Are Tripadvisor reviews fake?
Discussion
Anyone use Tripadvisor?
I have used it for several years now and have usually found the reviews to be pretty accurate. On the odd occasion when I have disagreed it has usually been because I thought the location or accommodation was better than the write-ups.
Not so last time. I booked a late holiday and paid a lot of money for it, but before I did I checked TA. The (four star) hotel reviews were mixed, but 57 reviews rated it as excellent, only about 7 poor and a few in the middle.
It was bloody awful.
We had a good holiday but it involved hundreds of pounds in additional expenditure to eat out and avoid the hotel food, which was some of the worst I have eaten at any hotel of any star rating. None of the other guests we met liked the food and it was a bit of a standing joke. Our bathroom was filthy, the room received superficial cleaning only and the hotel in general had not been refurbished in about twenty years.
When we got back home I was amazed to find that there were two more reviews of the hotel on TA from guests who must have been there at the same time as us, both rating it as excellent! They said how lovely the food was and how clean the place had been!
I re-read the "poor" reviews and they were a fairly accurate description of our experience.
Now I am not sure what is going on. I can only think it is one of the following:
1. I have suddenly become unable to objectively assess the quality of a hotel / holiday or started expecting too much.
2. The other guests paid much less than us and therefore thought it great value.
3. The other guests were more used to 2* tat, managed to upgrade this year because the place was slightly cheaper than most 4* hotels, and thought the place great as a consquence.
4. I am going completely mad.
5. The hotel, or someone otherwise with a vested interest, writes all the positive reviews to dilute the bad ones.
Has anyone else found significant differences between TA write-ups and the reality of the holiday? This experience has made me a bit less persuaded by the reliability of TA.
Manks
I have used it for several years now and have usually found the reviews to be pretty accurate. On the odd occasion when I have disagreed it has usually been because I thought the location or accommodation was better than the write-ups.
Not so last time. I booked a late holiday and paid a lot of money for it, but before I did I checked TA. The (four star) hotel reviews were mixed, but 57 reviews rated it as excellent, only about 7 poor and a few in the middle.
It was bloody awful.
We had a good holiday but it involved hundreds of pounds in additional expenditure to eat out and avoid the hotel food, which was some of the worst I have eaten at any hotel of any star rating. None of the other guests we met liked the food and it was a bit of a standing joke. Our bathroom was filthy, the room received superficial cleaning only and the hotel in general had not been refurbished in about twenty years.
When we got back home I was amazed to find that there were two more reviews of the hotel on TA from guests who must have been there at the same time as us, both rating it as excellent! They said how lovely the food was and how clean the place had been!
I re-read the "poor" reviews and they were a fairly accurate description of our experience.
Now I am not sure what is going on. I can only think it is one of the following:
1. I have suddenly become unable to objectively assess the quality of a hotel / holiday or started expecting too much.
2. The other guests paid much less than us and therefore thought it great value.
3. The other guests were more used to 2* tat, managed to upgrade this year because the place was slightly cheaper than most 4* hotels, and thought the place great as a consquence.
4. I am going completely mad.
5. The hotel, or someone otherwise with a vested interest, writes all the positive reviews to dilute the bad ones.
Has anyone else found significant differences between TA write-ups and the reality of the holiday? This experience has made me a bit less persuaded by the reliability of TA.
Manks
Minel said:
I use Tripadvisor (and review places I've been to as well) and found it pretty accurate.
now then, being Italian myself, and knowing what southern italians are like, it's not impossible for those good reviews to be properly made up
I think it has to be the explanation.now then, being Italian myself, and knowing what southern italians are like, it's not impossible for those good reviews to be properly made up
The two areas in which the hotel is lacking are food quality and cleaning. Yet they are the two points on which most reviews compliment it.
The reviews are a bit too well written as well.
Edited by Manks on Thursday 9th September 16:33
the fact that they are well written throws me a bit though. In Italy, especially southern italy, most people can't speak english, nevermind writing correctly... maybe the General Manager (who is one of the few with good English ) registered multiple times? but 57 times is a lot Link to the reviews?
PS lacking in food quality in Italy, even in a bad hotel, is nearly unheard of!
) registered multiple times? but 57 times is a lot Link to the reviews?PS lacking in food quality in Italy, even in a bad hotel, is nearly unheard of!
Edited by Minel on Thursday 9th September 16:39
I use TA and genrally have found it fairly accurate.
It probably is, as you say, you're used to good quality hotels and are no longer able to put with rubbish.
If you wnat to see a completely contrasting review to everyone else have a look for the Chateau in France that hit the news last week.
It probably is, as you say, you're used to good quality hotels and are no longer able to put with rubbish.
If you wnat to see a completely contrasting review to everyone else have a look for the Chateau in France that hit the news last week.
Minel said:
the fact that they are well written throws me a bit though. In Italy, especially southern italy, most people can't speak english, nevermind writing correctly... maybe the General Manager (who is one of the few with good English ) registered multiple times? but 57 times is a lot Link to the reviews?
