Hi Pretties,
TripAdvisor is my travel boo! When I start feeling that travel bug coming on, my first step in travel planning is consulting the boo! If you have not used TripAdvisor, it is an online travel resource for all things travel – transportation, lodging, dining, and attractions. Today I want to share with y’all the three ways to use this information-rich site to find the perfect hotel room!

Join The Fun

First things first, create your own account on the site so you can interact with travelers from all over the world!

Hotels

I am a hotel snob, period. On family trips, we would stay at nice hotels and my folks would let us order room service. I got spoiled early. So now I get giddy if the room has a big, comfy bed, with those fabulous mattresses, is well decorated in modern trends but not overly done and is decked out with all the fancy amenities. I am very particular about where I lay my head. So before I even pick a flight, I start researching hotels. But how do you know the hotel in the pictures on the website is the real deal? That is where TripAdvisor comes in – you can see a ranking of nearly all the hotels in a given area. So if you were visiting The A, you would enter Atlanta, Georgia and click on hotels in Atlanta.

And, like magic, up pops a huge hotel list with 3 things that you want to look at more closely – hotel rating, hotel reviews, and hotel ranking.

Anatomy of the Hotel Listing

The hotel rating is based on a bubble system represented by the green bubbles, the more bubbles the better

The hotel reviews should again be a big number, the higher the number the more guest reviews

The ranking should be a lower number, a hotel in the top 25 is a better choice

Now, take those data points(yeah, nerdy diva here) and use those to select your hotel. For the bubbles, look at 4 or more and remember more bubbles doesn’t always mean a higher price. A really cute boutique hotel (my favorite) could have 5 bubbles and a very reasonable price per night. Read the reviews, but start with the not so positive reviews. Sometimes people have legitimate issues with the room or hotel service, but a lot of people are jerks. Look for themes, are a lot of reviewers complaining about the same topic i.e., couldn’t get extra towels, room not cleaned, etc., then maybe pass because that could mean the hotel does have some issues. The ranking is my favorite, but a low ranking such as #1 could and usually does mean a higher price. But consider with that price will come a fantastic hotel stay. Narrow your choices down and you can book right from the site. Easy peasy right!

Join TripAdvisor and start leaving reviews on your travel experiences, your flight, the hotel, restaurants, and the attractions. It is a big help to other travelers! And check out my reviews too!

Have you used TripAdvisor? Happy April 1st!

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