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[dazzling]

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[Brian Noble]

The individual TA ratings mean a lot less to me than the averages---and even that has to be calibrated by price.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I read them with some skeptism.

But I do think the reviews give you some good data.

(but there are warning signs. If ANY review starts with "it's my special event and while I didn't expect an upgrade one would have been nice" IGNORE it. They expected it and started off with a "I am upset view" and focused on the negative. If the review includes rants on the plane, rental car, heat etc...ignore it. They just got mad at something and never let it go. And if you get the feeling they "demanded compensation" be VERY careful. It's not unheard of for scammed to try to blackmail thier way to free vacations using the "threat" of bad reviews)

But I read the reviews and don't focus on the ratings.

(Also, some folks just are unable to be happy. You could drop them at the best resort in the world and they would whine. I used to have a coworker like that, she walked around LOOKING for things that were wrong. Her builder nearly killed her. She crawled around behind the toliet for example to make sure the paint was perfect.... she found "chip" that it took a magnifying glass to find!)


Also, look at the pictures. That gives you some GOOD data! And not the professional shots, the "user shots"

 

[jjan]

I do agree with others that you shouldn't believe it all, but if you look at the individual good reviews and the bad reviews you can get a sense of what to expect. You just have to realize that some people are going to complain about everything. Good luck!

 

[cz4ever]

I have just started planning my next trip to WDW for 2013 & have been researching hotels, using the Unofficial Guide, this site & TripAdvisor, amongst others. And one thing that's stuck out is the disparity between opinions on hotels, particularly between the Unofficial Guide & TripAdvisor.

For example, a couple of hotels that the guide rates quite poorly, rate quite highly on TripAdvisor. And if you look at the photos of the hotels that are rated highly, they seem to show a hotel I certainly wouldn't want to stay in!

Also, the actual reviews on TripAdvisor vary so massively from fantastic hotel, to flea bitten dump, sometimes it seems hard to believe that the different posters stayed at the the same hotel!

I even looked up a hotel I stayed at recently, & was shocked by some of the terrible reviews it has been given, which certainly wasn't my experience.

I spoke to a friend of mine who works in the travel industry, & her advice was to ignore all one or five star reviews, but admitted that they have lost faith in TripAdvisor somewhat, as it has been known that hotels have manipulated reviews, but also because people tend to only post if they have experienced either terrible stays or brilliant ones, the average stay will rarely get posted, which skews the results.

After some time trawling through TripAdvisor, I must admit that it hasn't helped me at all this time, unlike previous trips where it proved invaluable. If anything, it confused the matter a little.

So I'm going to choose my WDW resort by using the info in guide books & from the Disboards, (of course!!) & not pay any attention to TripAdvisor.

So, do you still value the TripAdvisor reviews & ratings? Would you choose a hotel based on their rating? Or do you, like me, think the shine has come off them a little recently?

Interested in hearing peoples opinions. Thanks.

I can't speak for the WDW-area ratings, but in general I've found TA to be a very valuable tool for separating good from bad for hotels, restaurants, and things to do in a new city. Like your friend said, you have to expect that people who have an amazing or awful stay are more likely to jump in and submit a review. I know I personally am not highly motivated to rate a hotel that provided exactly what I expected ("This Sheraton hotel in a business district was exactly what you would expect from a Sheraton, no better and no worse."). Some hotels and restaurants have been accused of blatantly manipulating their ratings, but I doubt it's that pervasive and bogus reviews tend to get identified and flagged pretty quickly. So overall I definitely still consider TA to be a highly valuable resource.

Other posters have raised good points. Looking at the spread of ratings is a great indicator of value and quality. For example, a couple of 1's balanced by an overwhelming number of 4s and 5s just means that some people had a really rotten experience (it happens) and jumped on to flame the establishment. And then you need to read the reviews and decide for yourself how much to value them -- I tend to ignore people (whiners) with unreasonable expectations or who cannot cope with reality. Also, keep in mind that TA ratings are inherently scaled with value -- a highly rated 2-star is not likely to provide a better overall experience than a slightly lower rated 4-star, it just means that relative to 2-star expectations, it does a better job.

Personally, I'd rank my level of trust as "boards" (here and elsewhere) > TA > guide books. Boards are less likely to be gamed or affected by the self-selection process where people tend to only review great or awful stays. In general, I haven't found guide book suggestions to be all that useful -- they're hard to keep up to date and there's the "crowd" effect of lots of people following their advice too closely, causing the best deals and hidden secrets to get overexposed. But, hey, any due diligence is good -- it's more important to weed out the lousy places than to find the perfect one.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I have been reading reviews for an All Inclusive in the Caribbean I plan to take...

Some people seem to have very unrealistic expectations... "Gee honey the kids, you and I can go and eat and drink all we want for $300 a night" And then they complain that the food wasn't gourmet or the $75 bottle of wine wasn't availalble.

