Tripadvisor: Plan & Book Trips Reviews

by Galphas

Trip Advisor used to be awesome for exploring for things to do in an area we were visiting as a family. I found so many great attractions, outdoor sightseeing locations, tours, etc over our years of travel. Searching in the map view and browsing lists was easy and productive on an iPad, actually much better than their website. I was shocked to find that the interface has now been redesigned in a way that makes Tripadvisor terrible for finding what I need. I’m literally at a loss as to how I’m going to search for things to do on our upcoming vacation because I’m having so much trouble finding the information I want. Note to developers, using blocks to display info is horrible UX design when trying to browse long lists. It seems that Tripadvisor has been redesigned not with the user in mind, but for some other goal, maybe highlighting those things that will bring in more $$ for Trip Advisor.

Weirdly, Tripadvisor Store ratings are also worthless for Tripadvisor because almost none of the recent good ratings are about Tripadvisor . Instead it is a bunch of ratings of businesses people presumably found via Trip Advisor. The ratings of Tripadvisor itself appear to be substantially lower. Is Trip Advisor doing something to encourage this user behavior in order to obscure their poor ratings? Very sad if true.

by JMToole

Apparently in using Trip Advisor they don't stand behind the reservations you have made through their app. I made a reservation and paid through the Trip Advisor app that I have used many times. Upon the hotel arrival of my out of town workers the reservation wouldn't go through. Apparently, Trip Advisor uses another company called Cancelon to process all of their payments. There was not a soul to be found at this Cancelon company to assist with anything. Their phone lines rang and a recording came on saying 'number not found'. The lady, who I could barely understand, from Trip Advisor could only say that they don't process the payments, Cancelon does. I WAS NOT using Cancelon to make reservations...I was using Trip Advisor! My confirmation email came from you, TRIP ADVISOR, Not anyone else!! If you use someone else that's between you and them! I am OR was a Trip Advisor customer, not a Cancelon customer. I'm sure this has to be happening to other people. Trip Advisor, you need to put something on your app to let customers know reservations apparently can't be made through you at this time. I get it, there is a whole lot going on in the world right now, but please take the time and LET PEOPLE KNOW!

by Donnaray

I knew it was a mistake to click on “update” without waiting a few days to read the reviews - which I was sure would be terrible - because they just keep on changing things and making it worse for NO REASON!! I can’t understand why they think ANY of the recent changes are improvements - they moved things around AGAIN so it’s unfamiliar! Nothing on the home page is relevant. Can’t even FIND MY OWN reviews now! Why is everything so HUGE? They’re wasting space & making me scroll way too much… This is the FIFTH time I’ve updated this review in 30 minutes - every time I try to do something I keep finding more horrendous changes. Are they honestly going to make me click on “read more” for EVERY single review? OMG!!! Now instead of just having 2 search lines so I can type in the name of what I want to see and the location directly below it, it I have to click on something else to get the location box to show up so I can type it - an UNNECESSARY EXTRA step! Then, there are multiple restaurants with the same name in this city, and you don’t show me the address anymore, they all just say the city, so I have NO IDEA which one is correct!! They have absolutely destroyed what used to be a helpful trip planning app & it’s just awful now. I’ve never used yelp but it’s time to consider it... Did the people who created this ridiculous redesign ever try to actually use Tripadvisor before they released this crap to the general public?

by TiNyJALEPENO

I suggest looking elsewhere and honestly reddit is much more helpful. I posted a couple things, but they were simple questions about atms. People then told me I should research and soon I would be asking about shootings where I am staying? I don’t get how I can be so stupid for simply asking about the atms and which ones to use because people’s cards were being read and used in Indonesia. I then went on to read multiple reviews and I was really taken back by how many unnecessarily rude people are on there. Some people on there do ask naive questions, but the point of Tripadvisor is to help people. Anytime I told someone they were being rude my comment was deleted by the staff. I’m not sure why because I never cursed I just told the people they were being unnecessarily rude and pretentious. But maybe pretentious was taken as not following their guidelines? Because technically I called them a name? Not sure. Anyways besides people being not very helpful I also found reviews to be lacking. There are so many spots I went to in Puerto Escondido that were amazing and not mentioned. So I would suggest speaking to locals wherever you go. Trip advisor may be helpful to some, but honestly I think reddit is much better. I thought Yelp was bad, but Tripadvisor and it’s staff are in no way helpful.

