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31/03/2008, 6:06 Cat Joined on 21/01/2005 ------- Forum Moderator ------- Lot Posts 3,193 Re: The guide books I tend to look on any review that stands out as being very different from all of the rest with suspicion.  After all, if 15 people say how great a place is, and two say it is truly dreadful, I'd believe the majority.  And if 15 people say a place is awful, and 2 say it's great, I'd be inclined to suspect that the owners themselves (or their friends or relatives) were trying to bump their rating. Cathy Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...    Report

31/03/2008, 6:44 jon Joined on 29/12/2007 Gironde Posts 328 Re: The guide books The problem with the general public offering their views.....is that they are"the general public" and that means that we all have different standards. For those people who search for the cheapest...and lets hope that it is clean  and near the beach...then do not use a guide book..no need. Others look for a special experience...want to know that the property was re-decorated last spring and that owners husband  cooks a great leek and prawn tart....and that there are 4 bedrooms with very comfortable beds...and you can choose your room.You can locate the hotel or b and b by map  and you can expect that the property has been inspected by an expert.The expert is usually an ex chef or hotel keeper.   Many guides can diirect you to locations on line offering contact tel numbers ....call the owner get some extra info...a night or so in a good location...great place works magic.Even paying 20 pounds for a guide book will make a good investment...makes good reading..usually.... Sorry but Trip adviser does not work for me.    Report

31/03/2008, 6:51 jon Joined on 29/12/2007 Gironde Posts 328 Re: The guide books                                    By the way all cat lovers seem to get up early.    Report

31/03/2008, 7:52 Quillan Joined on 23/08/2004 Forum Moderator Posts 3,721 Re: The guide books  Jura wrote: People booking through sites such as Venere, Bookings and HostelWorld can only post accommodation reviews IF they have actually STAYED at the property in question...Tripadvisor, in my mind, caters to a lot of people who have chips on their shoulders. Hostel World does not always get it right. In amongst our reviews is a not so good one and it's clear to me (and to anyone that knows where we are) that the review is about a different place (geographically, like 80km away). We have asked numerous times for this one review to be moved to the correct place or removed and we have not even received a reply. People who use these sites for a multi centre holiday can quite easily get places mixed up so I consider this to be just an honest mistake but it's annoying just the same. One way is to log them in to the site while with you and remind them to place their review there and then while it's fresh in their mind. The thing about such sites as Trip Advisor is that whilst it's good for prospective guests it frightens owners to death because anyone can make a review but if you have a good place it can work well for you. It covers a wide spectrum of accommodation types as well as bar and restaurants. But like somebody has said you just go through the lot and if all but one says it brilliant then you ignore the bad one. I have also seen other comments on Trip Advisor like a negative report because the place was 'to quiet' and yet it's a rural hotel! You just think 'silly a s s', (why the nasty work machine has this word in it I do not know - its a type of donkey) what do you expect'. http://www.chambresdhote.com    Report

31/03/2008, 9:13 jon Joined on 29/12/2007 Gironde Posts 328 Re: The guide books Even the best of hotels can get trouble......there are people out there who make crazy reports...just to appear imoportant.By the way does anyone know Veules les roses in Normandy......it is a really pretty seaside village with lots of character and one of the most interesting looking hotels I have ever seen. Not the best hotel though...breakfast boreing....Not difficult to produce a great breakast at a fairly low cost. So many people put no effort into their work. Bacon and eggs ...by the way nice to eat...sometimes...but no so good for the body!                Report

31/03/2008, 15:01 Cat Joined on 21/01/2005 ------- Forum Moderator ------- Lot Posts 3,193 Re: The guide books  Jura wrote: Quillan, I have a problem with the authenticity of someTripadvisor reviews simply because those writing 'said' reviews do not have to provide any proof at all that they have actually STAYED at the accommodation they are reviewing. I have read many of them, even posted some reviews myself, and Tripadvisor are now turning the negative reviews into a form of 'entertainment reading' and I object to this.   Crikey Jura, I see what you mean.  I just read the comments on Trip Advisor for your auberge Cathy Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...    Report

31/03/2008, 21:38 Rose Joined on 06/02/2007 Dordogne (24) Posts 814 Re: The guide books Sorry Jon and Jura but I have to say we use tripadvisor all the time too and have done so for quite a few years.  So far we've never been let down by the reviews. I maybe a bit lazy and I tend to try and find most information on the internet these days. I would go with Cat in that I tend to go with the 'normal' comments rather than the exceptional... you will always get someone who could never be pleased... but if there are a handful of reviews you should be able to get a feel for the place.  We now just enter the town/area we want to visit and see what comes up... I use tripadvisor for cheap family overnight stays and the more expensive special stays... I found our hotel in Maui on Tripadvisor for an extra special holiday and wasn't dissappointed and we also found our Paris B&B the same way and again... it was just as we expected.  I can accept what Jura is saying - it must be really hard if people abuse the system, but on the whole it is a popular well known site that is used around the world... perhaps you should try and encourage your customers to add their comments to the site in addition to your other options?    Report

31/03/2008, 22:01 Russethouse Joined on 23/08/2004 Forum Moderator Posts 9,939 Re: The guide books Does the B & B, Gite or Hotel owner get a choice ? Can a customer originate a comment about a place not already listed ? www.quimperclub.org 99    Report

01/04/2008, 7:22 Quillan Joined on 23/08/2004 Forum Moderator Posts 3,721 Re: The guide books Yes they can it would seem. We are on it but no photo and no description and we never put it there. No reviews either as present. There are other companies that review as well and we are on them, some we put ourselves on others we just appeared. Fortunately the lowest we have is a 9 out of 10 and that's because it's a wrong entry (different town as I said before). Actually its quite flattering to see your place reviewed, makes you feel all warm. I would never have gone looking if it were not for Cat and would never have known we had been reviewed. http://www.chambresdhote.com    Report

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France Forum » Owning/Running ... » B&B/Chambres d'... » Re: The guide books

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