Reading Between the Stars: Making Sense of Travel Reviews

Travel reviews are everywhere.

Five stars. One star. Glowing praise. Brutal criticism.

But what do those ratings actually mean?

In this episode of Explorations All Over, Russ steps away from a destination story and looks at something almost every traveler relies on when planning a trip: review sites.

Drawing on nearly two decades of experience as a bed & breakfast and boutique hotel owner—and as someone who has written nearly 1,100 reviews himself—Russ explains how to read travel reviews in a way that actually helps you make better decisions.

Because star ratings rarely measure quality alone.

More often, they measure something else entirely: fit.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why a five-star review can still lead to a disappointing experience
• How to identify patterns that matter in hotel and restaurant reviews
• The red flags that can signal questionable or unreliable reviews
• Why it’s important to speak up during a stay if something goes wrong
• How businesses respond to feedback—and what that tells you
• Why different travelers can leave completely different reviews of the same place

Russ also shares a recent dining experience that perfectly illustrates how two guests can walk away from the same restaurant with entirely different impressions—and how those differences show up in the reviews we read online.

The takeaway?

Read the reviews.

Just don’t let the stars decide for you.

Let them help you ask better questions.

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Transcript

Have you ever booked a hotel or a restaurant that had incredible reviews…
 and walked away wondering if you went to the same place everyone else did?

Today we’re going to talk about why that happens.

Hey there, I’m Russ.  Welcome to Explorations All Over.

[intro music]

Today I’m taking a break from talking about a destination.
 Instead, we’re talking about travel reviews — and how to actually use them.

Because at some point we all face the same thing: hundreds of opinions, snarky comments, glowing praise, and you’re left wondering… what do I actually trust?

My goal today is to help you sift through all of that so you can make better travel decisions — for you, and for the people traveling with you.

And before I go further, this isn’t scientific research.
 This is experience.

What I’m sharing comes from years of reading reviews… writing reviews… and being on the receiving end of them as a business owner.
 And that last part matters — I’ll explain why in a minute.

Two of the most frequent questions I’m asked are, “How do you decide where to go?” and “How do pick which restaurant/hotel/airline etc.?”

I am a huge fan of review sites: For cruises?  Cruise Critic.  For airlines? Skytrax.  For restaurants, hotels and activities?  Trip Advisor and Google Reviews.

I am an even bigger fan of writing reviews.  On Trip Advisor I have written almost 1,100 reviews.  I’ll tell you why later.

Let me give you a little back story.

Duncan and I owned a bed and breakfast in the town where we were living for 12 years.  In that time, we were the #1 ranked B&B on Trip Advisor for 10 years.  We also owned a 16-room boutique hotel for 7 years.  I came to discover the importance of review sites and how to interpret them.

During our tenure as a bed and breakfast owner, it was my responsibility to solicit reviews from guests.  Yes.  That’s legal and encouraged.  As a business owner, I wanted to know what we did well and where we could improve based on guest feedback.

On our online reservation request form, we asked each person booking how they had found us.  Almost all said through Trip Advisor.

We had fantastic guests and were so thankful to have them tell us how much they enjoyed their stay.  It made our efforts worthwhile.

I made sure that when we received a review, either good or bad, I responded quickly.  100% of the reviews submitted received a reply.  I felt that if a guest took the time to write something, I should return the favor.

If you’re curious and try to look the B&B or the hotel up, you won’t find it—we closed and removed the listings in 2020.

What I want to do is use our recent trip to Charleston as a practical example of how we use review sites to plan our trips.  I’m going to reference the relevant Trip Advisor pages we used, so you can pause and follow along as you’d like.

Understand that Charleston isn’t the focus of this episode—it’s just the lens through which I want to frame my observations.

Start with the destination, which I talked about last season.  You may use travel magazines or travel sections of local or national newspapers.  You may be on a travel, cruise or airline mailing list that’s running a “special”.

Charleston had always been a place I wanted to visit.  I had this vision in my head – beautiful, historic antebellum mansions, trees so heavy with Spanish moss it practically touched the ground, plantations steeped in the rich yet controversial history of the deep south.

