Online Reviews: What should you believe?

We got a few really great questions over the weekend; thanks to everyone for your submissions. The most interesting item was one that has actually been the subject of much debate recently and an important question for those travelers who research their accommodations and other travel itineraries beforehand:

"How much should I trust the reviews on sites like Trip Advisor, Expedia, and others? I think the reviews are helpful when planning a trip, but I have heard some people say that the reviews are all rigged."--Lynn in Burgaw

Lynn,

Interestingly enough, USA Today ran a fairly brief story on Trip Advisor on Black Friday this year, and several website postings over the last few months have been asking the same question. The answers have varied, but one common theme exists: if you are going to base even a percentage of your decision on user reviews, it is better to read reviews on several sites than to use just one.

And increasingly, it appears that travelers are basing a significant percentage of their travel decisions on user reviews. A recent study indicated that 34% of travelers are "likely" to use reviews as a significant part of the decision making process in selecting a hotel, behind only previous experience with the hotel or hotel brand. So your question is one that more and more people are asking themselves, thus the increasing number of attempts to answer it.

Here are a few general guidelines that our team would suggest whenever you are using online reviews as a part of your decision-making process:

1. To quote from the USA Today article, "Follow an 'Olympic Scoring' approach." Whenever you are reading reviews on an online source, immediately toss out the best and worst of them (or the best and worst 2 or 3, depending on the number of reviews). The reviews in the middle are the ones most likely to be honest and unbiased reviews. With any review system, the extreme highs and lows are usually outliers that will rarely give you a realistic perspective on what is "normal." So toss out the highest and lowest scores and their comments and focus on the ones in the middle.

2. Look for a solid sampling size of reviews. This is more difficult with the online booking engines like Expedia, Orbitz, and Priceline, because there are not usually a substantial number of reviews for a variety of properties in a given area. With Trip Advisor, we would suggest hotels with 50 or more reviews. Newer hotels, i.e., those that have opened within the previous 18 months, may be disadvantaged here, but in general hotels with 50 or more reviews have a large enough sample size to (a) get an overall picture of the hotel's service and product, and (b) weed out any dishonest or emotionally-charged reviews.

3. Pay more attention (and give more credence) to reviewers with a solid sampling of reviews. Particularly with Trip Advisor, which lists the number of reviews that a user has completed next to their profile name, be wary of reviewers whose only review is a glowing or scathing review of the hotel you are researching. This can tip you off to, once again, dishonesty or an emotionally-charged situation. You don't necessarily have to look for frequent travelers or habitual reviewers, but seeking out reviews done by those with 5 or more reviews on the site should be enough to assure yourself that their comments are genuine.

4. Read the comments as well as the score. The more detail a reviewer provides on their own experience, the more helpful it will be to you. Many times scores are reflective of little more than a guess or a rough interpretation, but specific comments can paint a picture that you can place yourself in.

5. Again, and most importantly, check multiple sources. If you research on Trip Advisor, then also check Priceline and Expedia. You're more likely to get an honest perspective if you seek a broad array of responses. You may also want to check Oyster.com, a newer site that sends anonymous reviewers to review hotels and travel destinations. Most of their reviews are centered in major cities currently from what we can tell, but if they have reviews for hotels in the area of your destination, it may be worth a look.

Ultimately, online review sources are an excellent and necessary source of information, and a valuable resource. But seek a breadth of sources and information when you use them to ensure that you are getting the right information and not just a lot of it.

One more thing you might try while researching--once you have narrowed your choices, call each hotel and ask a simple question (what time is your breakfast?, for example); the tone of the answer you get and the service offered you by the staff will likely tell you what type of service you will receive when there. Compare the calls you've made and use that as an additional tool in making your decision.

Thanks for the question, Lynn! Happy holidays and safe travels!

We'll be back Friday with answers to more of your questions, so keep them coming to hgimayfaire@gmail.com!

Scott