TripAdvisor was brilliant in the beginning.
It really did matter to people. For the first time, it was ordinary travellers sharing their honest opinions about hotels, restaurants, and more.
Back then there were no influencers, no #ad disclaimers, just people sharing what they actually experienced.
Suddenly, there was a Mr Johnson who simply told the truth about his stay. You might not have agreed with him, but it was his honest experience.
The truth is, TripAdvisor is fading away like dust in the wind. Why? Because of its credibility. Now, it might just mean someone paid a few pounds for a good review.
Let us start with the now-infamous case of The Shed at Dulwich. A London journalist decided to see just how broken the system really was. He created a fake restaurant — literally a garden shed — uploaded some moody stock photos of microwave food topped with shaving cream, and began submitting glowing reviews.
A few months later, the nonexistent restaurant was number one on TripAdvisor in all of London — that was in 2017. A garden shed had outshone Gordon Ramsay’s three-star restaurant.
People begged for reservations. Some offered money. Influencers reached out to “collaborate.” He eventually opened it for one evening and served Iceland ready-meals by candlelight.
Guests said it was “the best dining experience” they had ever had.
Let that sink in.
That is why they send out email after email asking for feedback. Or corner you on checkout: “Please give us a five-star review.” Even my dentist asked for 5 star review on Google after a filling.
Friends sometimes ask if we still use TripAdvisor. These days, very rarely. And if we do, we only read the one- to three-star reviews, looking for the bad, the dirt, the truth. But even that has been compromised. What!?
Now you can pay for good reviews — and even bad ones if you are a mean competitor. For a small restaurant, that can be devastating.
So who are you going to trust? Forums? Google Reviews? (Spoiler: they also have a problem with fakes.) Condé Nast, Forbes, The Telegraph — sure, they offer an editorial touch, some balance, but it is all sugar-coated, an easy 8 out of 10. Trusting influencers is like trusting a toddler with a credit card.
Out of desperation, we even tried travel agents. It felt like going back to the mid-80s before the internet era. The kind who travel to the hotel, stay one night, get pampered, and the next day check out a new one. Then, on the phone, they say, “I just stayed there — it was amazing, you will love it.”
So how do we do it? Before booking, we trust our gut after spending far too much time online. Mostly, we get it right — but sometimes, we step on a mine. Like Ikos Porto Petro in Mallorca. But we get it. Not everyone has time to scroll past the stars.
Still, next time you read a glowing review that says, “Best meal ever! The staff were so friendly and the food tasted amazing!!” maybe just pause. And ask yourself — did Sandra T really eat there? Or is it a kid in the basement making a quick buck without the parents knowing?
And it is getting worse with AI. Credit to Google, TripAdvisor and the others for fighting this, but I believe it is a war they cannot win. Something else has to evolve.
Because we need honest reviews — it is your hard-earned cash on the table and your holiday at stake.
When the noise fades, what remains are real voices, people who were actually there and paying.
Every honest review is based on the experience at the time. You might not always agree, and that is perfectly fine. Authenticity is the only star that matters.
Behind the glossy surface, there is a whole market built around fake reviews. You can buy 100 five-star ratings for the price of a decent bottle of wine. Companies openly sell TripAdvisor ratings — four or five stars, your choice.
Some even offer packages: do you want the reviewer to mention a staff member by name or upload photos? That is the premium option.
They use what is called a “drip system,” releasing reviews slowly over days or weeks to avoid detection. If a review fails TripAdvisor’s control system and gets blocked, you do not pay. It is that simple.
This shadow economy of stars and stories has become so normalised that it now operates almost like an advertising service. Except this one sells trust — and we are the ones buying the illusion.
These are the official numbers. The truth is probably much higher.
Have you ever booked something based on a glowing review, only to arrive and wonder if you were in the wrong hotel? Share it in the comments.
