Sojourntraveller

"The fact that the site is as popular as it is tells you something."

Hilarious, just what is it that you think it tells you isabel? McDonald's is popular, does that mean it serves good food? People often attribute things to 'popular' that have nothing whatsover to do with being 'popular'.

You could argue that being 'popular' is a sign you should avoid a place. If it appeals to the majority, chances are it is mediocre.

sandralist

The "popularity" of TripAdvisor indicates the need that travelers feel for having such an online source or service. No one here is uncritical of the service that TripAdvisor provides, but on a travel "advice" board, a lot of people are being honest and pointing to the phenomenon that people are increasingly using the internet to looks for advice and information about the unknowns of travel. (Doh.)

One of the great advantages that TripAdvisor has is that it was pretty much "first." There may have been other early attempts at creating a database for "user reviews" for hotels, but TripAdvisor flooded the zone -- partly by allowing anybody to post without much hassle. Obviously it created problems.

But the TripAdvisor "naysayers" are overlooking the fact that (a) intelligent readers can glean info from raw data, and spot dishonest data and (b) intelligent readers of TripAdvisor are looking for a very narrow slice of feedback that is helpful to only them.

Plenty of people reading TripAdvisor could care less if a hotel is rated 12,873 or Number One, or whether there is a tea kettle in the room, whether it is "brilliant" for being near the train station, whether breakfast included eggs, whether towels were fluffy, did the shower flood, blah blah. They are checking TA -- along with booking.com, SlowTravel, any other review site they can find -- to find out some extremely specific "deal breakers" -- does the hotel have parking, does the airport shuttle run on time, are the non-smoking rooms really non-smoking, blah blah.

It's data, and most people know some of the data is corrupted. That doesn't mean they don't look at the data. They're not that stupid.

Sojourntraveller

Fair enough sandralist. I do agree some people can read through the crap and 'glean' useful info from any raw data.

However, I think you are over-estimating the average intelligence of the average traveller reading their reviews. I would not agree with your statement that, "most people know some of the data is corrupted." I also would suggest the opposite of, "They're not that stupid." I'd say most are in fact that stupid. But neither of us is likely to find any definitive data to support 'most' being either one or the other.

We can however find some fine examples of stupid travellers. Here's an amusing article. I love the one about the bidet.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/11...n_4268722.html
Funny but bear in mind, these are REAL complaints by travellers.

There is nothing that the average traveller can do that surprises me as being too stupid to believe. That certainly includes believing reviews.

Here are again some amusing comments. They are in fact Tripadvisor reviews. So have a laugh and then remember that these are REAL reviews and presumably the people that wrote them generally consider themselves to be smart enough to write a review and someone reading them may as a result, also consider themself smart enough to avoid the places being written about. LOL
http://matadornetwork.com/life/20-of...visor-reviews/

The sad part sandralist is that I am sure there are some regular posters here who would read some of those reviews and AGREE with them.

bvlenci

The Huffington Post link is amusing, but a little cruel. We weren't born knowing what a bidet is, and it's always easy to sneer at people who know less than you do. I see mistaken ideas about Italy every day on Fodors, but I don't ridicule the people who voice those ideas.

The second link, though, has a mix of crazy reviews and reviews of crazy things that probably did happen. Did a waiter really spit in a diner's hair? I wouldn't want to swear it couldn't have happened. I totally believe the one about the insane Afghan restaurant manager. In fact, I have a feeling I've been in that restaurant!

MissPrism

We stayied once in a small family run Italian hotel and saw a review complaining that the food was too italian. I think you have to use your common sense and look for an average rating. I confess to a guilty pleasure in clicking on the "terrible" reviews, especially if the owner replies.
This is a good example
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaur...e_England.html

enzodabaker

I combine the reviews I see from various sites to make an informed decision, and have done alright that way.If you look at one site, you are fooling yourself.I read from critics and regular people posting.

