4 things to look at when assessing travel reviews

If you’re planning a vacation, you may be wondering if you can trust reviews on websites like TripAdvisor and Yelp. The answer is yes, as long as you know what to look for. Here are four things to take into consideration when assessing reviews.

1. The date. Refer to the most recent reviews available. Criticism about a hotel or restaurant from seven years ago is probably out of date.

2. The amount. The greater the number of reviews about a place, the better your chances are of finding useful information about it.

3. The content. If you take the time to read people’s reviews, you may find out all kinds of useful information. For example, a highly-rated hotel may be praised for its all-night dance club, which isn’t ideal if you’re traveling with children but may be perfect for honeymooners.

4. The photos. People leaving travel reviews often include photos. These will give you a more honest look at what you can expect than the professional photos included on a property’s website.

Remember that travelers often take to travel review sites to vent their frustrations with an experience that may not be universal. However, some resorts and hotels pay people to leave excellent reviews that aren’t deserved. The best policy when assessing reviews is to ignore the highest and lowest ratings and focus instead on the majority of reviews that are somewhere in the middle.