Writing A Good Hotel Review For TripAdvisor

So, you consulted reviews on TripAdvisor to help you in your hotel selection and now you want to return the favour and write your own. You probably noticed that some reviews were much more well written, helpful and fair than others and this is what you want to strive for.

Just to recap, here is the rating system used by TripAdvisor:

1 circle = Terrible
2 circles = Poor
3 circles = Average
4 circles = Very Good
5 circles = Excellent


Please remember that the circle rating is not the same as a hotel star rating, although there may be some correlation. You may stay in a delightful 2 star inn that is a 4 circle experience or conversely, you may stay in a 4 star hotel that is distinctly average. You would hope that a 5 star hotel would warrant a 5 circle rating because 5 star hotels are, by their very nature, supposed to provide you with a fabulous experience. I have to say that I have only awarded 5 circles three times and they were all for 5 star hotels: The Fairmount Orchid on the Big Island of Hawaii, Langham Place in Hong Kong and The Iberostar Grand Paraiso in Mexico. However, some 3 and 4 star hotel have come close and sometimes 5 star hotels will fall down.

As I pointed out in the last blog, there really is no reason to be awarding 1 circle unless the place is bug infested and falling down around you. People who award 1 circle generally have an axe to grind and the rating is way out of whack with their actual experience. If you have been a Canny Traveller in the first place, you won't have stayed in a hotel that deserves less than 3 stars.

One of the things that I notice when reading some reviews that are full of complaints and award very low ratings, is that the reviewer is annoyed that the hotel did not meet his particular needs and desires. That, to me, demonstrates a distinct lack of research on the reviewer's part or just a lack of common sense. A classic case is of people being outraged when they go to a posh 5 star resort and are expected to wear resort casual for dinner or are upset because the food is gourmet - I mean, what were they thinking? One review made me laugh. It was written by a doctor who had stayed in a 4 star resort on The Riviera Maya who was simply seething because the rooms did not have internet connection. He was ranting about having to be accessible to his patients at all times. Well, if that was the case, he should have been more responsible and ensured his hotel provided that service before he booked it.

Obviously, people do often have legitimate complaints and criticisms to make and travellers want to know about them and so do hoteliers - they read these reviews too . You should write about these and penalise the hotel accordingly, but just make sure you don't let it get out of proportion. Room service taking over an hour may cause you to lop off one circle, but it doesn't mean you should give an otherwise lovely hotel 2 circles.

Reviews on TripAdvisor are meant to be informative in a personal way. People can go to the hotel website if they just want a list of amenities. Write about your own experience of the facilities. Which restaurant did you like best and why? Do you have any useful tips like which part of the beach is best or if there is a cheap liquor store nearby? What could the hotel have improved upon to have enhanced your stay.

You'll notice on TripAdvisor that you can actually rate reviews as being helpful or not helpful. I've begun to take this with a grain of salt. A review is unhelpful if it is an unfair rant, gives no actual information or is so full of spelling and grammatical mistakes as to be unreadable. However, it is clear that some people will mark reviews as unhelpful simply because you have a different opinion of a hotel to theirs. So please don't be hurt if you post a fantastically helpful review and someone gives you the thumbs down. This usually happens if you give a more temperate review of a popular resort hotel about which a lot of people have written gushing reviews.


Here are examples of 3, 4 and 5 circle reviews I have posted on TripAdvisor:

3 Circle: OK But Not Fabulous Hill Country Resort - Review Of Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch, San Antonio

Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch is a Hyatt Vacation Club property that also rents rooms by the night. We were there for two nights because we had received an invitation for a cheap package if we did the timeshare tour. It was a very good value deal.However, I can't say I really recommend this place.

It is not a country resort at all because it is located in the San Antonio suburbs, close to Seaworld. When we checked in, the receptionist asked us which floor would we like to be on. We asked what he recommended and he said that the 1st floor was convenient but the 3rd floor had the best views. We chose the 3rd floor. The first room we went to had stunning views over - the parking lot! So we changed rooms and then got a stunning view of the suburbs and the freeway (and boy was that freeway noisy). Please see my pictures. I would suggest you stay on the 1st floor where you overlook landscaping and trees and thus can maintain the illusion that you are in the country.

I can't say I was overly impressed with our studio room either. There was a nice big bathroom which could have easily accommodated a big tub, but the tub was narrow and shallow. The bed was one of the most uncomfortable I have slept on in a long time - surprising for a high end chain. On our tour we saw the 1 and 2 bedroom apartments and they were much better appointed, with full kitchens, big flatscreen TV, whirlpool bath and separate walk in shower. I would suggest staying in one of those instead.

The rooms are located in 3 story blocks that look like cheap apartment buildings with a lot of unfinished steel and corrugated steel balcony partitions. It's just not very pretty.

