Travelers planning to visit Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), Atlantic City (New Jersey), or Virginia Beach (Virginia) should evaluate their hotel options with great caution. A recent survey by Planetware studied 7.8 million reviews from TripAdvisor to determine the cities with the worst hotel quality in the country.
Based on feedback from TripAdvisor users, about one in five travelers left poor reviews for the hotels available in these locations. While around 20% of users rated the hotels in these three cities with one or two stars (out of five), this in no way suggests that there are no good hotels in these areas. It merely indicates that most people who visited these places and used TripAdvisor to share their experiences had negative things to say about where they stayed. Even in the cities that Planetware identified as the worst, a simple search on TripAdvisor revealed a respectable number of four-star hotels with better reviews.
The unpleasant smell of cigarette smoke was the most common concern found by Planetware in the reviews. Smoking is prohibited in several well-known hotel chains, including Marriott, Sheraton, and Comfort Inn. The other major issues pointed out were bedbugs, thin walls, and lack of toilet paper.
Planetware’s analysis also recorded the locations where guests had problems with certain aspects of hotel service. The highest percentage of negative comments about hotel service was in Miami Beach, with just over 19%. Cape May, NJ, and Montauk, NY, followed closely behind.
What to do to avoid bad hotels and not ruin your trip?
TripAdvisor and other review sites are helpful for travelers because they allow them to see feedback from many guests at once. However, industry experts say that recommendations from friends and family are more relevant and almost never miss the mark. Choosing hotels that are part of international hotel chains is also a good idea because these chains establish and follow strict quality standards.
Travelers can also consult consumer agencies, such as the Better Business Bureau, before making a reservation. When traveling internationally, it may be helpful to use the star rating systems standardized by local governments.
However, it is relevant to highlight that visitors can plan trips to most U.S. cities knowing they will find hotels that meet their needs and preferences. To ensure a pleasant and trouble-free stay, however, it is essential to do preliminary research before making a reservation, as hotels in different locations face different challenges (such as staffing, peak demand periods, and local regulations).
Source: Miami Herald