Here’s what we’ve been noticing…Im curious if anyone else agrees. So say you are a prepared traveler, you like to do your research and know what to expect on your trip, before you find yourself in misery on your long awaited and well deserved vacation. In today’s society you don’t want to take the chance of ending up in a roach infested, outdated hotel, in a bad area far from the sights you came for! Without having been there before, you, like everyone else, will most likely rely on the resource we have all become dependent on…the computer. A wealth of information for the inexperienced traveller visiting a new destination. And what better way to avoid the unexpected than to read all those online reviews. Reviews on hotels. Reviews on tours. Reviews on airlines. Reviews on excursions. Reviews, Reviews, Reviews!!!
The sad and unfortunate truth is that most aren’t verified. Who knows who is writing them? Maybe they are snooty people who can find something wrong with everything, or perhaps there’s that elderly couple who may have written a poor review because the kids in the room next door were screaming thru the night, but that is hardly reflective of the hotel, right? They have every right to complain that their experience was terrible, but in truth the hotel was not necessarily at fault. Then there is the time factor. Some reviews are outdated, often over 3 years old. It may be a different owner, itinerary, guide, etc. than the one originally reviewed.
Moral of this blog post? We think it is smart to read reviews, but be careful how much you let the ones that are insignificant to you or your trip affect your decisions. Reviews are highly subjective and circumstantial. It’s sort of like asking a person who detests olives “How good are those olives?” only to watch them gag in disgust. You, on the other hand, think they are the best olives you have ever tasted. Its hard for people to separate the facts from opinions sometimes. The result is star ratings and reviews sometimes hurt businesses more than they help, and they can effect your decision making as well.
We have learned a valuable lesson in this industry in the last few months. The best way to get information is to get it from someone you know personally, or someone whom you consider a reliable source. It is always best when you can speak to an individual personally regarding your needs and priorities. However, if review surfing is one of your favorite resources for vacation planning then by all means read on! You can always try weeding thru the comments that don’t pertain to you. Our method is really quite simple. We narrow down our must haves to 3 or 4 major factors and then scan the reviews for those specifics first. For example, in the case of accommodations we always look for location, proximity and convenience to what we are traveling for, and also comfort and cleanliness. If while scanning thru reviews you happen to notice 20 people raving about how comfortable the beds are, you can expect you will most likely agree. We at Passport & Duffel Bag Travel Co. love comfy bed reviews…and amazing views and yummy breakfasts, it gets us every time!
