Tripadvisor Archives - TravelSkills

Huge travel website wants your flight reviews

July 13, 2016

Travelers can now post flight reviews on TripAdvisor. (Image: Jim Glab)

One of the Internet’s most widely-used travel review sites is now allowing users to sound off about their airline flight experiences. It also developed a scoring system that can help travelers examine carrier amenities and services so they can make a better judgment before they book.

The site is TripAdvisor, which is widely consulted by travelers for a customer comments database that includes more than 350 million user reviews of 6.5 million hotels, restaurants and attractions worldwide. And now it is adding airline flights to the mix.

TripAdvisor first ventured into the airline space with amenities information, traveler photos and a flight search/price-scanning function. It has recently been collecting worldwide traveler reviews of airline flight experiences, and this week made that database available to all users.

A typical flight review from TripAdvisor’s new database.

“According to a recent TripAdvisor survey, 42 percent of U.S. travelers believe airlines are making it harder to find the total cost of a flight. The same survey found that 39 percent of consumers also believe airlines’ in-flight amenities information is not very accessible. “Airline reviews from the millions of flyers on TripAdvisor will better communicate the total value of a flight beyond the price,” the site said in announcing its airline reviews.

TripAdvisor has also come out with a beta version of a new feature called Flyscore, which provides a 1-to-10 rating for individual flights “based on the power of qualitative traveler reviews, the quality of the aircraft, in-flight amenities and the duration of the itinerary,” the company said. It also offers enhanced information about the availability of in-flight amenities like power ports and Wi-Fi.

Here’s a link to the new reviews, indexed alphabetically by airline.

Do you think TripAdvisor will be as successful with flight reviews as it is with hotels? Would a review affect the way you book your flights? Please leave your comments below.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers | First class phase out coming soon

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Stunning changes at iconic NYC hotel

June 27, 2016

A Chinese firm that bought the Waldorf-Astoria is reportedly planning to convert much of the hotel to condos. (Image: Waldorf-Astoria)

In 2005, New York’s legendary Plaza Hotel closed down for a three-year renovation that left it with just 130 hotel rooms, and the rest of its space converted into condo hotel units and luxury condo apartments. And now the same thing might be happening to another iconic Manhattan property, the Waldorf-Astoria.

According to the Wall Street Journal (paywall), the new Chinese owner of the once-tony-now-shabby midtown hotel – Anbang Insurance, which lost out to Marriott in an unsuccessful takeover effort for Starwood Hotels – plans to shut the property down next spring and convert most of its space into apartments.

In recent years, the grand dame has fallen from grace with many business travelers– on TripAdvisor it now ranks #281 out of #475 New York City hotels. Nonetheless, a cursory check of rates for summer and fall find it still fetching close to $500 per night.

Citing “people familiar with the matter,” the newspaper reported that Anbang will repurpose up to 1,100 of the Waldorf’s 1,413 rooms into luxury condominiums to be sold to private owners. That would leave the property with 300 to 500 hotel rooms that would be upgraded to luxury standards. Hilton would continue to manage the hotel portion after the conversion, the article said.

Room decor at the Waldorf is nice, but dated (Photo: Waldorf-Astoria)

There was no estimate as to how long the renovation project – expected to cost more than $1 billion — would keep the hotel, which spans a full city block in Manhattan, closed.

The Waldorf had long been used as a New York base for visiting U.S. presidents and for the country’s United Nations delegation, but the U.S. government had problems with continued use of the property after Anbang bought it, citing security concerns.

Have you ever stayed at the Waldorf? For me, the hotel conjures up memories of my very first trip to NYC with my parents at the tender age of 13. Even when I’m not staying there, I still like to duck into its popular, dark and clubby Sir Harry’s lobby bar for a manhattan and nibblies!

What do you think of when you hear about The Waldorf-Astoria?

–Chris McGinnis

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New York City’s rankest hotels

October 23, 2015

Publicity photo from one of New York's rankest hotels (Photo: New York Inn)

Publicity photo from one of New York’s lowest ranked hotels on TripAdvisor (Photo: New York Inn)

There plenty of hotels to choose from in New York City. But everyone is usually in search of the top ranked ones– the best ones.

But we wondered…what about the worst?

TravelSkills took to TripAdvisor to see what people had to say about some of the site’s lowest ranked hotels in New York City.

Here’s a sampling from the bottom and the top of the rankings. (See TripAdvisor’s NYC hotel page here)

New York Inn – Rank #445/469 hotels

Location on 8th Ave., west of Times Square

Average nightly rate: $149/night http://www.newyorkinn.com/

(Image from the New York Inn website)

Excerpts from a TripAdvisor comment:

“There are numerous violation notices on the front door warning the building should not be occupied.”

