You should always ignore certain TripAdvisor reviews when booking a holiday

HOLIDAYMAKERS have been told to ignore five-star reviews on TripAdvisor when planning a trip away.

Reading about other people’s experiences in hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions can help when making holiday plans, but there are some reviews you maybe shouldn’t pay attention to.

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While a five-star review may seem like the best thing a traveller can hand out to a business, there are those out there who prefer a four-star rating instead.

Apparently, getting nothing but top marks can make a place seem almost too good, while reviews from people who enjoyed themselves, but found room for improvement, are thought to be more genuine.

Travel journalist Michael Gebicki said that five-star reviews can also seem like the reviewer is hoping for something in return, regardless of whether they actually enjoyed the experience.

He wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald: “Five-star reviews tend to be bland and gushing, making you wonder what’s in it for the writer.

“Are they expecting a room upgrade on their next stay, a better seat on the flight? But that undermines the notion of a fair review, freely given.”

He also said that he had previously been asked to not give full marks before, including from a taxi driver who told him: “My website manager says too many five-star reviews look suspicious, and people ignore them. What they read are the four-star reviews, they think they’re more honest.”

As well as people looking for something in return, there are also reviews posted online by people working for the businesses that holidaymakers need to keep an eye out for.

Companies have been known to flood review forums with positive comments in an effort to up their ratings.

A study published in November by Iowa State University shows an increase in fake hotel reviews in recent years, particularly at higher-end establishments.

Previously, multiple studies suggested that as much as 30 per cent of feedback on sites like TripAdvisor were fake, be it positive or negative, with businesses sometimes also attacking competitors online.

However, that number is reportedly on the rise, as hotels struggle to compete with property sharing sites like AirBnb and Vrbo.

Some websites are considered to be more reliable than others for feedback as well.

For example, Tripadvisor allows any user to post a review on a hotel, even if they have no proof that they stayed there at all.

However, Expedia only permits customers who have booked a night at an accommodation to leave feedback.

When previously asked about the issue of fake reviews, a TripAdvisor spokesperson told Sun Online Travel: “No one has more incentive than TripAdvisor to ensure the reliability of the content on our platform and we are proud of our industry leading efforts to fight review fraud.

“Since 2019 we have published our Transparency Report, an industry first, revealing in detail how we prevent fake reviews from infiltrating our platform.

“Businesses who are caught engaging in fraudulent activity face severe penalties, from ranking drops in our popularity index to badges on their business listing.

“Our fight against fake reviews never stops and we are constantly evolving our tactics to stay one step ahead of the fraudsters.

“Our moderation tactics have proven results, and there is strength in numbers, which is why we continue to call for cross industry collaboration so other platforms like ours can join us in the fight towards greater transparency.”

Meanwhile, this traveller revealed how to save money on hotels using a special online hack.

And these Airbnb guests found a secret room in the the cottage they were renting.

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