jspira

I cannot speak for Business Traveller but Frequent Business Traveler magazine reviews are done solely by on-staff travel journalists.

dchristiva

I wish more folks would follow this advice. I find myself weeding through a lot of fairly worthless reviews because they bellyache about other guests or about the weather rather than service, prices, amenities, location, etc. that the hotel can control.

Efrem

Right, and they affect hotel's average rating unfairly. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect people who book a trip to find out what they can generally expect of that location at that time of year.

That said, while other guests may not be under the hotel's control, the extent to which they're allowed to affect you is. If one complains about rowdiness, etc., and hotel management does nothing about it, that's a valid point to mention.

dchristiva

True.

Kagehitokiri

avoiding taking photos of other people, if possible, especially close up, seems to have no downside, and i think is appreciated

things like photos of each course during meals, flash photos, etc all have different opinions/styles, i think people can do what they are comfortable with

indeed a part of service / service recovery / etc

service seems to get a lot less focus on FT vs benefits
(not talking about points for really minor 'problems')

of course depends on context, some hotels market themselves as "rowdy" although of course there are degrees

TravelObsessed

Agree. Also, while complaints about a specific guest may not be relevant, I think observations regarding patterns can absolutely be helpful. For example, if a hotel's website presents it as being geared towards relaxation and romance but the pool is actually full of children doing cannonballs I want to know that.

LittleBoyBrew

When I write a hotel review I start with the basics: was it clean, were the beds comfortable, does the shower work well, is the bathroom well lit, does the HVAC work well, does the TV have a decent selection of channels, is there a desk or chair or a sofa in the room? I try to note things I might not use: exercise facility, laundry, business center. Other things to consider: Are the elevators slow? Is there excessive outside noise? Were the people at the hotel friendly and helpful (which I take as a sign of a well managed facility). What about food, is their a restaurant, other options nearby?

Like others have said there are no rules but I think if you write about the things that are important to you then you will likely hit the correct topics.

kop84

But average temperatures are available to anyone with an internet connection. It may not be out of line to say something like, "do not expect to be able to enjoy the ocean if traveling in January as the temperatures are in the mid 60's F. But to impact the hotel's rating due to that is unfair. There is a reason most hotel/resorts like that have an off season rate.

LondonElite

I've always wanted to know this as well.

warakorn

Lets look at it from the perspective of a reader of reviews.
Before booking a hotel, I usually read 5-10 reviews about that hotel.
1) I ignore the super positive generic-sounding comments completely.
2) If I read more than 3 negative reviews, mentioning the same fault (esp. about the cleaniness, AC, security, DCC scam), I won't book that hotel.
3) If I book the hotel and some negative points were mentioned, usually I also encounter these negative points.
4) If I read (e.g.) that the staff at a Chinese hotel cannot speak English, I ignore this, because that is something to expect in Mainland China.

For a reader the most valuable information for me are: 1) how to get to/from the hotel 2) recommendations on nearby restaurants and public transit 3) which side of the hotel are better rooms

Again, I write reviews as well. I will never post a negative review about a hotel when I encounter problems, but the hotel acted swiftly on service recovery (or at least try to do it). Example: if the AC does not work and three technicians come by to repair it, but fail -> I won't post that negative issue in reviews; However, if the hotel ignores and smiles away my complaint, the hotel will 100% receive a negative review. The same applies if the hotels tries to pull a DCC scam on me and then telling me they can only charge my credit card in my home currency, the hotel will receive a complaint, as well.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

First and foremost, if you stay at a 2 star property do not write a review complaining about the types of towels, older carpet, plasma tv on the wall, etc. Its a 2 star hotel for a reason. Second, most people do not give a rat's behind if the front desk weren't all smiles and full of love. They want a quick check in and check out. Third, don't blame hotels for things they can't control like a cheesy strip shopping center across the street.

Efrem

I wouldn't downgrade a hotel for something like that, but I would mention it in a review. It's something people want to know before they book, and they're unlikely to find out about it from the hotel's Web site. (Doesn't have to be a cheesy strip mall, of course. Hotels spin their locations in the most positive light possible, perhaps even more than stretching the truth. Photos are carefully taken from angles that avoid non-flattering neighbors. "Near the beach" could mean "if you don't mind trespassing in a gated community with armed guards and attack dogs to get there.") These things may not be under the hotel's control, short of picking it up and moving it, but there's no reason for a reviewer to avoid them.

darthbimmer

On the contrary, the neighborhood a hotel is in is a salient point for review. A "cheesy strip shopping center" across the street could mean:

• Problems with noise
• Problems with traffic
• Problems with parking
• Problems with vagrancy/personal safety
• Presence or absence of stores & restaurants within walking distance

A good review would describe which of these are concerns and how.

Proudelitist

I think it's basic courtesy to leave out pictures that include people in them if you intend to put the pictures online. Not courtesy to the company, but to the people themselves.

That said, I think you have a basic journalistic right to take all the pictures you want of public areas, even on private property. Legally that question may have a different answer, but consider..it's a hotel. What hotel in their right mind is going to stop guests from taking photographs? That's what people do on holiday. It's a bit like a mall discouraging shopping.

And if you see something that people should know about, by all means. You are doing a public service. For example, if you see a cockroach crawling on the breakfast buffet, or black mold growing out of a vent in the lobby..take that picture.

As far as your room goes, who is going to stop you taking pictures in there? It's not like anyone is watching you. Hopefully.

I think we need MORE people taking candid pictures of their rooms. Researching a hotel on line usually only brings up the approved, professionally taken photographs taken by the hotel's marketing department. I want to see the REAL deal, without marketing prep, as it will look to my eyes when I get there.

I suggest you don't even ask the staff, and certainly don't tell them.

My other pet peeve about reviews is in regards to complaints about "rude staff". It seems everyone who doesn't get their way, no matter how unreasonable, accuses the staff of being rude. You have to take those with a huge grain of salt. There are two sides to every story, and when I read some review about rude staff, I tend to imagine the reviewer was there making some outlandish request and getting denied and then becoming indignant.

If there is a customer service problem, I want the facts, not a report about how the clerks "tone" was. For example, ordering room service, getting the wrong food, and being told by the guy "can't you just eat this?"..or requesting towels because there were none, and when the staff arrives at your room they only brought replacement shampoos.

jspira

If you are a journalist, maybe. If you are writing a review for a forum or other similar site, then no. Insofar as taking pictures on private property is concerned, that is totally up to the owner of the property owner.

I completely concur. Frequent Business Traveler magazine only uses shots of the actual room (or airplane seat, for flight reviews) that the journalist is in. In fact, we take pains to make this clear by having the MacBook open to FBT so it's clear that it's our shot, not a hotel's marketing shot. We strive to create really good photos but they are of the room as it greets us, not after two days of setup for a photo shoot.