by Javierappleid

I just changed phone and was trying to open this app in my new one and just realize this craziness.... be aware... it doesn’t sound correct or even legal (but I guess that if the ask persuasion and we, the users, granted, then is on us....
one of the options to signing into this app is using my google email/account... this app request me roc ALLOW them to be able “to see and download all my google accounts emails addresses”!!!!! What is that!!! How is that to use an app about things to do or where to eat in any given area I need to pay that service with my privacy and the Privacy of the people that emails me!!!!!?

Be aware! We all are used to the “scroll down and agree” and select box and agree to be able to use most accounts and apps now day... must of the times are about fair use of apps and legal reasons..some other times is about allowing the apps to use our location and maybe cameras and being able to storage photos in our devices.... so we go ahead and click allow or agree just because we are so used to trust as no other way to get around or as part of the process... but what this app is doing asking permission to see and download our private info... doesn’t sound right!! At all!!!

by Cj Of MDR

My issue with Trip Advisor is they block you from providing any updates until 90 days later after posting negative review. My post of review from Sheraton Hotel Marina in San Diego November 2019 received a response from Sheraton. They posted they want to talk further to me about issues that took place at time of visit. I have responded twice to their email that they provided in their response post. I have had no response at all from Sheraton. If they really wanted to speak to me they should have provided a valid phone number and contact person in their response. Posting an email address but never acknowledging my emails back per their posted request, just makes it looks like they( Sheraton) made an effort. Trip Advisors blocks me from reporting this to travelers until after 90 days. Thus, current travelers seeking real time information will not be given up to date information from travelers that have experienced recent issues that could impact current travelers.
So reading allowed posting without allowing immediate updates makes Sheratons attempt to work out issues meaningless. Trip Advisors followers will not know that Sheraton has failed to actually resolve issue and fail to acknowledge my 2 emails back to their request. I consider this deliberately misleading travelers.

by Soflaguy63

I have used the Trip Advisor app for years and found it to be very helpful. However, in this era of stored data abuses, I find it annoying that I can not erase my recent search history. Some will argue why this is an issue so I will share an issue that a co-worker had with the Trip Advisor app.

My co-worker was planning on surprising his wife with a romantic mid-week trip at an oceanfront resort 40 miles from his home. He used Trip Advisor to find the best accommodations available. He has the Trip Advisor app on both his iPhone and iPad. After determining that this type of trip wasn’t in his budget, he decided to wait and save a little bit of money each week. Well, sometime later, his wife was using the iPad and Trip Advisor to research a restaurant in the area for a family dinner. While she was in Tripadvisor , she noticed his history. She was also noticing that he was taking money from their savings account (money he was saving for their romantic weekend.) Anyhow, my co-workers wife’s man hating sister had her convinced that he was having an affair. No need to keep going on this story as I am sure you all get it.

Once Trip Advisor allows search history to be deleted, I will amend my 2 star rating.

by Bob WW

I evaluate most of the hotels, restaurants, and local sights on this app. I only rarely have to give bad ratings since I have checked in advance on this app. By reading many reviews you can quickly get a good idea of each rated place. Note that some reviewers are always negative - either they are never satisfied or they are so grumpy that they have brought out the worst in everyone they meet. When hundreds of visitors have given a place “excellent” or “very good” ratings, usually the few bad ratings are due to such trolls. I usually do read several negative ratings - bad days do occur and there are flaws in everything and it can help you to notice those flaws - but if most people liked it, I will probably like it too. I have used “Yelp” at times for restaurant reviews (sometimes searching sends me to Yelp). It is ok, but I have not usually found it more convenient. I am less familiar with it - and I have never posted a rating there.

If I have to sign in each time, this is the last time you will hear from me.

by Hearing In LA!

