Having spent over five years in tourism and hospitality online marketing, I can honestly say that most of the large review sites are pretty bad. They have been, and still are.
There are two simple reasons.
1) Human nature.
A traveler is MUCH more likely to post a bad review (if they've had a bad trip), than taking the time to post positive comments ... when they arrive home smiling.
2) Access.
Regardless of the site (now more than ever with a downturn in leisure travel), many hotel companies, large and small, are there. You may not see it, and it's certainly not all of them, but quite a few are 'writing their own reviews'.
Here's a novel idea that may seem obvious.
Go the Flickr and search your destination. Check the date of the photos. See if there are any comments.
In most cases, the 'space invaders' haven't arrived there yet.
Give it a spin and see if it works for you?