My hotel rating adventure started yesterday morning with a simple need: I’m heading to Portland next month and didn’t wanna get stuck in a dump. Grabbed my coffee, fired up the laptop, and thought, “Time to figure out this ratings thing once and for all.”
Step 1: Picking My Hunting Grounds
Didn’t trust just one site ’cause ratings can lie. Opened three browser tabs for different booking platforms. Remembered that hotel chain sites inflate their own scores, so skipped those. Rule #1: Always check multiple sources. Started typing “Portland” and dates in all three.
Step 2: Rating Filter Tango
First trap! Almost clicked that tempting “sort by lowest price” button. Stopped myself. Instead:
- Set minimum rating to 7.5 on all platforms (any lower feels risky)
- Cranked up “traveler photos” priority
- Checked “free cancellation” box – lifesaver for sudden plan changes
Spotted a 4-star hotel with 8/10 rating. Almost booked it until…
Step 3: Rating Autopsy Time
Dug into why it got 8/10. Scrolled past the glowing reviews and hunted for angry people. Found:
- Three complaints about construction noise at 7am
- Someone’s photo showing mold in shower corners
- “Great location!” reviews… from folks who apparently love highways
Closed that tab fast. Moved to the next candidate.
Step 4: The Comparison Scramble
Found a solid 8.3-rated hotel. Checked all three sites:
- Site A showed 8.3 with “1,200+ reviews”
- Site B claimed 8.5 (only 89 reviews – red flag!)
- Site C said 8.1 but featured newer reviews
Trusted the one with most reviews. Booked it directly through the platform showing recent complaints about thin walls – asked for top floor room in special requests.
Final Tip Stack
My cheat sheet after 90 minutes of rating warfare:
- Always filter traveler photos by “most recent”
- Never trust ratings below 100 reviews
- Search reviews for “stain” “dirty” “loud” and “breakfast”
- Compare same hotel across sites – wild how ratings differ!
Saved $60/night versus my initial impulse choice. That’s dinner money! Seriously folks, rating filters are your armor against nasty surprises.
