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pussnboots | 23:21 Sun 03rd Feb 2013 | Travel
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We ( 8 of us) booked a weekend away, got back today. We got a good deal for a hotel break for my sons 40th birthday. I only looked at the reviews for this hotel after booking, I know should have looked before, 90% were quite bad, bad service, dirty rooms, poor food etc. Anyway we had a brilliant time, service good, polite staff and the rooms were perfect, clean and comfy, my only complaint was that the drinks at the bar were expensive, if I had looked at the reviews before booking I would not have booked. My question is has anyone looked at TripAdisor and been put off by the negative reviews.
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To be fair puss, it sounds like you got a good deal. Regardless of the TA reviews, you paid a descent amount for a good hotel. Glad you had a nice time :-) x
00:16 Mon 04th Feb 2013
Yes, yes and yes. I would only go to a hotel if it had at least 4 stars on Trip Advisor. I trust the general public and if a place didn't have a high percentage of good reviews then I wouldn't go.
I think it all boils down to your own standards. Mine are quite high, so I wouldn't even consider going somewhere that had been rated badly.
I use Trip Advisor for all sorts of things. Days out with the kids, restaurants, and weekends away. It's a lifesaver! :-)

Question Author
I went with trepidation, I also have high standards, but enjoyed my weekend away thanks to this hotel.
Yes I have but try to balance it out as I know I've only bothered to post reviews on tripadvisor when I've been unhappy, laziness to not praise the good ones I suppose.
Puss, make sure you leave a good review to add more balance, it would be a shame for them to lose custom from the bad reviews when others (like yourself) were perfectly happy.
I would also do as above has suggested, and leave a good review.
Hi Puss.

I've stopped at loads of hotels and like you, have been happy with them, only to find, later on, negative reviews.

One thing a hotel owner did say to me, was that some of the reviews are bogus - rival hoteliers or their staff posting bad reviews for obvious reasons. Whether this is true or not, I don't know.

Apparently, according to this chap, you don't have to have actually stayed at the hotel to submit a review on TA. After speaking to this chap, I have to say I'm rather suspicious of some of what I read now.
Actually, that's just made me think of something.
As mrs.chappie says, some reviews may actually be fake. If you look at the ones that slate the place, a lot of them have only ever reviewed one or two places.
I guess it must be rival hotels/establishments, or maybe previous staff.
I agree with Prudie, I tend only to leave comments where I'm unhappy with a hotel, but I do try and be balanced, if there are good aspects too I will comment on those.
Some of the comments on Tripadvisor seem to be where people have paid a pittance and expect 5* service. I've also seen negative comments about aspects that I would quite like, eg little British food, no evening entertainment programme. Every review has to be read carefully.
It can depend upon what you want from a hotel. The firm I occasionally contract for usually books any necessary accommodation for me but they recently asked me to book a hotel and invoice them. I simply needed a hotel for one night near to Slinfold in Sussex. I'd be leaving at 5am, so breakfast was irrelevant but the place needed to be fairly easy to find, close to somewhere to get an evening meal and unlikely to be inaccessible due to the snow which was covering much of the country at the time. The Travelodge in Horsham met all of my requirements so, despite lousy reviews on TripAdvisor, I was happy to book it.

However if I was someone booking an expensive fortnight's holiday abroad with a young family, I'm sure that I'd take far more notice of TripAdvisor.
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I have also heard that rival hotels make negetive comments on TripAdvisor, anyway I will be making an excellent review tomorrow when I get my brain in order after a very enjoyable weekend, no wine for me tonight, had enough this weekend and £37 a round has nearly put me onto a coma.
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Am I allowed to name this hotel ??
Glad you had a good time, Puss. May I ask - did your neighbour look after the two puss's? (pusses? puss') Oh bu88er it, the two cats.
Glad you had a nice time pussnboots. Sounds like fun! :-)
>>>Am I allowed to name this hotel?

Why not? I've just named the one I stayed in, above. For the record, the biggest dump I've ever stayed in (in the UK) is the Epsom Lodge B&B in Epsom, and the best place I've ever stayed is here:
http://www.abbey-house.biz/
(Luxurious throughout, with a choice of breakfasts such as scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, and wine in your room!)
When we've been away we have looked at Tripadvisor and take it with a pinch of salt really. The place we went last summer had a few iffy reviews but we got what we paid for. I try to post honest reviews and will praise where I feel it is justified and highlight shortcomings if necessary. I have also answered questions from people looking to visit when I have been asked. However, some places do seem to post their own reviews (I had a long standing row with a British tourist attraction and they suddenly had loads of positive reviews but stupidly from people who lived locally, all a bit iffy.)
Sherrardk's right and it could work the other way - hoteliers posting their own glowing reviews to generate custom.

Gawd, I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that you can't believe a bl**dy thing you read on t'internet. :o)
My partner & I and 4 others went to the Dominican Republic. One of the party had a mate who worked in a Travel Agency so we booked this holiday for a 2 week stay. Matey was happy she had he commission etc. Then we read the reviews on Tripadvisor.
It said that it was an 'Adult Only' resort and not for faint hearted. Some people were shocked at the antics of some of the guests.
We went had a lovely two weeks chatted with various people who had also read the same reviews.
Turns out the hotel used to be one of those 'Hedomism' places (I think that is the correct term) it had been refurbished and was lovely. The kinkiest thing we saw were the four poster beds around the pool!!!!
It was £1500 well spent for 2 weeks all inclusive for 2 weeks in cold January.
Wish I could go now







Question Author
Yes mrs.chappie the neighbour came in to feed the cats, when we got back Cleo came running up to us glad to see us, Nero just opened one eye and stayed on the sofa for another hour or two disgusted that we would dare leave him. Getting back to my OP, we only paid £69 for room which included breakfast, king size bed, very nice......................Herons Reach, Blackpool, excellent.
To be fair puss, it sounds like you got a good deal. Regardless of the TA reviews, you paid a descent amount for a good hotel.
Glad you had a nice time :-) x
One review that made me chuckle....a couple had a Hi Life diner's card and the hotelier greeted them with, 'Oh, it's the low lives '.

They were miffed enough to post a bad review, but I would've found that funny.

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