Travel 11 — On-line Reviews

From my research, it seems that when people travel, they have no idea of what to expect when they arrive at their chosen hotel, and I would really like you to tell me why you think this is.

Of course, tourists come in a variety of costumes and age groups but, in my opinion, the type of tourist should not be significant to the way they write reviews.  In fact, I wonder if there ought to be a subjective analysis of these people.

For example, let us start with a hotel search.  I believe that today most people search on the Internet, either on their own or with help from a travel agency.  There are many Websites available, for example, hotels.com, expedia.com, and booking.com, and each site permits a selection of search choices, for example, star rating, review score, etc.  Therefore, why do so many tourists, upon their arrival, become dissatisfied.

Let us look at my personal experience:  We recently stayed at the 3-star Himalayan Deurali Resort in Pokhara, Nepal.  It was chosen because we simply wished to ‘stop the world and get off’.  The Website described a resort situated remotely in the mountains and a long way from the nearest town.  The photos showed unbelievable views of the snow-capped Himalayan mountains;  the accommodation looked very comfortable, and there was a restaurant ... what more did we need?  Nothing.

Everything on the Website was accurate, but there was no mention of the national power cuts that took place more than once each day, and the resulting effects.  But the effects were understandable and, in a sense, beyond the control of the hotel.  Nevertheless, should it not affect the star rating and the review score.

For example, someone wrote, “ It is the most excellent hotel in Napal, including the view, service, food, room, and cost-effective (sic) ... (Edited) ... Even I cannot show the fact put into words. You need to know to your cost (sic).”  A rating of 10/10 was awarded, and this person was not alone.

I doubt if this Chinese person was related to the owner, therefore, what was on his mind?  There are numerous 5-star hotels in Nepal, and many better hotels in Pokhara.  The view was excellent, but only on rare cloudless days;  the service was very friendly but the effort just average, during our long stay, the carpets were never cleaned, in fact, the hotel did not own a vacuum cleaner;  the food was acceptable, considering the location;  and the room, notwithstanding the power cuts, was very good.

I awarded 7.1, but the average was 9.3.  And I guarantee disappointment if you expect perfection when you go there ... I am not saying that one should expect perfection at a 3-star hotel, but .... 

This was not the only hotel that we stayed at, and the same comments apply there too.

This leaves me wondering if people search for reviews with only a 10 score and, thus, are obviously disappointed (unless it is a 5-star hotel), or do we have a group of people who get joyful satisfaction in causing travellers to suffer during their well-earned vacation.

I have no idea.  Should I return to my place in the world?

Quotation - "I have wandered all my life .... "

Hilaire Belloc

"I have wandered all my life, and I have travelled;  the difference between the two being this, that we wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment."

Food 4 - More Ruffled Feathers

Following on from last month, I have more points to make for the restaurant scene.  Firstly, we seem to have gone from minimalist to modernist creations.  Now, we can experiment with deep-fried ice cream or ice cream topped with bacon bits, and I hate to imagine what direction this will lead.  One restaurant, apparently, cooks a fried egg where the yolk and egg white are cooked separately, then, served together — it was explained that each item requires a different cooking time!

Yesterday, with the thought of minimalist creations on my mind, I ordered a Black Forrest Schnitzel at a Schnitzelfest event.  It was described as a veal cutlet topped with ham, white asparagus, and béchamel sauce.  As the enzymes in my stomach were discussing their hunger, I queried the availability of other vegetables.  To which the server responded in a very condescending tone, “Of course, there is a choice of potatoes and a variety of vegetables, sir.”  He left me to push my nose further into my glass of wine.  His name was Matt ... by the way.

The last sentence was written to alert Matt that this Blog is read, so far, in ten different countries.  Although it is difficult to believe, considering the few comments that it receives.

During a visit to the Caribbean recently, I noticed how easy it was to find bluefin tuna on the menu, a species close to extinction, and idiot customers responding by saying, “Well, it’s dead now, so pity to waste it.”

A Newsflash from Canada — The city of Toronto has banned the sale of real shark fin soup, and the Chinese community is infuriated.  I suppose that it spells the demise of the Chinese population because their virility will be in danger.  By the way Chinese people, black bears without gall bladders may also be in danger.

There is a useful item on the market for those of you who visit authentic Chinese restaurants.  It can scan Chinese characters of the menu and immediately translate them into English.  Someone tried it for me ... the dish was called, Phoenix on White Cloud.  Knowing the story of the phoenix, I assumed that the dish would be burnt and there would be a fried egg on top.

Finally, what is it about fresh-ground pepper that it seems hardly ever used by the chef.  Surely, if the chef’s creation needed fresh-ground pepper, he would have used it.  And if, according to my taste, some more is desirable, how would I know immediately the dish is placed in front of me.  One day, I shall ask the server to leave the grinder on the table ... even if his name is Matt.