Transform Your Trips: Learn How to Effectively Evaluate Hotel Reviews

I’m always on the hunt for that perfect hotel stay or memorable dinner. But while having an absolutely perfect vacation is near impossible, I’ve learned, through trial and error, that the key to having the best trips has to do with reading the reviews before booking.

I’m talking about reviews for everything, like hotels, dinner reservations, tours, and more. Yes, this adds time to my travel booking and planning process (and it can be tedious — come on, reviewers, use proper grammar!), but it ensures that my travels align with my needs and expectations.

Reading reviews can be both overwhelming and exhausting, especially considering there are so many sites (Tripadvisor, Google, Booking.com, Hotels.com, and so many more). And with review integrity at what feels like an all-time low (paid reviews, fake reviews, incentivized reviews, AI reviews, and businesses trashing their competitors in reviews), it’s complicated to know how to use reviews to your advantage and discover the truth about a hotel, restaurant, attraction, guide, or beyond.

I regularly read (and write) reviews, so I’m sharing my process for reading, evaluating, and using travel reviews to plan and travel better.

Steps I Take To Use Reviews To Book My Vacations

I’ve mastered my process to an art when it comes down to evaluating reviews. It’s time-consuming, but I end up having the vacation I want. If I don’t have a lot of time, I focus on hotels. There are other ways to find appealing restaurants or knowledgeable tour guides, and it won’t ruin my trip if I end up at an eatery I don’t love. However, hotels are important, so I always make sure to follow this process when booking a hotel (but know that you can also do these steps for other businesses, guides, restaurants, etc).

1. Think About My Needs and Deal-Breakers

I start by evaluating the type of trip I want to have. This includes my destination, my travel companions, the weather, and the trip style. For example, a family trip with my toddler to the beach in summer is very different from a budget solo yoga retreat to an emerging country, a spa trip with friends, or a luxury wine-tasting trip with my partner.

Many of my deal-breakers change depending on the style of trip I want to have. I don’t really care if there’s a pool if I’m on a 2-night work trip or how friendly the staff is for a quick stay at an airport hotel. My permanent nonnegotiables are bedbugs or pests, hygiene, and safety, so if there’s even a whiff of these being an issue in a review, I usually won’t consider the hotel. Excessive noise (construction or partying) also usually gives me a pause.

2. Start With Google Reviews

I always start by searching the hotel in question on Google because its reviews pull in reviews from various other sites, such as Tripadvisor, Trip.com, and others.

Hot Tip:

You can also read hotel reviews on Hotels.com and Booking.com. The nice thing about these sites is that only people who stay there are able to review the property, so you may run into fewer fake or AI-generated reviews.

3. Star Rating and Number of Reviews

The most obvious marker I look at to begin is the star rating. Usually, if the property is less than 4 stars, I won’t consider it.

Then I look at the number of reviews. If this is a new hotel and there are only a few reviews, I may be more lenient about the star rating because if a hotel has just 10 reviews, a single or couple of lower reviews can quickly pull the average down. Likewise, a couple of reviews or even a single rave could pull a rating up, so it’s important to read the reviews carefully if there aren’t many to try to understand the general review consensus of a hotel that’s newer or just hasn’t been reviewed much.

4. Filter by Most Recent

There’s not much sense in reading reviews from years back, especially because hotels can change ownership or staff, upgrade installations, or do renovations. I usually try to read reviews within a few months, or at maximum, within a year, so I know I’m getting the most updated and relevant information.

5. Begin With 5-Star and 1-Star (And Match With Needs and Deal-Breakers)

Right off the bat, I want to know what this hotel does well and what it needs to be improved on, which is critical for my travel needs. For example, if I’m going on a couples escape with my partner, and someone gives a hotel a 1-star review because there’s no kids club, that’s irrelevant to my needs. On the other hand, if the hotel had a 1-star review because there was extremely loud construction and they couldn’t get any sleep, I would take that into consideration.

When it comes to 5-star reviews, I tend to prioritize facilities, food (especially at an all-inclusive), and comfort over things like staff friendliness, but that’s just personal preference.

Hot Tip:

Make sure to take notice of if people are reviewing the hotel itself. Sometimes, people may give a low or high review related to just visiting the hotel restaurant or spa, which may not be relevant to your stay.