I like Tripadvisor and have used it for both evaluating and reviewing restaurants, hotels, and things to do all over the world. It is fairly easy to use but have found 1 issue that was only cleared up after I sent a message to Trip Advisor. When adding a new location of any type, a website or social media listing is shown being “optional.” I have found that if the new location does not have a website or not listed on social media, TA will reject the listing without explanation. This was very frustrating after going through all the detail of listing 2 new restaurants and having them rejected without explanation. There should be a note requiring website or social media address before going through details of a new listing. A point that not only perturbs but concerns me greatly is I am totally offended by constantly being asked if a restaurant offers halal food. It is very discriminatory to single this out. I do not nor will I ever eat this food so stop asking me this offense question!!!!

by Spunky Traveller

I can’t leave home without it as it helps bring the world to me. Reviews and recommendations are typically spot on. However, it can be a bit clumsy when it comes to searching. I put in day trips/tours in Dar es Salaam and I keep getting safari results for 3-15 days. Not sure what part of “day” Tripadvisor does not understand. Also, I booked a trip that has not existed for about a year and was none refundable. When I tried to cancel on Tripadvisor , it warned me that I would lose 100% of the cost. I reached out to the tour operator via WhatsApp and fortunately, they were gracious enough to inform me that they no longer do that tour and will fully refund. this app needs to stay on top of operational tours.

Finally, whenever I book a tour through this app, things generally go smoothly except for when they don’t. The reply button to the tour operator contained within the confirmation email seldom works.

All in all, I enjoy using Tripadvisor as my go to travel companion. I don’t even need to research ahead of time (I know, lazy right? ;) and the idea that I can travel on the fly and have this app app do all the legwork is ever so appealing. It would have been 5 star but for all the issues listed above!

by Teddy Bear Babe

I use Tripadvisor almost every time we go to a new city to find what food is good and where to eat. That being said there are some improvements I would like to see.
1. For vegetarians and vegans Tripadvisor can be a little difficult to navigate. One change I would like to see is in phrasing and searching filters. There is a difference between vegetarian/ vegan restaraunts and a restaurant having vegan/vegetarian options. Tripadvisor currently does not show the difference which can be vexing.
2. Another change I would like to see is in the search. Often times i go on here to find food between point a and point b but currently there is not a way to search along that route or slightly off from it. Yes you can go through each address and see but for tourists this can be difficult and additional time to your task.

It’s a good time to mention that even if these changes don’t occur I will keep using Tripadvisor but it would be nice to see a change to help support those of us with different diets. And not just non-meat eaters but, gluten free eaters, paleo people or even those that have a lot of allergies to food such as nuts, milk, eggs and more.

by Kellce14560

This rating is all about Edgar Barron who is the poolside server at the Secrets pool. As Impression Members, we’ve been to more than 20 different Unlimited Vacation Club all-inclusive resorts and have never experienced someone in his role to be as hard working, conscientious, customer-focused and playful in his approach to ANTICIPATING the wants and needs of his customers. As the author and trademark holder of the US award winning customer relations training program “Through the Eyes of the Customer” I have dedicated my life’s work to training people to build high levels of customer loyalty with their customers. So I am always looking for these best-in-class superstars/ambassadors who are totally committed to surpassing customer expectations at every turn. Edgar Barron is this person. He sees things through the eyes of the customer and has a heart dedicated to building high levels of customer loyalty at every turn. Our highest praises and admiration for Edgar Barron and his dedication and loyalty to making every customer smile, feel cared about, catered too and totally valued. Thank you, SECRETS PUERTO VALLARTA for hiring an Edgar Barron who makes such an important impact in we “vacationers” every day in every way!

by Island Sparkles

I use this app quite often to review my experiences at hotels, restaurants and attraction areas as well as read the reviews of others when deciding on areas and places to visit. It would be great if this app would add cruise lines to their portfolio of things that can be reviewed as I am getting ready to take a cruise and would love to share my experience when I return.

I have had some difficulties when trying to write reviews for locations or places that are not yet listed in Tripadvisor . This has been very frustrating as you do not realize that your review will not get published until after you go through all that effort to write the review and include pictures etc.

Additionally, I would like to see some incentives or benefits for members that take the time to write all of these reviews to inform the general public of their experiences. I have written 105 reviews, and I have not yet received any type of incentives i.e. discounts to restaurants, hotels, attractions etc.

