Blog: ‘Most TripAdvisor critics miss the point’

Published on February 12, 2014

By Tim Hart, owner of Hambleton Hall (pictured) and Hambleton Bakery

TripAdvisor. Don’t you hate it? For a hotelier this remarkable new development in guest feedback is a loose cannon. Unfortunately many of our clients rather like it. The downside with TripAdvisor and similar sites is that some “advisors” and most of the few who file negative reports, just don’t get the point. For example, we occasionally get reports lamenting the lack of teasmade, trouser press or spa facilities. They think our decor insufficiently minimalist and our food too tasty. In a nutshell they have come to the wrong place.

But I have to admit that guests find the internet equivalent of one of those boarding house visitors books quite useful. Since the vast majority of our reports are very positive I have concluded that we must embrace the internet age and encourage as many as possible who like this sort of thing to file a report. We have found that for every lunatic there seem to be at least 50 fans!