The Most Overrated Travel Experiences (PHOTOS)

When not writing troublesome books and blogs, I'm fortunate enough to be an occasional travel writer. Here are some of the most overrated things for the world traveler including the world's most overrated tourist attraction. You've heard of the seven wonders of the world (whatever they are); here now are the seven most overrated travel experiences...

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1. Seven-Star Hotels

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A few months ago, I visited Hainan Island, on the South China Sea, where they are taking tourism very seriously. Indeed, they are in the process of building two seven-star hotels. This was astonishing! On the flight to China, I had been watching an in-flight video about Dubai, which stated that Dubai's Burj Al Arab is currently the world's only seven-star hotel. So there's only one in the world - and Hainan Island plans to have two. What does it take to make a seven-star hotel? On rare occasions, I've been lucky enough to stay at five-star hotels. In general, these are pretty good... so what the heck could make something so good that it's worth seven stars? The truth is: There's no such thing as a seven-star hotel! Or a six-star. It's all hype. The maximum possible is five. So why does the new Pangu Hotel in Beijing openly claim to be a seven-star hotel? The official reason: in this case, the reference is to the Big Dipper star shape. OK, so there's one seven-star hotel in the world... and I've got to say, it's cheating. Incidentally, the Burj Al Arab says that it never advertised itself as a seven-star hotel, and it was being hyped by a journalist who attended the hotel's opening in 1999. Presumably, management has been vigorously denying it ever since...

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A few months ago, I visited Hainan Island, on the South China Sea, where they are taking tourism very seriously. Indeed, they are in the process of building two seven-star hotels. This was astonishing! On the flight to China, I had been watching an in-flight video about Dubai, which stated that Dubai's Burj Al Arab is currently the world's only seven-star hotel. So there's only one in the world - and Hainan Island plans to have two. What does it take to make a seven-star hotel? On rare occasions, I've been lucky enough to stay at five-star hotels. In general, these are pretty good... so what the heck could make something so good that it's worth seven stars?

The truth is: There's no such thing as a seven-star hotel! Or a six-star. It's all hype. The maximum possible is five. So why does the new Pangu Hotel in Beijing openly claim to be a seven-star hotel? The official reason: in this case, the reference is to the Big Dipper star shape. OK, so there's one seven-star hotel in the world... and I've got to say, it's cheating.

Incidentally, the Burj Al Arab says that it never advertised itself as a seven-star hotel, and it was being hyped by a journalist who attended the hotel's opening in 1999. Presumably, management has been vigorously denying it ever since...

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This Travel Destination

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

This isn't overrated Overrated!

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5 Overrated Travel Destinations

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Comments

[wishfulslinkings]

12:27 PM on 04/09/2011

You're all over the place, but generally give a personal impression of being unhappy with travel in general, i.e., a hotel isn't a tourist attraction.

Not visiting historic houses or the archaeological sights of the Seven Wonders?

I travel half the year, and am also quite jaded, however, I don't advise others to skip the Eiffel Tower of the Pyramids at Giza.

Myopic much?

[TRex86]

04:10 PM on 03/10/2011

All that tourist destination stuff may be over-rated, but the smack against "fancy restaurants" was a joke. Compared to Mom's cooking? You gotta be kidding. Not all Americans are cheapskates. Some of us of lesser means have a decent palate and enjoy a good night out. The knock on restaurants is reverse snobbery at its worst. Some highly rated restaurants only cater to the beautiful people but others are accessible and worth the price.

A few years back I booked a birthday party for my wife at Chasen's in Hollywood. A dismal experience unless you're a movie star. More recently my wife and I were in Paris and splurged at Guy Savoy. The service was warm, friendly and funny. The cuisine was worth every penny. My advice is to do a little background research before risking your life savings at a big name restaurant, but if the rep is good there is no finer experience than being pampered at a high end establishment.

[Hans von Meister]

07:25 AM on 03/10/2011

I love traveling as well, and have to agree with your points. However, I will say that things like the Great Wall (I live in China) and Angkor Wat (where I just visited today) are amazing and well worth the time taken to visit. Sure, they cater to the tourist masses and it's impossible to get any peace and quiet to enjoy a scene much less get a photo without 2000 people crowding into the frame, but I do think there is something to be said that they can draw that type of crowd in the first place!

[Rippeer]

02:02 PM on 03/07/2011

#9 - hotels and resorts where most of their occupancy is from conventions and groups. First clue, a big ballroom or lots of smaller "meeting rooms".

[nomoredead]

12:19 PM on 03/06/2011

I love to travel.

I enjoy a 1 star hotel or a 7 star hotel ( have been to the Burj Al Arab ).
I can enjoy street vendor food or a 5 star restaurant and marvel at everything exotic in foreign countries.

The world would be a better place if more americans traveled abroad and absorbed other cultures.

[edmundpua]

07:16 AM on 03/06/2011

hmm...might as well dont travel...

[clemson l]

06:29 AM on 03/06/2011

right, "an occasional travel write" give serious advice on travel...

[Maruanayam]

03:18 AM on 03/06/2011

I kinda wish the article would actually show some more Great Wall-like examples instead of the obvious (resort hotels etc) and compare them to ones that despite being famous/touristic are still very much worth visiting....

[HateShoes]

11:37 PM on 03/05/2011

Once you stand on that wall, you will realize how absolutely amazing it truly is. It's breathtaking, and to imagine everything that it took in terms of building it...don't listen to the author...he's wrong.

[pzureick]

09:18 PM on 03/05/2011

Just so you are aware, it sounds really, really, REALLY pretentious to rip on the pyramids and great wall for not being "that great". Don't listen to this guy, while there are other things you should be doing if you visit Egypt or China, these things are definitely worth seeing.

[Johnson P Johnson]

09:11 PM on 03/05/2011

This article keeps it real. Once I retire, I am staying in one spot. No more traveling! You see it once, you have seen it all.

[marythegr8]

05:49 PM on 03/05/2011

i think you should go to the places you want to go and see the places that you want to see. Spend the money that you feel you can that you have earned, you live and learn. As i generally don't spend much time in the hotel and usually just like that it's clean so that I can fully rest after a long day or touring I find that I happen to like nice hotels, but don't mind quaint clean ones. As for food and restaurants, food is food, the best places are generally where you see lots of locals, but if fine dining is your thing, enjoy it where ever you may be. And finally as for the kitchy tourist photos of the eiffel tower in your hand, take it, you only live once, make the jokes that you find funny.
The best thing to do while on vacation, is to wear comfortable shoes and be yourself.

[jaunt360]

06:29 AM on 03/06/2011

Well said. I couldn't agree with you more. I'm currently on a 13 month trip and I'd like to add it is just not the sights and tourists attractions, but meeting with locals and other travelers is a big thing for me. Travelling for me is such a subjective thing. No wrong or right in my opinion.

[wishfulslinkings]

12:23 PM on 04/09/2011

True

[MajorKong]

02:37 PM on 03/05/2011

"so what the heck could make something so good that it's worth seven stars?"

It's like the amplifiers in Spinal Tap that went to "11"

[TheOtherGirl]

01:47 PM on 03/05/2011

Pyramids are not overrated.

[petuniafish]

11:36 AM on 03/05/2011

Think this man is a stuffed shirt. Go where you want to go.
He'd probably say some of the ancient Mediterranean sites like the Parthenon, Coliseum and Pompeii are overrated. The pyramids are fascinating. Maybe this reviewer does get into or appreciate history.

And I like far flung luxury resorts as a respite from hard work- makes me feel pampered and FAR from the stresses at home. There is a time and place for all kinds of travel.