Do you use tripadvisor

Chucken · 20-02-2014 05:10PM

http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr01/2013/4/3/9/enhanced-buzz-7461-1364997583-10.jpg

sabat · 20-02-2014 05:11PM

It's way too biased towards cranks and weirdos as businesses have very little rights regarding getting unreasonable and downright untrue reviews removed. I also find that people who use it are actually doing themselves a disservice in many cases - simple problems that arise with hotels from time to time used to be readily solved by a quick word with the manager but now guests will say nothing at the time instead, pay their bill in full, and then spew out some ridiculously exaggerated version of what transpired in order to obtain satisfaction.
For example: the household staff forget to put towels in a room. Before TA you would approach the manager/receptionist and inform them; they would apologise and it would be taken care of straight away. Now they write something like "This place is a disgrace-no towels provided despite it clearly saying so on their website. I had to walk down the street soaking wet to buy my own. Avoid."

First Up · 20-02-2014 05:18PM

sabat wrote: »

It's way too biased towards cranks and weirdos as businesses have very little rights regarding getting unreasonable and downright untrue reviews removed. I also find that people who use it are actually doing themselves a disservice in many cases - simple problems that arise with hotels from time to time used to be readily solved by a quick word with the manager but now guests will say nothing at the time instead, pay their bill in full, and then spew out some ridiculously exaggerated version of what transpired in order to obtain satisfaction.
For example: the household staff forget to put towels in a room. Before TA you would approach the manager/receptionist and inform them; they would apologise and it would be taken care of straight away. Now they write something like "This place is a disgrace-no towels provided despite it clearly saying so on their website. I had to walk down the street soaking wet to buy my own. Avoid."

Ignore that sort of rubbish but it is helpful to know if the wi-fi works, or if it gets noisy outside at night, or if the heating can't be adjusted in the rooms or if the gym has clapped out equipment.

RainyDay · 20-02-2014 05:26PM

First Up wrote: »

First thing I check is how many reviews the contributors have submitted. If it is one or two, treat with caution.
Important also to note where reviewers are from. Some nationalities are more reliable than others in terms of having realistic expectations or being experienced travellers.
Read the comments and assess how reasonable they are. Don't just look at the scores.

Review count of reviewers is key, all right. Every hotel or restaurant will have one or two bad reviews, but look for the trend.

WilyCoyote · 20-02-2014 05:32PM

Most of the time. Then I decide.

mikom · 20-02-2014 05:35PM

First Up wrote: »

And a lot of Brits expect to find tea-makers in their rooms in France.

Well they would if their wife got there early......

TwoShedsJackson · 20-02-2014 05:35PM

My sister runs a B&B and you also get twattish customers using it as a threat - pretty much just outright saying 'give me hotel service here in your B&B or I'm going straight to TripAdvisor to post a negative review'.

Sir Arthur Daley · 20-02-2014 08:37PM

Tripadvisor would want someone to review themselves.

Davarus Walrus · 20-02-2014 08:42PM

Tripadvisor suffers from the same issues that clouds most online systems where anonymity is assured. It just becomes another platform to jaw, moan and complain about shit. It is to restaurant reviews what thejournal.ie is to public opinion.

Do any of these people highlight the fact that their food is terrible and that the waiter is a drunken leech while they are actually in the place?

It's very mealy-mouthed.

LynnGrace · 20-02-2014 08:56PM

I use it, and find it quite useful. I filter out stuff that isn't an actual negative about places, e.g. where people have unrealistic expectations, for the price they are paying, expecting five star service, or whatever.
I sometimes wonder too, as other posters have said, if the reviewer has given the place a chance to correct whatever it was that they are complaining about, or did they just rush off to write a review, having paid in full!

On balance though, it is useful, and I haven't had a bad experience yet, in taking views on board from it.

WellThen? · 20-02-2014 09:03PM

The number 1 restaurant in Dublin on tripadviser at the moment is Sabor Brazil. I've been there and it is beyond amazing, never been to a better one ever so it got that right.