Charleston was easy to get to thanks to a new airline, Breeze – highly recommended by the way – which had introduced direct flights from Albany, New York to Charleston.

We had read a couple of articles about Charleston’s burgeoning food scene.  As foodies, this was really compelling for Duncan and me.

So, destination?  Check.

Next, where to stay.

Start with Tripadvisor’s main page for Charleston. You’ll see tabs across the top—Hotels, Things to Do, and so on.
 
 

There’s a lot of information here, so the key is not getting overwhelmed. For this step, stay focused and click Hotels.

At the top, you’ll see properties that have earned TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence.
(Side note: our B&B received one every year we were in business.)

Below that, hotels are grouped by things like value and location, and then listed in rank order with photos.

When we’re scanning listings, two things matter most to us.

First: location. Charleston is very walkable, and we wanted to be able to walk to restaurants, shops, and attractions.

Second: the photo. That image is the property’s first attempt to hook you. We knew we wanted historic charm—not new construction or a chain-hotel feel.

Here’s where I’ll give you a practical example:

Click on a listing that looks appealing, then click Website.
Let’s take The Restoration Charleston. It’s beautiful, very polished, and right in the heart of everything—but it felt too modern for what we were looking for. Lovely hotel, just not our hotel.

So we went back to the main Hotels page and clicked Wentworth Mansion.

And here’s where things get interesting.

There’s no website listed.

That’s not a mistake.

If you Google the property, you’ll find the website easily—but many hotels choose not to link directly from TripAdvisor. There, you’ll see booking sites offering special rates.  But those are meant to lure you in, hoping you’ll book a room with a higher rate.

From a business perspective, that matters—because third-party booking sites take a percentage of every reservation. Some properties would rather have you find them directly.

We always book directly with the hotel.
That way, if something changes—or if a special offer pops up—we can take advantage of it. And if we need to cancel, there’s usually no fee.

Always confirm the final rate with the hotel and ask about any additional fees that might not be obvious elsewhere.

Now, remember when I talked last season about doing your research?
 If you’re unsure about a hotel, reviews can be incredibly helpful—if you know how to read them.

Let’s go back to Charleston.

Start with the hotel’s listing.
 How many reviews are there? What’s the overall rating?

Then click All Reviews.

Look at the most recent review first. When was it written? What rating did they give—and if it’s not five stars, the comments should tell you why.

Let’s try a different hotel as a contrast.

Take The Hyatt House Charleston.
The most recent review was from three weeks ago—four stars. Why? The reviewer thought the parking fee was expensive.

The review before that was also four stars. And this line jumped out at us:
“It felt a bit like a large chain hotel—especially in a city with so many small boutique hotels with distinct personalities.”

Bingo.

For us? That was a pass. Not what we were looking for.

Now let’s look at The Wentworth, the hotel we chose.

The most recent review—three weeks ago—five stars.
 The one before that? Also three weeks ago. One star. Title: “Not a romantic weekend.”

So what happened?

There’s actually a lot of useful information in that review.

They stayed in a Garden Room, which runs about $500 to $550 a night.
 But here’s the key detail: this was their second stay.

On their first visit, they booked a Mansion Suite on an upper floor—closer to $700 to $925 a night.

So the conclusion?
 They liked the hotel enough to return—but downgraded their room and were disappointed in the experience.

The hotel refunded the remaining nights. It doesn’t say whether they stayed or left.

What would I do with that review?

Ignore it—especially since the next three reviews are all five stars.

Now let’s look at one more example—this time, a hotel aimed at more price-sensitive travelers.

The Embassy Suites Historic District has an overall rating of three and a half stars.

The most recent review—four stars. Title: “Good hotel in need of an update.”
The comments mention the hotel feels rundown.

The next review? Five stars. “Perfect location. Great experience.”

So—who’s right?

We keep going.

The next review: three stars. “Please renovate the rooms.”
Same issue.

