Beware of Travel Ads That Seem Too Good to Be True The advertisement for a Caribbean hotel touts “ocean view,” and there is—for guests who climb to a rooftop terrace and peer far into the distance. A restaurant website is replete with rave reviews that give no hint they were written by people who were paid for their positive ratings. The photograph shows people enjoying a nearly deserted beach that, in reality, is usually is packed with other sunbathers. When it comes to making travel plans, whether you’re picking a destination, place to stay or eat, or handling other arrangements, it’s wise to keep in mind that tried-and-true adage, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”