Using TripAdvisor to Help with Trip Planning
The first travel website that I am going to tell you about on my blog is my personal favourite. TripAdvisor can be very helpful in planning hotel stays, find restaurants and even things to do in places large and small all over the world. This website provides user’s reviews on hotels, restaurants and attractions, and ranks them based on how people rated them. It also has a booking feature, with comparable prices but there are many other sites that do this better. It is the reviews and ratings that make it so useful.
Most hotels and many bed and breakfasts are on the website. On our first family trip to Disney World back in 2011, we chose the Holiday Inn in Walt Disney World in large part due to the reviews on TripAdvisor. Everything they said in the reviews was correct including how nice the rooms and pool were, the high level of service, and the frequency and punctuality of the shuttle to the parks. Their ranking was always high, but it was the reviews that gave us the information to help us make a good decision. That was my first experience withTripAdvisor and I have used it to help plan trips and getaways both large and small ever since.
Restaurants are also on there too, including quick service options. However, the risk with the dining reviews in particular, are that there aren't enough reviews to rank accurately. But for both accomodations and dining establishments, reading the reviews are critical to making a good choice. The reasons people like or dislike a place will give you a much better picture of whether it is right for you. There are also links to reservation websites with current prices if they are available. TripAdvisor also allows users to post photos which can be revealing, and more accurate than ones posted by the businesses themselves.
The way I use TripAdvisor is to check for hotels in the place that I am going using actual or approximate dates that I am going. This allows for checking availability, and gives an idea of pricing. I then filter by reviewers ranking and for any other amenities that I am looking for such as free breakfast, swimming pool, etc. Then I will click on hotels that I am interested in. The most recent reviews are most important because you want to know how things have been most recently as hotels could be recently renovated, undergoing renovations or under new management. If I want information on how the breakfast, pool or parking is, I can search terms (although some common words or phrases are offered) for specific reviews that deal with that item. It is also wise to read one or two of the poor reviews to see whether the complaint sounds reasonable and concerning to you.
One other interesting feature (other than the booking one) is that hotel representatives can choose to reply to the reviews (or not). You can read their responses to see if they seem to care about the reviews, and whether they appear to want to address issues that are brought to their attention. One hotel in Niagara Falls that I reviewed somewhat negatively (with good reason) responded that I should contact them to make it right. I emailed the customer service representative and
she gave me a gift certificate towards a future stay.
You can also search for reviews by whether you are traveling on business, as a couple or a family. The restaurants and attractions reviews are much less plentiful, but still quite useful. Just be aware that TripAdvisor will try to get you to click on to a tour booking app, and sometimes places "featured" properties at the top of the list a la Google. And if you want to be a more active participant, you can contribute your own reviews. I have written and submitted over 100 hotel, restaurant and attraction reviews so far. You might think that Tripadvisor means a lot of extra reading as part of your trip planning , but when I think of all the value and good stays and meals it has steered me towards, it is well worth a look!
For more travel planning tips and blog posts click here.
For blog updates please follow my Facebook page, @beyourownTA
Most hotels and many bed and breakfasts are on the website. On our first family trip to Disney World back in 2011, we chose the Holiday Inn in Walt Disney World in large part due to the reviews on TripAdvisor. Everything they said in the reviews was correct including how nice the rooms and pool were, the high level of service, and the frequency and punctuality of the shuttle to the parks. Their ranking was always high, but it was the reviews that gave us the information to help us make a good decision. That was my first experience withTripAdvisor and I have used it to help plan trips and getaways both large and small ever since.
Restaurants are also on there too, including quick service options. However, the risk with the dining reviews in particular, are that there aren't enough reviews to rank accurately. But for both accomodations and dining establishments, reading the reviews are critical to making a good choice. The reasons people like or dislike a place will give you a much better picture of whether it is right for you. There are also links to reservation websites with current prices if they are available. TripAdvisor also allows users to post photos which can be revealing, and more accurate than ones posted by the businesses themselves.
The way I use TripAdvisor is to check for hotels in the place that I am going using actual or approximate dates that I am going. This allows for checking availability, and gives an idea of pricing. I then filter by reviewers ranking and for any other amenities that I am looking for such as free breakfast, swimming pool, etc. Then I will click on hotels that I am interested in. The most recent reviews are most important because you want to know how things have been most recently as hotels could be recently renovated, undergoing renovations or under new management. If I want information on how the breakfast, pool or parking is, I can search terms (although some common words or phrases are offered) for specific reviews that deal with that item. It is also wise to read one or two of the poor reviews to see whether the complaint sounds reasonable and concerning to you.
One other interesting feature (other than the booking one) is that hotel representatives can choose to reply to the reviews (or not). You can read their responses to see if they seem to care about the reviews, and whether they appear to want to address issues that are brought to their attention. One hotel in Niagara Falls that I reviewed somewhat negatively (with good reason) responded that I should contact them to make it right. I emailed the customer service representative and
she gave me a gift certificate towards a future stay.
You can also search for reviews by whether you are traveling on business, as a couple or a family. The restaurants and attractions reviews are much less plentiful, but still quite useful. Just be aware that TripAdvisor will try to get you to click on to a tour booking app, and sometimes places "featured" properties at the top of the list a la Google. And if you want to be a more active participant, you can contribute your own reviews. I have written and submitted over 100 hotel, restaurant and attraction reviews so far. You might think that Tripadvisor means a lot of extra reading as part of your trip planning , but when I think of all the value and good stays and meals it has steered me towards, it is well worth a look!
For more travel planning tips and blog posts click here.
For blog updates please follow my Facebook page, @beyourownTA
Le Grand Lodge in Mont Tremblant, Quebec
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