Of course yesterday I read one where the reviewer is never going again because (A) they speak Spanish.. HELLO! It's the Dominican Republic of course they speak Spanish and (B) there was sea weed in the ocean (I believe a higher authority then the resort management is responsible for this!)

 

[MattM]

I agree with your friend. We throw out the best and worst, and like to look at the TRAVELER SUBMITTED pics, not the hotel pics. Some complaints you can tell are made by people who can never be made happy, and some are legit. I think it really depends on the area too.

Search the hotels you're considering stay at on Twitter and Facebook as well. May get a more straightforward review there.

 

[BonnieA]

I still use TA for my hotel stays. I'm not hard to please and when I stay in a 2* I don't expect them to be a 4*. If there are consistent bad reviews then I would consider not staying there. And if anyone mentions bedbugs, that hotel is out, I don't care how many good reviews they have. I also check the bedbug registry to see if my chosen hotel is on the list.

 

[scubamouse]

I can't speak for the WDW-area ratings, but in general I've found TA to be a very valuable tool for separating good from bad for hotels, restaurants, and things to do in a new city. Like your friend said, you have to expect that people who have an amazing or awful stay are more likely to jump in and submit a review. I know I personally am not highly motivated to rate a hotel that provided exactly what I expected ("This Sheraton hotel in a business district was exactly what you would expect from a Sheraton, no better and no worse."). Some hotels and restaurants have been accused of blatantly manipulating their ratings, but I doubt it's that pervasive and bogus reviews tend to get identified and flagged pretty quickly. So overall I definitely still consider TA to be a highly valuable resource.

Other posters have raised good points. Looking at the spread of ratings is a great indicator of value and quality. For example, a couple of 1's balanced by an overwhelming number of 4s and 5s just means that some people had a really rotten experience (it happens) and jumped on to flame the establishment. And then you need to read the reviews and decide for yourself how much to value them -- I tend to ignore people (whiners) with unreasonable expectations or who cannot cope with reality. Also, keep in mind that TA ratings are inherently scaled with value -- a highly rated 2-star is not likely to provide a better overall experience than a slightly lower rated 4-star, it just means that relative to 2-star expectations, it does a better job.

Personally, I'd rank my level of trust as "boards" (here and elsewhere) > TA > guide books. Boards are less likely to be gamed or affected by the self-selection process where people tend to only review great or awful stays. In general, I haven't found guide book suggestions to be all that useful -- they're hard to keep up to date and there's the "crowd" effect of lots of people following their advice too closely, causing the best deals and hidden secrets to get overexposed. But, hey, any due diligence is good -- it's more important to weed out the lousy places than to find the perfect one.

I agree with this and would just add that I ignore negative ratings when it's the only review of a user. That's almost always a sour grapes review.

 

[jrtoastyman]

I think they have some value, but you definitely have to go into it with your eyes wide open and look at the aggregate response rather than just reading one or two reviews and assuming they accurately reflect the general sentiment about a place. On TripAdvisor, as in day to day life, there are some people that are going to be agog at the very idea of getting out of the house, while others could be chauffeured to a palace made of gold and they'll grouse about it not being made out of platinum. Read enough reviews, and you'll start to see themes develop.

 

[bankr63]

Lots of good advice here.

I would speak up in favor of UG for their ratings over some of the other guides. They really do seem to take their research seriously, and I do trust most of what they say. I have actually sent corrections to the address listed in the book and seen them reflected online and then in the next edition (which is already a lot more current than most other travel guides).

One thing I really like to do is pop some popcorn and read the TA reviews AFTER I've stayed at a resort. It really does provide some perspective on what a whiney bunch of travelers we seem to have become, and can provide some good laughs.

I sometimes read TA reviews before I travel, but with a few MILLION grains of salt. Unless I see I theme developing (regularly recurring complaints or props) then I tend to discount 90% of what I read.

 

[mjplantz]

I use TA reviews as a part of my research but as with everything, people have a wide view of whats important to them so I often read many of the negative reviews first to see in what areas they are from. I agree the overall average is more important but many times a facility will have renovated or upgraded and the negative reviews outweigh they positive even though they are many years old. Again, I just use it as a tool but its not my complete research source.

 

[sjanus]

I use Trip Advisor to look for hotels and find it valuable. However, as others have said, I look at overall rating, how many reviews (more make it more valid) and look for patterns when there is a complaint.

Sandy

 

[RCMommy]

I use Trip Advisor all the time and often post reviews of my own as well.

I take everything I read with a grain of salt. People complaining of 'rudeness' can be all about perception and isn't enough to keep me away. And comments about unclean rooms I decide which is more important. Reviews where people report the previous guest's sheets were not removed for their stay are likely enough to keep me away, or check mine when I get there! Mind you, I check them anyway for dirtiness or bedbugs.

I like to read the reviews for more info about the hotel too, ie-location, amenities nearby etc.

