I used to use it a fair amount, but now hardly at all. I find the reviews to be extremely unreliable, with a good number seemingly not motivated by helpfulness but by some form of crusade about one thing or another.

To me, and I don't stay in 5 or 6 star properties but in 3 or 4 star properties generally, and never chains if I can possibly avoid them, a good hotel is about the sum of its parts. It seems, however, that many TripAdvisor commentators have little sense of balance - unless a property has this or that, it is "the worst hotel in the world", without considering the trade-off. I'm also aware that hotels will add spoof reviews on their sites as well, so it's a complete minefield and thus quite unreliable.

And, as for restaurants, it's a total joke. So many of the reviewers wouldn't know good food if it stares them in the face, judging quality by quantity, or by how fast it's shovelled in front of them. They might mark down an Italian restaurant because it's "slow" - sorry, that's how people like it in Italy, or a Japanese restaurant because it has small portions etc.

In short, I'd use TripAdvisor only if there were no alternatives - but there almost always are options, and usually they are available in English.