Booking a hotel used to mean flipping through a guidebook or calling up a travel agent. Now? You scroll through hundreds of reviews, check TikTok walk-throughs, compare prices across ten booking sites—and hope someone’s comment from two years ago still applies.
But here’s the thing: not all hotel reviews are worth trusting. Some are helpful. Some are spammy. And some? Straight-up fake.
If you want to avoid noisy rooms, broken aircon, or overhyped properties, here’s how to read hotel reviews like a pro—before your next stay.
1. Use the Right Hotel Review Platforms
Every review site gives you something different:
- Google: Quick star ratings, user-uploaded photos, and a huge volume of reviews
- TripAdvisor: Great for detailed hotel reviews, especially for resorts
- Booking.com: Only shows reviews from verified stays = fewer fakes
- Reddit: Honest, no-filter feedback from real travellers
🔍 Search tip: Type the hotel name + “Reddit” into Google. You’ll often find brutally honest threads that point out what typical reviews gloss over.
2. Don’t Obsess Over the Star Rating
A hotel with 5-stars might be wildly overrated. A 3-star property could be a hidden gem.
Instead of the average, look for patterns:
Are multiple people saying “amazing staff,” “great location,” or “paper-thin walls”?
That tells you more than any perfect 5-star rating ever will.
Also, be wary of reviews that read like marketing copy. If they say things like “excellent service, spacious rooms, unbeatable value!!!”—with no real detail—that’s a red flag.
3. Prioritise Recent Hotel Reviews
Hotels change fast. Ownership shifts, renovations start (or stall), staff turn over.
Always sort by ‘Most Recent’ and read at least the last 10 reviews. They’ll give you the most accurate picture of what staying there is actually like now.
🚩 No recent reviews in the past 6 months? That’s a sign to dig deeper—or even message the property directly to check if they’re still running as usual.
4. Spotting Fake Hotel Reviews
Not every bad review is a dealbreaker. And not every glowing review is real.
✅ Real reviews mention specific things:
Room numbers, how long check-in took, what breakfast was actually like, the name of a helpful staff member.
❌ Fake reviews usually sound generic and exaggerated, like:
“BEST HOTEL EVER!! Amazing stay! Highly recommend to everyone!!!”
And don’t panic over one angry 1-star rating unless there’s a pattern. Sometimes people leave bad reviews just because they didn’t get a late checkout.
5. Cross-Check Hotel Reviews Across Platforms
Never trust just one source.
If a hotel has amazing reviews on Google but poor ones on Booking.com, something’s off. Likewise, a resort might be glowing on TripAdvisor but get slammed on Reddit or Facebook groups.
Cross-checking might take 10 minutes—but it could save you from a nightmare stay.
6. Trust Guest Photos, Not the Hotel’s
Hotels love using wide angles and perfect lighting in their marketing photos. But that “spacious suite” might actually feel like a shoebox in person.
📸 Always look at photos uploaded by real guests.
They’ll show you what the room actually looks like—cracked tiles, stained towels, or that “ocean view” that’s more like a peek between two rooftops.
Bonus tip: Run a reverse image search if the photo looks too polished. You’ll often find it’s a stock image or lifted from somewhere else.
7. Map It Out Before You Book
A hotel might look stunning—but if it’s a 45-minute walk from anything you care about, is it worth it?
Use Google Maps to:
- Check the exact location
- See what’s nearby (cafes, transport, shops)
- Read reviews of the area, not just the hotel
- Double-check how safe or noisy the street is at night
8. Don’t Skip the 3-Star Reviews
Want the most balanced take? Read the 3-star reviews.
These tend to give the pros and the cons—like:
“Room was clean and comfy, but walls were thin and breakfast was average.”
That’s the kind of honest feedback you can actually work with.
9. Use Travel Forums & Groups to Double-Check Your Choice
Still unsure if you’re booking the right place? Post in a travel Facebook group or Reddit forum.
You’ll get insights you won’t find in reviews—like construction noise, local scams, or quieter alternative stays around the corner.
Travellers love to share their opinions. Use that to your advantage.
10. What to Do If the Hotel Doesn’t Match the Reviews
If you booked a hotel based on great reviews and it turns out to be a disaster:
- Take photos of the issues
- Leave a calm, detailed review to warn others
- Contact the hotel directly to try and resolve it
- If they ignore you, escalate through the booking platform
If they post anything false about you in return, there are services to remove Google search results to help clear your name.
Final Thoughts
Hotel reviews can be gold—or total garbage.
So don’t just skim the stars. Dig deeper, cross-check platforms, and focus on real, recent feedback. Your sleep, sanity, and suitcase space depend on it.
Your holiday deserves better than a bad night’s sleep. Read smarter—and book better.
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