We go to DC next month and I had no clue where to stay. Our hotel reviews made me aware there is a Starbucks next door (yeehaw!!!) and it is a two block walk to the train.

Some people will complain no matter what so I just decide if what they are complaining about would really bother me on my stay at that hotel.

Dirty rooms and rude staff can be found anywhere!

One mousekeeper of ours at POR left our room unlocked after cleaning by putting the door lock latch over the frame to hold the door open. We were so incredibly lucky and grateful nothing was taken. We had been out all day and called the front desk to inform them. They were apologetic and remorseful. I would never go on Trip Advisor bashing mousekeeping now. Mistakes happen.

 

[HayGan]

I think they have some value, but you definitely have to go into it with your eyes wide open and look at the aggregate response rather than just reading one or two reviews and assuming they accurately reflect the general sentiment about a place. On TripAdvisor, as in day to day life, there are some people that are going to be agog at the very idea of getting out of the house, while others could be chauffeured to a palace made of gold and they'll grouse about it not being made out of platinum. Read enough reviews, and you'll start to see themes develop.

I completely agree. Look past the rating number and read the reviews. I've even been known to look at a reviewers other reviews to see if they are always negative or always positive.

With that said, I hardly ever only consider the reviews on one site. I like to look at different sources and go from there. There is almost always a common theme that that tends to stand out after awhile.

 

[kathy884]

TripAdvisor is an extremely valuable source to me, but definately not my only source. It has helped me select some mom and pop places that I didn't find much information elsewhere that I ended up being very happy with. It's a very good source for hotels too.// I'll give more weight to reviews from frequent reviewers vs. one time posters and people's whose demographics and travel experiences are closer to mine. // When there are lots of reviews, you can sort of sift some out and see trends. // I like to look at Frommer and Fodors, but find TripAdvisor more valuable, again looking at it with some discresion.

When there is little information about a place and no reviewers with similar travel experiences informaton is less valuable. Case in point, there was a mom and pop place I booked outside the Branson, MO area with only about 15 reviews -- all from people who don't do a lot of traveling (traveling is usually just to the bordering state etc.) that go back there year after year for family reunions that had extremely high ratings. I found the place acceptable, but quite average when looking at price/quality. Also, for this place, I couldn't find information available on any other site. It was quite surprising to me too that the owner was very disappointed and upset by my three star Trip Advisor rating and even said something to me about it, but agreed my written review was balanced / reasonable. My one rating dropped them from number 1 to number 3 in this little city.

For most of the places I've stayed the Unofficial Guide and Trip Advisor were quite consistent. One of my favorite hotels for a quick Orlando stay, though, has high ratings on TripAdvisor which I agree with completely, and I was quite surprised by the very average rating by the Unoffical Guide that I usually find to be right on. I've stayed at this particular property (a Hilton Garden Inn) three different times. Again, as I've only stayed at about 14 places in the Orlando area and only five or so fairly recently my sampling size is quite small here.

For condo/timeshare ratings, I find TUG2.net reviews (you have to pay $15 to join) much more valuable than TripAdvisor, as these are reviews from people who stay at condos frequently like I do and are way more detailed. On TripAdvisor people who send reviews for condos more often than not have never done a condo stay and are wowed by the space and value or often have never done a condo stay are are surprised at no onsite resturant and maid service. In each of these cases the information is of minimal or no value to me. It's not a condo ranking or review, but a ranking of how they compare a first visit to a condo to typical hotels and motels they stay in (differences here are old news to me).

 

[CruellaDuVille]

Trip Advisor is invaluable for international travel. For example, when I was overwhelmed by Tokyo and Korea, Trip Advisor saved the day. Domestically, not so good. Too many wannabes and nitpickers to cull through.

 

[02AggieGirl]

We used it to find hotels for our road trip to California this month. Out of the 8 hotels we stayed in, there was only one we thought was only ok. But even then, we didn't have a major complaint. I think it's still reliable.

 

[sparklynails23]

You can tell which reviews are written by Reputation Defender (and similar companies). They're all the same format, low post count, and painfully corny. Those companies should stop hiring wannabe-author English majors and technical writers. Hilton hires the professional writers to boost ratings. I'm sure the other major hotel companies hire reviewers, too, but Hilton's are the worst.

 

[happy2012]

I find Trip Advisor to be very helpful & have started to write reviews myself. I have found that I write 99% good reviews. People DO talk about great experiences just as much, if not MORE than bad ones. I'm like you, in that I use the unoffical guide,these boards & other resources to make my decision. [mousejunkies is a fun book] I tend to go for @ least a 3 star hotel. However, hotels.com [one of my favorite sites] rates WDW values @ 2 1/2 stars & I think that is a BUNCH OF CRAP! I'd rate them @ 3 1/2 stars. IMO, they are much nicer than most of the 3 stars I've seen in Kissimmee. Maybe that's just it, a matter of opinion. I have certain names I feel I can trust such as Disney, Hilton,ect. I find having loyalty in a brand that you like helps.