Usefulness of Reviews

twopenny

I've used reviews frequently on TA and it's easy to spot the fakes.

They will either be the top or the bottom, that's the nature of paid reviews.

Go for the middle ones, they tend to be the people who give the good and the bad as they see it, Nobody gets paid to be reasonable

And what is a downside for one can be a plus for another ie it was quiet with 'nothing to do' is my idea of heaven, quiet and always something interesting or why did you go to that country.

AI is also easy to spot. There have been a lot of outs from people on the forums who can spot AI and complain.

The forums are the most useful where you can get good advice.

Ditto you can ask a question about a specific thing on the reviews page. People who have reviewed are alerted and reply.

You can also search the reviews for something specific you want like when is the entertainment, where are the quietest rooms etc.

I've been saved from a few potential disasterous decisions by genuine people who have posted reviews.

A beautiful hotel in India in woodland by a lake - was reminded of mosquitos

A little hotel in Italy - was up a narrow dark lane and steep hill

The forums aren't obvious but again I've been helped to avoid mistakes and make the most of my trips by the kind people who give up their time to put you right on the places they know well.

TELLIT01

You will come across reviewers who have a view of an area which seems totally add odds with what I've personally experienced.  There is a resort I've been to 4 or 5 times and it really is the most laid back and friendly place I've ever stayed.  Consistently good food in the restaurants etc.  Every time anybody asks a question about the place this one guy comes in with his 'cut and paste' comment about it being overrun by AI and 5* resorts and being the playground of the super rich.  If you go out from the resort 3 or 4 miles you will find those resorts but the village itself is nothing like he portrays it.  I wonder how long ago he visited the area or if he has ever actually been there at all.

f4phixeruk

Read a review where someone said they take a meat probe on holiday, and none of the food was at the correct temperature. Took his 1 star review with a pinch of salt.

twopenny

My favourite was the woman who complained about the occasional swooshing noise of someone sweeping the leaves off the path outside their beach bungalow.

She wanted the path clear but never explained how they were supposed to do this with no noise.

zagfles

I'm not sure fake reviews are a big problem, they might be in niche areas but generally the reviews of anywhere I've been have been pretty accurate. There's issues like people being fussy over trivia, also there's a definite bias when it comes to small places where you meet the owner compared to big impersonal hotels, the small places always get better reviews, so I always apply a fiddle factor to reviews, eg 7/10 at a big hotel would be about the same as 9/10 at a small B&B.

Any that get really good reviews I'll read the comments, sometimes small places have the cheek to ask for a specific ranking (I had one telling me "we trying to get our score up to 9.5 ) and in those type of places the comments reveal more than the score. 

CKhalvashi

DullGreyGuy said:

I find the ones for more premium hotels etc are the funniest... someone wanting to visit a (in)famous hotel found the cheapest way was to book a pool side cabana for $400 for up to 6 people then complains the poolside bar only does club sandwiches or pizza, someone else gave it a 1 star review because it was windy by the pool and a third because they didnt comply with the dress code (trousers and shoes for men) and whilst offered a pair of trousers and shoes to borrow they weren't offered socks.  Someone else complaining that the 3,605sqft "room" had a flight of marble stairs.

If you want an entertaining evening, pick a random budget hostel and read the one star reviews

Many reviews are bordering on ridiculous though, 1 star reviews due to tiny things is never helpful.

The place I stay when we go to Georgia has the most comfortable beds I've ever slept in (plus is run by a family who've looked after us a lot over the years) and works out to about £12/night but isn't highly reviewed. It's cheap, central and I own the building, so I'd love to know where else I'd stay

We don't often stay in 'decent' hotels, on the occasion we do these days it's considered a luxury although generally isn't more expensive than an apartment in some cities in recent times. We prioritise location over luxury.

strawb_shortcake

I like the ones for Ben Nevis, too steep, no cafe etc. 

NoodleDoodleMan

annabanana82 said:

I like the ones for Ben Nevis, too steep, no cafe etc. 

What - no complaints about the rain ?

strawb_shortcake

NoodleDoodleMan said:

annabanana82 said:

I like the ones for Ben Nevis, too steep, no cafe etc. 

What - no complaints about the rain ?

Nor mozzies

Doshwaster

My favourite was someone complaining about the lack of a hand towel so that "I was forced to dry my hands on the bath towel"

You also get people who book a room in the middle of the nightlife area then complain that it's noisy when then want to go to bed at 10pm or complain that there is no 24 hour shops in the middle of the countryside.