I like knowing as much as possible and seeing pictures of everything before booking a luxury hotel and when looking forward to a holiday.
I normally check here (of course!), TripAdvisor (reviews and pictures), www.flickr.com (pictures), hotels own internet sites (pictures, floor plans, resort plans, activities, menues etc.), Gallivanter's guide (reviews) and look for videos at You Tube or the ones that Kuoni Travel have (www.kuoni.co.uk).
I find TripAdvisor useless for mid-range and higher hotels, the reviews are overly glowing. I expect most folks on this forum would agree.
Over Xmas, we stayed a few nights in Kingman, Arizona. Unfortunately, the best hotel in Kingman and surroundings is a Hampton Inn -- which is at the low end of mid-range, complete with plastic cups. Take a look at some of the TripAdvisor reviews for that hotel to get an idea of what I mean.
"We were treated like royalty....Anyway, the rooms were luxurious, the staff was incredibly friendly..., the breakfast was delicious...."
I judge different sources of information differently, and agree that TripAdvisor reviews do not give the whole truth, especially when it comes to luxury hotel reviews (honeymooners seem to be in heaven/paradise etc. whereever they for example - and some people seem to use TA to punish a hotel for an episode of bad service instead of dealing with the issue when being there). However, I still think that many of the Trip Advisor reviews give me useful information when planning a holiday, also at a luxury hotel.
However, I still think that many of the Trip Advisor reviews give me useful information when planning a holiday, also at a luxury hotel.
Used with foreknowledge of their sometimes severe limitations, and used in conjunction with other information sources, TA reviews can still be helpful and useful.
The problem comes when some travelers begin to assign omnipotence and unimpeachability to TA, to the exclusion of all other sources of information. TA should never, IMHO, be either the first, or the only, resource used in making lodging decisions.
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Reviews of Luxury hotels are highly subjective as you don't know the authors point of reference. Are they comparing to the FS George V, The Tuscon Doubletree or the local Microtel?. For this reason I agree that reviews on TA are of limited value.
As a photographer I do place some value on the photographs posted on TA and similar sites. The professionally done images that are posted on the hotel websites are of course intended to create the best possible impression of the property. On the other hand a decent snapshot will often be a more realistic depiction of the subject.
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I find TripAdvisor useless for mid-range and higher hotels, the reviews are overly glowing. I expect most folks on this forum would agree.
I agree! I actually look here on FT if I'm considering anything 4* or above because Tripadvisor reviews tend to be far too glowing or whining about some bizarre things when it comes to that range of hotels. I have to look at posts very carefully to filter through '4*/5* novices that consider anything half decent great' and 'mindless whiners'.
I have stopped looking at trip adviser as it makes me cross. Many of the posters appear to have never been anywhere and therefore think that in-room toiletries are a novelty and any form of service is an Ohmigod experience.
I listen to FT, but I often disagree. I think that you have to set your own personal criteria, which of course takes into account your cultural background and expectations. What excites a European would not necessarily excite a North American, and vice versa.
I always look at hotel websites but aim off like crazy as of course the photos show the property in its best light, or even show it in a way that no guest ever gets to see!
I read all the high-end travel glossies and newsletters as background and I talk to friends who have an in-depth knowledge of a country.
Despite all that desk research, I still manage to get it wrong sometimes.
Last edited by vuittonsofstyle; Mar 1, 09 at 7:48 am.
Reason: mistake
I agree that the TA reviews are mostly less than objective and need to be taken with a grain of salt. However, one of the best features of TA is the "traveler's photos" section, which is usually good to see the angles of the hotel that the management does not want you to see.
In any case, TA never is my primary source for information. And I agree with vuittonsofstyle, even with the best and most thorough research, a chosen property can be less than satisfying.
I check reviews on TA but regularly find it irritating when misinformation is stated as fact. I have found TA most useful if I am looking for somewhere special in a quiet corner of Europe but its usually quirky rather than luxury accomodation.