One more: one star. “Great location, but the room was no better than a cheap one-star hotel.”

That’s enough.

This one’s a pass.

And that’s how you do it.

Quick Red Flags to Watch For

We’ll go deeper later, but here are a few to keep in mind:

• No recent reviews isn’t always bad—but it can mean guests didn’t feel strongly one way or the other and just didn’t bother writing.
• Generic reviews that don’t name staff, mention specifics, or tell you anything useful should carry less weight.
• Be cautious when someone says they’ve stayed multiple times, loved it, and only now decided to write a review.

Notice something important—even the negative reviews we looked at were specific. That’s what makes them useful.

We’ll talk more about reviewers themselves in a minute.

The same approach applies to restaurants.

Start with TripAdvisor’s filters on the left side of the page. Use them. They’ll save you time.

I usually handle restaurant planning, and I’ve gotten pretty good at it—though I still miss occasionally. Most recently? Paris.

Our criteria is simple:

·       Local, not touristy

·       Local cuisine

·       A menu that offers choices—but isn’t a novel

Price is subjective and depends on the night.
 Is it a celebratory splurge—or a glass of wine and a bowl of pasta kind of evening?

So—back to Charleston…

If I’m being honest, I rarely pick the top-ranked restaurant unless something really stands out.

If you don’t use filters, TripAdvisor will sort restaurants for you—but be careful. If a restaurant is listed as featured and appears at the top, that placement is paid for. That doesn’t mean it’s bad—but it does mean you should look closer.

We were in Charleston for three nights. So the question was: what do we pick for the first night?

I always start by looking at the full list—no filters.

At the time, Pelato was ranked number one.
Brooklyn Italian.

Now, having lived in New York City for over twenty years, the last thing I wanted in South Carolina was Italian food from Brooklyn—but this gives us a perfect opportunity to talk about reviews and reviewers.

Remember when I said earlier that I’ve written almost 1,100 reviews?
 That means I’ve had a lot of good experiences—and a lot of bad ones—which gives me a backdrop for comparison.

Here’s how I spot questionable reviews.

The most recent review was from Kendell—766 contributions, from Hilton Head, South Carolina. Four stars. Service was slow. Legit.

The review before that?
 One contribution. No home location. Five stars.
“XYZ bartender was great. Great menu recommendations.”

That’s generic. And that raises a flag.

Next review: one contribution, no location, five stars. Lots of praise—but let’s click the profile.
 Joined TripAdvisor in 2020… and this is their first review?

That gives me pause.

Next: 44 contributions, from New Jersey. Five stars. Specific details. Legit.

Then another: one contribution, no location, five stars.
“Food and atmosphere were amazing. XYZ controlled the tempo of the food coming out…”

Interesting—because the previous review said almost the same thing.

Here’s the takeaway.

Businesses can pay for fake reviews, and with AI, that’s become even easier.
TripAdvisor’s algorithm rewards ratings and frequency.

So ask yourself this:
 How does a restaurant rank number one out of hundreds with relatively few reviews?

Not every review is fake—but patterns matter.

Now let’s compare that to the number two restaurant.

Circa 1886.
Full disclosure: this restaurant is associated with Wentworth Mansion, and we had dinner there on my birthday. I also wrote a review—because the experience was outstanding.

The most recent review?
 Four stars. Specific issue with a food allergy. Legit.

The one before that?
 Five stars. Anniversary dinner. Detailed descriptions, course by course. Legit.

Another from London—short review. At first glance, I thought “maybe fake”—until I read the restaurant’s response.

They addressed the reviewer by name.

That tells you something.

See the difference?

Not everything goes as you expected or possibly as the business planned.  You have to do what Ken K did.  Say something, although in his case it was nothing the Wentworth Mansion did wrong.  He just chose poorly.

To underscore the legitimacy of the hotel, his complaint was immediately addressed.

Complaints are legitimate. Things go wrong.
 The key is when and how they’re handled.

In Season 1, Episode 5, “Destination South Africa,” I talked about an experience we had on a safari excursion.

