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Original poster

Please slap some sense into me re holiday

18 replies

Hb12 · 23/02/2022 10:51

Dh and I booked a holiday for Easter last night, for us and 3 kids. We had been dithering for ages but just got on and did it.

The hotel is on paper a 5 star, but there are a few reviews saying it is a bit dated now so more like a 4 star.

I'm feeling a bit gut sick about it now, I want to be excited but read some reviews and am worried we will fly for 6 hours and be disappointed. It has a trip advisor score of 4/5, with half the reviewers saying it was 5/5 excellent and another 25% saying 4/5 very good etc, so I know that odds are it will be perfectly nice.

I also know that I overthink things to the nth degree, and that not all reviews are accurate! And that we are very lucky to have a holiday at all, we never go away bar camping so this is a big deal for us.

OP posts:
SareBear87 · 23/02/2022 11:04

I think you're overthinking a little.
A 4/5 on trip advisor is really good! And a 5*!
I'm pretty jealous!

Tbh gone are the days when you just took a stab at a place from a travel brochure and hoped it looks like the pictures!

Some people are overly critical, especially online, I personally wouldn't worry. Sounds like you'll have a fab time!

Aposterhasnoname · 23/02/2022 11:10

Whenever I look at a hotel I always go to the bad reviews on trip advisor and ask myself if the issues they are complaining about matter to me. So, no English tv channels, dont care, too many steps, don’t care, poor kids club, don’t care, watered down wine, care, very much!

So, does dated decor really matter that much to you? More than decent food, a big pool, good entertainment?

NotQuiteNormalMe · 23/02/2022 11:12

5 doesn't mean the just quality it means the facilities. I've been to some so so 5 resorts and out of thos world 3 and4* resorts. Ultimately I find those that write reviews like to pick holes.

WouldIwasShookspeared · 23/02/2022 11:12

You're never going to get a perfect full 5* review place and I'd be very suspicious if you found one tbh. I'd suspect they were faking it somehow

4&5s are great.

Nothing is ever 'perfect' and if you make that the goal you'll only ever be disappointed with everything in life

nearlyspringyay · 23/02/2022 11:13

You are waaaaay overthinking.

Supersee · 23/02/2022 11:16

@Aposterhasnoname

Whenever I look at a hotel I always go to the bad reviews on trip advisor and ask myself if the issues they are complaining about matter to me. So, no English tv channels, dont care, too many steps, don’t care, poor kids club, don’t care, watered down wine, care, very much!

So, does dated decor really matter that much to you? More than decent food, a big pool, good entertainment?

This is the same for me. I don't care about English tv channels, if they don't have English teabags, I don't mind walking etc. Kids club/stuff isn't relevant to me. A lot of hotel reviews are stuff like that weather was shit, like the hotel can influence that.

Violetmo0n · 23/02/2022 11:16

There's always someone, somewhere, who's not happy about something. They love to complain.
That doesn't mean you'll not happy too.
Stop reading them Grin

Justmuddlingalong · 23/02/2022 11:17

I remember going on package holidays in the 80s, were the accommodation was allocated on arrival! The availability of written and video reviews makes us more picky. And the lack of travel over the last couple of years makes our choices seem even more important. Those reviews are good. But if the not so great ones are making you twitchy, change it now rather than mithering about it in the run up to going.

Mrsmch123 · 23/02/2022 11:19

@Aposterhasnoname that's what I do as well. Lots of hotels I go to people say the food is repetitive but I eat quite repetitively anyway so it doesn't bother me. Things like dirty rooms, poor quality of drinks matter to me🙈

BarbaraofSeville · 23/02/2022 11:21

The hotel is on paper a 5 star, but there are a few reviews saying it is a bit dated now so more like a 4 star

People who say things like this can be ignored because they often have unrealistic expectations and don't know what they're talking about. Star ratings are often subjective, vary between countries and are related to facilities not how nice they are.

One of the nicest (and quite cheap) hotels we've stayed in was a 3 star hotel. It wasn't 4 or 5 star because for those you need facilities like 24 hour receptions and business centres, which it didn't have and people don't generally look for on a holiday anyway. But the rooms were very nice, the food was very nice, it was clean and the pool/garden area was lovely.

I don't really take much notice of food reviews either, because when you're looking at typical Mediterranean holiday hotels, 'horrible food' often means not enough beige and too many bones and shells for their limited palate.

Goldensunnydays81 · 23/02/2022 11:24

We went away to a gorgeous hotel and I was panicking after as people had written reviews like not much choice of food etc, we got there and there was pretty much everything you could ever ask for food wise for where we were. (Morroco) but not all English food! And like others have said people like to complain.

RedCandyApple · 23/02/2022 11:24

Yeh you’re being silly, I was looking at holidays yesterday and didn’t find a single hotel that didn’t have any 1 star reviews at all so you having one that’s mostly all 4/5 star reviews and you’re upset because....?

CornishGem1975 · 23/02/2022 11:30

I'd be more than happy with a 4/5 on TA.

Take negative reviews with a pinch of salt. People are notoriously picky and like to leave reviews when they've not got their own way.

Original poster
Hb12 · 23/02/2022 11:33

Thank you all. I will give myself a good talking to. This isn't a spoilt foot stamp by the way, quite the opposite, we so rarely go away that making the right decision feels like life and death!

OP posts:
Dembones292 · 23/02/2022 12:28

I felt like this before a holiday a few years ago. We went and oh my, the hotel was absolutely beautiful, really couldn't fault it. Some people just love to complain!

BrieAndChilli · 23/02/2022 12:51

You need to remember that not everyone posts reviews.

I try and think for example that out of 200 people staying at a hotel.

  • only 100 people will leave a review
  • some of those people will be the sort that leave a review for everything to be polite
  • some will have had an exceptional time so leave a review
  • but most reviews are left by people who have had a negative experience

So maybe 60 bad reviews and 40 good ones but that doesn’t show the 100 people above who had a fine/good time and just didn’t leave a review.

I personally only leave a review if I had an exceptionally bad or good experience. If it was good or as expected I don’t bother.

CrimbleCrumble1 · 23/02/2022 14:14

Im sure you’ll have a nice holiday, maybe not a life changing best holiday ever but a nice time and a nice break. Step away from Tripsdvisor.

ifonly4 · 23/02/2022 14:34

I think you're way overthinking. I always look for accommodation with 4+ on trip advisor and have never been anywhere really bad. Just look forward to and enjoy your break. If there are any issues on arrival, most places will do their best to sort or at least help with it.

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