Florence & Venice

If you don't get a reply, you can see reviews on tripadvisor.com. Their reviews get criticized because anyone can post a review (including the hotel owner or a competitor). I find, if you ignore some of the most glowing and scathing, you can get a pretty good feel for what to expect from the hotel.

Thanks Brad!

I ignore all TripAdvisor reviews posted by those who have written only one review. Another tip is to look for recent reviews. Sometimes a place can have a high score, but you'll see that the reviews are very old.

booking.com is another good website to be used in the same way as the others suggested using tripadvisor. It provides pictures of the hotels and allows you see exactly where the hotels are on a map and where they are in relation to attractions. Have a great trip.

Sad that reviews on sites are getting tainted. Recently rented an apartment from Friendly Rentals in Rome and the reviews on their web site were glowing all 29 of them. OMG the apartment was nothing like the photos or reviews. Did a google search and found other reviews on slowtrav that were my feelings exactly. Sent a review to friendly rentals about the apartment. Guess what... never got posted. Their only posting the good ones. Do multiple searches before you stay at a hotel or condo.

I have very multiple posts on T.A., and have spent hours and hours giving honest reviews for hotels/apartments/restaurants/sites that I have actually been in person. A year and a half ago, I gave a review for a guide and an apartment I used while in Sicily, and they were amazing and the 'destination expert' on T.A. negated everything positive I said, outright stated that they were unlicensed, and had many complaints! None of which was true. She 'redirected' people to other guides/hotels/apartments. We had an absolute internet ruckus, and when I posted that I spent hours giving honest and straightforward reviews for places that I'd actually personally visited that post of MINE was flagged and removed! I now use Booking.com and Venere.com for reviews in Europe. I occasionally still make recommendations on TA as a courtesy to people who own hotels/restaurants, etc., in Europe I am very careful to read many reviews before I would book a stay using only them for a reference.