Fake hotel reviews on Trip Advisor and other hotel web sites
 

The New York Times today has an article on how hotel operators are offering bribes to guests in return for posting favorable reviews on these kinds of sites. Makes you kind of skeptical. Sorry I do not know how to post the link but it is in the business section of today's, (Tuesday's) New York Times.

Given the way the system works, it was inevitable that greed would prevail.

Yes, this happens all the time on citysearch for restaurants. I tend to trust trip advisor a little more and read through the reviews before making a decision. The reviews that read "Wonderful, great service, wow", I tend to ignore and pay much more attention to the detailed review. Obviously people have differing standards, but its better to have the reviews in tripadvisor and fodors forums than not have them at all. They have helped me enormously in my recent travel plans.

Here's the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/07/bu.../07guides.html

I've become VERY suspicious about Tripadvisor reviews. I always come HERE for honest, impartial and up-to-date hotel reviews.

I try to read between the lines as much as possible on TripAdvisor. I do not necessarily agree that people here are any more honest than anywhere else but obviously nobody HERE is being bribed by a hotel...some of us go on and ON about our favorite places (I wish the Covent Garden WOULD bribe me but they're too cheap!).

But there have been some "reviews" here about hotels in which the very same things were said such as "the staff was rude" or "the rooms were small" or "the bathroom was filthy" without any further explanation or any attempt to be more objective.

I look at TripAdvisor and Fodors when making a choice on hotels. I also read other travel websites and periodicals. I realize some of the reviews are plants (the ones on Fodors typically get smoked out pretty quickly since first time posters with rave reviews raise the troll alert). I recognize the reviewers on Fodors and put a lot of confidence in some of the regulars. Sadly some whose reviews got the greatest weight no longer post here.

I own three restaurants in Phoenix, and we are reviewed on City Search, had no clue till they sent me a copy, but I see why hotels and restaurants get intimidated, some of the things I have read about me and my restaurants even on this site have been ridiculous, BUT, you learn to live with both sides, that's life!

Reviews on hotels and restaurants on tripadvisor, Fodors, and other sites must be read with some skepticism. With time and experience, I have tried to read between the lines and eliminate those that I suspected were phony and planted.

It is great that the NYT published this warning, and great that this info is disseminated on Fodors. ((Y))

I have read about at least three places in Rome that specifically ask their guests to post reviews on TripAdvisor. According to the article, this is bad practice and can result in reviews being pulled, if the site finds out.

Can anyone report being solicited for a review (it's never happened to me)?

Since I don't base my decision solely on reviews I read, and feel I can read between the lines most of the time, I don't see this as a huge problem (for me personally). Trip Advisor is a resource not the final word.

There have been other articles about this issue and I think it's good to keep a skeptical eye. I even saw a letter in Budget Travel magazine where someone wrote in questionning a prior letter's rave reveiw of some place. The writer had researched the author of the original letter, and discovered the connection.

In any event, I think Tripadvisor is particularly helpful when there are consistently negative comments, and I agree that there is a wealth of experience on these boards.

In my opinion, any review that isn't backed by a few months of the poster's visibility in a travel group isn't worth reading, because it's either

o A paid testimonial (see: bribe)
o The hotelier's brother-in-law
o A competitor's badmouthing

Some of the more clever operators might pose as a naïve tourist "before" a trip and then "return" with a glowing review, but this is probably rare. I know that's how I'd do it if I were in the business.

The most blatant examples are the first-time posters whose language sounds like a travel brochure. These are worth reading for their comedic value.

What adds further interest is when an establishment's rebuttal to a negative review is published on TripAdvisor.

I love Trip Advisor as a great tool in planning accomodations. Most places I have left reviews, management wasn't even aware of the website. As a mom, I have a different view of how accomodations work for a family, and am happy to share that with others, in turn I have gotten same great advice from other families taking time to post their experiences.
Tiller

Gotta love some of the reviews on this site of hotels and apartments from people who have never even stayed there!

Hi

I'm not surprised by the article, which I've just read. I've posted both on Trip Advisor and here in response to peoples questions. This past Fall was the first time I posted on Trip Advisor.
People have got to read various reviews from Travel Guides, web sites or word of mouth. I usually have preferences for foreign owned chains. Another factor is the location of the hotel. I've found without a map, some of these reviews may say near by X plaza but you see it on a map and it is a distance away. There are other web sites also. People should go back and read travel guides to get a better idea about hotels, restaurants etc.

I've used Tripadvisor for years as just one compnent of how I choose a hotel. I always post my reveiw when I return home. Anyway, to answer WillTravel, when I told the desk clerk in Venice that I was so pleased with her hotel and the wonderful service that I intended to write to the Gianetti Group (owners of the hotel). She asked that I also post to Tripadvisor. I did both. I was not bribed - indeed I mentioned it to her the night before checkout so there would have been time for a bribe. I believe she asked so that her hotel would stay in the top 5 for Venice.

Hi richardsonsnm
>I own three restaurants in Phoenix,..some of the things I have read about me and my restaurants even on this site have been ridiculous, BUT, you learn to live with both sides, that's life!<

That's the whole point, sir.

Honest people give their honest reports.

We know that everyone has a bad day, or a bad reviewer.

That's why we look to see if the poster has done something more than give a rave review or a complaint.

((I))

I haven't seen one for some time, but long-time posters here will remember the bogus reviews from the establishment at 57 via Cavour in Rome. It also changed its name several times.

At one point, thanks to constant posting by the hotel, the dump was actually rated No. 1 in Rome.

If I knew what name it was operating under today, I would try to look for it on Tripadvisor, but my guess - hope? - is that Tripadvisor has caught on and banned it from the site.

Only a few days ago, I looked up a hotel on Tripadvisor. Amazingly enough, there had been no less than a dozen absolute raves in the second part of January 2006. I hope not many people would be fooled by something that blatant...