The Reason You Won't See Room Photos in My Reviews

I've stayed in some truly beautiful rooms but you won't see a single photo of them in my reviews.

It's not an oversight, it's deliberate. A hotel's own photos should already show you what to expect, so there's no need for me to repeat them. In every hotel review, I tell you whether the official photos match reality, rather than just the photos themselves.

It's also why I'll mention the room (and room number, if I remember it!) in reviews, which I think is more helpful. The only exception is if a hotel does something genuinely worth showing.

Let's be honest, we can't ignore the elephant in the room. There are some hotels that have been using AI-generated or heavily enhanced images to market their rooms. Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to demonise AI. It's just that I can only imagine how jarring it would be to book somewhere based on a promotional photo that isn't actually real, or doesn't live up to expectations.

Which is where TripAdvisor comes in. What would I do without all you trusted reviewers out there doing the Lord's work? I scroll endlessly through reviews and more importantly, through traveller photos. It means I never blind-book. I like knowing roughly what to expect before I've even arrived, which helps manage expectations while travelling. Call it due diligence.

So, if you see a photo of a hotel room online and like the look of it, I want my review of the hotel to confirm it's accurate. It's not a throwaway line. It means I've checked the room photos before my stay, and that expectations and reality matched up.

That's the standard every review on this blog is held to, starting with the two hotel reviews in Greece I've already written: Port Royal Villas & Spa in Rhodes and Grecotel Eva Palace in Corfu. More hotel reviews are on the way!

Thanks for reading,

Let's book better travel 💚

Discerning Travels