Granted, I do not write these reviews for any type of reward. I write them because it benefits me when I read others reviews when trying to decide on things to do and places to go; however, I just think it would be nice for this app to give some sort of gesture to show that they appreciate what we as reviewers do for them.

Overall, I do enjoy using Tripadvisor and will continue to use Tripadvisor as needed because the benefits outweigh their need for improvements.

by Crazyfamilyoffour

I’m enjoying planning our families summer day trips and weekend trips using Tripadvisor. For longer trips, I appreciate the feature that allows me to place certain attractions on different days of my trip. I would suggest however, being able to view only the events and attractions listed under a certain day. For example, I plan a 5 day trip to Washington DC that includes a total of 49 (!) attractions that I have divided as I wish to see them amongst the five day stay. It would be great if I could click on day two for instance, and only see the attractions and events that I planned for that day so that it would be easier to see where the locations are on the map and it would be more efficient to rearrange my itinerary according to attractions and events that are close to one another. Thank you for adding the “add note” section for each attraction, as I use to write in hours of operation and cost of events so I can see it at a glance.

by Bxtgs

Can’t say enough nice things about this inn. It is one of the best places we have stayed in this or any other country. From the start, the communication was excellent. The staff worked around our schedule to accommodate us. The main building in the inn is historic and charming and the staff is courteous and helpful and always ready to make things as comfortable as possible. The breakfasts are generous and delicious. There are fresh baked cookies every afternoon. We asked to keep wine in the kitchen refrigerator and the answer was “of course.”. We also stayed in the hotel building, where the rooms were large, comfortable and equipped with refrigerators, microwaves and gas fireplaces. The grounds are lovely and have several sitting areas as well as two hot tubs. There is a guest laundry facility that really came in handy. The manager on duty when we were there was Jeremy and he sets a highly professional but also welcoming tone for every guest. We would happily return to Huff House any time.

by #notruelanefan

If I could give "INFINITE" Stars I would!!! AWESOME, THE BEST, ENLIGHTENING, DELICIOUS FOOD (The Vintage, Joey K's, Basin Seafood & Spirits, Dat Dog, Mahony's Po-Boy Shop) MOST PREPARED, KNOWLEDGEABLE/FRIENDLY/ENGAGING/FUN Tour Guide, Mr. Roger Magee II who also graced us with a tour/introduction to the Phenomenal/Breathtaking Art Work of Mr. Terrance Osborne while we took a break from EATING; this is truly a "FOOD" and not a tasting tour, we needed it because at this point, we were EDUCATED,HAPPY & FULL!!! Below are some pics of the GREAT DAY we enjoyed/had on our MAGAZINE STREET FOOD TOUR...you guys have set the "BAR HIGH"...I can't imagine any tour that could rival this "exceedingly, abundantly, above all we could ask or think experience we had/enjoyed!!!...P.S.....I converted my beautiful daughter & my younger, diva sister, thanks to Basin Seafood & Spirits to OYSTER eaters (work on making them lovers...lol)!!! As you can see, I could go on and on...lol...let me leave you with this...if you want to have a "Time of Your Life Food Tour" this is THE ONE and, btw, if you book the 11am slot, consume only coffee, tea, water for breakfast because you will be EATING, not tasting

by Annelivonia

Where should I begin ? Our second attempt for my daughters (#DrumSobodos) wedding was still filled with anxiety of traveling with 70 people during a pandemic. All of the staff of Now Sapphire put us at ease from the moment we arrived,until the day we left . It was well organized, with special precautions that made it easy for breakfast , lunch & Dinner . The staff was exceptional ! Everyone took great care of our wedding guests. The welcome Party was above and beyond what we expected . Denise the wedding planner did an Amazing job ! The wedding was absolutely spectacular. We could not have asked for a more perfect night ! Kudos to all the waiters , bartenders , room service , entertainment staff . And always those seaweed removing guys who were up before dawn ! Eduardo ( breakfast ) was the highlight of our morning . But there were many who also went above & beyond, Israel , Poncho , Manuel , Jaime , Christall , Ricardo ( lemongrass) Fredrico , Giovanni , Jose ( reef ) Pedro (Hibachi) Julian , Ismail & Eduardo ( wine Cellar ) . We have traveled to many places , but nobody can compare to the staff at the Now Sapphire. Thank-you !

