when i post a review i always send an e-mail to the company or hotel linking to my report, i have had several replies in the past from the hotels.. if you don't tell them they wont look..if they are not interested in repeat business they wont look.. but may do out of curiosity

Thats a great question you've raised and certainly we do get people from holiday companies viewing. We have never actually sent a link for them to see the good, the bad and the ugly.

Sarah

I am a travel agent and i sometimes have a look at hotel reviews on here for my own holidays and sometimes i have a look for my customers too.

I can certainly say that I know of Directors and the staff of hotels that I'm in contact with in Spain, they certainly look at this site and read the reviews....and considering the holiday review sites that are out there, then I would be quite pleased and proud as Admin, mods and members, that this site is highly thought of.

I even had one director showing the video that I made of his hotel to the group board members at their meeting.
I also got the impression that if I had misrepresented the hotel in one of my videos then I would have heard about it.....this was one of the reasons the video was shown to the top men.
When I questioned him why? well we all know the type of videos that are sometimes shown on the "holidays from hell" type of programme and are sometimes used in conjunction with a lawsuit.

However, what I write based on my opinion, as long as it is not libellous, is my right to express my thoughts in a democratic society, whether it is the good, the bad or the ugly.
Thankfully, we have the Admin and Mods in the background to delete any derogative and libellous remarks, that could/would bring the site into disrepute and consequently lose the respectability that this site has built its reputation on.

How do I know all this.? because I returned to a hotel within a few weeks from my previous visit and the Director seeing me on the computer in the hotel and noticing the HT website, he sussed out who I was and took me into his office to use his puter....and show me MY video.!
There he had the holidaytruths addy already on his address bar and based on the information that I had written about his hotel, plus walking about with a camcorder for most of the time, he put two and two together.
The reception staff also log in here. other hotels that I have stayed in, have made it known that they log in here and even the Thomson rep

Like most people, they like the appraisal and are disappointed when holidaymakers are critical of their services in a bad way...however, only by reading personal reviews can they improve.
They also have to suss out the habitual whingers from the people who have a genuine grievance....and take it onboard....without the right to reply and personally challenge any derogatory remarks posted.

Sanji x

Do you think hotel managers ever post glowing reviews of their own hotels?
Just wondering as there'd be no way of checking this out!

Hi Toastedmallow, the mods here can tell where a review is coming from, and if it's from abroad they delete it!....love Linda x

Just wondering as there'd be no way of checking this out!

Oh yes there would! For a start, it is HT policy not to accept Hotel Reviews posted from overseas.

luci

Thats a good plan: I will send the link to the hotel that I have just come back from as they got a glowing report from myself and many others so they deserve to know that they do good!

I may also send the link to where I plan to go in 2007 just to make sure their socks are pulled up!

It is an interesting topic and its nice to see that it widely used and highly regarded.

I enjoy reading all your thoughts on what I was thinking.

Word of mouth has always been the most reliable way of recommendation.

Hooorah for HT!
(I would be lost without it!)

Does that mean that as I live in Spain, any report I may write about a hotel would be deleted? There must be many forum members who live and holiday abroad!

and i was thinking of accessing the HT site while abroad to talk about interesting new things i might find...or weather ot travel advice for those travelling out while i am already there.. or even to talk about the wonderful hotel i will be staying in in GC ( Taurito Princess.. been before..loved it..)

Val
I always report back from Spain, talking about the weather or what we have done/seen....Have you never followed me around Benidorm in my daily reports from there.?
You spend too much time in the Canaries, step inside the Costa Blanca babe
I don't think that is a problem accessing this part of HT from another computer/cyber cafe.

The Hotel and Resort review part is on a different server....going through detailed points.... like your name, who/where you went, how many in the party etc etc
Unless I'm wrong...that is the part that the Admin/Mods are referring too.....Your official review of the hotel and resort.

I think the main aim of this site is to uphold its name in all aspects, and as it is UK based then I can understand why reports and reviews are deleted from aboard...otherwise, we wouldn't know who was telling the truth and giving a truthful review based on their opinion.

You could just image all the Directors of the hotels pretending to be Mr & Mrs Brown and spending a fantastic fortnight in the hotel mumbo jumbo....their hotel.
If it means the ex-pats cannot write a report, then sorry, but I would like to read a review based on the posters opinion, knowing that it is NOT fixed by someone with a vested interest in the place.

Sanji x

Hey Sanjii... i agree with you about my time spent in the canaries but i would spend even more time there if i could.. and we are venturing further afield in December.. we are going to Egypt for the first time ever on a scuba diving holiday to Taba heights..now that is worth reporting on...

There is nowt wrong with the Spanish costa's and now we have Donny airport so close by, we are hoping to shoot off for quick breaks next year and hopefully search for property in the granada and south down to the coast region ( i fell in love with Salobrena) and also i like Zafarraya
(north of Malaga going into the hills).. spain is such a beautiful and diverse place...

Tak care...

Does that mean that as I live in Spain, any report I may write about a hotel would be deleted? There must be many forum members who live and holiday abroad!

If you were posting from Spain and said so on your country of origin but posted a review of say Greece then I personally would let that one through. However if you were holidaying in Spain then to be on the safe side I would edit and leave the standard message that we use.

Sorry Val, I meant you spend too much time in the Canaries forum hun.

It was meant as a joke, I hope you didn't take it the wrong way.

SanJi x

There are certainly many who read and reply to the reviews on Trip Advisor so I'm sure some manage to find their way here as well.

Although several times members have picked up on what they consider to be bogus reviews by hotel management/staff which go completely against the grain of the not so good reviews before them!

No probs sanjii.. i have a sense of humour and didn't take offence at all.....
i will endeavour to broaden my horizons!!

Although several times members have picked up on what they consider to be bogus reviews by hotel management/staff which go completely against the grain of the not so good reviews before them!

This is why we don't allow reviews from the country where the accommodation is situated. We too have had many a glowing report, usually praising the staff, that we have had to delete and leave a message. We leave the message to ensure they don't come back and try the same trick again.

Good work Mods!
I value & up to a point rely on the info that posters have taken the trouble to write.
It's reassuring to know that there are safeguards in place!
Keep up the good work!

Mods.. we all know you do a great job for this forum.. but i wondered, would you edit or even remove a hotel review post if it was so bad.. i mean really slagged a place off and had nothing good to say about it..and i suppose if it remained within the boundaries of not being libellous?

Just curious....