Which hotel review sites do you check before booking a hotel ?

[jaynewcastle]

I would assume most people do check reviews before booking, I guess normally on the hotel booking website they use, eg booking.com, Agoda etc

I normally book through booking.com, I check their reviews,  and also Trip Advisor review too

If I'm still a bit unsure, I also look at Agoda reviews too

[davidge]

47 minutes ago, jaynewcastle said:

I would assume most people do check reviews before booking, I guess normally on the hotel booking website they use, eg booking.com, Agoda etc

I normally book through booking.com, I check their reviews,  and also Trip Advisor review too

If I'm still a bit unsure, I also look at Agoda reviews too

I very rarely use hotels in Thailand now but when I do, and for the U.K., I always start with Trivago as it compares lots of booking sites.

If I’m going to book one of the big chains (Marriott, IHG, Accor etc etc) it’s always cheaper to book direct using their site as a member.

If it’s a standalone hotel then it depends which site is cheaper, though I like to use Booking if there’s not a huge difference in price.

I vaguely look at reviews on these sites but don’t pay huge attention to them. Occasionally look on Trip Advisor. I will scan through before booking but doesn’t often make a difference.

[vimto66]

For actual hotel 'reviews' because i usually book with Agoda i look at theirs, and then i look at trip advisor for reviews of my chosen hotel, those are my first two, i do sometimes look at other sources like other booking sites and youtube vids etc.

[Franko2018]

7 hours ago, jaynewcastle said:

I would assume most people do check reviews before booking

Yes I always read the reviews on the site that I am checking the price on. Usual Agoda or booking or Expedia but when looking for something specific I go to TripAdvisor because they use many site reviews and the search option for specific words is great. 

[jaynewcastle]

When scanning reviews, one of the main things I look for is any reports of external noise disturbing hotel guests, likes of loud music, traffic etc, as well as any other possible problems

Internal noise is impossible to predict, as completely depends on the people in the rooms around you during your stay

Edited July 29, 2023 by jaynewcastle

[vimto66]

12 minutes ago, jaynewcastle said:

When scanning reviews, one of the main things I look for is any reports of external noise disturbing hotel guests, likes of loud music, traffic etc, as well as any other possible problems

Internal noise is impossible to predict, as completely depends on the people in the rooms around you during your stay

One of my per hates on holiday is inconsiderate c***s slamming doors, does my fkn head in, hotels should put a notice up in all rooms regarding this.

[Caipirinha]

I've found that Google Maps usually has the most and most recent reviews. I also really like that it let's you search for your own keywords among the reviews if you are looking for specific things.

I usually also look at YouTube for video reviews since photos (especially the ones the hotel shows) can sometimes be misleading about things like actual room size, bed size or even the existence (or not) of windows in the room.

[Horndog85]

I use Booking, Agoda sometimes, Google reviews and YouTube when available.

It all looks mostly much bigger on pictures than it is in reality...

[CaribbeanDelight]

I just Agoda and Google Maps to see what people their experience was like. Sometimes Booking if I have reservation through them, but mainly the first two.
Youtube I only use to get an impression of rooms.

Thing is I know a guys who has a company that helps write reviews so I always ignore the 5 star reviews.

I focus on certain words. So I look for anything related to bugs, housekeeping/staff and noise.

[jaynewcastle]

Have to admit using You-Tube video's to check out hotel rooms hasn't even crossed my mind

Its not something I ever use, but it sounds like a good idea actually

With a small budget of about 800-1000bt a night, I do book larger rooms where possible, ie over 30sm's

 

There is always that moment of truth as you arrive at the hotel for the 1st time & walk to your room, & the door opens to reveal the room. Sometimes its amazing, usually its what you expect, & sometimes its not as good as you would have liked 

Edited July 31, 2023 by jaynewcastle

[mark joseph123]

i have gotten some good reviews from BMs maybe worth searching on here

[jaynewcastle]

14 minutes ago, mark joseph123 said:

i have gotten some good reviews from BMs maybe worth searching on here

Thanks for the advice, but I am looking for quiet hotels, away from the nightlife area's unlike most people on here 

 

I do like the area around Nova Suites however, having stayed there in the 1 bed deluxe suite (85-107sm's) the last 2 years at Covid prices, however completely out of my budget range at normal prices  , no matter how amazing it was

[Tuna Town]

Trip Advisor

I check out the room tips from travellers who usually can give you an idea of good and bad rooms and read both good and bad reviews

I don't mind criticism of hotels. 

There are plenty of Karen's and Ken's out there so I do like the criticism of hotels where the poster is being genuine and not just carrying on for the sake of it 

I look at pictures from all the sites as well to compare and contrast 

I will then review the hotels on other sites like Agoda Booking hotels.com

I will also check the place out on Google Earth and the surrounding area 

Once I have done the research my mind is usually made up 

I don't tend to make real bad hotel bookings this way

 

Only one I sort of got wrong was in Phuket. My research was good but I got deceived by the photos which must have been taken quite a few years earlier. The place looked exactly like the photos except that the room was heavily used since the photos with dings and marks  in the paint work every where

[stiflers_dad]

just like on amazon, i only read the 3 out of 5 star reviews, because they are the most honest and detailed. 4+/5 are usually written by blind fanboys, 1/5 reviews by haters. you can disregard those.

 

i highly recommend LOTTELLEE WINNAs hotel reviews here on this site.

[atst]

Booking.com and Expedia are what I use both easy payment, and read reviews for what thier worth.

[Hamchang]

I always take the reviews with a pinch of salt. hotel might have 500 rooms booked a night, a lot of single night stays in that, and people make a decision based upon 100 reviews over a decade. Trip adivsor and google maps for images, and "tagged" on instagram and booked through hotels.com is the usual for me. I'm only looking at room size and toilet lay out. As a polite persistent hotel complainer (as in I insist on what I've paid for in their advert, or get upgraded) I can rectify most other things on arrival. 

[Tapaz1976]

On 31/07/2023 at 19:22, stiflers_dad said:

just like on amazon, i only read the 3 out of 5 star reviews, because they are the most honest and detailed. 4+/5 are usually written by blind fanboys, 1/5 reviews by haters. you can disregard those.

 

i highly recommend LOTTELLEE WINNAs hotel reviews here on this site.

I do the same. I will read some 4 star reviews if the majority of the reviews are 4 star but then go to the 3 star reviews to see a more nuanced view with some downsides. 5 star and 1 star reviews usually are pointless.

Also agree that LOTTELLEE WINNA reviews are great with all the added details on what we want to know as mongers before booking a hotel which regular hotel review sites don't give :).

[fondylius]

I use Agoda, but never directly. The price are usually cheaper with Google search, and using the Agoda link from there.

I also check reviews and video from YouTube  to be sure, when booking a place I'm not familiar with.

[TravellingBrit]

Does checking Pattaya-Addicts count?