To start a thread about ridiculous trip advisor reviews?

[Coralnails]

I'm currently looking for a holiday so of course I'm reading trip adviser reviews.

I can't believe how many people leave poor reviews over the stupidest of things.

Quite a lot will leave bad reviews when they haven't even stayed at the place, but they've taken the hump because it was fully booked or a tour operator mixed up the bookings.

Or complaining about the weather, as if that's the hotels fault.

One that made me cry with laughter was the one who complained that no one spoke English well - in Spain.

Another left a hotel one star because they tv remote was faulty and they could hear someone from the kitchen putting the recycling out throughout the day. Apparently everything else was great, but they felt those two minor complaints warranted a terrible review.

My favourite from last year was someone who had yet to go on the holiday but have it 1 star due to the other negative reviews. Overall the holiday was rated 4 1/2 stars. It was bizarre.

We got one 1* about how horrible and inedible our food was.
Waiter asked if everything was ok during the meal, they smiled, said yes and later left NOTHING on their plates. Wished TripAdvisor allowed answer with CCTV as an attachment... I think some people do this in a hope of a freebie as an apology for their "truly horrific experience".

I much prefer them because at least they tend to be genuine. The overly enthusiastic or overly negative from the competitors are my pet peeve. Photos of the place help figure out if they are genuine or not

*Or complaining about the weather, as if that's the hotels fault." I saw the reverse of that in an Estate Agent's property write-up "and on the day we surveyed the property, the garden was bathed in sunshine"

If I was given crap, overpriced food I'd eat it if I was hungry, smile at the intrusive waiter, then tell others it was crap.

Really, what is the waiter supposed to do to turn a rubbish meal into a good one? I hate complaining, it's not my job to tell you you're selling shite. I just hurry up, get it over with, and never go back.

I remember one that was a b&b in Somerset and the lady was outraged that the gentleman running it kept on at her to see the Wooky Hole. She took major offence.

@morriszapp they could change the meal for you, they could offer you a refund. Eating the meal, saying it was fine then demanding refund/ giving bad reviews is just silly. I used to work in catering. I would never have minded if a customer told me they weren’t happy with their meal, in fact I would do my best to put it right to their satisfaction. But if all they do is whinge about it on a review there’s not a lot I can do about it is there?

My friend owns a really popular local foodie pub

Someone left the pub a huge ranty negative review. Apparently the pub ruined his wife’s birthday after they turned them away for not having a booking

It was really vicious, called friend ‘gormless’, said his staff were idiots and the pub was a shit hole

Friend very calmly and politely replied, pointed out this person turned up at 8pm on a Saturday night without a booking but was asked to wait in the bar for half an hour as some of the earlier diners were just finishing up but that the reviewer then got very angry and aggressive so they were told to leave

I know a tour rep. One day she was stopped by a family who were with another travel company who asked for help. They were there for 2 weeks and the food was awful. She double checked the hotel they said they were staying in and they confirmed it to her.
It was self catering and it was the cafe next door that they kept going to that they didn’t like.......with a whole load of other restaurants just up the road (and none had mobility issues)

I can’t remember which one it was but we were looking at reviews at a conservation park we intended to visit before we went. Someone had rated it 1 and written a terrible review about how awful the place was and that their day had been ruined because her child had been looking forward to seeing a particular animal and said animal wasn’t there. The animal was not ever there, it wasn’t like an enclosure was closed, the place didn’t home that particular animal and the reviewer was appalled. It really made us laugh, surely you’d check that if it was important for you to see!

Really, what is the waiter supposed to do to turn a rubbish meal into a good one?

Comp you something. We get people who have turned it into a fine art.

I love when you get an unhinged management response over a poor review. I am often tempted to book a night in hotel crazy for the experience.

Oh there was another funny one I read.

They'd left the hotel one star, however in their review they said that everything was great, good food, clean rooms but there was a weird looking guy in the restaurant who kept staring at people.

We enjoy reading the very bad reviews. We safely ignore the ones that are clearly written by somebody very petty. Sometimes after reading a bad review - eg ones complaining that the hotel is too quiet - we're more likely to book the hotel.

I read one recently regarding a place we stayed in and someone had given it a 1* with the title of "BEWARE OF THE WEATHER!" and then complained that it had rained for 3 days and they had come to Spain for the sun so the hotel had been ruined. Their stay was in late November

Place l work got a one star review that raved about what a lovely time the couple had had when they visited and how they were planning to come back soon with their family ... Huh?

I saw one that complained because the wallpaper was the wrong shade of blue and they couldn’t sleep because of it.

They'd left the hotel one star, however in their review they said that everything was great, good food, clean rooms but there was a weird looking guy in the restaurant who kept staring at people

This reminded me of someone who I once knew who wasn't very well travelled and booked an AI resort. Well, the whole holiday was ruined because there was a man sunbathing and kept looking up towards their balcony, which of course meant he was a paedophile. They reported him to the reception who didn't ban the man from looking up so they went to the police instead

@reetgood

You sound so nice and reasonable! For our wedding anniversary we were once at a Michelin starred restaurant. My DH pointed out to our waiter - apologetically - that his plate wasn’t properly clean (there were bits of a previous meal encrusted on the edge). He was told the chef wouldn’t cook for him if he had the audacity to complain. He could eat it or get out

I read them to find the ones who take a place apart for not being 'child friendly' because I want to patronise those places .

I read one where they were complaining about a cockerel crowing in the morning.
And another whinging about the call to prayer from a mosque in Turkey.

"He could eat it or get out"

I hope that you both left.

That is just disgusting.

There is a restaurant where I live where the management will sarcastically answer any negative reviews because they can’t accept other people’s opinions. It puts me off ever visiting because the owners sound like arseholes.

My DM is one of these people who leaves bad trip advisor reviews for the most ridiculous reasons. She thinks that her opinion is incrediably important, and assumes that the management will take it all on board when in actual fact she just sounds like a derranged, picky nutjob.

Most recently she left a one star review and really slated a local pub because they didn't take her desert order in adequate time. This was despite the manager having given her a full apology when she went to pay the bill and by her own admission the food was delicious.

It's really embarrassing actually. Somewhere has to be really bad for me to leave a bad review.

FIL runs a B and B and when you book, you select the room that you would like to book and it gives you a break down of the facilities in each room.

They were left a one star review because the room didn't have a shower despite the fact this was made clear upon them booking the room. Nothing was said during the stay and had they mentioned it they would have been given a shower head attachment for the bath that would have solved the problem 🙄

If there was something specifically wrong with the meal I might say but if it was just shit I probably wouldn't. Also there's not much the staff can do to put it right, to cook an entire new meal would take time I might not have and if the chef just doesn't cook food I like the new meal will be just as bad.