Abstract
The increasing popularity of online reviews has changed not only the process through which consumers solicit hotel information, but also the practices by which hoteliers manage their online reputation. As a component of “big data,” online reviews provide valuable information for hoteliers to facilitate the identification of customer intelligence and the emerging patterns in hotel preferences. An analysis of academic studies and the current practices of hoteliers is performed to collate and clarify the issues related to online reviews, as well as their influence on hotel performance. The successful and poor responses of hotel management to online reviews are presented to illustrate the best practices in enhancing hotel guest experiences and reputation management.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Ady, M. (2013). From beds to being on top of guest reviews, Starwood is brilliant. [Online]. Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://www.trustyou.com/miscellaneous-de/beds-top-guest-reviews-starwood-is-brilliant-3?lang=de
Anderson, C. (2012). The impact of social media on lodging performance. Cornell Hospitality Reports, 12(15), 6–11. [Online]. Retrieved April 12, 2015, from http://scholarship.sha.cornell.edu/chrpubs/5/?utm_source=scholarship.sha.cornell.edu%2Fchrpubs%2F5&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
Au, N., Buhalis, D., & Law, R. (2014). Online complaining behaviour in Mainland China hotels: The perception of Chinese and Non-Chinese customers. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 15(3), 248–274.
Barreda, A., & Bilgihan, A. (2013). An analysis of user-generated content for hotel experiences. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 4(3), 263–280.
BBC. (2014, November 19). Trip Advisor bad review ‘fine’ to be refunded by Blackpool hotel. [Online]. Retrieved April 12, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-30111525
Berezina, K., Bilgihan, A., Cobanoglu, C., & Okumus, F. (2015). Understanding satisfied and dissatisfied hotel customers: Texting mining of online hotel reviews. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 25(1), 1–24.
Blackshaw, P., & Nazzaro, M. (2006). Consumer-generated media (CGM) 101: Word-of-mouth in the age of the web-fortified consumer. New York: Nielsen.
Blal, I., & Sturman, M. C. (2014). The differential effects of the quality and quantity of online reviews on hotel room sales. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 55(4), 365–375.
Buhalis, D., & Law, R. (2008). Progress in information technology and tourism management: 20 years on and 10 years after the Internet—The state of eTourism research. Tourism Management, 29(4), 609–623.
Chen, Y., & Xie, J. (2008). Online consumer review: Word-of-mouth as a new element of marketing communication mix. Management Science, 54(3), 477–491.
Cockroft, S. (2014, November 19). Pictured: Inside the ‘filthy stinking hovel’ of a hotel which tried to fine couple £100 for leaving a negative review on TripAdvisor. [Online]. Retrieved April 12, 2015, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2840131/Couple-fined-100-hotel-called-hovel-review-Punishment-TripAdvisor-comments-illegal.html#comments
Duverger, P. (2013). Curvilinear effects of user-generated content of hotels’ market share: A dynamic panel-data analysis. Journal of Travel Research, 54(4), 465–478.
Farley, A. (2012, May 4). How hotels are embracing the online customer review. [Online]. Retrieved July 2, 2015, from http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/how-hotels-are-embracing-the-online-customer-review
Forrester Research. (2007). 60 percent of Europeans have adopted social computing. [Online]. Retrieved April 3, 2015, from https://www.forrester.com/Europeans+Have+Adopted+Social+Computing+Differently/fulltext/-/E-res42156
Four Seasons. (2012). The luxury consumer in the new digital world: Then & now. Four Seasons Group. [Online]. Retrieved July 2, 2015, from http://www.fourseasons.com/content/dam/fourseasons/web/pdfs/landing_page_pdfs/2012_TRD_Report_final.pdf
Hong, S., & Park, H. S. (2012). Computer-mediated persuasion in online reviews: Statistical versus narrative evidence. Computers in Human Behavior, 28(3), 906–919.
Hotel ICON. (2015). The Hotel ICON Story by TripAdvisor. [Online]. Retrieved April 25, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUgOSaFALrg
Hotel ICON. (2016). Awards. [Online]. Retrieved February 12, 2016, from http://www.hotel-icon.com/about-the-hotel.aspx#/award
Hotel Online. (2010). PolyU unveils name of its teaching and research hotel: Hotel ICON redefines standards in hospitality and hotel management. [Online]. Retrieved February 13, 2016, from http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2010_1st/Jan10_PolyUIcon.html
Kim, E. E. K., Mattila, A. S., & Baloglu, S. (2011). Effects of gender and expertise on consumers’ motivation to read online hotel reviews. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 52(4), 399–406.
Kusumasondjaja, S., Shanka, T., & Marchegiani, C. (2012). Credibility of online reviews and initial trust: The roles of reviewer’s identity and review valence. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 18(3), 185–195.
Lau, K. N., Lee, K. H., & Ho, Y. (2005). Text mining for the hotel industry. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 46(3), 344–362.
Law, R. (2006). Internet and tourism—Part XXI. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 20(1), 75–77.
