Planning a trip? Want to reserve a hotel room? What will you consider first? If your friends and family have visited the place you’re visiting, and reserved a hotel for their stay, you presumably would ask them for a recommendation first. This makes the guest experience a very crucial aspect of any hotel. One satisfied client means word-of-mouth referrals from that “one” to many others.
The next step would be to get online and look for the best hotels in the area. And, you’re most likely just going to choose from the top five hotels that Google suggests, or from top rated ones on travel-planning websites. This means that reviews and star ratings are another quite important factors for a hotel. Hotels should work to gain the finest online reviews from customers and top-rated travel-planning websites in order to maintain a healthy revenue stream. After all, a visitor will evaluate the reviews and star ratings to determine whether or not to reserve a stay at the hotel.
How meaningful are online hotel reviews for the customers?
Price may be the most crucial factor when making a decision, but online reviews have a big impact on whether or not consumers book a hotel. A hotel’s relationship with its visitors will be impacted by a tarnished reputation, as will how the media portrays the establishment. Let’s help you know some real numbers.
- 83% of users check reviews frequently or always before making a reservation.
- 96% of users believe that reviews are vital when making hotel arrangements.
- 79% of people will read at least 6 to 7 reviews before booking a hotel.
- Over half of users won’t book a hotel without reviews.
- 76% of customers will pay more for a hotel with better reviews.
- Online reviews are twice as influential on hotel booking decisions than SEO.
- 4 out of 5 individuals believe that hotels that reply to reviews have a greater concern for their visitors.
It’s absolutely clear how most hotel guests will book a hotel after going through online reviews; and even better is if the hotel has responded to the reviews – both positive and negative.
How do visitors evaluate reviews?
One thing is clear – online reviews are a very crucial element. But how are the ratings evaluated by other prospective customers? One crucial point is that they take into account not only the ratings, but also the hotel’s response to the reviews it has received. Also considered is the way the hotel responds to the reviews. For instance,
- Positive ratings just call for a “Thank You” and a sincere wish to host the visitor again. A hotel that upsells guests in the wake of a favourable rating is not regarded favourably.
- A hotel is expected to reply to a review within 24 hours, and in no case should it take longer than 72 hours. And when it comes to getting a bad review, this is even more important.
- Every hotel may experience bad reviews at some point. Customers think that every negative review deserves an answer and a solution. This is why people prefer staying at a hotel that responds to a negative review, and fixes the problem.
- It is expected that the answer to unfavourable comments will be composed and professional, rather than disputing or lashing out upon. Customers feel that while positive evaluations are valued, negative feedback should also be welcomed.
- When a complaint is resolved, it is expected that the hotel will respond with a positive response indicating that the problem has been taken care of and eliminated.
- A hotel is considered as taking issues seriously if it asks visitors for any areas they’d want to see improved.
A hotel with more favourable reviews can improve its media reputation; and, with the right reputation, it can attract more guests and maintain a high level of customer satisfaction. If you’re a prospective hotel guest looking to reserve a room at hotels in Peenya, you should impulsively select the Kingston Hotel! This hotel is keenly aware of the value of a positive guest experience, which is why it offers every visitor outstanding value, luxury, and service that is exceptional and personalized, earning it only the best reviews online!