In my recent travels to China, Europe and now Sydney I've been making use of a hotel review website to assist in the selection of a suitable hotel.  Having the right hotel can make or break a trip.

 

The website I've found most credible is tripadvisor.com .  The site has a significant volume of reviews. Each of the hotels I considered had at least 3-4 reviews from fellow travellers.

 

When reading reviews you have to consider that they are opinions.  Unhappy travellers are more likely to take their time to post their thoughts.  When I did choose a hotel there was usually at least 1 negative review.  It is the negative reviews that prepare you for what might happen. 

 

The greatest advantage of the "dis-interested third party" review system is that the reviewer has nothing to lose.  The review is an opinion of a person who had an experience on one day.

 

These advisor website will save the traveller time and money.  They usually also have links off to travel sites but I must admit I've usually had more success booking direct with the venue or using the other Australian travellers friend - wotif.com.