6. Skim for Keywords

Google already pulls up keywords that you can click on to read about specific things. Either way, I always skim reviews (or do a control-F search) for keywords relevant to my stay if they aren’t listed. For example, for that family all-inclusive beach trip, I might click on the “family” or “dining” keywords, but also search for things like shallow water or activities. For a solo yoga trip, I’d keep an eye out for keywords like “affordable,” “safety,” and “solo.” General keywords could be things like “construction,” “clean,” and “bed,” because no matter what style of trip I’m having, I want a clean space and a comfortable bed to sleep in.

7. Avoid Generic Reviews and Evaluate Detailed Ones

If a review, especially a 5-star or 1-star review, is generic or over the top, I usually don’t bother taking it into consideration. For example, I wouldn’t really bother to put stock into a review that said something like, “Everything was great! I loved this hotel. I’d definitely stay again. Best stay ever! I’ll be back!!!!” The same goes for derogatory, weirdly dark, or rude reviews: “Staff was rude and unhelpful. Everything was terrible, dirty, and bad. Will never stay again.”

Neither of these reviews is helpful. I don’t know why everything was great or why it was bad. I want to know what was superb about a stay, why someone enjoyed staying there, what staff did that was rude or helpful, or why and how things were dirty. For example, if the exterior of the hotel could use a power wash, I couldn’t care less. But if there were cockroaches and mold in the bathroom, that’s a no for me.

Look for Pros and Cons

Reviews that list both positives and negatives are usually the most helpful (and feel the most genuine, as fake reviews can often be generic or extreme). I always appreciate a list of pros and cons.

For example, I found this review of a hotel in Bangkok helpful because it listed both the positive aspects of their stay as well as a few drawbacks. It also had a couple of details that made me feel this person’s stay was a real one.

“The room is beautiful with a great view. There’s plenty of parking, and EV charging stations are available for electric car users. The breakfast offers a wide variety of delicious options, except for the Eggs Benedict, which needs significant improvement. According to the schedule, I was supposed to check in at 3:00 PM, but I only received my room at 5:30 PM, without any compensation. In the end, I was not impressed with the service at the hotel, even though the hotel itself is beautiful and the food is good.”

After reading this review, I would have to see if the positives and negatives aligned with my needs. Do I really care about charging stations or check-in time? Either way, this is the style of review I find most helpful.

8. Double-Check the Reviewer When Relevant

If you feel like a review sounds off, consider clicking on the reviewer. You can get a feel for the types of reviews they’re leaving in other spots. I recently read a review from someone who seemed crass and rude. When I clicked on their profile, I saw they had left other reviews for various businesses using inappropriate and borderline derogatory comments. Because of this, I wasn’t going to put much stock in the review in question. You can also see if they’re leaving the same reviews for various places (which may mean they’re a bot) or just get a general feel if they’re a legit reviewer or not.

Sometimes, it’s all in the relevant details. I once read a review about how the food at a high-end, all-inclusive resort was horrible, the options were limited, and the reviewer was disgusted with everything. This didn’t jibe with the other reviews that the food was decent, but it made me pause. And the very end of the review, the reviewer noted they were vegan. While this review may have been helpful for other vegan travelers, this isn’t relevant to me, an omnivorous traveler looking for food variety and hygiene when I stay at an all-inclusive resort.

9. Read Middle-of-the-Road Reviews

Once I get a feel for the amazing (5-star) and terrible (1-star or 2-star) reviews, I read those 3- and 4-star ones. Understanding why a hotel is average may help you evaluate the property, manage expectations, and understand how to maximize your stay.

For example, this reviewer marked an all-inclusive hotel in Cancun 4 stars, saying the following:

“The resort has a great atmosphere, with lots of playful and entertaining options to keep you engaged throughout your stay. The rooms are comfortable, and the overall experience is very enjoyable. However, one downside we encountered was the wait time at the restaurants. We were told that no reservation was needed, but when we arrived at the restaurant, we were informed that a reservation was actually required. This caused some frustration, as we had to wait longer than expected to be seated. Despite this inconvenience, the rest of our stay was wonderful, and we still had a great time at the resort.”

The poor experience with the restaurant reservations wouldn’t be enough to prevent me from staying there, but if I did, I would pay extra attention to getting those restaurant reservations to ensure I wouldn’t have issues. I also appreciated the reviewer included both pros and cons.

Hot Tip:

Look for reoccurring themes when reading reviews. If many people say the pool area is crowded and there aren’t enough chairs for everyone, it’s more likely to be true.

