Is TripAdvisor still useful?

TripAdvisor is king of the online travel review sites, an invaluable guide to quality with 450 million users per month reading and writing about their travel experiences warts and all, putting power in the hands of travellers who paid their own way. Or maybe not.

Anyone can post a review to TripAdvisor – shady operators writing glowing reviews for cash, hotel industry professionals spruiking the qualities of their own property and knobbling the opposition, guests and diners who threaten negative reviews unless accorded red-carpet treatment. Hotels have worked out ways to offer inducements to guests who post favourable reviews, and block those likely to write less favourably, as highlighted in a recent case that saw Meriton Serviced Apartments cop a $3 million fine.

But just because TripAdvisor falls short from time to time is no reason to toss it aside. For the savvy traveller, TripAdvisor remains a valuable tool, at least when you're looking for a hotel.

For restaurant reviews, TripAdvisor's reviews are questionable. Food reviews are best not left to those whose sole qualification for assessing a meal is a stomach. Reputable food critics hone their skills over many years and many meals. Anyone who uses the word "tasty" to describe food does not have a clue, and far too many "tasties" appear on TripAdvisor.

Since TripAdvisor emerged in 2000, a number of more nuanced sites have appeared, catering to travellers with special interests. If you want romantic accommodation, or to learn the tango in Buenos Aires, there are better places to look than TripAdvisor.