Listen to Tripadvisor Reviews When You Are Planning to Travel

I do not make a reservation at a hotel before I check tripadvisor.com, which provides user generated reviews of hotel stays virtually around the world. You can find reviews of beautiful resorts like Sandals Luxury Included Resorts or Beaches Family Resorts. Sure you can go to the resort website, but the fluffy info provided doesn't compare to the juicy tidbits from REAL PEOPLE.

I would like to tell you the story of the Embassy Suites Dorado Del Mar Beach and Golf Resort at Dorado in Puerto Rico - NEVER CONSIDER STAYING THERE. I consulted tripadvisor.com before I booked my trip and there was a mixed bag of good and okay reviews for the property. I had a horrendous stay. They were filming a Chilean soap opera on the property (banging noise at 8 am) and they had convention group there which played loud music one night until 11:30pm. ( I ended up complaining there and they gave us a free night.) When we returned from our trip, we immediately posted to tripadvisor. I also complained directly to the Hilton which credited us for a second night.

Since we complained in August, the tripadvisor complaints about this hotel have gotten worse. That Chilean soap opera filming when I was there in August - is still there SIX MONTHS LATER. I believe the Chilean soap opera is using the Emabassy Suites Del Mar Beach & Golf Resort as its permanent set location. If you go to the reviews you will see what I believe to be planted short reviews about how nice the property is. Clearly, those are staffers trying to cover up the horrendous disclosure posted by real people.

The lesson here is to listen to travel reviews you read on the internet. Real people have real stories. And you can always trust that if you are reading several bad reviews - they are real. No vacation property would post its own bad reviews. Also, if you are planning to go to Puerto Rico - don't bother staying at the Embassy Suites Dorado Del Mar Beach & Golf Resort, it is not a place for tourists - just locals and Chilean soap operas.

Read another story about a Hertz rental car bad experience I had in Puerto Rico and how I got free money for my trouble!