I'm a regular business traveler, and my family typically takes a couple of travel vacations each year in the US. I have found TripAdvisor to be extremely valuable when seeking accommodations in places we've never visited previously. I've used it for information on places to stay in DisneyWorld, to New York City, to motels near national parks.

The primary feature I use on TripAdvisor is the writeups of hotels, motels, resorts, and B&B's submitted by other TripAdvisor members. I don't use TripAdvisor's other features.

The reviews are valuable for many reasons.

First, the reviews are by "real" people and seem to contain both praise and criticism, when warranted.

Second, the reviews focus on things that matter to regular people - like is the hotel frequented by party animals who might be making too much noise when you are putting your kids to bed, or frequented by families who have kids who are running the halls at 7 a.m.

Third, and this is just as important as ratings, the reviews give you details about the accommodations that you just don't get in short, summary reviews in AAA books or travel books. You might find out that there is a great bagel shop just 1/4 mile from the motel. Or that the hotel has tennis courts, and will lend you rackets. Or that during ski season, a particular resort hotel is a singles haven, but that it's great for families in the summer.

In conclusion, I always check TripAdvisor before making reservations. When I see uniformly positive reviews, I know that the accommodations are superior, and that service is wonderful and personalized. When I see a range of positive and negative reviews, I try to think about how those comments apply to my situation. If a review complains about a hotel's overpriced restaurant, then I just know not to eat there. I have found TripAdvisor to be almost uniformly helpful and accurate.

Learn more about this author, B. B. James.
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