I read the usual glossy travel magazines and newsletters. I prefer Gallivanters to Harpers as I think Harper is more geared towards northern americans with an emphasis on the U.S. and its environs.
Although I have occasional business travel to the U.S., my main leisure and some business travel is to Europe and Asia. I think the advice I have received from Gallivanters for Asia in particular and Europe has been invaluable. The detail of each hotel and resort as described in Gallivanters is exceptional.
I enjoy CN Traveller as a flick through glossy and I usually find a few interesting points on various locations but it is 'lite'.
Flyertalk provides an incredible resource and if none of my previously mentioned sources were available, I would still travel well with the advice here. I like to dip into the other Travel&Dining threads and I have found interesting luxury hotels in the trip reports and individual country/areas.
A combination of all of the above mentioned sources keeps me a happy traveller!
I use pretty much the same tools as everyone else has mentioned, plus subscribing to Andrew Harper. I do find his guides to be helpful as well. And of course a great travel agent is invaluable, although I always research destinations for myself and never rely entirely on my agent's recommendations even though they are generally very good.
I find TripAdvisor useless for mid-range and higher hotels, the reviews are overly glowing. I expect most folks on this forum would agree.
Over Xmas, we stayed a few nights in Kingman, Arizona. Unfortunately, the best hotel in Kingman and surroundings is a Hampton Inn -- which is at the low end of mid-range, complete with plastic cups. Take a look at some of the TripAdvisor reviews for that hotel to get an idea of what I mean.
"We were treated like royalty....Anyway, the rooms were luxurious, the staff was incredibly friendly..., the breakfast was delicious...."
Wait one! I've not stayed at the Kingman, AZ HI, but enough others to understand by whom the reviews were likely written and their perspective of the hotel in question. Odds are good that none of them have ever stayed in a luxury hotel, found the joint hospitable (a welcome change from some HIs and similarly priced hotels in some other parts of the country) and reacted accordingly. They liked the breakfast. It was free and hot (or heatable). 'Nuff said.
Quality is entirely in the eye of the beholder, and beholders' eyes form relative images.
I presume, had you taken time to review the hotel, the rest of us would now be equipped with your honest (and relative) opinion to balance the commentary on file.
In my case, having been exposed to hotels of every class, category and pretension (and pretentiousness), I have yet to find a "luxury" Vegas hotel that didn't seem almost actively unpleasant. Maybe it's simply Vegas, and the fact that, except for poker, bridge and pitch, I find gambling, especially organized gambling, absent any entertainment value, no better than the lottery with neon and cocktail waitresses. "Free drinks" aren't worth having to sit there and watch folks make fools of themselves. The same is true for many of the "resort" hotels in which I've stayed. The hotels and their facilities may be nice, but life is too short to be spent in company with the sort of clientele on display in many of them. Maybe it's the patrons, but in the US at least, too often the staff seems to emulate attitudinally the guests' profiles.
In late April, a major trip will take us to three Central European capitals, and three "more than overnight" stays in a trio of big (US) name hotels, 2 by Marriott, one by Hilton, burning up some points before growing too old to enjoy doing so. While not quite "Luxury" hotels, all three by virtue of the names over the doors attract a fairly upscale tourist and commercial trade. I look forward to what they look like, how they feel, and the demeanor/reactions of the staff. But just as did the reviewers of the Hampton Inn in Kingman, any reviews I write will be based upon my own jaundiced eyes.
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A combination of:
Here,
Fodors (although the views on certain hotels is even more entrenched than here),
Word of Mouth/Reputation (e.g. read any book on Bangkok and you'll see mention of The Oriental),
Trip Advisor - mainly for the photos, but I think you can put more or less weight on some of the reviews which can help form a picture a view
I also like checking out a couple of the hotels when I'm staying elsewhere in the resort / city - you'll get a feel for the feel of the place and the sort of people it attracts.
Weighing up these and perhaps other factors such as Location, what's in the vicinity etc and balancing it against price / value (Crime doesn't Pay) means we're usually happy with our choice.
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