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11 Comments

  1. Sofie
    November 26, 2012 @ 8:29 am

    I also use the tab technique! Not only for hotel reviews, but also when I’m searching for other things. Sometimes I get a bit carried away though and I end up with 20+ tabs to plough through:-)

    • Ali Garland
      November 26, 2012 @ 4:33 pm

      Yeah, sometimes too many tabs can make things worse! I try to open a few, check them out, and close the ones I’ve decided against before opening more.

  2. Choosing a Language School - Grounded Traveler
    October 9, 2012 @ 8:01 am

    […] day of the Internet, you should be able to find reviews on schools. Have a critical eye, just like reading hotel reviews. Think about whether the complaint is really something that would bother you or if it perhaps is […]

  3. Suzy
    September 4, 2012 @ 7:49 pm

    These are all good tips, especially the last one. I can spend hours looking at hotel reviews. It’s kind of sad! Also now that hotels can respond to reviews, I also take into account how the management responds to a complaint. If the manager comments in an angry or denial-heavy response, I generally don’t want to stay there. If the hotel has such management that can’t take some criticism and try to fix it, chances are if something goes wrong for me, I wouldn’t want to approach management judging by their reaction in hotel reviews.

    • Ali Garland
      September 5, 2012 @ 10:44 am

      Thanks Suzy! So true, if management’s response to a comment is negative, it really doesn’t say much for the hotel.

  4. Tommy
    August 27, 2012 @ 12:25 pm

    Nice post! Sometimes Photos by actual travelers tell more. Did u try oyster.com app? It seems that they have a dedicated team that goes around to take photos and write actual reviews of hotels. The photos that they take are enormous, even the hairdryer are not missed sometimes! 😉

    • Ali Garland
      August 27, 2012 @ 9:51 pm

      Thanks Tommy! I haven’t used that app. Sounds like a good service, though I do really like hearing from real customers who have stayed at the hotel. That way I feel like there’s less chance of a biased review. I would love pictures of the hairdryer though, sometimes the ones in hotels are awful!

  5. Jennifer
    August 21, 2012 @ 2:00 pm

    All very good tips. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read reviews on European hotels and saw people complaining about the size of a room in a city like Rome or Paris. It’s Europe and buildings are much older and rooms much smaller. Plus as you said, it’s generally a place to sleep and get ready. I really only require that hotels are in a good location and clean as I don’t intend to spend much time in the hotel in most destinations.

    • Ali Garland
      August 21, 2012 @ 6:06 pm

      Right, it’s all about expectations and having the right frame of mind for the place you’re visiting. The hotel is usually not the main reason you’re traveling somewhere, and a lot of European destinations just don’t have the space to build hotels with large rooms like we’re used to in the US. Although I have to say, Andy and I are in Carcassonne right now, and while the size of the room is fine (small but fine) the bathroom is so tiny I keep hitting the wall just trying to get out of the shower or stand up from the toilet. But there was no way of knowing it ahead of time.

  6. Matthew Cheyne
    August 21, 2012 @ 9:31 am

    Hi Ali:) This is a good article that in a no nonsense way articulates how to choose a hotel but what websites do you use to find that particular hotel. Is Tripadvisor on its own enough or should we look at other sites as well? And which sites would you recommend?

    • Ali Garland
      August 21, 2012 @ 9:55 am

      Thanks Matthew, and thanks for the push! Andy and I are on the road right now, but I promise I’ll work on a list of sites I like when we get home next week. Trip Advisor works, though sometimes the reviews are fake, but the reviews on booking sites work well too.