Lee, H., Law, R., & Murphy, J. (2011). Helpful reviewers in TripAdvisor, an online travel community. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 28(7), 675–688.
Leung, D., Law, R., van Hoof, H., & Buhalis, D. (2013). Social media in tourism and hospitality: A literature review. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 30(1–2), 3–22.
Levere, J. L. (2014, January 15). Wider reach for hotel reviews: Business travelers rely increasingly on websites in planning their trips. International New York Times. [Online]. Retrieved July 2, 2015, from https://www.questia.com/newspaper/1P2-36314093/wider-reach-for-hotel-reviews-business-travelers
Lewis, R. C., & Chambers, R. E. (2000). Marketing leadership in hospitality, foundations and practices (3rd ed.). New York: Wiley.
Li, G., Law, R., Vu, H. Q., Rong, J., & Zhao, X. R. (2015). Identifying emerging hotel preferences using emerging pattern mining technique. Tourism Management, 46, 311–321.
Li, H., Ye, Q., & Law, R. (2013). Determinants of customer satisfaction in the hotel industry: An application of online review analysis. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 18(7), 784–802.
Lin, P. J., Jones, E., & Westwood, S. (2009). Perceived risk and risk-relievers in online travel purchase intentions. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 18(8), 782–810.
Litvin, S. W., Goldsmith, R. E., & Pan, B. (2008). Electronic word-of-mouth in hospitality and tourism management. Tourism Management, 29(3), 458–468.
Lu, W., & Stepchenkova, S. (2015). User-generated content as a research mode in tourism and hospitality applications: Topics, methods, and software. Journal of Hospitality and Marketing, 24(2), 119–154.
Mauri, A. G., & Minazzi, R. (2013). Web reviews influence on expectations and purchasing intentions of hotel potential customers. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 34, 99–107.
McEvilly, B. (2015, July 8). How online review sites are affecting your hotel. HospitalityNet [Online]. Retrieved July 2, 2015, from http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4070901.html
Melián-González, S., Bulchand-Gidumal, J., & López-Valcárcel, B. G. (2013). Online customer reviews of hotels: As participation increases, better evaluation is obtained. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 54(3), 274–283.
Memarzadeh, F., & Chang, H. J. (2015). Online consumer complaints about Southeast Asian luxury hotel. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 24(1), 76–98.
Miller, M. J. (2011, October 21). Starwood, bravely, posts hotel guests’ reviews online. [Online]. Retrieved July 2, 2015, from http://brandchannel.com/2011/10/21/starwood-bravely-posts-hotel-guests-reviews-online/
Min, H., Lim, Y., & Magnini, V. P. (2015). Factors affecting customer satisfaction in responses to negative online hotel reviews: The impact of empathy, paraphrasing, and speed. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 56(2), 223–231.
NielsenWire. (2009, July 7). Global advertising: Consumers trust real friends and virtual strangers the most. [Online]. Retrieved November 27, 2014, from http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2009/global-advertising-consumers-trust-real-friends-and-virtual-strangers-the-most.html
Noone, B. M., & McGuire, K. A. (2014). Effects of price and user-generated content on consumers’ pre purchase evaluations of variably priced services. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 38(4), 562–581.
O’Connor, P. (2010). Managing a hotel’s image on TripAdvisor. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, 19(7), 754–772.
Öğüta, H., & Cezara, A. (2012). The factors affecting writing reviews in hotel websites. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 58, 980–986.
Ong, B. S. (2012). The perceived influence of user reviews in the hospitality industry. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 21(5), 463–485.
Park, S. Y., & Allen, J. P. (2013). Responding to online reviews: Problem solving and engagement in hotels. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 54(1), 64–73.
PATA. (2015). A ‘Smart Hotel’ redefines hospitality. [Online]. Retrieved April 26, 2015, from http://www.pataconversations.com/richard-hatter-hotel-icon/
Phillips, P., Zigan, K., Silva, M. M. S., & Schegg, R. (2015). The interactive effects of online reviews on the determinants of Swiss hotel performance: A neural network analysis. Tourism Management, 50, 130–141.
Pidd, H. (2014, November 21). Please don’t fine me, I’m a journalist: A night in Blackpool’s Broadway hotel. The Guardian. [Online]. Retrieved April 26, 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/nov/21/night-blackpool-broadway-hotel-tripadvisor
Quinn, B. (2014, November 19). TripAdvisor couple fined £100 by hotel for bad review. The Guardian. [Online]. Retrieved April 26, 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/19/tripadvisor-couple-bad-hotel-review-charged-blackpool-broadway
Racherla, P., Connolly, D. J., & Christodoulidou, N. (2013). What determines consumers’ ratings of service providers? An exploratory study of online traveler reviews. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 22, 135–161.
