Hotel and travel review sites are dying

know, it’s a hook em’ in headline, but I truly believe it and I want to tell you why I think review sites are going to become extinct in the not very distant future. Love it or hate it, social networks are becoming a part of our everyday lives and the likes of Facebook and Four Square are ahead of the game.

Travel reviews by strangers

Who wants to read hotel and travel reviews written by complete strangers, whose criteria for the perfect holiday could be so much different than yours. Would you not prefer to read reviews written by your family or friends, I know I do.

Check-in with geo-location

Today Facebook Places launched in the UK, and while it still is in its infancy, I believe more of us are going to “check-in” and leave reviews of hotels and tourist attractions, because it is so much quicker than leaving a review on the likes of Trip Advisor.

The fact that a lot of my family members and friends are already using Facebook means I can read their experiences before booking a hotel, restaurant or visiting a tourist destination. Sure, this will take time, but believe me; it’s going to be big.

More up-to-date information

I have been using FourSquare to check in to places and leave reviews of bars, restaurants and other places that I have visited. How many times have you visited a hotel’s site and not found information on accessibility, or, out-of date photos and information, and how annoying is that.