How much does TripAdvisor influence your vacation planning?

[MamaLema]

A few months ago I booked The Winds Resort in North Carolina because it had pretty good reviews.

Now a few months later, it is getting more and more negative reviews, with posters stating is old, out of date, and has cockroaches/palmetto bugs.

This is a 17 hour drive for us and I would hate to drag the family all the way there and have the resort not be what we expected. We are also paying for the ocean view so it's not cheap.

Do you listen to TripAdvisor?

Anyone stay at The Winds?

 

[ohiomom28]

A few months ago I booked The Winds Resort in North Carolina because it had pretty good reviews.

Now a few months later, it is getting more and more negative reviews, with posters stating is old, out of date, and has cockroaches/palmetto bugs.

This is a 17 hour drive for us and I would hate to drag the family all the way there and have the resort not be what we expected. We are also paying for the ocean view so it's not cheap.

Do you listen to TripAdvisor?

Anyone stay at The Winds?

I do read Tripadvisor a lot, as well as their forums. I read the reviews for The Winds and I would still go! The good outweigh the bad ones. Palmetto bugs are common down there. I've learned that there are some people that just can't be happy and complain about everything! I say, go and have fun!!

 

[rwdavis2]

Look for other sources as well. Realize that when people are unhappy about something they are more likely to go online and tell others.

 

[canadianjovigirl]

I too am an avid trip advisor reader. I take the reviews with a grain of salt as many are never happy and hard to please. I look at the reviewers previous reviews to try to get a feel on if they are complainers or if they are used to 5* places thus their disappointment in something less. I also look for multiple pros / cons from various reviewers as if there is a trend in a complaint then chances are its legit so then you have to decide if that is a valid complaint to you or a deal breaker or something you can live with.

I also scrutinize the glowing reviews as some places push for patrons to write up good reviews and staff get bonuses if their names are mentioned in reviews, so some of those over the top reviews have to be taken lightly as well.

 

[lurkernj]

I am highly influenced by tripadvisor when choosing accomodations. I keep in mind that there will be negative reviews as you just can't please everyone, and some things that are negative for one person doesn't necessarily mean it would be negative for others, like quiet or location(granted bugs and dirty should be a problem for most).

If there are mostly positive reviews with an occasional negative in there, I'll probably still go, depending on what the negative was all about (nasty person at check in wouldn't deter me, bugs or mold might). If there's even a 50/50 ratio, I'd stay away. I also like to look at the photos posted by travelers as they are more "real" than the wide lense perfectly clean shots the hotel posts.

 

[eliza61]

I love tripadvisors. I love that they do the one thing that we can't do here. Tell about negative experiences without getting crucified.

When I investigate a new destination, I like reading the good, the bad and the ugly. Mainly because I like to hear about how bad situations were handled. If an airline loses my luggage I want to know how they handle it.
If my hotel room is dirty I like to hear about how the staff does or does not rectify the situation.
Also I like that they have a wide spectrum of travelers from budget to luxury, so usually I can find some one who also is close to my travelling style.

I also love Fodors. they have a great forum where you can post questions.

 

[Hillbeans]

I love Tripadvisor and think it's a good source of vacation planning info.

I too, take parts of it with a grain of salt, but if there are things that come up over and over again, it's wise to pay attention. I did learn to request higher floors for resorts that are low to the water line just because of mold or the possibility of bugs, and some resorts have a "new" or "old" wing and it's helpful to know that ahead of time to be placed in the most desirable area.

 

[ohiomom28]

Tripadvisor's forum is great too. Usually there are people that live, own, or rent a lot that frequent the forum. I'm on Myrtle Beach's forum all the time

 

[Handbag Lady]

I adore TripAdvisor. I use it to find trends about a place. If one person has a bad experience, okay. If 15 people say that the hallways smell, then you are on to something.

I also like to see the places that respond to the Advisors. If they have a canned email, at least they are reading. I prefer to find places where they respond to positive and negative reviews like a normal person. I'm even more olikely to pick a place where they say they are sorry.

I am very picky about location of a hotel and I find the reviews very helpful in that respect. Just because a hotel has "Maingate" in the title doesn't mean it is near Disneyland's Main Gate.

 

[lizabu]

I adore TripAdvisor. I use it to find trends about a place. If one person has a bad experience, okay. If 15 people say that the hallways smell, then you are on to something....

This is how I feel too. I've switched reservations to another hotel when I noticed a trend like this. There is always likely to be the odd thing go wrong but when you see review after review of the same thing its something to pay attention to. I too like the pictures. There are hotels especially in Europe that have bathrooms we as North Americans are not used to and they never put pictures of things like the showers and toilets on the website. I need my own bathroom and a shower that's seperate from the toilet area thank you very much and theres just no way to tell for sure without all the great pictures other guests have posted.

 

[Kennywife]

What I look for is the manager feedback. There will be some reviews where the GM or other staff from the hotel respond to a review about their concerns. That is a selling point for me.

 

[MolonLabe]

I love trip adviser.

I try and get a feel for the reviews overall. I also read what the person complaining has to say about it and how they say it.

As an example, there is an amazing authentic Spanish restaurant in Valparasio, IN of all places. Prior to going I check TA and the reviews were mixed, what tipped me off on a few were "way to expensive, I prefer Don Pablos"... Big clue that person was a moron. Tex-Mex compared to Spanish food? Please, lol.

Like wise for a few other reviews, bad spelling and poor grammar. Might put more stock into those reviews if I was looking for a good place to eat chicken and waffles or fried catfish and okra.

