I use a combination of Tripadvisor and FT.

Even given the deficiencies of Tripadvisor, I find it can be very useful if I rely more on detailed, sensibly written reviews, whether positive or negative, especially if the reviewer has many posts. All of these factors mitigate the chances of getting a phony review that's shilling for a hotel or conversely looking to sabotage a competitor.

I also take account of the price of the hotel in considering the reviews, especially for overseas trips to relatively exotic locales. While of course there can be great budget deals, a place that goes for, say, $50/night might seem like the epitome of luxury and service to someone accustomed to hostels, but pretty poor to someone older and/or softer like me.

Finally, I'm not nearly so careful about business trips, but if planning a vacation for my wife and myself I'll sometimes pm FT or TA members who have posted reviews, to ask them further questions about a place. Naturally and understandably, some folks never respond, but I've gotten some extremely useful info from those who do.