TripAdvisor - Do you use it?

[RooFlyer]

<snip>

I don't use TripAdvisor as religiously as other people here. Not always accurate. Unless there is a pattern in bad reviews I usually like try a hotel for myself.

Isn't that what the vast majority here are saying/doing? Not criticising you JohnK, but you seem to use TA just like most people here.

 

[JohnK]

Isn't that what the vast majority here are saying/doing? Not criticising you JohnK, but you seem to use TA just like most people here.

I got the impression that people relied on TripAdvisor a lot more. Perhaps I got that one wrong as that post from mannej stood out.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I got the impression that people relied on TripAdvisor a lot more. Perhaps I got that one wrong as that post from mannej stood out.

I think there's a distinction between hard and soft product. 'The staff didn't like me' compared to 'the room was tiny, nothing like the pictures, thin walls, and overlooking a car park'.

The first I can make an assessment on whether it is the staff or the customer. The latter is more factual.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

The first I can make an assessment on whether it is the staff or the customer. The latter is more factual.

The most information I think comes from the forums rather than the reviews. Good and frank exchanges of information. As an example, here's a link to the Sri Lankan travel discussion, which I possibly found the most useful of all the Sri Lankan sites I visited. I think a lot of people may not even be aware the forums exist on Trip Advisor and go only to the reviews.

 

[drron]

Some of the forums though have a few resident experts that really do not know what they are talking about particularly when it comes to medical matters eg malaria prophylaxis.It pays to be careful.

 

[Awesom Andy]

Totally agree. TA can be useful for checking out hotels etc. but should not be used to plan an entire holiday. The things that come up on TA are touristy attractions and often just direct people to museums or activities that really don't represent the city or what it's about. The best cultural experiences probably aren't on that site at all. Just look at the top-ranked attractions in whatever city you live in and you will know what I'm talking about.

The attractions that get the most reviews are the ones most visited by the masses, so it's really just a multi-player version of a Lonely Planet guide book.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Some of the forums though have a few resident experts that really do not know what they are talking about particularly when it comes to medical matters eg malaria prophylaxis.It pays to be careful.

I personally wouldn't be placing too much faith in any on-line medical advice except in an emergency where few alternate options exist.

 

[burmans]

I personally wouldn't be placing too much faith in any on-line medical advice except in an emergency where few alternate options exist.

Most of these guys are local experts and make no claim at medical expertise. Of course many people without medical expertise still feel they can offer medical advice, online or otherwise, as Im sure most of us have experienced!

 

[JohnK]

I think there's a distinction between hard and soft product. 'The staff didn't like me' compared to 'the room was tiny, nothing like the pictures, thin walls, and overlooking a car park'.

The first I can make an assessment on whether it is the staff or the customer. The latter is more factual.

But even that can be misleading. It is one person's perspective. Just because they think the room is tiny doesn't mean room is tiny for anyone else. Just because they think breakfast is inadequate doesn’t make breakfast inadequate.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

But even that can be misleading. It is one person's perspective. Just because they think the room is tiny doesn't mean room is tiny for anyone else. Just because they think breakfast is inadequate doesn’t make breakfast inadequate.

That's very true, but surely that's better than going in totally blind...especially if you have many saying the same thing about the breakfast?

 

[burmans]

That's very true, but surely that's better than going in totally blind...especially if you have many saying the same thing about the breakfast?

Agree, all reviews can be misleading, whether in TA, a guide book etc. TA allows you to look at independant pictures and so make up your own mind on room size, view etc. and as swanning_it notes while one review may mean nothing (as as multiple people have noted, you can/should ignore outliers) if 10 people all have the same complaint you maybe should pay some attention.

 

[spacesheep]

I use TA and I find it quite useful. The photos that members posted on hotels show how the current condition of the hotels. Regards to the comments by members, I use it as a guide to choose the hotel of my choice. And like what burmans said pay more attention to common complaints and you be fine

 

[amaroo]

The "Room Tips" function has proven to be an excellent reference tool.

 

[Happy Dude]

Agree, all reviews can be misleading, whether in TA, a guide book etc. TA allows you to look at independant pictures and so make up your own mind on room size, view etc. and as swanning_it notes while one review may mean nothing (as as multiple people have noted, you can/should ignore outliers) if 10 people all have the same complaint you maybe should pay some attention.

I'm yet to come across a misleading review in a LP in 20 years. I've seen reviews I didn't agree with or experience (particularly at restaurants/cafés - which couldn't be more subjective), but never misleading.

