We travel frequently; Tara more than me for business reasons. Reviews have become a part of our everyday life and a ritual for every vacation. We have learned about the perks of loyalty clubs no matter how small. We have come to realize that not everyone rates over night comfort the same and that you have to take it upon yourself to elucidate what is the right fit for you! Start with the reviews.
To believe or not to believe...those darn reviews. Today, everybody [including me], wants to be a critic! Vacationers, those simply passing through, and business travelers alike are taking their views and writing. There are so many sites these days where we can try and eliminate the guess work when it comes to finding a hotel. Most hotels, motels and Inns offer their own personal review site...they usually only offer positive reviews. Other sites ...you have to find your preference!
~ Trip Advisor is the most well known site, with members from every walk of life. It's got the most number of reviews of any of the online tell-alls. It's rare that I can't find a review for a planned stay on Trip Advisor. It's easy to use, and navigate, offering reader photos, reviews with the ability for the property managers to respond, links to the hotels via booking sites and a simple rating system. This is the way to go if you want to read through the critical masses.
~ Oyster is a new site that has excellent potential and offers the tag line, "Our special investigators visit, photograph, review and rate each hotel. We uncover the truth, before it's 'uh-oh' time". The hotel "tell all" site is new therefore every hotel you are looking for will not be found. It offers "unprofessional" photos of the properties and the site sends someone to stay and review. As a professional photographer, I found their photos a very good example of what a traveler will really find! Great shots of the places you are reading about without the luster of Photoshop! However, reading their reviews of places I have traveled I did find them one dimensional; informative but more a narrative. They offer numerous pricing sights directly from their page which is always great for comparisons. It's a nice page to thumb through but every hotel you may want to visit is not going to be there AND you may want more opinions! Use this site if you don't trust the masses but there's no guarantee (with anyone really).
~Raveable is a site for those that don't want to read reviews but like numbers. It's like a Rotten Tomatoes of hotels and motels. It's also not for the faint of heart as it has a "bed bug" rating. The latter is from sightings and I am not sure where these come from. I know there are a lot of finger pointers out there...but...To be honest used this site a while back and got crazed...I had the itchies an entire weekend and I know it was only my mind. This does not make for a happy partner! Let's just say I was labeled an "Annoyance!"
~Expedia, Price Line, Travelocity, Orbitz, Hotel.com and others are often the same reviews you will find on Travelocity.
Now what? Choose the review site that best suits your needs and time frame. Then read! I personally prefer Trip Adviser due to the diversity of the contributors and its quantity of reviews for any place, any where. Unfortunately many people review just to bitch. Some have no real reference point while others expect every hotel or motel to stand equal to each other regardless of location. Others have odd standards, expecting a Motel 6 to be the Ritz Carlton (who I think I gave only four stars on Trip Advisor for their Half Moon Bay Property!!). In fact, you really have to read the reviews and decide just what the contributor is upset with or what they are raving about. With a little thought you can get an insight into where you are staying and they can help you choose wisely ~ for YOU!
Let's look at a few examples that I am familiar with! No actual locations just examples of reviews...to get you to understand my thought process.
1. A Foreign All-Inclusive: I had read all the reviews and found most of them right on target when I arrived. After my return I was posting my own review. I noticed the post above mine was one star...mine was four out of five due to their complicated restaurant reservations and their dress code that was only adhered to when they wanted to; all of this I detailed. I then read the review with one star...quickly recognizing the reviewer by name as one of the guest there during my stay! Her beef and reason for the very low rating: They did not serve top shelf alcohol (they did) and they were not nice to her. What she failed to realize or was to embarrassed to confess, was that two days in a row she passed out pool side after so much alcohol that she was being asked to relax and calm down. At one point they had to pull her out of the pool! Her companion was beside herself...Something the review did not convey. Solution ~ read more than one review to get a complete picture.
2. Beach front motel in one of our northern states: The reviews raved about this property. I did note that they all said pretty much the same and that if a person gave less than a stellar review the Owner/Manager would write back with reasons that often represented the reviewer in negative fashion. We (ok Tara would tell you..."not her part of the we") made a reservation believing the good! YIKES! Not so...beach was great; Fenway loved it. The motel itself almost got a drive by from us but the five stars made me convince Tara that it had to be good! WRONG again! Let's just say Tara was very happy she had brought her trusty blanket along for cases like this. When I reviewed the property negatively, I like the other nay sayers got reamed by the manager with her reply. The take away from this is when there are numerous negative reviews with the same issues and each has a nasty note on the reply from the Manager/Owner, question it...why after months or years is the same problem arising and why is the property manager so defensive! Best bet, find a new place to stay before you get stuck!
