My take on trip takers

Before we book a hotel we usually check out Trip Advisor. It’s great because people give their honest opinions, sometimes in great detail, about their experience. And sometimes they post their pictures in "candid traveler photos" which is even better.

But I was recently checking out TA for an article and realized something. There’s a pattern. Every hotel/resort/motel gets the same reviews. They go like this:

First, there are the Major Complainers:

“Worst vacation I’ve ever had!”
Coco Loco Moco Resort was nothing like the pictures. The grounds were dirty, unkept and the pool always had leaves in it. Our room was even worse. It smelled like my uncle’s armpits (and he worked on a goat farm). And the service? Those people acted like they didn’t even want to be there. They were slow, rude and didn’t speak English. The food was bland. The entertainment the same. We spent two weeks there and it was a nightmare.

WG comment: The MCs usually go on and on about very specific situations that happened only to them like how their room wasn’t ready so they had to wait. Oh, and MCs always switch rooms a minimum of three times.

Then there are the Overly-Pleased:

“Amazing vacation! Would go back in a second!”
Coco Loco Moco Resort was amazing. My family and I had the time of our lives. We will never forget it. The service was incredible. (Thanks, Enrique, for the great pina coladas!) The food was phenomenal. (You have to try the eggs benedict that Frederico makes!) Our room was immaculate. (Loved the towel characters, Marta!) My kids keep asking when we’re going to go back and I say, “Not soon enough!” Definitely go to this resort! You won’t be sorry!!

WG comment: OPs always post candid traveler pics. You start to wonder how these people could be talking about the same place and then you get to...

The Voice of Reason. These are the folks who read Trip Advisor before they went, got their hopes down and were pleasantly surprised, thus having to point all this out on TA. You can always count on at least 40% of the reviews on any place to start with “After reading all the bad reviews…”

“Much better than expected!”
After reading all the bad reviews, I wasn’t sure what to expect form Coco Loco Moco Resort. I think that some of the people who were complaining are just way too picky. I mean, it’s not the most expensive resort; you get what you pay for. Sure, the rooms were a little outdated but they were fine. I mean, you’re not going there to hang out in your room, are you? Some of the restaurants were good, some not so good. The drinks were a little watered down but at least they were included and that’s kinda what you expect at an all-inclusive. For a decent family trip at a reasonable price, I’d say this place is just fine.

WG comment: The VoR comments usually help us to make our decision about the place. If you’re debating about a vacation and feel you’re being swayed by the two extremes of MCs and OPs, just do a quick search for “After reading all the bad reviews” and you can find a more balanced report.

Or you can just look at the candid traveler photos and see which places have the fewest Speedos.