There are things you should keep in mind when visiting online hotel review sites.
You should base your decisions on more then just a single source. It is never enough to simply visit the review section of a hotel's own website. Of course you should visit the hotel's testimonial page, because you can get a feel for any positive features listed, but if there are any negatives about the hotel, you will never find them on the hotel's own site.
That's why other online hotel review sites exist. Since they aren't controlled by the hotel, you can get a better overview of how most guests feel about the hotel in question.
When you google the hotel's name, you will probably be shown some review sites as well. The Google Places page should be easy to find in the results. You can identify that by the small pushpin icon next to it, and possibly some stars if it has been reviewed. The number next to the stars indicates how many people have reviewed the hotel on Google. More reviews means more reliability.
You can find the Google reviews by clicking next to the stars, on the number of reviews - that will take you right to the Google Places page of the hotel.
Here are some other review sites besides Google. Use the search boxes on their pages to see if the hotel you are checking is listed with them.
- tripadvisor.com
- localdirectory.azcentral.com
- kayak.com/Hotels
- travel.yahoo.com
- lonelyplanet.com
- national.citysearch.com
- travelpod.com
For more accuracy, use quotation marks around the hotel's name wen using the search boxes of a review site.
Here are some other things to think about when checking out online review:
If some competitor wants to sabotage the hotel, or some disgruntled employee or crank has chip on his or her shoulder, you may find a solitary one-star review among many other higher reviews. Treat such situations with a grain of salt. Don't let one bad apple spoil what might be a great vacation choice for you. (By the way, be aware that it is probably illegal, and certainly a violation of internet policies, for a competitor to trash an establishment just because they are competing for business.)
If the majority or the review are negative, on the other hand, that should seriously raise a red flag with you.
Just as it is illegitimate to write a fake negative review, it is also illegitimate for a company to write fake positive reviews, or fake reviews for them by someone else. Although occasionally done, this kind of action is entirely unacceptable That is why it is imperative that you use more than one source for reviewing. Don't rely solely on the Google reviews (although you should certainly check them.)Make sure you check out other online hotel review sites, as well.
If you do find bad reviews, check to see if the owner or some other representative of the hotel has taken the time and effort to respond to them. If the owner of the hotel has an account with the site, s/he can respond to reviews To get a feel for the hotel's general attitude, see if the response is courteous, or if there is a confrontational style. To get a feel for the hotel's general attitude, see if the response is courteous, or if there is a confrontational style.
If the response is simply a brusque denial, and doesn't consider that the other side may have a point - beware!
If you would like, you can register with any of the above sites, for free. You can then log in and review any venue they have listed.
If you are looking for a superior Cooperstown vacation, visit August Lodge and Spa Cooperstown Hotel. While there, check out the August Lodge reviews page.
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