by Mrwilliams2u

I have stayed at this particular RIU twice now and have stayed at others in Jamaica; this was more fun in 2018 when they had a club on site and foam party. They have renovated now, and the property is better, but it seems the food has gotten worse and entertainment not as good. I would recommend RIU Negril, the more expensive one, since they have two; this will give you access to both properties since only one has a good pool. RIU Ocho Rios has an adult pool with a swim-up bar, but it’s a bunch of kids in it splashing water in your drink and some teenagers at the bar drinking alcohol. If you want a family place that you can have fun in, this is it; if you are not looking to be around many kids, avoid it. This property is very clean, and they keep it that way; I did not feel as harassed by local salespeople as I did the last time. The staff was friendly for the most part. There is no AC in the elevators, and the bottles of alcohol that were standard in the room have been removed. The gym is relatively small. I would rate this place a 7 out of 10. It’s a decent resort overall.

by NuclearWynter

I travel quite a bit for business and even more for pleasure and Tripadvisor is perfect for both. On business trips, I can put in the city I’m visiting and when I’m going and it gives me restaurants options and the most popular things to do. I can read reviews from other helpful travelers that give me thing to looks out for and best times to go places. When I travel for pleasure, I start with Trip Advisor. I get a destination in mind and save hotels/vacation homes, activities and transportation info to the trip and have it all planned out before I book. I also use Tripadvisor for planning with others. I planned a girls trip to Jamaica with my friends and was able to send them the details to review before we booked. I was able to book a lake house in NC for a Thanksgiving dinner my family is planning this year. I think the next step for Tripadvisor is allowing splitting of payments for different things or allowing multiple payers. Also being able to joint plan a trip would be nice. Overall though I have no complaints about Tripadvisor and love using it. I love leaving reviews for places I’ve been an helping other fellow travelers.

by Sue Ban

We try and take a yearly vacation and visit new place in our travels. As some, we save to have the best time, see as much as we can for great value. It’s always so helpful reading others experiences and thoughts. our trip to Germany last year we found amazing tours to several castles in a luxury coach. Trust me I was skeptical about spending a little extra $, but ready several different takes on it we were sold. Thank goodness we did, the other bus was packed as we had only30 people. It was amazing! We also used the advice of a smart travel in St. Lucia. A private van took us all over the island that the cost of a busy tour bus would of. Plus we we’re head of all the buses, so we beat the crowds.
We even use this app for restaurants when we head to different cities through the year. Yes, people have different likes but reading other reviews helps us find some awesome handed treasures.
I could go on and on, but you just need use it, it’s a great way to help with some many things. Make your life easy be advised😎

by Getinktattoo

I just changed phone and was trying to open this app in my new one and just realize this craziness.... be aware... it doesn’t sound correct or even legal (but I guess that if the ask persuasion and we, the users, granted, then is on us....
one of the options to signing into this app is using my google email/account... this app request me roc ALLOW them to be able “to see and download all my google accounts emails addresses”!!!!! What is that!!! How is that to use an app about things to do or where to eat in any given area I need to pay that service with my privacy and the Privacy of the people that emails me!!!!!?

Be aware! We all are used to the “scroll down and agree” and select box and agree to be able to use most accounts and apps now day... must of the times are about fair use of apps and legal reasons..some other times is about allowing the apps to use our location and maybe cameras and being able to storage photos in our devices.... so we go ahead and click allow or agree just because we are so used to trust as no other way to get around or as part of the process... but what this app is doing asking permission to see and download our private info... doesn’t sound right!! At all!!!

