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How TripAdvisor Changed Travel

theguardian.com

11–20 of 88 posts

Re: How TripAdvisor Changed Travel

#11
post #5

I'm fed up with TripAdvisor, Yelp and similar review sites. Too many of the negative reviews are off topic and they bring down the overall ratings (similar issue for positive reviews as well... people tend to rate things they love or hate, but not things in the middle). For example, Amazon is loaded with one-star reviews from people complaining that they received counterfeit items. This has nothing to do with the pro…

Wouldn't that lead to vendors starting to buy off the "gold reviewers"?

Re: How TripAdvisor Changed Travel

#12
post #5

I'm fed up with TripAdvisor, Yelp and similar review sites. Too many of the negative reviews are off topic and they bring down the overall ratings (similar issue for positive reviews as well... people tend to rate things they love or hate, but not things in the middle). For example, Amazon is loaded with one-star reviews from people complaining that they received counterfeit items. This has nothing to do with the pro…

is there a term to express our this era technology is just allowing useless noise to pass as signal ?

when myspace et al started to pop, web 2.0, dynamic webpage interactions was the fastest way to heaven, now it seems we read the map upside down.

ps: maybe we're rediscovering how mobs are bad

Re: How TripAdvisor Changed Travel

#13
I've seen a lot of cases here in SE Asia of restaurants and hotels posting fake bad reviews of their competitors' businesses. It's commonplace enough now that I generally disregard TripAdvisor ratings.

Re: How TripAdvisor Changed Travel

#14
post #10

I do a lot of traveling. My experience improved dramatically when I stopped using TripAdvisor and similar apps. I just go with the flow. Talk to real people. Like a bunch of American tourists (insert any country here) would know what, say, authentic Thai food is supposed to taste like. It all comes down to a bunch of -at best- uninformed people ranking stuff, at worst fake reviewers, bots and scammers. Why would I wa…

I agree that Tripadvisor is useless for restaurants, but how do you find/book hotels? In general hotels are more expensive when booked directly and not through an aggregator, however, how do you even find them without sites like Tripadvisor?

The main booking websites themselves, e.g. agoda.com or booking.com, their reviews at least are from people who definitely paid to stay...

Re: How TripAdvisor Changed Travel

#15
post #10

I do a lot of traveling. My experience improved dramatically when I stopped using TripAdvisor and similar apps. I just go with the flow. Talk to real people. Like a bunch of American tourists (insert any country here) would know what, say, authentic Thai food is supposed to taste like. It all comes down to a bunch of -at best- uninformed people ranking stuff, at worst fake reviewers, bots and scammers. Why would I wa…

I agree that Tripadvisor is useless for restaurants, but how do you find/book hotels? In general hotels are more expensive when booked directly and not through an aggregator, however, how do you even find them without sites like Tripadvisor?

You can also look to the niche travel blogs and websites. I usually browse Suitcase Magazine’s travel guides for where to eat/stay/see if I’m in a city they have covered. Have not been disappointed so far

Re: How TripAdvisor Changed Travel

#16
post #10

I do a lot of traveling. My experience improved dramatically when I stopped using TripAdvisor and similar apps. I just go with the flow. Talk to real people. Like a bunch of American tourists (insert any country here) would know what, say, authentic Thai food is supposed to taste like. It all comes down to a bunch of -at best- uninformed people ranking stuff, at worst fake reviewers, bots and scammers. Why would I wa…

I agree that Tripadvisor is useless for restaurants, but how do you find/book hotels? In general hotels are more expensive when booked directly and not through an aggregator, however, how do you even find them without sites like Tripadvisor?

Uhh.. Google Maps? Kayak/Travelocity/Expedia/Orbitz/etc/etc?

If I'm staying near a business client or family I ask them. If they don't know I search. Then I see what's available on the booking sites.

Tripadvisor only ever came into the picture if I was visiting a resort area where I didn't know anyone.

Re: How TripAdvisor Changed Travel

#17
post #5

I'm fed up with TripAdvisor, Yelp and similar review sites. Too many of the negative reviews are off topic and they bring down the overall ratings (similar issue for positive reviews as well... people tend to rate things they love or hate, but not things in the middle). For example, Amazon is loaded with one-star reviews from people complaining that they received counterfeit items. This has nothing to do with the pro…

is there a term to express our this era technology is just allowing useless noise to pass as signal ? when myspace et al started to pop, web 2.0, dynamic webpage interactions was the fastest way to heaven, now it seems we read the map upside down. ps: maybe we're rediscovering how mobs are bad

There is a great flattening in what it once took to publish a thought or an idea and have it reach an audience. Unfortunately almost everybody is deluded, insane, stupid, at the very least totally uninsightful - or some sort of weird combination of all these things.

The web is a great place to be uninformed or even deceitful, I strive to be cognizant of this.

Re: How TripAdvisor Changed Travel

#18

Really strange to see the negative comments. My favorite thing about TripAdvisor is that I feel empowered when I have a terrible experience at a venue. I can just go leave them a crappy review. It's very cathartic. Also, I find most of the reviews to be generally accurate. It sounds like other people disagree with that which is strange. I've never used TripAdvisor to find a restaurant or a hotel and then felt like th…

i think your story is a great example of why open review aggregation sites are a broken model.

these reviews are not comprehensive. a lot of people only go there to post about a shitty experience or out-of-this-world experience. it's also broken in situations where reviewers are not familiar with the culture or standards of the place they're visiting, i.e. critiquing the service/cleanliness/decor of an authentic hole-in-the-wall chinese restaurant.

Re: How TripAdvisor Changed Travel

#19
post #14
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that Tripadvisor is useless for restaurants, but how do you find/book hotels? In general hotels are more expensive when booked directly and not through an aggregator, however, how do you even find them without sites like Tripadvisor?

The main booking websites themselves, e.g. agoda.com or booking.com, their reviews at least are from people who definitely paid to stay...

Booking.com, Yelp and Tripadvisor are pretty much the same thing to me, and the same low quality. I use them all, but I was curios how would someone do without them.

Re: How TripAdvisor Changed Travel

#20
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that Tripadvisor is useless for restaurants, but how do you find/book hotels? In general hotels are more expensive when booked directly and not through an aggregator, however, how do you even find them without sites like Tripadvisor?

You can also look to the niche travel blogs and websites. I usually browse Suitcase Magazine’s travel guides for where to eat/stay/see if I’m in a city they have covered. Have not been disappointed so far

I do read niche travel blogs and websites, but they very rarely cover lodging, unless it's some exotic destination with special lodging requirements.
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