Pauline
Forums Admin
Two questions:
1. Do you use reviews of accommodations for planning a trip? Which ones do you use?
2. Do you write reviews of your accommodations after a trip? Where do you submit them?
I usually book hotels through Booking.com (Slow Europe is an affiliate) and write a review of the hotel after the trip. I use their reviews when planning a trip. Sometimes I look at TripAdvisor, but it always seems like there are too many reviews to read.
For vacation rentals, if booked through Homeaway.com, I submit a review to them. Otherwise I post a review on Slow Europe (we have a system for taking reviews, but it is not used that much and you can only review places that I have listed on the site) or mention it in a blog post.
For selecting vacation rentals, I use the SlowTrav.com reviews (they are still the best IMO) and the Homeaway reviews. If I am renting through an agency that I know has a good reputation, and the photos and description look good, I don't really care about reviews.
When I started SlowTrav there was nowhere else to find vacation rental reviews! Now it feels like there are too many places to read reviews. And I don't trust reviews as I once did. When you have booked directly with an owner, it is hard to write a bad review because many have put so much effort into creating their vacation rental. It is hard to complain about something, especially when it did not ruin your trip and was just a small annoyance.
1. Do you use reviews of accommodations for planning a trip? Which ones do you use?
2. Do you write reviews of your accommodations after a trip? Where do you submit them?
I usually book hotels through Booking.com (Slow Europe is an affiliate) and write a review of the hotel after the trip. I use their reviews when planning a trip. Sometimes I look at TripAdvisor, but it always seems like there are too many reviews to read.
For vacation rentals, if booked through Homeaway.com, I submit a review to them. Otherwise I post a review on Slow Europe (we have a system for taking reviews, but it is not used that much and you can only review places that I have listed on the site) or mention it in a blog post.
For selecting vacation rentals, I use the SlowTrav.com reviews (they are still the best IMO) and the Homeaway reviews. If I am renting through an agency that I know has a good reputation, and the photos and description look good, I don't really care about reviews.
When I started SlowTrav there was nowhere else to find vacation rental reviews! Now it feels like there are too many places to read reviews. And I don't trust reviews as I once did. When you have booked directly with an owner, it is hard to write a bad review because many have put so much effort into creating their vacation rental. It is hard to complain about something, especially when it did not ruin your trip and was just a small annoyance.