IMDonehere

Of course, one reads TA like one reads the casualty reports by both sides in a war, with little credibility. How does one know the basis of the reviewer's knowledge or prejudices? When you read a professional movie critic, for example, you get to know his/her biases which is helpful. The democratization of information is not always a good thing. The same is true with Wikipedia, how many times have you found factual inaccuracies?

My favorite hotel reviews are the ones by Brits about their breakfasts. Some how they expect the staff to know exactly how their mummy prepared their tea and beans, and anything else falls short.

Dianedancer

I like the reviews on TA that come with pictures. You are able to see which were taken by the travelers themselves. Much prefer these to the professional pictures the hotels take where everything looks gorgeous.
I have posted reviews on TA with my pictures of the hotels so that they back up what I say.

annhig

My favorite hotel reviews are the ones by Brits about their breakfasts. Some how they expect the staff to know exactly how their mummy prepared their tea and beans, and anything else falls short.>>

funny you should say that, IMD. There have been a couple of remarks recently on other threads where americans have complained about how difficult it is to get an english breakfast which is to their liking.

most brits know one of two things:

1. they like a "full english' and bugger the calories.

2. they don't like a full english but they've paid for it so they are bloody well going to eat it.

IMDonehere

When it comes to food, I think people are most intractable about breakfast. One SIL, after a visit UK, now has beans for breakfast every morning. Often she eats by herself.

bilboburgler

Looks like a culture crash to me. To Anglo Saxons the idea that stuff on the web is true is just nonsense, a lot of stuff is opinion. In Italy it can be different.

Much as I've seen loads of Italian documents, worked with Italian companies and even been married there the paperwork ideas of the Italian state are very different to other states.

As I often say "It's Italy" and for some reason some people get upset

Appia

There is truth in what you say bilboburgler.
I think people here in Italy often DO tend to take stuff on the web in good faith (perhaps less so with the young) or at least they believe that it SHOULD be in good faith. Otherwise what's the point of it all?! Naive?

annhig

When it comes to food, I think people are most intractable about breakfast. One SIL, after a visit UK, now has beans for breakfast every morning. Often she eats by herself.>>

perhaps the crucial period is not so much while she is eating, as the following hour or so.

I tend to avoid beans for breakfast.

bilboburgler

Appia, you all know the bridge to Sicily has been paid for, just not started yet....

annhig

well, at least they have [so far] avoided this:

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=60685

kelbelo

The saying goes that when there is smoke there is fire . The italian issue may well make the saying true .
We are more and more under the impression that Tripadvisor has a capacity to use a lot of gimmicks and other marketing tools aiming chieftly at making money and hardly at genuinely helping travellers . If ever both making money and helping travellers is achieved fine but this is certainly not a guaranted pattern .
Sad enough many examples exist of situations where reports, reviews, ratings , comments as published by Tripadvisor do not reflect the reality .Like many other media and internet tools Tripadvisor is to be taken for what it is : an available way for travellers and tourists to be helped in their search. It is however a tool which is not necessarily reliable and possibly questionable in terms of marketing tricks and ethics .As for resorts or tourists facilities owners extreme prudence is to be exercised in dealing with tripadvisor who constantly try to induce them in buying services or other supports . Good marks and "constructed" favorable comments could likely be obtained in exchange for buying into such so called " helping services ".

bilboburgler

Kelbelo, welcome to Fodors and your first comments, which in this case are against tripadvisor. ;-)

annhig

Having to stay overnight for work next week, I carried out my own experiment comparing TA/booking.com with the hotel's own website.

Because they have very good cancellation policies [and a nice rewards scheme] I always try to stay at a Best Western; for the night and hotel I wanted, they were offering me a double for £79, with free cancellation [very important in my job in case my work finishes early and I can go home instead of staying over] up to 4pm on the day of arrival.

When I checked TA, both booking.com and hotels.com were offering the same price, but with less good cancellation terms. plus you don't get reward points if you don't book direct.