Hotel review sites are proof that one person’s paradise is another person’s hell.

The notion of hotel review sites is great in theory. They are an easy way  to figure out if those pretty pictures on the hotel website are a reflection of reality or a testament to the photographer’s ability. All you have to do is see what others are saying about the place, yes?

Pick the hotel with the best rating, and you’re good to go. Just look for the five stars or dots or houses or whatever system your site of choice uses and you’re golden. Until you check in and find that your awesome hotel is just awesomely wrong.

How to Review Hotel Review Sites

Not only have I heard this story, I’ve lived it. I learned the hard way that relying solely on how many stars a hotel gets is a bit of a gamble. So I came up with my own way to review the hotel review sites.

I call it the CAR method.

CAR stands for Content, Age and Response. The three things to look for when looking at a hotel review site. Remember these and you will have a better chance at staying at hotel that suits you. Like most “methods” it isn’t foolproof, but I can honestly say it works well for me.

Let me break it down for you.

Step One – Content

Oddly enough, content is often overlooked on hotel review sites. Most people look for the star rating and leave it at that. I like to go a little deeper.

First off, a five star review that either says nothing or is a sentence fragment is a red flag for me. Simply saying “Great Hotel” doesn’t give you much to go on.

Look at the reviews that actually talk about the hotel. What are people raving – or complaining – about?

Are the complaints things that you care about? I read a negative review that boiled down to the hotel not having an ice machine.

Take a good look at what people are saying in both positive and negative reviews. Look for the things that will bug or delight you and see what is being said. I don’t care about ice machines one little bit, but it was very important to the person who complained and it might be important to you.

Look for Specifics

Reviews that go into detail are gold when you are evaluating hotels. The reviewer talks about the quality of customer service, the cleanliness of the room and the general appearance of the place. There are details about the size of the bathroom, the comfort of the bed and whether or not the temperature controls really work.

I learn a lot from reviews like this. Hotel review sites that ask for more detail are my favorite. These sites give reviewers some guidance on what people are looking for. These sites ask for things like where the quieter rooms are, what kind of trip they were on, and how recently they were there.

If you are planning a family trip, you can quickly rule out a hotel that most reviewers are tagging as a party spot. Likewise, if you are looking for a romantic getaway you can rule out a hotel that is geared towards families with young children.

Step Two – Age

How old are the reviews? When I am on a hotel review site, I like to sort reviews by newest. This is important because things can change quickly in the hotel industry.

If the hotel you are looking out has an average rating of four stars, you might be tempted to think things are good. Look closely – if the most recent reviews are all low, maybe management or ownership changed and not for the better.

On the other side of that equation, the hotel may only have 2 stars but the most recent reviews are all glowing. You may have found an incredible bargain and a hidden gem.

I am generally wary of a hotel that hasn’t had a review in several months. Hotel review sites are too well-known and used for a hotel to go that long without a review.

Step Three – Response

Finally, I look for hotels that are paying attention. We are crowd-sourcing more and more information, especially in the travel realm. A hotel manager ignores what is being said about his or her property at their peril.

Are the negative reviews being addressed – and if so, how? What is the tone of the response? I have seen responses that are genuinely apologetic. Others come off as very snippy without addressing the problem.

A response that has an honest apology and indicates the manager is taking steps to make sure the problem doesn’t continue to arise is going to catch my attention. They should also be commenting on the middle of the road and positive reviews to some degree. A manager that is paying close attention to reviews will probably be paying close attention to what goes on in their property as well.

Putting it All Together

Using these three criteria for hotel review sites has worked well for me. I have found some gems and I have dodged some bullets. Mostly I have felt confident that I am placing a client, a friend, a family member or myself in a decent place.

I have found that the CAR method helps me make better sense of hotel review sites. It helps in wading through the information overload that these sites often are.

Finally – Be a Good Reviewer

Hotel review sites are only as good as the folks who use them. Your review will help others, just as the previous reviews helped you. Please take a few moments at the end of your stay or the end of your trip to write a review.

A good review doesn’t have to be lengthy, but do hit the highlights. A paragraph on what you liked, what you didn’t and why is gold. Feeling more generous? Call out the things that really stood out to you.

Above all, be fair in your reviews. This is especially true for a negative review. I like to give it 24 hours between writing it and posting it. Don’t be tempted to bad mouth everything in the hotel because one thing didn’t work or one person was rude. Point out the negative, certainly, but be fair.

Do you have a go-to travel tip to share? Hit the comments!