Senna · 20-02-2014 09:05PM

The reviews on booking.com or other sites like that are much better for hotels, at-least they have to make a booking and actually stay in the hotel before they can write a review.

I love when people give a bad review about the location, they pay "outside the city" prices but expect to be able to walk to all the tourist attractions and its not like there's not a map showing exactly where it is.

20-02-2014 09:06PM

bluewolf wrote: »

I do get sad if there is no kettle and a cup for tea. In a normal hotel in berlin sure they gave me a cafetiere and sink and dinnerware and hob. Wasn't expecting that!
Great hotel though. Free cakes all afternoon. Must check I wrote a review for it...

Wrote one now. Stayed in Dec 2012 but still raving about it

paulfosters · 21-02-2014 01:30AM

Often read the negative comments for a laugh. you can really spot the people that cant be satisfied.

Sir Arthur Daley · 21-02-2014 01:31AM

paulfosters wrote: »

Often read the negative comments for a laugh. you can really spot the people that cant be satisfied.

Some people just love to complain and bicker at nothing.

LoganRice · 21-02-2014 01:34AM

No, I prefer a surprise

the_syco · 21-02-2014 01:53AM

Tzardine wrote: »

I find that there are a lot of owners writing their own reviews on there. They are quite easy to spot.

Do they still remove the bad ones if paid to do so?

I usually look at the one stars, to see if they were stupid people, or bad issues.

=-=

The place was called the "White Tulip", and was in the middle of the RLD in the Dam. Here are some of the "terrible" reviews;

"First night we weren't able to sleep due to guests smoking marijuana in the bedroom"
"Be aware that the place attracts mostly party people. Guys are smoking weed and drinking beer all the time"
"No elevator in this place and the stairwell is so steep it wss a mission and a half to walk up the stairs." - it's a funking hostel, not a hotel!

In the end, myself and 5 of the lads stayed there. Awesome craic! One of the few places that didn't seem to care if you smoked weed in the place once you left the window open :cool:

sinead88 · 21-02-2014 04:58AM

I love going on Tripadvisor for a general idea of a place. That being said, I'd never be one of those weirdos who jump right on there after a holiday or visit to write an incredibly petty or passive aggressive review just for the sake of it.

Sir Arthur Daley · 21-02-2014 05:13AM

I never take TripAdvisor too serious because at the end of the day it just an advisory website not a recommendation one.

fryup · 21-02-2014 06:50PM

paulfosters wrote: »

Often read the negative comments for a laugh. you can really spot the people that cant be satisfied.

also some people may have a chip on their shoulder about the owner of an establishment, and this may be their sly way of getting back at them

byhookorbycrook · 21-02-2014 06:59PM

I take reviews by new regs as dodgy. Likewise I have reported reviews that were plainly someone just being nasty (and possibly a business rival.) I am a destination expert on the Irish fora and have come across some odd qs, but on the whole, people on it are like people in the world off line.

I may however, smack the next "Yank" who wants to find somewhere "like totally cute, with lots of bars, hotels and restaurants that is totally off the beaten track" for "St. Patty's!"

Wotsername · 21-02-2014 07:13PM

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

I take reviews by new regs as dodgy. Likewise I have reported reviews that were plainly someone just being nasty (and possibly a business rival.) I am a destination expert on the Irish fora and have come across some odd qs, but on the whole, people on it are like people in the world off line.

I may however, smack the next "Yank" who wants to find somewhere "like totally cute, with lots of bars, hotels and restaurants that is totally off the beaten track" for "St. Patty's!"

Send them all to Moyross.

gerbilgranny · 21-02-2014 07:22PM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I read for the laugh.

Two types of people post reviews, complainers and people asked to by the owners.

The forums are great gas altogether. 'Hi, are there many department stores in Malin Head City?'

I've done the odd review - but not for the reasons above.

