jspira

Actually the reason for the choice of a hotel - such as a family reunion - is key to what a reader will likely wonder when reading a review, namely "Why did the reviewer choose this property?"

For example, one of the first reviews I ever wrote, back in 2007 when I was the chief analyst at a think tank, was of the Tacoma Sheraton. I didn't pick the hotel, I was a paid speaker at an event and more or less obliged to stay there.

To quote from my review: "It’s in Tacoma. I only went there to speak at a conference. Why the organizers selected this venue is beyond me...."

Of course I would not go on and on about the family reunion and how Aunt Sally and Uncle Joe had a fight or Uncle Ted's famous apple pie was a dud but it is in fact important to put things into perspective.

elusive1

If the reunion is at the hotel it is of course pertinent. "My wife and I were staying here for our 13th anniversary" is not, especially when the reviewer adds how it was ruined by whatever transpired. I think it is safe to say all of us feel the same pain in getting our trip effected, whether it is a second honeymoon or not.

darthbimmer

I agree-- statements like "We stayed here while attending a family reunion" are useful if they provide a frame of context around the reviewer's opinions. For example, "We stayed here while attending a family reunion. The location worked great for visiting grandma's house in the suburbs, but it's miles away from the business and tourist districts in town."

jspira

You missed my point, I suspect. The reason for selecting the hotel in the first place sets the context for the review.

elusive1

Fair enough, I suppose my comments were more for a complaint.

KoKoBuddy

I hate negative reviews that have to do with something very specific to the traveler and not something that 99% of others would encounter. Something like I booked 4 rooms and requested them on the same floor and when we got there 1 room was on the 12th floor, another was on the 17th floor and the other two were on the 19th floor and this ruined our entire vacation. OK you didn't get exactly what you requested, but how many people are going to run into this situation? Tell me about the hotel...was it clean, was the staff friendly, were the beds comfortable, was the area around the hotel safe....things that will apply to everyone who stays there.

cbn42

Valid point, but sometimes this can say something about the staff. If the hotel refused to put an extended family together, will they also ignore requests for rooms away from the elevator? It could indicate that the staff is apathetic and doesn't bother trying to accommodate customer requests.