Travel -- I think that any of the websites that ask for reviews ... hotels.com as well as TA ... will have the same dynamic - fake reviews. It's a real weakness of the system.

Instead, you can ask about the hotel you are considering here on the Forum and get a more balanced approach. Some will respond here -- and others will send you PMs (private/personal messages) that are often more frank.

Here is a map that may help you. www.discounthotelshawaii.com/waikikimap.html

You do get what you pay for ... natural law, I guess. Prices are dropping. Also check CAA.

Just a coincidence Aqua took over Park Shore management this past August?

I think you will be pleased with the Diamond Head view for the money you'll get at the Park Shore this August.

A most helpful tool is to look at the number of reviews per month compared to the number of rooms. You will find the Aqua chain gets 10 times the reviews a chain such as Ohana gets, which are similar category rooms.

I also check on some of the people giving the review like how many times they have posted here which is listed right below their name and location plus you can click on their name and find what kind of a poster they are.

I was unaware that Aqua had taken over that would explain the commercial sounding reviews which seem to be on all Aqua properties.

These threads claiming Fake reviews against AQUA are outrageous. If a traveler is new to Tripadvisor does that make them Fake? Please substantiate your claims.... Tripadvisor has multi-level checks in place to authenticate posters and reduce false reviews. They will know where a poster is commenting from and if they are posting where they claim they are from. Do you honestly think these hotels are sending people all over the world to post positive reviews on the Tripadvisor web site. Should negative reviews be discounted as well? Please think before you post accusations you cannot back up.

If a front desk agent tells a guest about Tripadvisor and they return home after a fantastic stay and write glowing review that is an honest review. This is what Tripadvisor is all about.

As some Tripadvisor posters know questionable reviews will be verified by email before they are posted.

There are too many reviews from too many places for you naysayers to keep these unsubstantiated claims up on these boards.

Case in point.

Say what you want D728, but I have read reviews on dozens, maybe hundreds of hotels here on TA and there are none that follow such a pattern as those for some Aqua Hotels.

For example, I can't think of any other hotel that has one or two employees singled out in review after review for such lavish praise. The reviews all have a sameness to them besides that. And then there is the fact people who have never been to TA suddenly join, praise the Aqua Hotel and then never post again.

There is certainly enough circumstantial evidence here for a conviction.....

First thing is we have no personal experience with any Aqua hotel however a friend of my wife did stay at the Aqua Bamboo last year and was quite happy with it.

This is not a defense for Aqua but this is also not the first time someone has voiced their concern over the nature and quantity of the reviews for their properties vs all the others.

The only negative I have ever heard about the Park Shore is if you get a lower floor the noise from the bar can be quite loud.

I work in an industry similar to this one and I have posted here for a while--only in the areas that I plan to visit and I have know how "reviews" work.

I have seen competitors write reviews, former employees, write reviews about businesses to "ruin" their "good standing"... I know for a fact that it CAN and DOES happen...

Can/Do some people that have never checked out the forum or posted b4 create an account to write a review about a recent stay at a property...sure it could happen..

It is likely that it happeens on the regular or is the norm...I woud disagree..

There is so much information here on the forum that it would seem likely, in my opinion, that they would interact here prior to a vacation to gather information from other users.

Again that's just my opinion...

The other thing that I would say is that PART of what makes a hotel popular is the number of times it is "clicked" on to be read about and that can/will increase it's ranking on TA..that plus the reviews.

I encourange my clients to have their customers write reviews for them all the time--it is a great way to increase your visibility/exposure and the more content you have the more "readable" your page becomes--becaue people want to know more and that can/will increae your popularity.

More Content=More Reads=Popularity...

Again this is all just my opnion..but it is based on fact from what I see on a daily basis in my career...