PS lacking in food quality in Italy, even in a bad hotel, is nearly unheard of!
If I am right it's not the staff writing them. As you say their English would not be good enough. The same applies to the other guests: Out of every ten people perhaps half can string a decent sentence together (fewer of the demographic we met there I suspect), yet the reviews are mostly word perfect. ) registered multiple times? but 57 times is a lot Link to the reviews?PS lacking in food quality in Italy, even in a bad hotel, is nearly unheard of!
Edited by Minel on Thursday 9th September 16:39
There are professional organisations that specialise in writing and submitting TA reviews (or so I have just read on the TA website). Despite the reputation Southern Italy has for fair play and abiding by the rules I fear that there may be some skullduggery going on.
As an Italian you would be very upset by the food. But I suspect the holiday company gives them a very small budget. That said, the lunch salads I paid for were shocking. One cup of shredded lettuce with two table spoons of chopped chicken and mayonaise was 10 Euros. We filled up on bread sticks.
Manks said:
Minel said:
the fact that they are well written throws me a bit though. In Italy, especially southern italy, most people can't speak english, nevermind writing correctly... maybe the General Manager (who is one of the few with good English ) registered multiple times? but 57 times is a lot Link to the reviews?
PS lacking in food quality in Italy, even in a bad hotel, is nearly unheard of!
If I am right it's not the staff writing them. As you say their English would not be good enough. The same applies to the other guests: Out of every ten people perhaps half can string a decent sentence together (fewer of the demographic we met there I suspect), yet the reviews are mostly word perfect. ) registered multiple times? but 57 times is a lot Link to the reviews?PS lacking in food quality in Italy, even in a bad hotel, is nearly unheard of!
Edited by Minel on Thursday 9th September 16:39
There are professional organisations that specialise in writing and submitting TA reviews (or so I have just read on the TA website). Despite the reputation Southern Italy has for fair play and abiding by the rules I fear that there may be some skullduggery going on.
As an Italian you would be very upset by the food. But I suspect the holiday company gives them a very small budget. That said, the lunch salads I paid for were shocking. One cup of shredded lettuce with two table spoons of chopped chicken and mayonaise was 10 Euros. We filled up on bread sticks.
Minel said:
Manks said:
Minel said:
the fact that they are well written throws me a bit though. In Italy, especially southern italy, most people can't speak english, nevermind writing correctly... maybe the General Manager (who is one of the few with good English ) registered multiple times? but 57 times is a lot Link to the reviews?
PS lacking in food quality in Italy, even in a bad hotel, is nearly unheard of!
If I am right it's not the staff writing them. As you say their English would not be good enough. The same applies to the other guests: Out of every ten people perhaps half can string a decent sentence together (fewer of the demographic we met there I suspect), yet the reviews are mostly word perfect. ) registered multiple times? but 57 times is a lot Link to the reviews?PS lacking in food quality in Italy, even in a bad hotel, is nearly unheard of!
Edited by Minel on Thursday 9th September 16:39
There are professional organisations that specialise in writing and submitting TA reviews (or so I have just read on the TA website). Despite the reputation Southern Italy has for fair play and abiding by the rules I fear that there may be some skullduggery going on.
As an Italian you would be very upset by the food. But I suspect the holiday company gives them a very small budget. That said, the lunch salads I paid for were shocking. One cup of shredded lettuce with two table spoons of chopped chicken and mayonaise was 10 Euros. We filled up on bread sticks.
It seems that I am behind the curve here, but it's the first time I have had a bad experience.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/artic...
bazking69 said:
I've always found TA to be pretty bang on with the reviews and indicative of any new issues that have arose each season.
I always make the effort to leave a detailed review, good or bad.
Me too.I always make the effort to leave a detailed review, good or bad.
I have probably used TA when booking 20 or so holidays and this is the first bad experience.
I will now be a bit wiser when it comes to interpreting reviews of course.
A hotelier I've known for many years, told me some time ago about how some review sites are rigged. There's one site that allows you to write a review without even having stayed at the place ( can't remember which site he said now). Other times hotels can book a night's stay and pay the £1 or so booking fee and then write a rave review as the 'non existant guest'.
I ALWAYS review wherever we stay on TripAdvisor.
1) If it was good I owe it to the establishment to promote them a little.
2) If it was bad I owe it to the community to dish out a spanking.
I am always utterly honest.
For places in the US, Canada and the UK I have found TA to be utterly reliable...provided you filter out the odd gushing review and the occasional stinking one. Take the average. I find if msot people are complimentary then the place will be good. If most people are not - well, caveat emptor...
1) If it was good I owe it to the establishment to promote them a little.
2) If it was bad I owe it to the community to dish out a spanking.
I am always utterly honest.
For places in the US, Canada and the UK I have found TA to be utterly reliable...provided you filter out the odd gushing review and the occasional stinking one. Take the average. I find if msot people are complimentary then the place will be good. If most people are not - well, caveat emptor...
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