Should You Take Customer Reviews into Consideration Before Reserving an Accommodation in a Hotel or Serviced Apartment?

No matter where you go, finding an accommodation is not an issue nowadays. Hotels- big and small, average and luxurious- and serviced apartments with quality services and reasonable pricing compete to attract people for a stop off. The extension of that competition easily gets reflected on review sites on the internet as well. If you are reserving a hotel room or a customized studio apartment for your next trip, you have multiple reasons to go through the reviews before doing so. Not only you get to compare the services of the hotels but also avoid a stay that would be far from memorable- or comfortable for that matter. Here’s how the reviews help you choose the right place-

• Reality Check

Generally, people those who take time to review their stay in a hotel are either the ones with a great experience or a terrible one. Therefore, their posted comments – on any trustworthy website- are authentic testimonials. They not only suggest what they found good or bad about the hotel but also tell whether hotel website’s promises were real. For example, you just read that the hotel offers free Wi-Fi, but the reviews suggest that it’s of poor quality or it is not really complementary. Similarly, all the websites that claim to be providing serviced apartments, may not be any different than the hotels you don’t prefer. This also gets verified with the reviews.

• At Tempting and Testing Times

Suppose, you just found a hotel with great looking room pictures on its website with an attractive bargain. Should you just make the payment and book the rooms for your upcoming travel? Hang on a second! You might find the last review written on the hotel was six months or a year ago. It clearly shows that the place is not frequented by people. Whatever reason it may be, you should rather find an accommodation that is certified good by the people who have been there- a little more money would save your experience for sure! If your stay is going to be a bit longer- even a couple of days- extended stay apartments are the best option. Therefore, don’t fall for tempting adverts before reading some customer testimonials.

• Helps Narrow Down Your Search

To be fairly honest, not many people really know what they want during a hotel stay (a serviced apartment always means homely). People’s preferences vary from minimum amenities to every facility one can think of; some want to try something new. There are two ways how you can get the best deal. If you are going for certain services, and do not mind paying- although you definitely don’t want to pay too much- then just read the reviews of similar hotels. The same applies to the hotels within a price range. In case you are looking for a service apartment with a co-working environment, review comments would tell you which is the best. Basically, they would tell exactly what is offered at what price in which area of the city. Not only the accommodation- but its location also is important!

• Getting to Know the Management

The review sites are virtual places of conversations between the customers and the hotel/ temporary serviced home management. Not only one gets to read the praises and complaints about their rooms, staff and services- yes, there’s more than just rooms to be considered while booking- but also how the management responds to those. If an issue is raised frequently in the reviews and the apartment service doesn’t seem to be fixing it, then you know how much customer satisfaction means to them. Similarly, the manner in which they engage with the reviews also reveals their professionalism.

• Discover Trends

Everywhere there is a hidden surprise for you- as they say. The review sites, no matter how unlikely they may appear- offer you alternatives; they introduce you to the trends! Reviews talk about the hotel experience as much as they draw comparisons with similar accommodation platforms. You would better know if you surfed such a site. Discovering alternative hospitality options, evolved and new age serviced apartments, customized hostels, etc. does not happen by chance by reading the reviews. In an ever growing virtual world, people want you to taste the best- this is how trends start. While you thought you couldn’t have more than what a multiple stared hotel offers, you might end up staying in a lovely furnished apartment with a fully equipped kitchen in a posh locality!

Reading reviews keeps you updated about the hotels, extended stay apartments and the hospitality industry simultaneously. As an informed customer, you always can get the same treatment as a regular customer- just by reading the comments. Then keep reading, and write one about your own experience too!