Recommendation websites

[Salty Sam]

How credible are the recommendations on websites where 'customers' can leave comments regarding their stay?

Friend of mine has found out by chance I might add, that a particular and very expensive establishment, has received 'recommendations' from people who have in fact received complimentary stays, obviously where the intention is to enhance the image of the establishment.

Whilst I appreciate these website comments are simply a guide, I do wonder just how easy it is to get those comments removed which are not a 100% true picture, or where false negative comments could affect future business.

[Quillan]

[quote user="Salty Sam"]How credible are the recommendations on websites where 'customers' can leave comments regarding their stay?

Friend of mine has found out by chance I might add, that a particular and very expensive establishment, has received 'recommendations' from people who have in fact received complimentary stays, obviously where the intention is to enhance the image of the establishment.

Whilst I appreciate these website comments are simply a guide, I do wonder just how easy it is to get those comments removed which are not a 100% true picture, or where false negative comments could affect future business.
[/quote]

I suspect your talking about Tripadvisor. If that is the case then at the bottom right of each review there is a a link that says "Problem with this review", once clicked on it gives you three options, the middle of the three is "Review is Suspicious". When you click on that you have another group of options one of which is "Property offering incentives for reviews". I have never gone beyond that point so I don't know if it then comes up with the option to enter any descriptive text. We do know of somebody who got all their family and friends to stay then write glowing reviews, well they might never have actually stayed. Another B&B complained (not me I should add) and their listing was removed. Hope that helps.

There is a lot of skulduggery goes on with Tripadvisor even though they go to great lengths to try and stop it. I know of one B&B that has over 100 reviews and every one is almost the same in content and gives 100%. It is probably the only B&B on Tripadvisor that has such a high score. Look on another booking website where only those booking through it can give a review and it only has 91% average. That said most users of sites like Tripadvisor are quite aware of the obvious fiddles.

[Salty Sam]

Thanks Q.

I didn't want to name 'n shame but yes, it was Tripadvisor. As far as I'm aware, the false 'positive' has been reported to them, but the recommendation still stands on their website, but I'll check if this is the case.

I'm amazed just how easy it is to leave a recommendation, or a damning report for that matter, apparently without actually being a guest.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least to find an element who will use the mention of a Tripadvisor recommendation as a bargaining tool. "I'll provide a 5* report for a good discount!" No discount or other incentive and ..............???????

[Russethouse]

 I use Trip Advisor a lot and wouldn't dream of booking a hotel without referencing it - having said that I think its important to take the average review - some will be glowing, especially when a place first opens, some will be bad - everyone has an off day - but I look for places that are consistently good over all. Also the establishment gets points if it takes the trouble to read and address the replies, good or bad. A thank you for a good review and apology or an explanation of a bad one goes a long way.

On Wed I'm going to have lunch at a place where there is a real stinking review and an equally stinking explanation/ reply by the owner...however I know it has a good reputation and the majority of the reviews are positive...we'll see.

[Gardengirl]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

 I use Trip Advisor a lot and wouldn't dream of booking a hotel without referencing it - having said that I think its important to take the average review - some will be glowing, especially when a place first opens, some will be bad - everyone has an off day - but I look for places that are consistently good over all. Also the establishment gets points if it takes the trouble to read and address the replies, good or bad. A thank you for a good review and apology or an explanation of a bad one goes a long way.

On Wed I'm going to have lunch at a place where there is a real stinking review and an equally stinking explanation/ reply by the owner...however I know it has a good reputation and the majority of the reviews are positive...we'll see.

[/quote]

Ditto, Russethouse. Like you, I use TA a lot for places in UK and in France; I sift through , discarding first timer reviews (although realising everybody was a 'newbie' once) and relying more on those who have made many reviews. I sometimes even look at whether they use the forum too - if they do, I feel they are more reliable. I've never stayed at a poor place found using TA, and have returned to quite a few places I originally found there. I've eaten at several new places recently, and enjoyed all of them.

Is it a local place you're having lunch at?

[Russethouse]

Yes, in Goring: Ilaria from Mya has gone to work there and she highly recommended it, plus the owners used to run the White Lion at Crays Pond which I loved.

We went to the herb farm at Sonning Common the other day and that has a really nice cafe now too... I couldn't believe how busy it was, it makes a pleasant little outing.

A few years ago I met a friend in Atlanta prior to travelling to Savannah. and she booked the hotel without looking at TA - when I looked on TA I wasn't very happy as there were reports of bed bugs ! Well we didn't get bitten but the electricity set up was so poor that my American friend threatened to report them and when we went to bed we dragged the table in front of the door....enough said. I was left to find an hotel for our stop at Locust Grove (outlet shopping bliss!) which I used TA for and it was very pleasant !

[Quillan]

Going back to the original question there is a way that this can happen and it is not deceptive. Sometimes people launch a new hotel or relaunch an old one under new management. They may well ask a selection of journalists and other people they know for a free break and to give them feedback. This is to help the hotel make final tweeks befor opening to the public. Those guests may write a review on Tripadvisor, they may have been asked to write a review on Tripadvisor and there is nothing wrong with this. If however they were offered a weeks stay based on the grounds that in return they gave an excellent review on Tripadvisor and you can prove it then that's a different matter. If Tripadvisor has been asked to remove a review then they will make enquiries. If my scenario above is the reason then they will not remove it. If on the other hand the reviewer did get the holiday on the basis of giving an excellent review they will remove it. Personally if it is the place I am thinking giving a weeks holiday there for a free and excellent review it makes the review very, very expensive so therefore I suspect the review is quite honest. Looking at the their reviews and at the hotels website I can quite believe it rates 5 out of 5 every time.

Hoteliers are actively encouraged by Tripadvisor to contact people to give reviews on their accommodation and there is a group of tools within the owners section of Tripadvisor to help them do this and to contact past guests.

[Salty Sam]

"Personally if it is the place I am thinking giving a weeks holiday

there for a free and excellent review it makes the review very, very

expensive so therefore I suspect the review is quite honest."

I'm afraid you've lost me there Q, unless you're psychic and familiar with establishments in Southern Spain!

[Russethouse]

Crikey Q you make things complicated.  I know a Journalist who has had some fabulous free holidays in various places at the expense of the tourist board/resort or even hotel he is reviewing - people pay good money for the newspapers he works for too ie, not redtops. It's common practice .....I don't think TA even rates on his radar.

Just for the record I have given excellent reviews to some places and returned to them later, I wasn't treated one jot differently. Mores the pity [;-)]

The trick, (although frankly its comon sense) with TA is to take the consensus of opinion.....as GG and I said eons ago.....

BTW GG I can recommend Pierreponts - though its a good cafe rather than a restaurant....

[brianagain]

I have used B**king.com for almost all my hotel and B&B bookings for many years as their reviews can only be written by customers (who have booked through their website) after they have actually stayed at the establishment, so avoiding some of the trustworthiness problems with TA.