There is a heated indoor/outdoor pool with water slides and an unheated lazy river with a beach and surrounded by hammocks. That was fun and would definitely be good for kids. The kids will also like the gamesroom with its arcade games (but which you have to pay for - a bit cheap for a vacation resort). I also liked the firepit area where there are several wood burning pits which the staff will light for you. For golfers, the resort has its own golf course.

Being a timeshare resort, it doesn't have the bar/restaurant amenities that you would find at a regular resort. There is a smokehouse restaurant that is open for lunch and until 7, that serves perfectly acceptable comfort food. There is also a shop that sells basic food items for your room. There is an actual Hyatt Hotel Resort located about a mile away where you can go for full service dining.

We visited this nearby Hyatt hotel to see how it compared and it is a lot prettier. Also, it has been built in a dip, rather than up on a hill, so you cannot see the suburbs and freeway. I think it is unlikely I would return to Wild Oak, even with a cheap deal, but I can imagine returning to the hotel sometime in the future.

On our final night we went to eat at Grey Moss Inn which is in the village of Grey Forest, about a 25 minute drive into the country. The atmosphere, food, wine list and service was excellent. When you pull into the parking lot and all these little deer scatter off, you are already charmed!


4 Circle: The Best Balcony Ever - Review of Marriott Crystal Shores, Marco Island

My husband and I and two friends stayed at Crystal Shores for a week in May as part of a return look timeshare deal - ie. we paid much less than the going rate. As such, it was fantastic value.

The villas are huge and ideal for families, two couples or a group of friends. They are brand new and extremely well appointed, and boast such magnificent granite kitchens, you'll want to stay in and cook some nights.

However, by far the best feature of the villas are the balconies. We had an ocean front corner unit and the balcony extended along the front of the villa and round the corner. The guest bedroom had a separate one. On the balcony was a patio table and chairs, loungers and more chairs and a little table. It is glass fronted for uninterrupted viewing of the beach and sea. Another nice feature is the living room patio doors slide back the whole length of the room so you can completely open it up on to the balcony. We lived on that balcony, it was so awesome!

Kids will love this hotel with its children's pool with slide. There's also a quieter pool for sunbathing adults.

Because it is a timeshare resort, Crystal Shores does not have the full amenities of a regular hotel resort. It has a casual dining restaurant bar called Stilts, but for more varied options, it's just a pleasant half mile sunset stroll up the beach to the Marco Island Marriott Resort. If you want to stay fit on your vacation, the resort has a well equipped gym up on the 14th floor. This gym probably has the best view of any gym.

Now to the downside. The cleaning service for the villa was somewhat cursory (not the maids' fault, but management policy). I don't think our bed linen was changed in a week. It irked me no end that we were provided only with soap and shampoo, not conditioner, body lotion, shower cap etc as you would be in a regular Marriott. That was cheap and sent out a bad message. And goodness knows why you would want to spend $46,000 for a week's timeshare there - then you have to pay extra for maid service on top of that!

Also, you have to pay extra for beach loungers and umbrellas, which I would not expect to do at a luxury resort. Luckily, the view from the balcony was preferable and close to drinks, snacks and facilities.

Apart from these annoyances, it is a magnificent place with magnificent views and I highly recommend it.

Please note that the beach is the nesting place for endangered Loggerhead turtles so please keep your blackout curtains closed at night.


Best Value 5 Star Hotel In Hong Kong - Langham Place

This hotel is cheaper than all the other 5 star and high end 4 star hotels in Hong Kong because it is situated in the less fashionable district of Mongkok. Don't let this put you off though because Mongkok is a colourful, exotic, bustling shopping area. The hotel is right by the metro and it takes less than ten minutes to get to Central on Hong Kong Island. The upper floors of the hotel also have glorious views of the harbour.

Despite being massive, this hotel has a boutique feel with quirky sculpture throughout. The pool, spa and fitness facilities are fantastic.

The rooms are average sized but the beautiful marble bathrooms are spacious with a window through to the bedroom so you can lie in the tub and watch TV on the flatscreen.

I was accompanying my husband who was attending a conference at the hotel. We were in an executive room on the 35th floor and had access to LClub. I highly recommend paying extra for the club facilities which are open 24 hours and provide you with a great breakfast, high tea, evening hors d'oeuvres and free flowing premium alcohol until 1am. There are also internet terminals and massage chairs.

My husband's company event organiser was so impressed with the business and leisure facilities at Langham Place that she subsequently negotiated a corporate rate for employees visiting Hong Kong.

I will definitely be returning to this hotel :)

Liked — The bathrooms
Disliked — Poor design of bed frame - kept stubbing my toes and hitting my shins on it.