“Should there be a fire (which by the looks of the photos here should be sooner than later) you’ll be trapped.”

“The doors have gaps and don’t lock properly – and there are bugs, pests galore.”

“This place is what a flophouse on the Bowery would look like in 1980. If that’s your scene, this is your place. Seriously.”

To see photos of what guests experienced at New York Inn, take a look at TripAdvisor’s traveler photos here.

La Semana – Rank #446/469 hotels

Location: West 24th St near Madison Square Park

Average nightly rate: $120/night http://www.lasemanahotelnyc.com/

(Image from La Semana website)

Excerpts from TripAdvisor comment:

“The ceiling fell on our heads while we were sleeping.”

“The room smelled so much like mold that buying air freshener spray + a wall plug in did nothing.”

“The room they moved us to had no bathroom door.”

To see what guests experienced at La Semana, see TripAdvisor’s traveler photos here.

World Hotel – Rank #448/469 hotels

Location: Bowery Street near Chinatown

Average nightly rate: $121/ night http://new-world-hotel.hotelsofnewyorkcity.net/en/

(Image from New World Hotel website)

Excerpts from a TripAdvisor comment:

“Very unfriendly reception. Extreme dirty hotel. How the City of NY can tolerate and name such a house as a hotel?

“The rooms do not have windows, the very dirty bed is 5 feet long, the room about 4×5 feet, the shared bathroom was extreme dirty and moldy, it’s a fight to get a towel and once I got it I did not use it because of the big brown spots, I finally left this ugly place, was too afraid for my health.”

“It’s really not good for the tourism branch of the city….hope the authorities act”

Click here to see what TripAdvisor users experienced at the World Hotel.

These frightening finds might scare off a lot of travelers, but there are still many great hotels in New York City. TripAdvisor’s top-ranked NYC hotels have hundreds of reviews telling users why we should stay there.

Chelsea Pines Inn – Rank #1/469 hotels

Located on W 14th St in Chelsea/Meatpacking District

Average nightly rate: $302/night http://www.chelseapinesinn.com/

(Image from the Chelsea Pines Inn website)

Excerpts from a TripAdvisor comment:

“It was a sanctuary from the din of 14th street and many others in NYC! My children live in Manhattan and Brooklyn and so I am a “regular” visitor.

“A gem! The movie poster motif with rooms named for celebrities was a hoot. And our room was spacious and quiet (we were garden-side).”

We loved the chocolates at the front desk, the front desk service, especially Troy. There were other very considerate members of the staff whose names I unfortunately did not obtain.”

Click here to see traveler photos from guests at the Chelsea Pines Inn.

Casablanca Hotel – Rank #2/469 hotels

Location: W 42nd St, Times Square area

Average nightly rate: $396/night http://www.casablancahotel.com/

(Image from the Casablanca Hotel website)

Excerpts from a TripAdvisor comment:

“I spend hours researching the perfect hotel for our vacations and we have been extremely fortunate in our hotel experiences.

“The Wine and Cheese reception in the evening allows you to meet other hotel guests and exchange sightseeing and dining tips.”

“It is the perfect location as it is in the heart of the theater and restaurant district. And the subway is just around the corner. It doesn’t get any better than that!”

Click here to see traveler photos from guests at the Casablanca Hotel.

The Sherry-Netherland Hotel – Rank #3/469 hotels

5th Ave, Midtown across from Central Park

Average nightly rate: $579/night http://www.sherrynetherland.com/

(Image from the The Sherry-Netherland website)

Excerpts from a TripAdvisor comment:

“I took my 9 year old for her annual birthday trip and it was magical. They acknowledged her birthday every step of the way, including cupcakes in our room and handwritten notes wishing her a great day.”

“The bed was one of the most comfortable I’ve ever slept on in a hotel. The view was spectacular. The little touches made the difference- the minibar was complimentary, the toiletries included everything you could need.”

“I will remember this trip forever. Tammy C. is a phenomenal concierge who goes above and beyond to surprise and delight the guest. We are still smiling!”

Click here to see photos of The Sherry-Netherland from Susan M. and other hotel guests.

Now that you’ve seen the best and the worst, what do you think? What’s your favorite NYC hotel? Least favorite? Please leave your comments below.

(All average nightly rates listed in this post are for November 6-9, 2015.)

