at bugs INSIDE the room. Yuck.

But yeah, there were some places I was really gung ho about and then I started wondering. But I take into account the date, what they didn't like, etc. Of course if I find a place with only great reviews (we found one in Orlando that sounds amazing!), I'd go for it in a heartbeat.

Debbie
http://b2.lilypie.com/BI7Tm5.png

[mommy111]

i've usually found the overall rating to be the best indicator. also, if there is a problem people complain of in several reviews, its prob there, iykwim.