I totally disagree. I find the key to Tripadvisor is to look for consistency in the reviews. I throw out the one-off review raving about a property or slamming it when all of the other reviews state the opposite opinion. But if numerous reviews note poor housekeeping, lousy poolside service, a disinterested front desk staff, etc., I'll heed the warning.

As another poster said, you've got to READ the reviews, not just trust the star rating.