Hotel websites versus reality....
Dec 18, 2009, 6:10 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
Hotel websites versus reality....
The hotel I am staying in right now bears no resemblance whatsoever to the images it shows on its website, whereas the hotel I stayed in prior to this, was 500% better than the website suggested. What are your experiences of this? Who gets closest to reality?
Dec 18, 2009, 6:45 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Jakarta
Programs: Krisflyer PPS, SPG, Hyatt GoldPassport, Shangri-la Golden Circle, British Airways ExecClub
Posts: 1,245
It varies from hotel to hotel. Obviously most hotels show off their rooms in a good light and hide those that they don't want others to see. Some however are quite accurate in their depiction of the rooms while others are totally not what was portrayed in the website. Generally ( but not always ), I find the MO and FS website photos quite accurate. Then there are things that one cannot tell from the hotel website photos, like the quality of the furnishing, the maintenance/housekeeping, the comfort factor and general cleanliness that can only be checked when physically present.
I usually find hotel photos posted on tripadvisor and flickr to be quite helpful to let me have an impression of the room short of physically visiting the property.
I usually find hotel photos posted on tripadvisor and flickr to be quite helpful to let me have an impression of the room short of physically visiting the property.
Dec 18, 2009, 7:37 am
#3
Join Date: Feb 2003
Programs: UA1K, *G & Wife of UA1K MM
Posts: 3,432
I always think the best thing a hotel can do is show a few pictures of EACH level of accomodation. That way, there is no room for misunderstanding. Of course, FS and others have the floor plans which is also very helpful.
My biggest pet peave is luxury hotel websites that use small photos. In this age of high speed internet, they need to give me some nice big pics so I can see the details! The hotel may be lovely / recently renovated / etc. but if the photos are too small I'll never really know it.
My biggest pet peave is luxury hotel websites that use small photos. In this age of high speed internet, they need to give me some nice big pics so I can see the details! The hotel may be lovely / recently renovated / etc. but if the photos are too small I'll never really know it.
Dec 18, 2009, 10:32 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
my experience at sanctuary >
if only more were like yours. 
http://www.sanctuaryoncamelback.com/...ss_062209.html
...picture is a current one from casa 2.
...media room matches current website pictures. one odd thing there, the light switch is partially behind the shelving etc on the left hand side. takes a second to find, but not too inconvenient...outdoor furniture was very good, actually better than most of the outdoor seating at the restaurant and between jade bar and views. it is also better than the furniture shown on accommodations / reservations pages. dining room is also different from those pages. its currently a dark wooden table and chairs...
...living room furniture matches picture on reservations page, not accommodations page. (definitely comfortable, but older and more traditional - so some may prefer it...
...picture is a current one from casa 2.
...media room matches current website pictures. one odd thing there, the light switch is partially behind the shelving etc on the left hand side. takes a second to find, but not too inconvenient...outdoor furniture was very good, actually better than most of the outdoor seating at the restaurant and between jade bar and views. it is also better than the furniture shown on accommodations / reservations pages. dining room is also different from those pages. its currently a dark wooden table and chairs...
...living room furniture matches picture on reservations page, not accommodations page. (definitely comfortable, but older and more traditional - so some may prefer it...
http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/med...k-mountain.jpg
view of casa 2 from tennis court, nothing comparable on website
view of casa 2 from tennis court, nothing comparable on website
finally stopped being lazy and uploaded this pic of view from living room couch >
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/7966/dsc00983kc.jpg
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/7966/dsc00983kc.jpg
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Dec 18, 2009 at 10:39 am
Dec 18, 2009, 11:42 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: OSL
Posts: 2,145
FS website is very good when it comes to showing the room in my experience. I also love that they have floorplans. Still I am mostly positively surprised when seeing the room in RL.
Amanresorts seem to want to leave the room as a positive surprise, they show a little bit, but the big wow factor is left to arrival. Nice in a way, but mainly leaves me with the need to send emails and ask about a number of things before I book, which is sometimes a bit frustrating.
Most other websites gives me too little information, and I end up looking at TA and flickr to see what I want to know before making the decision to book which is sub-optimal because I never can be sure that the picture I see is really the room that I have booked.
