Trip Advisor's love affair

[fdog]

<cue sarcasm> I am shocked, shocked I tell you, that a possibly undeserving company would have a huge stack of glowing reports on Trip Advisor. <end sarcasm>

Janet and I fell prey to this in the past. The place was certainly not as advertised, and the glowing reports, in retrospect, all seemed rather similar, as if the resort owner had written them all.

Of course, when we wrote a honestly critical review, he attacked us on Trip Advisor, and had us censured by Trip Advisor.

...Shocked, I tell you.


All the best, James

 

[DandyDon]

<cue sarcasm> I am shocked, shocked I tell you, that a possibly undeserving company would have a huge stack of glowing reports on Trip Advisor. <end sarcasm>

Janet and I fell prey to this in the past. The place was certainly not as advertised, and the glowing reports, in retrospect, all seemed rather similar, as if the resort owner had written them all.

Of course, when we wrote a honestly critical review, he attacked us on Trip Advisor, and had us censured by Trip Advisor.

...Shocked, I tell you.


All the best, James

Hope you weren't sued too? Happens...

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Well, I just posted my first review on Trip Advisor. I am officially a one post wonder over there.

I gave a sterling review to a hotel I just stayed at in Cartagena Colombia. I felt the high marks were well deserved.

My experienced was typified by one example: The front desk staff saw me and my companion come in dripping wet when caught out on a boat in a downpour. A couple minutes later they were at our room door with some more towels and real hot chocolate. They knew hot chocolate and not coffee because we didn't take coffee with breakfast. In short, they took the time to get to know us.

It was my first trip to Cartagena. I have no idea how my hotel compares to other hotels in the area.

 

[sink_or_swim]

Made one post on TripAdvisor a few years back after our honeymoon in St. Lucia. Wife actually picked out the resort we stayed in for half the trip because of the glowing reviews on TripAdvisor...well our review wasn't BAD, per se...but it wasn't glowing like most of the other reviews on this particular resort.

Within a week, we were attacked and rebutted by three other posts with specific references to what we had written. It was pretty obvious that this particular resort had used TripAdvisor as advertising, and these three rebuttal posts were done by travel agents or employees of the resort.

Buyer beware indeed. I haven't looked in years, but the Turtle Nest Inn was the #1 rated hotel on TA Grand Cayman at one point.

I haven't looked at TripAdvisor for reference since.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

I use tripadvisor for hotels and resorts but not for dive ops. My experience is that there are two types of people who post on tripadvisor. First are the savvy travelers with good tips and relatively unbiased reviews. Second are the dissatisfied customers with an axe to grind. I usually listen to the first type and ignore the second.

 

[trim2gofast]

I check out Tripadvisor regularly - especially when preparing for a trip. Because we go to Cayman every year, I spend much of my time on that site. It does become clear if someone is planting threads. I have written reviews when I feel strongly about an operation, whether positive or negative. I have noticed other sites on TA that the reviews seem questionable.

As a diver, I haven't spent enough time on this board, but I will be back.....