We booked a shore excursion through Silversea Cruises to Mpongo Private Game Reserve. It carried an additional fee, since it wasn’t included in the cruise fare—and it was a complete letdown. Hugely disappointing.

As soon as we returned to the ship, Duncan spoke with the Shore Excursion team and offered constructive feedback. Silversea acted immediately, and by the following day confirmed that our comments would ensure future cruisers wouldn’t have the same experience.

That’s the difference timing makes.

Travelers who wait until they return home to provide feedback remove the opportunity for a business to fix the problem and make it right.

When we owned our hotel—and had some challenges early on—we did receive negative reviews. I responded to every one of them, usually starting with an apology.

When a business responds—even to criticism—that tells you something about the value they place on customer feedback.

Sometimes, expectations themselves are the issue.

Have you noticed that restaurants increasingly ask whether anyone has dietary restrictions? There’s a reason for that. A significant number of negative restaurant reviews are written by guests with food allergies who didn’t disclose them in advance.

Airlines receive negative ratings because a traveler wasn’t offered a complimentary upgrade—even when no seats were available.

The bottom line is this: most business owners want you to be happy and will do what they reasonably can. But there are limits.

Everything I’ve talked about here has focused on Tripadvisor for hotels and restaurants, but these guidelines apply everywhere reviews live.

Google Reviews.
Yelp.
Airline rankings.
Cruise forums.

The patterns are the same, even if the platforms differ. For example, Cruise Critic vets reviews carefully before posting them, so outright fake reviews are rare—but low ratings driven by petty complaints are still common.

A fair review isn’t meant to punish—it’s meant to be accurate.

Quick pause for just a moment.

If this episode is resonating with you—if it’s changing how you think about travel planning, reviews, or expectations—I’d love to hear from you.

You can leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or reach out through the Explorations All Over Instagram or Facebook pages

.
And if you enjoy these deeper conversations about travel—not just where we go, but how we experience it—following or subscribing helps more people find the show.

Okay… let’s turn the tables and talk about writing reviews—because I’m a huge fan.

When staff members are called out by name for excellent service, that recognition often matters. That’s why a server may introduce themselves at the start of a meal—and if they don’t, ask for their name.

On a cruise, you’ll always see the names of the staff assigned to your cabin, and crew members introduce themselves in dining rooms and on deck. Yes, it allows you to request a section—but more importantly, it allows you to recognize them later in comment cards and online reviews.

That recognition can lead to a better schedule, more time off, bonuses, and even promotions.

And that’s a kind of impact worth using reviews for.

Reviews are just one tool you should use in your approach travel planning, not the only one.  But it’s an area most people are either unfamiliar with or skeptical of.

I’ve been on both sides of the review table, recipient and writer for over 25 years.  I understand those feelings.

Differing opinions cause differing ratings and differing ratings cause confusion.

Hopefully this episode has helped you make the best decision for you.  Your tastes, interests and budget.

The #1 ranked hotel may be way outside of your budget.  The #1 restaurant may not be up your alley.

We’ve found some of the best and most memorable places beyond the first page.

Some of the most valuable travel advice you’ll ever get doesn’t come from a website—it comes from friends who’ve actually been there and know how you travel.

Be aware that someone else’s experience may not match your own, good or bad.  So manage your expectations.

I want to share with you one more story from our trip to Charleston.  So many friends and family members had visited the city that we felt like we were late to the game.  They were happy to give me their recommendations.

Months before we departed I had booked a dinner at Revival.  Reviews were good and the menu looked great.

Three days before we left I looked up a couple of the places recommended by people I knew who had been there and started second guessing myself.

I went back and looked at the places I had booked and there were two new pretty negative reviews for Revival.

I panicked and tried to book one recommended by a friend that had much better reviews.

Sorry.  Too late.  Booked up.  So we kept the reservation we had.

I nervously walked in.  I walked out having had one of the best experiences in recent memory.

Up to this point we’ve been talking about reviews almost as an idea — something you read before a trip or write after you get home. But reviews don’t really happen online. They’re created in small moments during a trip itself.

