Comments on: Your thoughts on the future of hotel reviews http://www.travel-rants.com/2009/07/22/thoughts-future-hotel-reviews/ Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:52:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Pingback - Experience SE Asia http://www.travel-rants.com/2009/07/22/thoughts-future-hotel-reviews/#comment-151925 Pingback - Experience SE Asia Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:52:17 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=4644#comment-151925 [...] recently waded into a discussion on the fantastic Travel Rants website. Much to my surprise I then got a call from the producer of ‘Fasttrack’, BBC [...] [...] recently waded into a discussion on the fantastic Travel Rants website. Much to my surprise I then got a call from the producer of ‘Fasttrack’, BBC [...]

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]]> By: Pingback - Raveable Blog http://www.travel-rants.com/2009/07/22/thoughts-future-hotel-reviews/#comment-151584 Pingback - Raveable Blog Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:17:20 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=4644#comment-151584 [...] me, this is really the catalyst of this debate. A question I always ask in forums and on blogs. To no one surprise; nobody was able to show a single example of bad hotel on top of the rankings. [...] [...] me, this is really the catalyst of this debate. A question I always ask in forums and on blogs. To no one surprise; nobody was able to show a single example of bad hotel on top of the rankings. [...]

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]]> By: Heather Stimmler-Hall http://www.travel-rants.com/2009/07/22/thoughts-future-hotel-reviews/#comment-151217 Heather Stimmler-Hall Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:44:43 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=4644#comment-151217 Great article! As a professional travel writer for several guidebook companies, newspapers and my own blog, I'm constantly trying to figure out how useful "user" reviews really are. Personally, I think the idea situation would be to have trusted, professional journalists who live in a particular destination (or, if necessary, someone who travels there at least four times per year) to write about the hotels in that specific place. This allows them to develop a better sense of what is a "good value", to be experts on how the hotels in that city compare to each other, and best of all, to be able to keep tabs (and check up on) any hotels that have been getting negative feedback from users. A local professional who can weigh in on user comments is very important IMHO, because it's difficult for most vacation travelers who travel to a place once to know how to properly rate a hotel. Useful user review: "There is no one at the front desk between 11pm and 6am; if you need anything you have to call a remote site". (the hotel failed to note this on their site) Not useful user review: "This hotel is so cheap that the lights in the hallway aren't always on." (many European hotels use timers or light sensors on hall lights to save energy costs, it doesn't mean they're cheap) Great article! As a professional travel writer for several guidebook companies, newspapers and my own blog, I’m constantly trying to figure out how useful “user” reviews really are. Personally, I think the idea situation would be to have trusted, professional journalists who live in a particular destination (or, if necessary, someone who travels there at least four times per year) to write about the hotels in that specific place. This allows them to develop a better sense of what is a “good value”, to be experts on how the hotels in that city compare to each other, and best of all, to be able to keep tabs (and check up on) any hotels that have been getting negative feedback from users.

A local professional who can weigh in on user comments is very important IMHO, because it’s difficult for most vacation travelers who travel to a place once to know how to properly rate a hotel.

Useful user review: “There is no one at the front desk between 11pm and 6am; if you need anything you have to call a remote site”. (the hotel failed to note this on their site)

Not useful user review: “This hotel is so cheap that the lights in the hallway aren’t always on.” (many European hotels use timers or light sensors on hall lights to save energy costs, it doesn’t mean they’re cheap)

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]]> By: Sal http://www.travel-rants.com/2009/07/22/thoughts-future-hotel-reviews/#comment-149841 Sal Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:19:50 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=4644#comment-149841 No matter how many fake reviews the hotel has, the real reviews really show the truth. No matter how many fake reviews the hotel has, the real reviews really show the truth.

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]]> By: Richard http://www.travel-rants.com/2009/07/22/thoughts-future-hotel-reviews/#comment-149840 Richard Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:16:51 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=4644#comment-149840 I have travelled around the world, and I have never read one hotel review. Travelling is all about discovery, and you all forget that. Just once, book your vacation, go, and enjoy it and tell me if it makes any difference I have travelled around the world, and I have never read one hotel review. Travelling is all about discovery, and you all forget that. Just once, book your vacation, go, and enjoy it and tell me if it makes any difference

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