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We’ve all done it. Started planning a vacation and decided to look at the reviews online.
STOP. First, leave this to your travel agent. This is the primary reason you choose to work with an agent so we do the research and digging for you. We have a wealth of knowledge from personal experiences, client feedback, training and of course our own time spent researching resorts, hotels, cruise ships and more!
But what if you’re planning a trip on your own, with points or simply want to see what others say about the resort?
Here are a few tips:
Anytime you see the same names of resort staff being shouted out over and over they are most likely asking guests to leave those reviews. They are providing a slip of paper with their name on it asking them to make a post tagging them. While there is nothing wrong with that, oftentimes the praise is more than it should be as a guest is trying to help that person out. Don’t pick a resort based on the actions of one staff member.
If the review is riddled with negativity - nothing went right, everything was atrocious and the tone is angry it’s most likely a client who would never be happy and they didn’t try to mitigate their problems appropriately on property with the front desk manager or is trying to get something for free. (Especially when you see primarily positive reviews of a resort).
When beach/water conditions are being talked about in a negative way (especially sargassum) look to see when their review was made. If it was during the months of March-October and in a location like Mexico/Dominican it’s just part of it. It’s not the resort's fault (but it is important to note if you’re a beach lover).
Use keyword searches to find exactly what you’re looking for (food, beach, room smell etc) to weed through the reviews.
Look at photos- did that testimonial leave photos… more so can you tell what type of traveler that client is?
Here’s the thing- At the end of the day your opinion will always be different from someone else. Keep in mind resorts cater to the masses. They host people with $20 in their savings accounts alongside those with $2,000,000. People who travel multiple times a year alongside 19 year olds who are venturing for their first time. Travelers looking for calm and quiet alongside those looking to sit at the pool bar drinking endless amounts of Tequila shots! The opinions of those travelers will always be different due to their experiences and desires.
Read between the lines, read more than one review, and trust that the truth is in the middle.
End of the day, just trust your travel agent to guide you through this
XO Vic