To wish I could just book a holiday without wondering if we will walk into a dirty pit

[hoovercraft]

It would just be nice to book something knowing it was going to be clean and pleasant. Im reading reviews and they vary from awful to fab...Im woring blind here. Is booking a holiday abroad just like taking pot luck?

I think the average review 'score' is a good guide if there are enough reviews. But I know what you mean. You think you've found somewhere great and then you find one review that says "Do not go here, it was awful", and you feel a bit . Almost makes me miss the days when we booked holidays at a travel agent, and just assumed that it would be fine.

I stopped looking on tripadvisor a while ago. The places we've been to have always been fine irrespective of what the reviews say. I think people are more likely to complain than write something positive so these sites always tend towards the negative.

Also if you read a lot of the reviews some people just have weird expectations. For example, booking a 2 star self catering apartment and then complaining that the bedsheets aren't changed every day.

We tend to look at TripAdviser before we book (or similar sites).

Dependant on where you are going and what you want to do there are hotels that join Groups that market them and in order to be part of the group they have to meet certain standards -one expample are Romantik hotels in Europe, in order to be part of the group it has to be 4th generation owned and meet certain quality standards -we've never been to one that hasn't been wondeful.

We very rarely book packages as we like quite unusual holidays but if booking one I definately look for independant reviews outwith the tour operator and websites like tripadviser are good for that.

One thing about tripadvisor.

You may notice that Americans and brits often leave polar opposite comments. One nationality has very high service expectations and the other know a good thing when they see it...

One thing about tripadvisor.

You may notice that Americans and brits often leave polar opposite comments. One nationality has very high service expectations and the other know a good thing when they see it...

Was reading one review that complained the sand was too rough!! (yes an American!)

Also remember that poeople who have a less than perfect experience, justified or not, are significantly more likely to broadcast it than those who are satisfied.

I find the reviews helpful. Some of the people leaving them are clearly too fussy and they are obvious. We once went to a Carribean Resort with lots of steps. The hotel website stated they had lots of steps, the brochures stated it had lots of steps, reviews from donkeys years ago mentioned lots of steps. Yet new reviews were still saying 'too many steps'. The hotel also had a golf buggy/shuttle bus type service too, so you didn't actually have to walk anywhere if you didn't want to and they also had an alternate route that was longer but gently sloping with no steps.

I have also overheard someone complaining about the mosquitos and saying they wanted their money back as the brochure hadn't mentioned it.

If somewhere has mixed reviews but that includes a lot of decent ones, I think you'd be fine tbh.

Try holidaying in Switzerland or Singapore. I don't think dirty pits are allowed in either.