With TA, it's anonymous and therefore easy to manipulate the online perception of the subject.

I just happen to have a German hotelier staying at my house. She says that she spends a great deal of time dealing with vexatious and, in her opinion unjustified, complaints, often directly with TA. People write any old tosh (good and bad) in the hope of an upgrade or free brekky offer. I recall a facebook post by a Sunshine Coast restaurateur a while ago pleading with the public not to believe the negative TA reviews being submitted by a customer who ate a meal and then complained and threatened to post bad TA reviews if a refund wasn't given. And didn't I read somewhere that people were getting paid to write reviews - both positive and negative?

All it takes is 10 "people" to say the same thing and you're a believer. I guess I'm waaaayyyyy more sceptical.

 

[dajop]

As an alternative to TA, does anyone ever look at booking.com reviews and ratings? I find these usually easier to skim through and actually find a reasonable correlation with my own experiences (checking reviews/scores after I have stayed).

 

[drron]

My primary research for hotels is still FT and AFF.But then I am a points junkie.
For restaurants I concluded long ago that my tastes are totally different to the average person reviewing on TA.Great example this week in Singapore.We always go to Iggys.Never had a bad experience.Virtually always in the top 10 of respected foodie lists.Rating on TA-number 722.

 

[RB]

I'm yet to come across a misleading review in a LP in 20 years. I've seen reviews I didn't agree with or experience (particularly at restaurants/cafés - which couldn't be more subjective), but never misleading.

With TA, it's anonymous and therefore easy to manipulate the online perception of the subject.

I just happen to have a German hotelier staying at my house. She says that she spends a great deal of time dealing with vexatious and, in her opinion unjustified, complaints, often directly with TA. People write any old tosh (good and bad) in the hope of an upgrade or free brekky offer. I recall a facebook post by a Sunshine Coast restaurateur a while ago pleading with the public not to believe the negative TA reviews being submitted by a customer who ate a meal and then complained and threatened to post bad TA reviews if a refund wasn't given. And didn't I read somewhere that people were getting paid to write reviews - both positive and negative?

All it takes is 10 "people" to say the same thing and you're a believer. I guess I'm waaaayyyyy more sceptical.

Yep and property owners get prior warning of when LP is going to be calling in for a visit

 

[RB]

As an alternative to TA, does anyone ever look at booking.com reviews and ratings? I find these usually easier to skim through and actually find a reasonable correlation with my own experiences (checking reviews/scores after I have stayed).

A good site I use in conjuction with TA. I like how they display the size of the varous room options at places

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm yet to come across a misleading review in a LP in 20 years. I've seen reviews I didn't agree with or experience (particularly at restaurants/cafés - which couldn't be more subjective), but never misleading.

With TA, it's anonymous and therefore easy to manipulate the online perception of the subject.

I just happen to have a German hotelier staying at my house. She says that she spends a great deal of time dealing with vexatious and, in her opinion unjustified, complaints, often directly with TA. People write any old tosh (good and bad) in the hope of an upgrade or free brekky offer. I recall a facebook post by a Sunshine Coast restaurateur a while ago pleading with the public not to believe the negative TA reviews being submitted by a customer who ate a meal and then complained and threatened to post bad TA reviews if a refund wasn't given. And didn't I read somewhere that people were getting paid to write reviews - both positive and negative?

All it takes is 10 "people" to say the same thing and you're a believer. I guess I'm waaaayyyyy more sceptical.

While there is no excuse to 'blackmail' a property or establishment, is TA any different from any other form of social media where people might express their issues in the hope of a resolution (especially one that might go above 'company policy')?

A restaurant or hotel may outright say 'no' to a request, and refuse to enter discussion. Social media is a way to combat that.

Perhaps it is a fine line between blackmail and needing to take social media as a form of action. But I guess i'd rather have businesses held accountable rather than being able to provide a bad service and get away with it.

 

[burmans]

I'm yet to come across a misleading review in a LP in 20 years. I've seen reviews I didn't agree with or experience (particularly at restaurants/cafés - which couldn't be more subjective), but never misleading.

Well I guess you are lucky, the bulletin boards are full of people who complain that the LP review does not match the reality. Part of this may be due to the immediacy affect, LP attracts a certain type of tourist and its a while between publishing dates so that place touted as a great cheap local experience without many tourists will now be full of tourists, the owners now blase and no longer particularly friendly, they have doubled the prices and are living off the fact they were mentioned in LP. Its even got its own name, known as the Lonely Planet affect.