Hotel ratings redux

Sometimes, what you don’t put in a story is as significant as what gets published.

Take today’s story, Hotel Reviews Online: In Bed With Hope, Half-Truths and Hype, that appeared in the business section of The New York Times.

For example, I did not include any information about how to spot a fake review. I could say that it was beyond the scope of the story. But the truth is, no one would tell me — even when I asked nicely.

Maybe it’s because no one really knows.

I also left out the name of the Key West property that offered a 10 percent discount to future guests in exchange for a favorable review on TripAdvisor. I interviewed that hotel owner and came away believing that she was more of a victim than a criminal.

Indeed, there was ample evidence that many of her competitors had figured out how to manipulate the system without getting caught. If I was going to name names, it would have been them.

Finally, I didn’t state my own opinion about the credibility of online reviews. That’s because this was a news feature, not an opinion column like Sounding Off, which appears every other week in the Times.

But after spending several weeks researching this story, it’s pretty obvious to me that hotels are having their way with the review sites. And I would never base a lodging decision solely on a review I read online.



  • David Rowell

    I think the thing about how to spot a fake review is fairly kept secret, because if the fakers knew the techniques used to spot them, they’d change their techniques.

    And now, I guess I’ll contribute further to the ‘conspiracy of silence’ (as did you, yourself, Chris!) because I think I can spot >some

  • harold Weller

    I have read reviews posted at several review sites and am always left with the same question regardless if this is a negative or positive review. Who is the person who wrote the review? How does the writers like and dislikes gel with mine? Is the writer more like me or my generation xy children? The mystery is not whether the review is a fake or not;rather what criteria are being used by the writer. As a result, I tend to utilize the experience of friends whose tastes I know, my t ravel agent who knows me, and impartial review services such as Star Service which is not employed by the hotels.

  • Marilyn Bamford

    I read Trip Advisor frequently – and also write reviews of nearly every hotel in which we stay. I try to stay objective and factual, so that it is clear what does and doesn’t work at a particular property. I think I can usually spot a fake review – everthing is usually beyond wonderful – or the person appears to be in a non stop rage, is not very artriculate in stating their criticisms etc. It helps to be a family therapist, especially in assessing tone…. though i am sure I have missed some made up stuff over time! Sometimes there are so many negative reviews of places, i have to return to my favorite spots and make sure that they continue with their good reputations! Though I love most of the Ritz Carltons of this world, we don’t often afford to stay in them – so I do find these on line reviews of use over time. I think they are at least as helpful as blurbs in guidebooks. For instance the Biltmore in Phoenix has a really interesting mixture of reviews on TA and a stellar write up in most guidebooks. It is a wonderfully interesting property, but there are problems there – mainly related to its large size, infinite variety of rooms, and(probably) high turnover of employees – so reviews are mixed. Keep up the good work, Christopher!