10. Consider the Property’s Response

I once booked a treatment at a small spa without reading the reviews first because someone gave me a gift card. The owner who did my treatment was brusque and rather rude when I asked basic questions, which made me feel uncomfortable, and I couldn’t really enjoy the experience.

Later, when I saw that people left negative reviews, the property responded with mean and impolite comments that blamed the customers for things like not preparing for the treatments in the right ways or chastised them for arriving late. Had I seen this prior, I probably would have skipped the place, as the property’s responses just didn’t feel right.

On the other hand, I always like to see if a property responds at all, if the responses are generic or feel the same to each comment, or if they take the time to respond nicely, even to negative feedback. Offering guests a chance to call or email to discuss negative experiences is always a plus in my book.

Below, you can see how this Bangkok hotel responded to the review I shared above:

“Thank you for taking the time in sharing your comments and feedback with us. We’re happy to hear that our hotel’s design, location, ease of parking, and breakfast buffet managed to meet your expectations. However, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused, which our team has fully acknowledged on the required actions and training to be taken. We will be sure to take your feedback constructively and work on the improvements immediately. Kind regards.”

Although this hotel didn’t offer an email or phone number for contact to resolve the reviewer’s issues, I still liked how they addressed the reviewer’s comments and feedback politely and efficiently — it wasn’t the same generic response to everyone.

11. Contribute to the Review Ecosystem

One of the things I always make sure to do if I’m using the review ecosystem to my advantage is to put effort into the system to help others. I try to leave genuine, honest, and detailed reviews whenever possible and pose negative comments in ways that don’t criticize specific staff members. If I do have a negative experience, I call attention to it in a way that people deciding whether or not to stay there are aware and can evaluate for themselves. But I also do not want to drive the hotel into the ground or call people by name (I’ll only do this in positive review), because I don’t want to be responsible for someone getting fired or getting in trouble at work. Photos are always a good idea because they’re an honest representation that visualizes your experience for others.

Follow Trusted Blogs, Vlogs, and Social Media Influencers

Beyond reviews, once I’ve narrowed things down to a few hotels, I search the hotel on social media and for blog posts or reviews. However, I always check to see if the reviewer was paid or compensated to stay. Following influencers you trust and that vibe with your travel style, as well as reading websites and blogs you know you are legit, is a way to better ensure you’re getting honest advice about a hotel or business.

How To Spot Fake, AI, or Paid Reviews

It can be tough to spot fake reviews, but it’s not just up to the consumer. Google has strict fake-engagement policies that aim to prevent users from abusing the review system by falsely representing a business, incentivizing reviews, and more. Until now, though, it’s been tough to enforce them.

But if Google does what it says it’ll do, it may make things easier for us. According to an article by The Verge, “Google will now impose restrictions against business profiles that violate the search giant’s Fake Engagement policy, such as temporarily removing reviews, blocking new reviews or ratings, and displaying a warning message on profiles that have had fake reviews deleted.”

Until then, I try to spot fake reviews by seeing if they’re extremely generic, unbalanced (e.g., extremely negative or extremely positive), or just feel off — my own intuition is the best way to figure out when something isn’t quite right, so I listen to it. If there are suddenly many reviews all at the same time saying the same thing, this may also be a sign of fake or AI-generated reviews.

Lesson Learned: Use Intuition When Reading Reviews

Last summer, I was deciding whether to stay at a hotel in the Canary Islands. Something seemed fishy about the reviews, with almost all 5-star reviews mentioning their room number. Still, against my better judgment, I decided to stay there.

I didn’t love the hotel. The AC didn’t work well, the pool tiles were jagged and broken (I was worried my son would cut his feet), and the all-inclusive buffet had soggy, unappetizing food. At the end of my stay, someone slipped a note under my door thanking me for my stay and saying that if I wrote a 5-star Google review and mentioned my room number, I would be entered to win a free stay. It all made sense now: This is why there were so many glowing 5-star reviews of this very average hotel, all of which mentioned room numbers.

I told staff when I checked out that I found this deceptive, but it seems like many other people were thrilled at the opportunity to fake a 5-star stay to win another one. Had I listened to my gut, I probably would have skipped this hotel and stayed somewhere better. Intuition is everything.

Final Thoughts

There are many, many reviews out there just waiting for you to read them. Yes, it takes time to read reviews (and write them), but participating in the review ecosystem can ensure you have the vacation you want.

Reviews are free and easy to find — just use these tips when evaluating them so you find true and honest information to help you pick the best spots for your needs.