Picture the scene – You’ve whittled your choice of accommodation or attraction down to a short-list, and you’re trying to cut it down even future, before coming to a firm decision. How do you do it? Well, many of us look to reviews, and one of the most famous and most ‘reliable’ of those review sites is TripAdvisor.
If you’re not sure what TripAdvisor is, well, a) where have you been? And b) let’s discuss it!
TripAdvisor is a highly regarded review site, which aims to give users an honest overview of places to stay and visit around the world, so that you can feel more secure booking online. Hotels, attractions, restaurants, and general travel people across the globe aim to get their rating as high as possible, because if you’re not at the top of the list, well, nobody really looks at you!
Of course, every review site is based on opinion, but can you trust it?
Whilst the majority of people who leave reviews on TripAdvisor do so honestly, aiming to help others who stay in that particular place after them, there are a few businesses out there who either pay someone to leave reviews, or who give discounts on food or stays if they do so. By no means is this the majority of businesses at all, it is a few unscrupulous few, but it does happen.
So, how do you decide whether you believe what you’re reading or not?
On the whole, yes you can, but do remember that it is a human trait to say negative things, and not really rave about the positive. It is for this reason that you will see a lot of negative on TripAdvisor, when you compare it to the positive!
Look for reviews which are in-depth, seem like a personal story, and those which are even, e.g. they give you positive points, whilst also pointing out the odd less than perfect point – no hotel/attraction/restaurant has 100% perfection!
So, can you trust TripAdvisor?
Mostly yes!
