How to write a hotel review after a stay

How to write a hotel review after a stay

Check the following hotel review examples. The first review is positive, and the second one is negative.

Turnpike Lodge
We had an absolutely amazing time at Turnpike Lodge. The rooms were spacious and spotless, with great décor and crisp bed sheets. The breakfast buffet was delicious, with a huge variety of options! The staff were attentive and went out of their way to ensure that we were comfortable. Nothing was too much trouble. The only disappointing thing was that the pillows were very thick and firm. I would have liked softer ones. Other than that, I can’t fault the place and will definitely go back.

The Red Lion Hotel
This hotel badly needs redecorating. The rooms are cramped, and the furniture is old-fashioned and tatty. My room had a double bed, although it really was only a single room. I would have preferred a single bed and more space. Also, it hadn’t been cleaned properly: the carpet was dusty, and the desk was stained. It also overlooked a noisy bar, which was a problem because there was no air conditioning, so I had to sleep with the windows open. On top of that, the hotel was also understaffed, so service was really slow. Having said that, it’s cheap and in a convenient, central location, so you get what you pay for.

Use appropriate adjectives

To write a good review, you need to include lots of adjectives to describe your experience clearly. Your adjectives can describe things in a positive or a negative way. Here’s a list of adjectives that can be used in hotel reviews:

Some other descriptive expressions

Here are some other expressions that you can use in your descriptions.

To describe a good service:

• Nothing was too much trouble.
• The staff went out of their way to (help us / …)
• The staff made us feel very welcome.

To describe the location:

• [Our room / Our table / etc.]… overlooked [a noisy street / a garden / etc.]
• [Our room / The breakfast room / etc.]… was located [ in the basement / on the top floor / etc.]

To describe the price:

• You get what you pay for.
• It’s (not) worth the money.
• It was good value for money.

To describe a very positive experience:

• I can’t fault it.
• It was beyond our expectations/better than we expected.
• It had everything we could wish for.

Introduction phrases

You can introduce good or bad points in your review using these phrases:

• One thing we [really appreciated / especially enjoyed] was…
• One problem was…
• Another problem was…
• The only thing that was [disappointing/annoying/good/etc.] was…

After these introductions, you can use either a noun or that + subj + verb.

• The only thing that was disappointing was the thin pillows.
• The only thing that was disappointing was that the pillows were thin.

Linking phrases

In a review, you will probably mention several good points or several bad points. You should show when you are moving to a new point by using a link word. Because reviews are informal, you should use informal link words like:

• Also, …
• As well as that, …
• On top of that, …

If you write about one or more bad points and then mention a good point, you can use the expression Having said that, …

• On top of that, the hotel was also understaffed, so service was really slow. Having said that, it’s cheap and in a convenient, central location.

If you write about a small number of bad points and then want to end with a positive statement, you can use Other than that, …

• The only thing that was disappointing was that the pillows were very thick and firm. Other than that, I can’t fault the place.

Comparing your preferences and reality

In your review, you can compare what you experienced with what you wanted. To do this, use I would have + past participle. You can shorten would have to would’ve.

• The only thing that was disappointing was that the pillows were very thick and firm. I would have liked softer ones.
• My room had a double bed, although it really was only a single room. I would have preferred a single bed and more space.

🔍 Note how after would have liked / would have preferred, we write about the experience that we did NOT have.