Trip Advisor and OTA’s reviews on TRM…???

Difficulties in choosing the best motel?  Tourists complain of increasing difficulties selecting a suitable motel? 

Who do you believe?

With OTA’s (Online Travel Agents) competing for your holiday $$$ budget it is so important to accurately select the right motel for your requirements.  But to do that, you have to believe in the accuracy of their descriptions of your holiday accommodation?

You have now been warned – a lot of their comments are complete utter nonsense!. 

Even their motel photos can be wrong… If you think you have problems then believe me, so do the motels and other holiday accommodation suppliers who have been misrepresented by OTA’s.

These days the OTA’s dominate on the web above motel rankings to make sure they suck you in first to their best deals.  Of course they claim their slick on-line booking system is easier and is more convenient?  The problem is they are not the best deals.  They all have to carry hefty commissions on top of any room rates offered to pay for their services. Just for example, for this review we have chosen at random a nice friendly little motel in the middle of the North Island half way to everywhere.
This is their  description on an OTA – it looks like it was composed by a ten year old (English as a second language?) student but apparently we are advised it was entirely computer derived – their TRM specification is as follows:
“Offering free bikes, Tongariro River Motel is located in Turangi, 700 m from the city centre. Free WiFi access is available in public areas. Each room here provides guests with a seating area, a flat-screen TV, satellite channels and a washing machine. There is a full kitchen with a microwave and an oven. Featuring a shower, shared bathroom also comes with a hairdryer. At Tongariro River Motel guests will find a garden. Other facilities offered at the property include ski storage and laundry facilities. An array of activities can be enjoyed in the surroundings, including cycling, fishing and hiking. The property offers free private parking. The property is 31 km from Tongariro National Park. We speak your language!

The images they supplied above – supposedly of TRM – are in fact a tramping hut on Mt. Ruapehu!  Would you trust these OTA’s to do your holiday bookings?

OTA’s = Online Travel Agents…

Their images are supposed to be of Tongariro River Motel?  I’ll bet you have never seen TRM looking like that above?  This is to explain again why we have to go on and on about them and why you should not rely on them…  Even though they are our own photos that have been used,  TRM is not featured.  If they cannot get the correct basic info would you trust them with all your confidential cc details. ??

SWMBO blames DOC of course.  That is their Waihohonu Hut featuring as Tongariro River Motel?…

The following is the sort of nonsense you can expect when you trawl the internet looking for the best deal…  we have no idea who this OTA is, apart from the fact they have obviously pinched the info with no understanding of what TRM is, but no doubt will get a commission for on-selling your enquiry to a similar OTA.  They have no idea of what they are even describing.  This one describes Tongariro River Motel as a two star hotel (?) with but then goes on to say:

Tongariro River Motel‎‎

A great 2 star hotel in Turangi‎ Low Price Guarantee. Book Now!‎‎

Tongariro River Motel 8.8 stars Very Good

“Overview

The Tongariro River Motel enjoys a prime position right in the centre of the town. Lake Rotopounamu is within a 10-minute drive away, and the property offers free parking. Guests of the Tongariro River Motel can enjoy a range of services, including free bike rental. Facilities at the motel include laundry facilities, a playground and free Wi-Fi. The motel also offers ski lockers during the ski season. Included in the rooms are a refrigerator and a microwave. The motel has several oversized rooms to accommodate families. The Tongariro River Motel has its own on-site restaurant, perfect for those wishing to dine in. The motel enjoys a prime location, allowing guests easy access to a range of popular attractions. Taupo Airport (TUO) is within a 40 minute drive away.”
Oh Really?  What a load of misleading nonsense info!!!.  i.e.
TRM is not in the middle of town.
TRM does not have an on-site restaurant.
TRM does not have shared kitchen facilities as shown in above photos. 
I am still looking for the ski lockers… etc.
Amazingly, even though they are our photos that have been used,  TRM is not even featured.  They cannot get the correct basic info yet prospective guests trust them with all their confidential cc details.  So would you trust them?  Yet thousands of tourists do – for the ‘convenience’ of booking online via their cell phone?  If you want to stay at the real Tongariro River Motel then it is far better to contact SWMBO directly –

ross@tongarirorivermotel.co.nz   or phone 0800 187 688

Trip Advisor reviews?

Then there is “Trip Advisor”…  Their guest reviews are so important but… when TRM was first listed on Trip Advisor we received an awful report complaining about soft springy beds and even worse – our restaurant service was not up to standard so received a poor rating.  We immediately replied to advise TRM does not have a restaurant and that their experienced critic had the wrong motel!  But to no avail.  Other kind inmates also backed us up but the poor rating continued to be maintained for several years.
Other images above show more relentlessly positive TRM inmates who decided to create their own BYO self service restaurant at TRM.  Those photos of reunions at TRM have now continued since 2005.

 

To restore your faith some more recent Trip Advisor reviews follow:

Tourists from Brisbane :

“Those little extras”
Super-friendly owner, and a comfy and spacious two-bedroom unit. Although dated, it was clean and had everything you could need, including extras like heaps of books, two TVs, and a pedestal fan. Our little dog was no problem, with a grassy area out front available for her toileting needs. Comfy bed too. Highly recommended, will stay there again.
Tourists from Melbourne:
Fishermen friendly and comfortable
This is the place to stay in Turangi if you want helpful advice about fishing the Tongariro and surrounding lakes and rivers! Managers Ross & Pip and their staff went out of their way to ensure our stay was comfortable and the fishing advice was “spot-on”.

The rooms were ideal for our purpose and the kitchenette included everything we needed to ensure that we prepared our own meals and ate well. The beds were comfortable and we certainly got a good night’s sleep after our daily excursions to the river. The lounge / dining area was spacious enough for our group to sit and compare our stories at the end of each day including SKY TV.
Clean, tidy, spacious, comfortable and above all fishing friendly!

Tourists from Auckland:
Character Stay

If you want to experience a classic NZ motel this is it. Nothing fancy but warm and comfortable. You can walk to the shops and cafes and the nearby Tongariro River has a nice walkway along both sides. If you are a fisherperson , there were rod racks on the wall of our motel lounge. The owner and the owners dog are very welcoming and helpful, and the prices are excellent value for money. The location is away from the main road so it is nice and quiet.

Tourists from Tauranga:

Cat friendly motel, and a extremely comfortable bed

Lovely staff who were happy for us and our cats to stay at their motel. Everything was clean and tidy, but the best part was the queen sized bed in our unit (8). So many times I have stayed at motels with old soft beds that are so uncomfortable to sleep in, but not this time. That was the best sleep i have had at a motel in a very long time. A firm mattress folks, and it felt so good.

 Image below – TRM’s five star BYO restaurant…