–Kim Grimes

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TripAdvisor punked in Europe — again

July 7, 2015

Is that restaurant real? TripAdvisor bedeviled by fake postings. (Image: Jim Glab)

The travel review megasite TripAdvisor hasn’t been very lucky in Europe. It was recently scammed for the second time in three years with postings for a restaurant that didn’t exist.

According to The Local Italy, a restaurant called La Scaletta in the northern Italian town of Moniga del Garda emerged in TripAdvisor listings as the top spot in town for a great meal. But there is no La Scaletta there.

It turned out that local restaurant owners teamed up with the newspaper Italia a Tavola to prove a point: That a restaurant doesn’t have to be real to make a splash on TripAdvisor. So they created a fake profile for the restaurant, and then posted phony reviews — including 10 “excellent” ratings, which was enough to put La Scaletta at the top of local ratings, even though another restaurant in town — a real one — had many more “excellent” ratings.

As soon as TripAdvisor learned about the plot, it pulled the restaurant from its site.

In 2013, the same thing happened to the review site when a restaurant said to be aboard a restored fishing trawler in Brixham, England also got good ratings and a lot of frustrated customers who showed up at the address only to find nothing there. That was a fabrication by a local businessman.

Since TripAdvisor gets so many postings — reportedly up to 60 a minute — it clearly can’t vet all of them, so the credibility of its reviews has been an ongoing problem.

Do you use TripAdvisor’s restaurant reviews when traveling abroad? How reliable have they been? Please leave your comments below.

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TripAdvisor adds airport ratings

June 29, 2015

Singapore Changi is the first of 200 dedicated Airports pages coming to TripAdvisor.

The travel-related content and mega-review site TripAdvisor is expanding to include pages on 200 major airports worldwide.

The first airport page to go up on TripAdvisor is Singapore Changi; the site said it expects to add pages for New York JFK and London Heathrow in July.

“When travelers search for an airport on the site, they will be directed to a dedicated airport page with reviews, ratings, and other information about hotels nearby as well as restaurants and attractions in both public and transit areas. Amenities, including duty-free stores, boutiques, and airport lounges will also be listed on the page,” TripAdvisor said.

The airport pages will include user reviews of the places mentioned. For instance, the Singapore Airport page covers 16 airport hotels, 125 airport restaurants and 122 “things to do” in the airport. It also has a map as well as a fare search function for flights to that airport.

Related: What’s the world’s favorite airport?

TripAdvisor makes money by allowing airport business to advertise on the pages and participate in a GPS-enabled tool called ‘Near Me Now’ to locate amenities and restaurants nearby with their smartphones.

Until now, the only comprehensive airport ratings were the World Airports Awards produced by SkyTrax. Here’s a list of its top 10 airports this year– notably none in the U.S.

World’s top 10 airports according to SkyTrax

What do YOU think is the best airport in the world? Why? Please leave your comments below.

Don’t miss today’s other posts: Illegal to wear headsets when driving? | Airlines to charge for frequent flyer programs?

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Can you still trust hotel review sites?

June 24, 2015

Seen this yet? Trip Report: The SWISS “Roche Coach” to Zurich

JW Marriott in Chicago. (Image: Marriott)

TripAdvisor, the huge consumer review site for travelers, has cut a new deal with lodging giant Marriott that provides instant links to Marriott’s booking system from the TripAdvisor site. That’s not unusual in the world of online travel, but it has some observers wondering whether TripAdvisor is putting profits ahead of the reliability of its reviews.

Of course, the veracity of “consumer” reviews on many websites has long been questioned, especially those that require no verification of the poster’s identity or experience. Employees of a particular hotel may have gone online to praise it, and competitors may post harshly negative comments.

Still, TripAdvisor has a generally good reputation and a large following. How will the Marriott affiliation affect that? Ed over at the Pizza in Motion blog noted that a routine hotel search on TripAdvisor turned up a results map with an ad for Marriott properties.

An analysis by the Huffington Post suggests that the affiliation could skew the placement of Marriott’s properties in search results, and is likely to lead to a greater number of positive Marriott reviews on TripAdvisor, according to an academic study.

In its announcement, Marriott says that the TripAdvisor deal will be “mutually beneficial to both partners from a strategic and economic standpoint,” (i.e., TripAdvisor will be paid for bookings it generates, although Marriott doesn’t say how much), and also that it “maintains our ability to control where the rates and inventory for Marriott’s hotels are displayed.”

Expedia's verified reviews are posted on the hotel booking page

Expedia’s verified reviews are posted on each hotel’s booking page

Our advice for folks flummoxed by TripAdvisor reviews is to use Expedia’s reviews instead— there are fewer, which makes parsing easier, and all reviewers are verified as guests… so you can’t fake a review. In fact, Marriott even has its own inventory of verified reviews on its website; comment cards that are filled out by guests are posted word for word, the company says.

