Choosing a budget hotel in Kota Kinabalu (KK) was tricky as if you look at one of the most famous (and normally reliable) review sites they all look to be perfect paragons of accommodation.
There’s a group of hotels, restaurants and attractions with remarkably high ratings. These hotels have reviews which are completely positive, mention how wonderful the staff are and give the full name of the manager. Hotel managers there would appear to take care of clients personally, restaurant owners are often seen giving out free drinks and regularly making people’s special day even more special.
Look again at the reviewers and you’ll see they’re all the same 20 people, who only seem to have reviewed hotels, restaurants and attractions in KK and nowhere else. They all mention how wonderful the staff are and have all met the manager and carefully make a note of his or her full name and title.
When you arrive in KK there is a free map of the city, which is surrounded by adverts for the exact same hotels, restaurants and attractions that get the identikit wonderful reviews from people that live in and around Malaysia. Any negative (I would say realistic) reviews from disappointed tourists are suddenly followed by a flurry of positive reviews with top marks across the board from people with a low number of reviews that have created an account just to praise the virtues of the manager whose name they happen to have noted.
It might just be an overtired conspiracy theory after arriving in such a crappy hotel after midnight, but the coincidences are striking. Generally I find by ignoring the gushing 5* reviews, and the vitriolic 1* reviews you’ll get a far more realistic picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the hotel, and whether the staff can be bothered to respond.
Either way, we checked out the next morning and moved to the less budget Le Méridien down on the sea-front. Hearing our concerns they upgraded us to a top-floor suite and we had this for a view every evening, so enough grumbling:
Beautiful view. Glad you won out in the end.
Thanks! There’s also a great food market down below with the same view
Pingback: My A to Z of Travel | You're Not From Around Here, Are You?
Pingback: USA Road trip Apps & Tools | YNFAHYou're Not From Around Here, Are You?