by Alfisch

Over the years, I have been in some really bush-league airports, but this one takes the cake. I tried three different men’s rooms and in all three they had only two stalls. One of them had no toilet seats the other two had one toilet seat and the toilet seat that was on there was soaked with urine. There were no toilet seat covers and the toilet paper squares which are dispensed individually are about 4“ x 4“ and single ply. The porcelain commodes are about 8 inches off the floor, so if you are old or physically impaired, you may have an extremely difficult time getting back up if you choose to attempt to squat and squeeze over one of these seatless accommodations.
Sinks... Good luck with that! There were only hand towels in one of the restrooms and the other two had to air dryers that didn’t blow out any air. If you have time and the inclination, I did notice a lot of banana trees along the road to the airport. They have rather broad leaves and these may be used as a substitute in the event that you too experience facilities with no paper products. If you carry any type of a backpack or shoulder bag, I highly recommend that you carry at least some paper towels or a roll of toilet tissue for your own use. Paper products are apparently at a premium in Davao City, Philippines. I understand this is a rather poor area, but there is absolutely no excuse for the lack of sanitation in the restroom facilities.

by Rekampam

One of the best Travel Apps available, with access to helpful reviews to help make better destination decisions. And because reasonable reviews help us make travel decisions, we also like to post solid reviews that might assist others.

The one real difficulty with the Trip Advisor App is posting photos to reviews, even one’s own reviews. It seems that even when following Trip Advisor’s own HOW-TO directions, it is difficult to successfully add photos. Either Tripadvisor wants access to all (thousands) of the photos on our devices, or using the “Profile/Intro/Upload The Photo/Add a Location Tag” method allows Tripadvisor to see only the few photos in the “Camera Roll” and “My Photo Stream” folders, but will not allow access any of the specific “Albums” on our phone or tablet where individual trip photos are stored.

If it wasn’t for the photo posting obstacle, Tripadvisor would get 5 stars. It would be great if a simpler and more straightforward method was available for adding photos. Thanks very much.

by Frequent TA User

In travel, Tripadvisor is priceless! Particularly traveling to a new destination, helps tremendously with restaurant info. and directions! Ditto for events, attractions. Much better than Around Me, which we hardly use anymore.
Even at home, we use it when the inevitable question “where should we go eat?” arises. Especially when wanting something other than our usual go-tos. Breakfast lunch or dinner, or even Happy Hr. it sure helps.
Can really tell a difference in Tripadvisor since we retired 3 years ago and began more extended RV trips - more RV parks and public campgrounds being listed and reviewed, all the time. Pictures help soo much as well as specific site info., amenities, when trying to find a place to camp. And Especially when looking for a place to eat, sightsee or shop for fresh seafood/meats in a new place, we find TA invaluable.
The more people use and review, the better it gets. And Tripadvisor updates have made it better. Keep up the good work, TA!

by Jelainec

I had never heard of this app until 2 years ago when my brother and his wife came to Cleveland. When I didn’t know how to get to Slyman’s (for the best corned beef and pastrami), my brother looked it up on this app. Then when we were hungry for dessert (specifically custard), he pulls out his phone and looks up nearby custard/ice cream sellers and discovered Weber’s (the best vintage custard and ice cream!!) and Mitchell’s(fabulous gourmet milkshakes as well as marvelous ice cream)which we ended up indulging in on 2 different days! I was able to learn more about Northeast Ohio in the short time my brother was in town simply because he had a this app app as his ‘go to’ for anything he wanted to see or do in the area! As soon as he went back to Texas, I got the this app app for myself and have been thoroughly enjoying it and the places I have been able to visit and recommend as a result of his complete trust in its reliability and complete access to all the travel information he needs!!

by RSK848

I love the Trip Advisor App. It is easy to use and has a wealth of information. You can find information on hotels all over the world, destinations for travel and activities once you get there amongst so much more. There are recent reviews on the modes of transportation, restaurants and attractions. Therefore, you will read useful information and opinions. Just go to Tripadvisor Store and download Tripadvisor . Who knows? You may even become a reviewer of the places you've been, the sights you saw, the meals you ate at the many restaurants, or you can introduce new places or tours not listed, and Trip Advisor will research and verify there is such a place, notify you, and then you can write a review. How cool is that?! You can introduce not only the readers on the site to the new place but also you have introduced Trip Advisor to it! Use Tripadvisor conveniently to find your travel needs easily or to just find a nice restaurant for lunch or dinner, then read reviews on it. Enjoy!