The problem on TA for me is places with hundreds of reviews. There is no way to really determine what the deal is, compared to a place with 2 or 3 dozen reviews.

One nice thing is, people don't hand out "helpful review thanks" like candy. I do look at posts that have a helpful more closely.

Case in point- Mt Olympus in the Wis Dells. There were some terrible reviews. Just awful.

Well, we went on a free trip looking at some timeshares about 2 years ago. Why not? sacrifice 90 minutes in the AM for 3 days and 2 nights at water and theme park? After the gift cards, it was a free trip (aside from gas and food).

Had I paid rack rate, I would have been ticked, the walls were thin and it was loud at times. There were some other issues as well.

Was it as bad as on line? I'm not sure. We were prepared for the worst and pleasantly surprised.

I wrote a review when we got home and gave them a middle of the line review.

I think TA is a great resource, it's just one you have to be careful with. I saw an applebees with 5 star rating. Applebees? 5 stars? really? Lol.

The one line answer: Yes, I have skipped places because they have a bad review on TA.

 

[Piglets Mommy]

I look at reviews on Trip advisor, but I also consider the destination, type of hotel, etc. Some people expect 5 star service everywhere...at a $79 a night bargain hotel, that's just not going to happen. I look more for trends in bad reviews at places, or many more bad than good. I have also looked up reviews at places I have had great experiences at just to get an idea of how many good vs bad reviews there are even at a place I liked. Also, as others have said, what is a negative to one may be a positive to another. EX: we were considering a trip to a all-inclusive. Some places had reviews that they were "too quiet" or "not enough nightlife" Well, to me those were plusses. I look more for cleanliness, safety complaints and billing issues more than anything. Most other things are more subjective.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Yep, I too look for trends in the reviews...
There always will be some neg. mixed in with the good!

Also, if you have not.... go to the chat forum. Search around, and ask questions.
Not just pull up the hotel/resort.
This is where you will find so much information.

And, of course, you can also go to other sites as well.

A must for me is looking at the candid traveler photos.
Take some time doing this on T A and on other sites. Even ones like webshots.
I don't just go by the slick resort PR.
This is really where you get a true, travelers eye view, view of what staying at a resort might be like.

Ohhhhh, one more thing... sometimes you can find out that there are factors that cause the conflicting reviews. Does the resort have an older section and a newer section? Could it have something to do with seasonal factors. Either too low occupancy and limited service and amenities, or high season, and a lack of ability to handle the fullest occupancy... Things like that.


I found tons of the absolute best photos of the last cruise ship when we booked a short cruise. Including a photo of OUR EXACT cabin.

When I was looking for photos of the beach area and beach set-ups for our beach trip to Florida last year, this is how I found good photos. (even though the resort did not have a lot of reviews and photos on T A, because it is a timeshare, not a larger rental resort.

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

I've been using TA more and more. I picked the #2 rated B & B in New Orleans based on the reviews and had a great time. There just weren't any bad reviews. We had a fabulous time and the house was just as it was presented.

We stayed one night in a Comfort Inn near the airport. It was top rated but few reviews and a couple of negative ones. I didn't research it much and boy was I sorry. I think the management is posting all the positive reviews because the negative ones were spot on. I wished I had researched it a little farther.

 

[Andtototoo]

I use it quite frequently and have found some of my best travel options with the reviews on the site. We were just in Savannah and Charleston for a short vacation and I used the site to find hotels. My dh was actually amazed at how perfect the hotels were for us and our needs.

 

[taylor3297]

I don't use Trip Adviser because it just seems like more people complain than say something positive.

Now I can comment on where you are going. Ocean Isle NC, is a great beach to go to. There are very few hotels to choose from in Ocean Isle. We stay at the Islander Inn. Though it isn't fancy and the outside pool is small, we like the location.

I would definitely keep your reservations at the Winds Resort. It can't be too bad because the hotels there have to compete with all the condo and house rentals that are available.

As to Palmetto bugs, well we have many of those down here. Yes sometimes they get in your house, but those bugs really don't want to be inside. They prefer to be outside.

As to maybe encounter mold, well that is hard to avoid due to the high humidity.

I hope you have a great time.

 

[bdoyledimou]

I once read a review for POP which complained about there not being a full service restaurant, and there were too many kids

since then i JUST read the bad reviews. I think they completly tell the whole story whether true or not.

Its easier to determine whos just a whiney traveler and who really had an issue.

 

[luvflorida]

I've spent so much time on Tripadvisor lately, I think my eyes are permanently crossed! I've been reading reviews of hotels, restaurants and attractions for several upcoming trips. We're taking a road trip to Albuquerque (balloon fiesta!) in October and planning a 2013 summer trip to the Florida Panhandle.

Tripadvisor reviews defiinitely help me when deciding on trip plans, especially when it comes to hotels. If a place gets a lot of bad reviews, even with good ones thrown in, I won't consider staying there. It's puzzling sometimes, though, how some hotels and/or restaurants can get so many conflicting reviews. The same hotel can get rave reviews along with really horrible reviews.

I understand that not everyone has the same experience at the same establishment, but to be SO different?!?!? Paper-thin walls at the same place that someone else remarks on the wonderful soundproof walls.

 

[Heard02]

Love trip advisor! Use it each time I plan a vacation. I also post my experiences on there to share with others.
Great site! I work in the travel industry and it's nice to hear everyone's feedback. Good and bad.