In terms of pictures of the landscape/beach/pool, my experience is that the really beautiful places are never as good as RL on a picture, but the not so good places can look fantastic at a good pictures. Difficult...
Amanresorts seem to want to leave the room as a positive surprise, they show a little bit, but the big wow factor is left to arrival. Nice in a way, but mainly leaves me with the need to send emails and ask about a number of things before I book, which is sometimes a bit frustrating.
Most other websites gives me too little information, and I end up looking at TA and flickr to see what I want to know before making the decision to book which is sub-optimal because I never can be sure that the picture I see is really the room that I have booked.
In terms of pictures of the landscape/beach/pool, my experience is that the really beautiful places are never as good as RL on a picture, but the not so good places can look fantastic at a good pictures. Difficult...
Dec 18, 2009, 12:47 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: So. California
Programs: UA, SPG
Posts: 1,385
I too have to agree that generally FS has pretty good pics. That said, there are certain room categories at certain FS properties that have no photo at all!
What I find hardest to understand about hotel marketing is that they expect us to make a decision that can involve several (or many) thousands of dollars, our precious vacation time, and yet provide so little information on the websites (photos especially). It is not helpful for me to know that some rooms have steam showers, for example, if there is no indication of which categories have them.
The worst offenders generally are the larger (less luxurious) franchises (Westin, Sheraton, Hilton, etc). Trip Advisor and Flickr are my alternate sources for information. If I were booking a week long stay at a resort, particularly if it were a very expensive room, I would not be shy about calling the on site sales department and ask for pictures (and/or floorplan) of the actual room type being booked.
Vuittonsofstyle: I am not clear from your original post whether your room is a disappointment or a pleasant surprise.
What I find hardest to understand about hotel marketing is that they expect us to make a decision that can involve several (or many) thousands of dollars, our precious vacation time, and yet provide so little information on the websites (photos especially). It is not helpful for me to know that some rooms have steam showers, for example, if there is no indication of which categories have them.
The worst offenders generally are the larger (less luxurious) franchises (Westin, Sheraton, Hilton, etc). Trip Advisor and Flickr are my alternate sources for information. If I were booking a week long stay at a resort, particularly if it were a very expensive room, I would not be shy about calling the on site sales department and ask for pictures (and/or floorplan) of the actual room type being booked.
Vuittonsofstyle: I am not clear from your original post whether your room is a disappointment or a pleasant surprise.
Dec 19, 2009, 3:22 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
I too have to agree that generally FS has pretty good pics. That said, there are certain room categories at certain FS properties that have no photo at all!
What I find hardest to understand about hotel marketing is that they expect us to make a decision that can involve several (or many) thousands of dollars, our precious vacation time, and yet provide so little information on the websites (photos especially). It is not helpful for me to know that some rooms have steam showers, for example, if there is no indication of which categories have them.
The worst offenders generally are the larger (less luxurious) franchises (Westin, Sheraton, Hilton, etc). Trip Advisor and Flickr are my alternate sources for information. If I were booking a week long stay at a resort, particularly if it were a very expensive room, I would not be shy about calling the on site sales department and ask for pictures (and/or floorplan) of the actual room type being booked.
Vuittonsofstyle: I am not clear from your original post whether your room is a disappointment or a pleasant surprise.
What I find hardest to understand about hotel marketing is that they expect us to make a decision that can involve several (or many) thousands of dollars, our precious vacation time, and yet provide so little information on the websites (photos especially). It is not helpful for me to know that some rooms have steam showers, for example, if there is no indication of which categories have them.
The worst offenders generally are the larger (less luxurious) franchises (Westin, Sheraton, Hilton, etc). Trip Advisor and Flickr are my alternate sources for information. If I were booking a week long stay at a resort, particularly if it were a very expensive room, I would not be shy about calling the on site sales department and ask for pictures (and/or floorplan) of the actual room type being booked.
Vuittonsofstyle: I am not clear from your original post whether your room is a disappointment or a pleasant surprise.