I wanted to write a review for a budget motel which had been slated in a previous review - but we found it to be excellent - accommodation very good, and the food in the adjacent pub was great value. Ok, not Michelin star standard - but it was a budget motel and we were paying around £40 a night for the two of us!!

I also wrote reviews for an amazing B&B in Bath (it's the top-rated one in that city, and well deserved), and for the Premier Inn in Greenwich, because it was such great value and in a marvellously convenient location for getting into London city centre.

On the same holiday, we stayed in a place in Cornwall which was okay - and I said so, in my review. Okay, value for money, but not somewhere I'd be in a mad rush to go back to.

Another 'fancy' B&B which was more expensive annoyed me a bit, due to the rather snobby attitude of the owners ('you're not going to Land's End, are you? It's gone 'touristy'), so I didn't bother writing a review.

Oh - and I did one for a hotel in Mullingar - not a good one, because the place left room for improvement.

(I reckon I just like the sound of my own voice/written word!!)

DebDynamite · 21-02-2014 07:22PM

the_syco wrote: »

Do they still remove the bad ones if paid to do so?

Is that not Menupages? I wrote a negative review about Locks in Dublin and it was never posted. According to a few threads here on Boards, restaurants can become members and if their pay the higher contribution, they can stop negative reviews being printed.. allegedly.

For that reason, I would never use Menupages.

strobe · 21-02-2014 07:22PM

One of my guilty pleasures is going on trip advisor and looking at the 'terrible' reviews to laugh at the mentally afflicted.

"We arrived two days late for our check in in this hotel in Lisbon and our room had been let to someone else... Outrages!! Not to mention that when we got there the receptionist greeted us in some weird language that certainly wasn't any kind of American that I've ever heard. They wanted to charge us for the lamps we broke and they refused to tell the cars driving by the window on the main street the hotel overlooks to drive more quietly! Worst 23 dollars I've ever spent!!! I do not reccomnend!!"

knarkypants · 21-02-2014 07:32PM

I use tripadvisor a lot for planning holidays. Last year we went on a all inclusive family holiday. When we checked the reviews on tripadvisor they were laughable to say the least - people giving out because their children left soft drinks beside their sunbeds and the drinks then attracted lots of wasps!!! WFT do they think would happen, maybe their time would have been better spent to teach their kids to put their stuff in the bin when they are finished with it!

I'm usually good at telling the difference between the drama queens who love a good moan and the genuine honest feedback.

JohnMearsheimer · 21-02-2014 07:58PM

I'd have a quick look at Tripadvisor if I was booking a place but I find people complain about the most trivial things on it.

Muise... · 21-02-2014 08:31PM

strobe wrote: »

One of my guilty pleasures is going on trip advisor and looking at the 'terrible' reviews to laugh at the mentally afflicted.

"We arrived two days late for our check in in this hotel in Lisbon and our room had been let to someone else... Outrages!! Not to mention that when we got there the receptionist greeted us in some weird language that certainly wasn't any kind of American that I've ever heard. They wanted to charge us for the lamps we broke and they refused to tell the cars driving by the window on the main street the hotel overlooks to drive more quietly! Worst 23 dollars I've ever spent!!! I do not reccomnend!!"

Couchsurfing reviews are even funnier - without money changing hands there is no guarantee of - well, anything. There was one guy in Venice who used to make his female guests do the washing-up after dinner, while he wrestled with their boyfriends.

LynnGrace · 21-02-2014 09:30PM

paulfosters wrote: »

Often read the negative comments for a laugh. you can really spot the people that cant be satisfied.

True.
As another poster said, I often notice the Americans are dissatisfied with room size

Crazyteacher · 21-02-2014 09:37PM

I once posted a review of a hotel I stayed in . I had complained to the hotel and then wasn't satisfied with their lack of response. I posted every detail of my stay (100% accurate) and was astonished to see they posted a comment under my review basically saying I'd made the whole review up, and was a belittling response. I thought it would be helpful to others looking to stay there but it was a pointless exercise.

Do you use tripadvisor

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