How much do you rely on online reviews when choosing a hotel? Which ones do you find the most reliable? What’s your impression of TripAdvisor?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Free airport parking? + San Francisco mistakes + CLEAR goes cardless + Cool gasoline price heat map + More!

Top 10 most deeply discounted European cities

April 9, 2015

Taking a spin around Copenhagen in an electric car was a blast two years ago- now it’s a lot cheaper! (Chris McGinnis)

With the dollar at new highs against the euro and other currencies, nearly everyone is pondering a trip across the pond this summer.

Leisure travelers are ready to see the sightss at a discount, of course. But business travelers are headed over, too, trying to keep European customers happy now that they are paying a lot more for American goods and services.

This week TripAdvisor produced a helpful list (TripIndex) of popular European cities and says that overall, Europe is about 11% cheaper this year than last, but it depends on which city you are in.

As usual, the cheapest cities in Europe lean toward the east. Istanbul (down 25%) is a darling when it comes to low prices, but I bet proximity to the conflict in Syria is likely taking a toll on bookings, and resulting in lower prices.

But a nice surprise this year is that Scandinavia is much cheaper than last year due to fare wars (thanks Norwegian Air) and the declining value of their currencies. For example, Oslo has long been forbiddingly expensive for Americans, but TripAdvisor says it’s now 20% less expensive than last year.

Istanbul is breathtakingly beautiful, but might be a little scary for Americans this year (Moyan Brenn)

Istanbul is breathtakingly beautiful, but might be a little scary for Americans this year (Photo: Moyan Brenn / Flickr)

Here are the top ten least expensive cities along with how much cheaper they are this year than last year:

1) Istanbul -25%

2) Bucharest -16%

3) Krakow -5%

4) Budapest -6%

5) Prague -11%

6) Athens-15%

7) Brussels -14%

8) Berlin -9%

9) Lisbon -1%

10) Stockholm -23%

Even if you don’t want to stay in Istanbul, TripAdvisor’s Wendy Perrin says travelers should consider connecting there: “The average airfare to Istanbul is only $1,197, and that’s because Turkish Airlines has been rapidly expanding its fleet (with new planes with comfy seats and great food) and offering low fares from its U.S. gateways. If you’re willing to connect in Istanbul en route to your final European destination, you might have an overnight, but they’ll give you either a free hotel at the airport or a free tour of Istanbul.”

Even perennially popular Paris is 17% cheaper this year. View from the Shangri-La hotel (Chris McGinnis)

Here are the top 10 cities with the largest drop in prices compared to last year:

1) Istanbul -25%

2) Stockholm -23%

3) Copenhagen -21%

4) Oslo -20%

5) Paris -17%

5) Edinburgh -17%

6) Bucharest -16%

7) Athens -15%

8) Helsinki -14%

8) Brussels -14%

Zurich: Always nice. Always pricey but still 9% cheaper than last year (Photo: PapaPiper / Flickr)

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Some other findings in the TripAdvisor’s TripIndex:

At $3,236 per week, Zurich is the most expensive destination; however, it still offers a relative value as prices have fallen 9% since last summer.

The average nightly rate for a European hotel booked on TripAdvisor for this summer is $133, compared to $164 in 2014.

The least expensive hotel rooms this summer can be found in Bucharest for $67 per night, while Reykjavik is the costliest at $258.

Hotel rates in Moscow have seen the biggest year-over-year price decline—from $146 to $84—representing a 43% savings.

Roundtrip flights from the U.S. to the European destinations on the index cost $1,448 on average between June and August, compared to $1,579 in summer 2014.

While Reykjavik has the most expensive hotels, it boasts the most affordable airfare at $1,086; London is the most expensive destination to fly to at $1,763.

Although hotel prices in Moscow fell the most year-over-year, it was the only city to see a substantial increase in airfares (+56%).

–Chris McGinnis

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Do you trust hotel review sites? [Infographic]

April 24, 2013

Copenhagen’s elegant Hotel D’Angleterre opens May 1 after a 2 year re-do (Chris McGinnis)

Nearly every traveler I know (including me) checks out hotels on TripAdvisor before making a booking. I’m sure you do, too. Right? The infographic below provides an interesting look at how travelers use the review sites and what makes them trustworthy. It also provides some tips on spotting “fake” reviews.

How do YOU feel about hotel review sites? Do you use them? Trust them? Other than TripAdvisor, which sites do you find most helpful?

Please leave your comments below!