I also think that hotel websites should show pictures of every level of accommodation as it can be very tricky booking on-line - not really knowing what the room/suite looks like.
I like the FS and Aman websites but wish FS would not dress its photos so much, with non-existent plants etc. This happens with other sites, too. They dress the room up with flowers and fruit, but when you arrive, there is nothing.
FS are generally very good (apart from the carefully positioned palms), but the place I am staying in now shows a warm, friendly bedroom with flowers and fruit. Guess what, no flowers at all and 3 pieces of old fruit. Flying home tomorrow, thankfully.
Dec 19, 2009, 9:32 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Dublin,Ireland and Nice France
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,059
T'was considerably blander and definitely no plants or candles.
So they get a nought out of ten for that..
Dec 19, 2009, 3:27 pm
#10
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A massive disappointment, I'm afraid! One of the things I really want to see on websites is bathrooms, which are rarely shown, yet are vitally important.
I also think that hotel websites should show pictures of every level of accommodation as it can be very tricky booking on-line - not really knowing what the room/suite looks like.
I like the FS and Aman websites but wish FS would not dress its photos so much, with non-existent plants etc. This happens with other sites, too. They dress the room up with flowers and fruit, but when you arrive, there is nothing.
FS are generally very good (apart from the carefully positioned palms), but the place I am staying in now shows a warm, friendly bedroom with flowers and fruit. Guess what, no flowers at all and 3 pieces of old fruit. Flying home tomorrow, thankfully.
I also think that hotel websites should show pictures of every level of accommodation as it can be very tricky booking on-line - not really knowing what the room/suite looks like.
I like the FS and Aman websites but wish FS would not dress its photos so much, with non-existent plants etc. This happens with other sites, too. They dress the room up with flowers and fruit, but when you arrive, there is nothing.
FS are generally very good (apart from the carefully positioned palms), but the place I am staying in now shows a warm, friendly bedroom with flowers and fruit. Guess what, no flowers at all and 3 pieces of old fruit. Flying home tomorrow, thankfully.
Dec 19, 2009, 4:07 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Thanks for the Memories !!!
Posts: 10,657
The best tell all photos are the room/property views taken by tourists seen on trip advisor etc. They show what the property/room looked like during the stay included with dates. You can immediately see the variance between what the reality is and what the hotel would like it to be! I also like the hotels that state the specific room size, and show a floor map so you know what to at least request !
Dec 19, 2009, 11:37 pm
#12
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Jakarta
Programs: Krisflyer PPS, SPG, Hyatt GoldPassport, Shangri-la Golden Circle, British Airways ExecClub
Posts: 1,245
Dec 20, 2009, 8:46 am
#13
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Home
Programs: Virgin FC, Qantas, Golden Circle, Sofitel, Hyatt, Starwood, Nectar, and my Tesco Club Card
Posts: 1,770
The one's I hate are the room descriptions you get that list a wonderful array of amenities within the room only to state at the bottom,
"Some of the amenities above may not be available in all rooms. Fees on certain amenities/services may apply"
I like the Peninsula Web Site. Generally lots of information and nice photography.
I do wish hotels would put more details of the restaurants on site. I like to see full menus and wine lists inc prices in pdf format, rather than menu highlights. Comprehensive menus help sell a restaurant to me as much as nice photos do for their rooms.
"Some of the amenities above may not be available in all rooms. Fees on certain amenities/services may apply"
I like the Peninsula Web Site. Generally lots of information and nice photography.
I do wish hotels would put more details of the restaurants on site. I like to see full menus and wine lists inc prices in pdf format, rather than menu highlights. Comprehensive menus help sell a restaurant to me as much as nice photos do for their rooms.
Dec 20, 2009, 10:10 am
#14
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Another good site for reviews with pictures...
...although limited by the number of hotels, I have found these photos to be pretty accurate so far.
http://www.oyster.com/
http://www.oyster.com/
Dec 20, 2009, 12:27 pm
#15
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,857
This isn't for a luxury hotel, but here's a great example of that type of description: "Extra window in bedroom (suites only)" That's for those of us who feared a suite came with a windowless bedroom, I guess.