We recently had one of those moments.

We were visiting a friend and took a short side trip beforehand. While planning it, we decided to make a reservation at a restaurant that had outstanding reviews. People raved about the food and especially the views. 

It was considered one of the top dining spots in the area, and we were excited to try it.

I called to reserve a table and left a message with the date and time, asking for a return call to confirm. The call never came, so after a couple of days we assumed it wasn’t available and booked somewhere else.

When we arrived at our hotel, the front desk told us this apparently wasn’t unusual and suggested we stop by the restaurant in person. So we did, and we were able to secure a reservation for the following night. We mentioned we planned to arrive a little early and have a drink at the bar. We were told the restaurant keeps closely to its reservation times.

The next evening we arrived about half an hour early. There was a staff member outside with a tablet and radio who checked our reservation and confirmed with the host inside before allowing us to enter.

Inside, we said we would wait at the bar. Although there were empty seats, we were initially directed to stand. After we asked about the open seats, the hostess checked and said we could sit and that she would come get us when our table was ready.

We were eventually seated. And here’s the important part.

Once we sat down, everything changed.

Our server was excellent. The cocktails were very good. The food was genuinely delicious. The dining room was beautiful. If you judged the restaurant only from the moment the meal began, it would absolutely deserve the glowing reviews we had read.

But our experience had actually started thirty minutes earlier.

And that’s when I realized something.

We hadn’t encountered a restaurant trying to adapt to its guests. We had encountered a restaurant designed around a very controlled, carefully paced experience. The timing, the entry, the seating — all of it was part of how the place operated.

Someone arriving exactly at their reservation time, being taken directly to a table, and enjoying a great meal would quite honestly write a five-star review. And they wouldn’t be wrong.

We interacted with the system differently. Our experience included the arrival process, the waiting, and the structure around it — and that shaped how we felt about the evening.

Same restaurant. Same kitchen. Same night.

Different review.

That was the moment it clicked for me: reviews often aren’t measuring quality alone. They’re measuring fit.

The restaurant didn’t fail. It delivered exactly the experience it was designed to deliver. We simply learned that we value a different style of hospitality.

And that’s why star ratings can look so contradictory. They compress a complicated experience into a single number.

And here’s the part that surprised me later.

We didn’t say anything that night.

I talk about giving a business the chance to respond while you’re there — and we didn’t do that.

Not because we were trying to be polite. Not because we were afraid.

But because in the moment, we weren’t even sure whether something had gone wrong… or whether we were simply experiencing a style that didn’t quite fit us.

And that hesitation — that uncertainty — that’s human.

And it’s part of how reviews get written.

After we got back that night, Duncan mentioned something interesting. He had looked at the most recent reviews and noticed that a couple of diners the week before had left one-star reviews describing almost the exact same arrival experience we had.

And that was actually reassuring.

Not because it meant the restaurant was bad — but because it showed what was happening.

The reviews weren’t inconsistent. They were describing different interactions with the same place.

Some guests experienced the restaurant beginning at the table.
 Others experienced the restaurant beginning at the door.

And once I realized that, the reviews suddenly made sense.

Reviews usually aren’t arguments about quality. They’re descriptions of experience — filtered through expectations, timing, and small moments that often have nothing to do with the food, the hotel room, or the attraction itself.

So read the reviews. They’re helpful.

Just don’t let the star rating make the decision for you.

Let it help you ask better questions.

Before I go, one small ask.

If Explorations All Over is helping you think differently about travel — how you plan, how you choose, or how you experience it — I’d genuinely love to hear from you.

You can leave feedback wherever you’re listening, or reach out through the Explorations All Over Instagram or Facebook pages. I really do read it, and I really do respond.

And if you’d like to support the show, following it really helps.

 If you want to go a little deeper, there are subscriber-only episodes starting at just three dollars a month — you can find the link in the show notes.

No pressure — just an invitation.

Thanks so much for listening.

I’m Russ, and this is Explorations All Over.

Until next time, I’ll see you soon.