My TA most helpful votes are pretty equally divided between positive and negative reviews and include a hotel and a garden in Germany and a several mid level hotels ranging from boutique to chain in the USA.
I use other reviews by looking for cleanliness reports, location information, and specific information about services and equipment. I discount restaurant reviews that begin " I never eat ( blank) food but ... or reviews that say " this was our first time to ( cruise, stay in a hotel or b and b . I also tend to discount reviews that rave over a place or ones that complain about picky service details ( No bagels at breakfats? Shame !) Shills usually are obvious.