Reading bad reviews on a venue you have already booked :-(

Sorry to hear this, it must be worrying but I think you can use it to your advantage. Are these recent reviews? If so then take them along with you and ask the venue for their response. I'd let them know that I was concerned. If they are older reviews, then ask them what they've done to address the issues raised by people. But do look at the reviews in the round. It's the consistent pattern you need to work out there's always people who find fault. It's a case of is their point valid and can you see evidence of it. If not and the majority of reviews are good and that's all you see then try not to worry.

Sorry to hear you're feeling a little unsettled.

Try to keep in mind that on your 3 visits you clearly really liked the venue and you didn't find it to be shabby or tired. You did 3 visits, and so you would have picked up on anything then. Really, you would. You must have liked it to go back 3 times for visits and to have booked it. And you said the staff have all been lovely.

Trip Advisor is a good thing, but can also be a bad thing. You don't know how genuine those reviews are. And also, when people have had a fine experience somewhere they don't tend to review it - think of all those people who had a lovely time there, just didn't think to say it in a review.

A lady in my local Starbucks this morning was having a real go at the staff because a fellow customer had accidently knocked her coffee over and she got some on her clothes. She was truly irate. I reckon she'd write a scathing review about Starbucks right now, when in reality it was an accident and nothing major had really happened. You have to take in account that different people have different levels of expectations about places and will just be negative about so much, that really isn't something to be negative about.

Also, bear in mind that on your wedding day, people won't be thinking that the venue is tired or shabby. They will be excited, and want to see you looking lovely, and will be most concered with how much free booze they can get down their necks. Honestly, I don't think any of your guests will pick up on anything like that. They will be there to have a grand old time with you.

I hope your tasting tonight puts you a little more at ease with everything. Try to remember all the positives and don't think about those negative trip advisor creatures. x

Try not to worry too much. If you've always had positive experiences when you've been there then trust that. Also the staff interaction is important and yours has been good so far. Take the comments on board and look around with fresh eyes later but there are always people who will complain about anything and everything. I agree with the above post. If the comments seem valid then ask about them but otherwise go with how you feel and your experience.

I think if it's concerning you have a word with your wedding photographer and ask them to be honest with you. They will know how it compares to other venues in the area.

As you have paid the deposit you need to accept that if you cancel you might not get the money back. Hope the tasting goes well!

I've seen a few on trip advisor and been told a few from one person in particular (but we've put the verbal ones down to bitterness) about ours but we're putting them to one side. Where ever you go there's always going to be negatives you can't please everyone, not everyone writes good reviews it's mostly always negatives that are unfortunately remembered well in my opinion.

I wouldn't worry too much, there's always bad reviews on trip advisor. The majority of people won't bother to leave a good reviews but if they're annoyed by something they'll be straight on there to leave a bad one. Are the bad reviews really that bad? Some of the things I read on there are really petty things that I wouldn't give a second thought about.

Hi All,

Thanks for the reassurance. You are right most people won't bother to go on a write a good review. People only tend to pipe up when they have something bad to say.

The main complaints were about the rooms not bring very 4 star like and the rooms are small and tired. They may have a point but the hotel is really old and I king of expected this. I also know that they are re decorating some rooms so I might ask for these for our guests.

I will speak to the hotel manager when we go tonight and express my concerns over some of the reviews.

its silly, I spend all day dealing with suppliers and when it comes to my own wedding I turn into a total wimp who isn't very good at negotiating.

X

If there is anything specifically mentioned in the reviews e.g broken lights etc then you could ask them what they have done to rectify the situations. This may help put your mind at ease.

I'll be honest, I've stayed in a few hotels that get slated on trip advisor but I love!!

I honestly wouldn't worry :-)

Even if the rooms are a bit on the smaller side and not done up to everyones taste it really doesn't matter. Your guests will be there to see you get married, they will be spending all day having fun, eating and partying. By the time they go up to their rooms they will be exhausted, will get into bed and go to sleep. They'll wake up next morning, get dressed, have breakfast and check out. So what I am trying to say is they won't spend that much time in their rooms, when they are in them they'll be sleeping so they probably won't even notice! If you love the venue still after your 3rd visit I really think you have nothing to worry about.

Are these reviews just from tourists staying in the hotel? If so, then they don't correctly show the opinions of those who have had their weddings there

Don't worry, just remind yourself that you fell in love with it for a reason!!

Don't always believe everything you read on trip advisor. My sister is a travel writer and she is often paid to write reviews on places on trip advisor, I also find that a lot of people just like to moan and complain to see if they can get something free off them (a girl who I work with always does this every time she stays in a hotel).

Try not to let it put you off *hugs*

As if stocking up on complimentary shampoo and loo roll isn't enough?? lol

As someone who works in the customer service industry, people who complain for the sheer hell of it do my nut in!!

I think you have to read between the lines with Tripadvisor reviews and take much of it with a pinch of salt.

I was looking up the hotel we're staying in for our family holiday and some of the stuff people are moaning about is unbelievable. For example some of the photos posted about the state of the rooms were laughable. It's like they gone out of their way to find something wrong.

Personally I think most people who have enjoyed their visit are much less likely to post a review than someone who has had a bad experience. So you end up getting a distorted view of the place.

I wouldn't worry too much about bad reviews. As others have said some people just love to moan and if you've been happy with the venue on each visit i'd go with that rather than other peoples opinions

Please dont worry!!!

We found some scathing reviews on our venue after booking, decided to stick with it and risk it.

On the day, Vaulty Manor were PERFECT, literally faultless in every way, and that is coming from the worlds biggest perfectionist who had serious doubts in my venues ability.

Some people will never be happy. And to be fair, who goes to a wedding just for the hotel room, it is somewhere to lay your head and sleep, hardly a priority!!!

xxxxx

As others have said, please don't read too much into reviews.

i once read a one star trip advisor review on Edinburgh zoo...ONE star because it's set on a hill and the poor reviewer wasn't expecting a hill and got a bit tired, bless them, aaaarrrghh. These are the kind of people who largely write the bad reviews. Don't worry.