Rajan, R. (2013). How did the Four Seasons in Austin jump 26 spots on TripAdvisor. RethinkHotels. [Online]. Retrieved June 1, 2015, from http://rethinkhotels.com/four-seasons-austin-maintain-top-tripadvisor-rankings/
Sanchez, A. (2013, November 13). How the Four Seasons become the highest-rated hotel in Austin. E-Marketing Associates. [Online]. Retrieved June 1, 2015, from http://www.e-marketingassociates.com/how-the-four-seasons/
Schaal, D. (2013, August 26). Travelers visit 38 sites before booking a vacation, study says. [Online]. Retrieved April 6, 2015, from http://skift.com/2013/08/26/travelers-visit-38-sites-before-booking-a-vacation-study-says/
Shanka, T., & Taylor, R. (2004). An investigation into the perceived importance of service and facility attributes to hotel satisfaction. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 4(3–4), 119–134.
Short, T. (2013, October 31). How the four Seasons Hotel maintains top TripAdvisor ratings. [Online]. Retrieved May 1, 2015, from http://overnight-success.softwareadvice.com/how-the-austin-four-seasons-hotel-maintains-top-tripadvisor-ratings-1013/
Sparks, B. A., & Bradley, G. L. (2014). A “Triple A” typology of responding to negative consumer-generated online reviews. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. doi:10.1177/1096348014538052
Sparks, B., & Browning, V. (2011). The impact of online reviews on hotel booking intentions and perception of trust. Tourism Management, 32(6), 1310–1323.
Sparks, B. A., Perkins, H. E., & Buckley, R. (2013). Online travel reviews as persuasive communication: The effects of content type, source, and certification logos on consumer behavior. Tourism Management, 39, 1–9.
Stagg, J. (2011). Online review sites must ensure rules are policed. Caterer & Hotelkeeper, 201(4689), 5.
Tong, K., Lee, A., Tse, T. & Law, R. (2014). An analysis of online reviews on technology application: A case of Hotel ICON [Online]. In P. M. Chien (Ed.), CAUTHE 2014: Tourism and hospitality in the contemporary world: Trends, changes and complexity (pp. 613–621). Brisbane: School of Tourism, The University of Queensland.
Travel Media Group. (2015, March). Hoteliers’ guide to responding online reviews. [Online]. Retrieved April 6, 2015, from http://travelmediagroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/TMG-How-To-Respond-To-Online-Reviews-Whitepaper.pdf
TripAdvisor. (2014). Fact Sheet. TripAdvisor. [Online] Retrieved November 23, 2007, from http://www.tripadvisor.com.tw/PressCenter-c4-Fact_Sheet.html
Tsao, W. C., Hsieh, M. T., Shih, L. W., & Lin, T. M. Y. (2015). Compliance with eWOM: The influence of hotel reviews on booking intention from the perspective of consumer conformity. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 46, 99–111.
Tse, T. (2012). The experience of creating a teaching hotel: A case study of Hotel ICON in Hong Kong. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, 24(1), 17–25.
Tse, T. (2013). The marketing role of the Internet in launching a hotel: The case of Hotel ICON. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 22(8), 895–908.
USA Today. (2012, October 9). Wyndham to invite guests to review its hotels on TripAdvisor. [Online]. Retrieved July 2, 2015, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/hotelcheckin/2012/10/09/wyndham-tripadvisor-consumer-reviews/1622111/
Vermeulen, I. E., & Seegers, D. (2009). Tried and tested: The impact of online hotel reviews on consumer consideration. Tourism Management, 30(1), 123–127.
Wei, W., Miao, L., & Huang, Z. J. (2013). Customer engagement behaviors and hotel responses. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 33, 316–330.
Williams, R., van der Wiele, T., van Iwaarden, J., & Eldridge, S. (2010). The importance of user-generated content: The case of hotels. TQM Journal, 22(2), 117–128.
Withiam, G. (1995). Measuring guest perceptions: Combine measurement tools. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 36(6), 16.
Xie, H., Miao, L., Kuo, P. J., & Lee, B. Y. (2011). Consumers’ responses to ambivalent online hotel reviews: The role of perceived source credibility and pre-decisional disposition. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 30(1), 178–183.
Xie, K. L., Zhang, Z., & Zhang, Z. (2014). The business value of online consumer reviews and management response to hotel performance. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 43, 1–12.
Ye, Q., Law, R., Gu, B., & Chen, W. (2011). The influence of user-generated content on traveler behavior: An empirical investigation on the effects of e-word-of-mouth to hotel online bookings. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(2), 634–639.
Yoo, K. H., & Gretzel, U. (2008). What motivates consumers to write online travel reviews? Information Technology & Tourism, 10(4), 283–295.
Zhang, Y., & Vásquez, C. (2014). Hotel’s responses to online reviews: Managing consumer dissatisfaction. Discourse, Context and Media, 6, 54–64.
Zhou, L., Ye, S., Pearce, P. L., & Wu, M. Y. (2014). Refreshing hotel satisfaction studies by reconfiguring customer review data. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 38, 1–10.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wan, S., Law, R. (2017). Leveraging Online Reviews in the Hotel Industry. In: Xiang, Z., Fesenmaier, D. (eds) Analytics in Smart Tourism Design. Tourism on the Verge. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44263-1_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44263-1_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-44262-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-44263-1
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)