Travel Reviews for Vacation Planning

When you are ready to plan a memorable getaway, travel reviews are a useful tool for vacation planning and your new best friend! Travel reviews (and my borderline obsession with reading them) have resulted in some of our most memorable travel adventures. And my work with hotels over the years, only reinforced my opinion of the importance of reviews. Travel reviews take you beyond the pretty pictures to the true customer experience.

Today, I’m sharing a few tips I’ve picked up over the years on how to discover hidden gems. When you sit down to plan your next trip, put on your private investigator hat, and follow these simple tips when reading reviews. I’m confident they’ll help you plan a special vacay!

Is There A Response?     

A business that cares about its guests appreciates feedback- both good and bad. A business that responded to guest reviews is demonstrating that they care and value customer feedback. The reply itself should reflect a level of appreciation when praised for excellent service and take on a tone of humility when things have gone awry for the guest. A personalized response indicates a genuine interest.     

Look for Trends    

There are ups and downs in every business, as is in life itself. When reading reviews, look for trends, both positive and negative. If you notice that the company had negative reviews a few months back, but now guests are singing its praises, they have likely corrected the problem. Perhaps they had a staffing or personnel issue? If you see a positive trend, you should have more comfort in making the reservation. On the flip side, if the guest feedback is consistently negative for several weeks or months, the problem still likely exists- book with caution.     

Does the Travel Review Speak to Your Needs?    

We all have different preferences. A guest may leave a negative review because THEY did not make an excellent choice based on their preferences. For example, when I read through traveler reviews before our first trip to the Sandals Resort in Negril, Jamaica, I noticed a few negative reviews that complained about the resort’s size. The travel reviews were not complaining of poor service, but they were disappointed that the resort only had five restaurants versus fifteen. So I discounted those types of negative reviews because I knew the resort’s size was perfect for us. In fact, we love it so much there we have stayed at that resort several times.    

On a Personal Note…  

On a personal and final note, the reviews that tend to be a red flag for me are where guests leave negative comments regarding cleanliness or staff attitudes… and there seems to be a consistent pattern. Both are non-negotiable for me, as a clean and friendly stay is always a top priority. So the next time you scour through travel reviews when planning a vacation, make sure you are paying attention to these essential points.