Since joining TripAdvisor in February last year, Stephen Kelly has written 1,915 reviews.

Across 31 European cities, the Liverpudlian has penned his thoughts on 42 hotels, 1,517 restaurants and 356 attractions. That averages out at publishing about three reviews a day for 22 months. In 2016 he has published 988, maintaining pace for his daily output.

It is Stephen’s prolific reporting for the review website that has earned him the accolade of British Review Contributor of the Year in the 2016 Ollie Awards, TripAdvisor’s celebration of its most valuable reviewers, now in its second year.

“When I'm away I try to set out for 10 to 15 pubs or bars in a day,” Stephen, from Kirkby, tells Telegraph Travel. “I read TripAdvisor and glean information on where might be good to go then I make my own mind up. I do the research so I know roughly what I’m going to go, then I give a positive review.

“I try to do three or four [reviews] a day, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, one in the evening. I never get bored doing it.”

Of Stephen’s 1,915 reviews, only three are less than four or five out of five

Stephen, 51, works in the NHS and uses free time in his shift patterns to travel to European cities, preferably in eastern Europe, he says, and often with his twin brother, who first got him into reviewing TripAdvisor.

“I do prefer eastern and central Europe. The architecture is so different from what I’m used to, and there’s a different culture and atmosphere,” he says. “I think Poland is my favourite country. There’s a lot of rich history, a mix of old German and new Poland.”

He’s just returned from Krakow and his TripAdvisor profile page is bulging with thoughts on cafes, bars and restaurants from the Polish city.

Birkenhead on the Wirral: reviewed Credit: Alamy

“Superb jazz bar”, “Very modern and cool establishment”, “Classic Polish pub with great views”.

But Stephen also has the north of England covered, with a wealth of reviews in places such as Birkenhead, Doncaster and Hull, not to mention his native Liverpool.

However, don’t expect to find many scathing takedowns or brutal critiques. Of Stephen’s 1,915 reviews, only three are less than four or five out of five, and they are three out of five. The three three-star (or "bubble") ratings, that equates to average on the site, make up 0.15 per cent of his reviews. The unfortunate recipients of Stephen’s undistinguised tag are two bars in Amsterdam, and one in Prague.

Stephen Kelly, TripAdvisor's UK reviewer of the year

“There was one in Prague,” he said. “I just said be a bit wary of it. I think in a lot of eastern European cities if there’s not a menu outside the bar or restaurant you need to be a bit wary. Pay up front because you might get ripped off.”

To what does he credit his fortune of only visiting four or five-star establishments?

“I look at the places I go beforehand so I tend to avoid any that don’t look great. I know in Budapest there’s a few places on the main tourist street, Vaci Utca Street, to avoid,” he says.

“But most of the time I go somewhere I get a positive vibe.”

Budapest's Vaci Utca Street is a main tourist drag Credit: Alamy

TripAdvisor has also commended seven other members of its website, including awards for Attractions Expert of the Year, Hotel Expert of the Year and New Contributor of the Year.

This year’s Restaurant Expert of the Year award also belongs to Stephen, owing to his thousand-odd contributions to the culinary aspect of the site.

The global winner of Review Contributor of the Year is one Bernardo Famorca, who has submitted more than 2,000 critiques over the past 12 months.

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“With more than 120 million travellers eligible for an award, the competition this year was tougher than ever,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for the website. “Every single winner of an Ollie award has dedicated an incredible amount of time and energy to their reviews. It is their efforts… that help improve the travel experience for the wider community. They fully deserve their moment in the spotlight.”

TripAdvisor’s place in the travel industry is not without controversy. The value and validity of the site’s reviews have come into question in the past.

In 2012 the Advertising Standards Authority ruled that it could not claim all the reviews on its website were “honest, real or trusted” after finding that it was possible for “non-genuine content” to appear on the site.

The site has also developed something of a cult status, with hilarious and bizarre reviews providing entertainment as much as its informative content. Indeed, Telegraph Travel has collated some of TripAdvisor’s users underwhelmed by the biggest tourist attractions on the planet.

So what are Stephen’s tips for reviewing for the site?

“Do a little bit of research before you start,” he says. “Have a look at other people’s reviews, then hone a style of your own. If you have a structured way to do a review it will save you time.”