What You Need to Know About Resort Reviews

​Do you ever get the feeling that the property reviews on TripAdvisor or similar websites are a little shady? Like they might not be real or biased?

​If so, then keep reading because I’m going to share with you the truth about reviews for resorts and what you should consider before you book that trip...

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Understanding Travel Review Deceptions Before You Book:

• You Are NOT Them

First and foremost – read around the innuendos and take reviews with a grain of salt. Experiences unrelated to the actual hotel stay can factor into someone’s state of mind, which unfortunately may set the stage for negative influences in everything that happens on the trip moving forward.
 
Have you ever had a bad experience and it stayed with you throughout the day, where your mood and personality were altered for the rest of the day? This can be true on vacation too. Travel is unpredictable and when someone starts the trip off with issues, whether they are personally inflicted, such as arguments or the stress from preparing before the trip – or outside influences related to travel delays due to mother nature or mechanical issues.

These incidents can snowball and turn excitement into frustration, which can be hard for some people to separate and move on from. Understanding this nature and that some people feel better if they voice all the nit-picky details that happened after their first disappointment can be reflected in unwarranted reviews.  
 
Most importantly you must remember, you are not them! The reviewer could love something on the opposite spectrum of the experience and quality you prefer on vacation. The clientele a resort tends to attract, may not be the type of people you would normally take advice from or want to share your vacation time with. So, just because so many people love something online, the typical guest that tends to stay at that particular resort, may not have the same appreciation level relating to your tastes, comforts, or definition of luxury and fine dining that you desire. Be sure to read between the lines, and deep dive into the type of resort it truly is!

• Red Flags to Look Out For

As with anything, marketing teams often look for a way to game the system online. It’s why Amazon shares whether or not a person reviewing a product was a verified purchaser. It’s also why everyone and their brother will ask you to like their new Facebook page. We all want to gain the upper hand in terms of beating the algorithms to show off the best possible perception of ourselves. (…and I’ll take this shameless opportunity to ask you to like our pages too and support our small business: Facebook and/or Instagram – Thanks a bunch!) 😊
 
Unfortunately, this gaming of the system has spilled into property reviews. On Fiverr alone, there are several freelancers who offer to write reviews for your website about your company even if they have never purchased anything from you or stayed at your hotel. Friends, family, and even staff members are also being asked to write glowing recommendations about properties.
 
This isn’t all that surprising when you consider that an influx of bad reviews can ruin a business, good reviews can lead to more revenue, and anyone can sign up to review a company - even when they’ve never been a customer. And as Forbes explained, “TripAdvisor reviews don't require a verified booking.”
 
So, how can you tell if the property reviews you’re reading are legit?

1. First, look for both good and bad reviews. If there isn’t a single bad review, or at least one with less than 5-stars (assuming a 5-star scale), then that is a red flag that the reviews aren’t legitimate.
   
   
2. Also look for a plethora of vague, canned responses. You know the type:
   “This place was great.”
   “I’d totally stay here again.”
   “The staff was friendly, and the price was reasonable.”
   
   Real reviews tend to be longer than one sentence. Especially when someone is gushing about how wonderful their experience was; or ranting about how awful their stay was.
   
   
3. Keep an eye out for broken English and really bad grammar. Now, I’ll be the first to admit I’ve fired off an email with a glaring spelling or grammatical error, but when an entire slew of reviews is plastered with poor English, and weird spelling and grammar mistakes - I hate to say it, but’s it’s usually a red flag!
   
   
4. Look for words like “free stay,” “comped visit,” “influencer,” and “travel blogger.” The truth is that reviews written by influencers can sometimes be skewed. When bloggers and influencers receive comp stays at hotels, they will often leave a nicer review than a paying guest will. That’s one of the reasons property managers invite them in the first place. Property managers will sometimes give an influencer a better experience and more perks than the general public can receive with the sole purpose of receiving glowing reviews.

 

• So, How Can You Determine Which Properties are Worth the Visit?

To be sure if a property would meet your expectations, I highly recommend working with a professional travel advisor that specializes in the destination you are looking to travel to. When a trusted advisor that has personally been to the property(s), they can discuss the pro/cons based on your travel style and make sure the property would be a good fit to what you are actually looking for.

Otherwise, unless your family or friends has recently stayed there (and by recently, I mean within the last year - maybe two - as resorts make changes with staff, renovations or sell to new management companies which can greatly alter the experience and may not be what it was); so, if your family/friend have very similar likes and dislikes - these are the only two ways to know for sure if it will be everything you're hoping for and worth the investment. 

When you are ready to travel, let's chat! I’ve visited hundreds of properties and will give you the honest facts you’re looking for about whether the property is worth it, or a complete waste of your money. 

​Schedule your free consultation to learn more about our services and how we can assist you with planning an unforgettable and stress-free vacation! 

Stay positive, safe and hopeful! 
​Experiences Await...
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