3. Another foreign hotel: What is the reviewer angry at? A recent vacation plan had us worried at first until I began really reading the reviews! At first look the rating were mediocre at best. A closer look almost brought with it laughs! Our stay it turned out was wonderful and in fact it will see us again next year! When reviews complain about service; read what they are upset with. In this hotel's case a number of reviewers were comparing the property to much more upscale properties that are almost known for their elite status and one could say snootiness... that was not the nature of this location. The location itself was very laid back and almost intimate. Reviewers were upset that it was small and scored it low. The property had photos and number of rooms; it was small! Perhaps the negative reviewer can write but not read? Many reviewers complained deducted rate points for the lack of fluent English speaking employees...Um they were not in an English speaking country! One gentleman gave negative marks because they served beer at the pool in cans. Mind you they were included in the hotel's price, you could drink all day all night...they were soooo cold and they didn't break when you were drinking pool or beach side! Take away here...you have to use your brain a little to decipher the reviews because some folks don't use their brain when writing!
4. Basic large city Hotel: The price was perfect, the photos excellent, the location could not be beat but the reviews seemed to suck! Upon reading all the reviews that raved about the comfort and location I found a common theme...no attached lounge. It also seemed that this hotel was in a business location and many of the reviewers were there for that reason. Most wanted to come in for the night and have a cocktail delivered to their room (no room service) or grab a libation and take it to their room (no bar). In our case, we were planning on attending a concert. Who cared about the bar?! Perfect location, nice large comfy room...we were super happy. Glad I read all the reviews to see the problem! Again what doesn't fit some may be perfect for you!
I think you get the picture. You can't rely on just one review's word as the gospel. If there is a common theme and it's lack of cleanliness...run! If it's something like a pool or lack there of; think about why that person rated it a 3 rather than a 5. Really look at the photos. They can tell you more than you realize. What could they be hiding?! Are they dark and dingy...taken at all angles? No photos of the room itself? Find what speaks to you. Make your choice and go. If you have a bad experience...write about it and give details. If the something doesn't work, let management know via your written word. If something happened that you didn't like explain it! You would be surprised at how many managers read these reviews and respond. I have received numerous thank you's after reviews...I have also received I'm sorry's. Just take a moment and review for the next guy.
When you pick a place to stay; go to their web site. Check to see if there are any perks like Loyalty Clubs. Even small places have them! The benefits can surprise you even if you don't travel frequently. Example is Joi de Vivre; a small boutique chain that we have stayed with numerous times. The first time we stayed I joined their "club". Upon arrival to any of their hotels I now receive a choice between a free large bottled water or a bottle of red or white wine. Small gesture but all I did was fill out my information online! If you don't like online forms; request one when you get there.
An example of larger loyalty club perks is something that Tara reaps the benefit of with her many business stays. Within the form for many larger chains you'll find customer requests...sometimes it is about the pillow you desire, sometimes smoking or non-smoking, but for her...she loves the request for lower or higher floors!! If you are someone that finds yourself at corporate meetings (if only one time a year) you know how clogged the elevators can get when everyone has to be downstairs at the same time. A pain in the a$$ if you are on the 24th floor! Not for Tara! She has it in her file to always receive a low level floor. Time saved, less frustration and if all else fails she can hit the stairs. There might be a must have on that request form for you...check it out!
Loyalty clubs can get you snacks at night, a stop in the gym without charge. You don't have to be a repeat traveler to see the small simple hospitality perks. Of course if you frequent a particular brand often; please sign up! Points can add up quickly Remember many chains have sub-names such as The Hilton Brand who also owns The Hampton, Double Tree and more. Marriott is also the Ritz, Residence Inn and Courtyard to name a few. Choice Hotels consist of Clarion, Comfort Inns, Econo Lodge and more. Look past the single name and see the whole picture! It can add up...think an entire vacation free! Yes, FREE! For us it's that beach front hotel that serves beer in a can! All those stays on lower floors for business add up to a five night winter vacation in a friendly resort town for me (okay Tara too)!
Bottom line, read the reviews but add a little thought to your processing. Fill out those three minute forms and see what you get!
Find a place that delivers bang for buck and sleep like a baby!
Travel safe!
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