There is a wonderful thread on tnooz about how to use Trip Advisor written by one of the TA lackeys:
http://www.tnooz.com/2010/09/30/how-to/top-tips-for-hotels-when-responding-to-reviews-on-tripadvisor/
What's interesting is not so much the article, which is a compilation of platitudes about as intelligent as recommendations not to operate electrical appliances while taking a bath, as the comments on the article--including the ones that come from TA sources. Biggest beef: TA not willing to remove spurious and/or inaccurate comments.
Interestingly, the TA author of the article breaks one of his cardinal rules; replies to criticism are notably lacking in the comments section.
Trip Advisor is trying to branch out to get advertising revenue from inns, while remaining a forum for research for the traveling public. Can you spell "conflict of interest"?
We get business from guests who have seen traveler reviews about us on TA as well as other on-line sources. Our reviews are uniformly good.
However, we will never "get into bed" with Trip Advisor. We will never give them money; we will never put a link to our TA reviews on our site; we will never do anything to promote the company.
Why should we give money to a company that has a business model that promotes bad reviews: "The 10 Worst Hotels In the World" is a recent example on their home page. Are there really people out there who are itching (so to speak) to stay in a terrible hotel? This is pure entertainment. And be honest: don't you secretly check out your competition's TA reviews?
Bottom line: I wouldn't trust TA as far as I could throw their servers.
Make no mistake: we have had nothing but stellar reviews on TA. But the extension of their business model to being a marketing tool in addition to being a review site makes no sense to me. Let's face it: you have to be crazy to pay money to a website that actively promotes bad reviews, has a less-than-perfect record of policing comments, and waits until it is threatened with lawsuits before taking down libellous and/or slanderous statements made by people who may or may not have even stayed at a property!
We plan to use TA as we always have: we thank people who have given us good reviews, and we eye criticism and take steps to change things we have control over. Other than that: no joy for Trip Advisor from the High Mountain Lodge.