Your hotel’s online reputation management should be a key focus for your brand. Every owner must watch it closely because it directly affects bookings and revenue. Below are simple ways to manage your hotel’s reputation online.
How a hotel’s online reputation impacts revenue
Online reviews can help or hurt. Today, guests share opinions on social media and read reviews before clicking “Book Now,” including on your website’s Web booking engine. For hoteliers, guest reviews strongly affect revenue.
Travelers check review sites and OTA pages not only for deals but also to understand your hotel. They want to see what other guests experienced before they confirm. A 1-star or 5-star rating on a trusted platform can change demand and the revenue you make.
Why online reputation management is important for hotels
- A survey (2017) showed 57% of travel reservations were made online. This means your target guests are searching and reading reviews online across devices.
- 81% of travelers find hotel reviews important and 49% won’t book a hotel with zero reviews. What guests share—text, photos, videos—influences new guests. Sites like Tripadvisor can directly affect your hotel’s revenue.
We live in the Age of the Customer. User-generated content is powerful. With the right plan and simple routines, hotel online reputation management is manageable.
How reputation connects with revenue
- Positive reviews increase trust and drive bookings.
- Negative reviews reduce trust and can damage your brand.
- Your online reputation should be part of both your marketing plan and your daily operations.
How to manage your hotel’s online reputation
1) Pay attention to your guest (from pre-arrival to checkout)
- Before booking and arrival: Share clear info—parking, ID, check-in time, payment options.
- During stay: Train staff to put guest needs first and ask for feedback early so you can fix issues on the spot.
- Record preferences: Note likes/dislikes (floor, pillow, view, breakfast) for the next visit.
- Happy guests share: Satisfied guests often post reviews, photos, and videos—these become testimonials for your property.
2) Handle negative reviews in a positive way
- Some guests will complain online. That’s normal.
- Stay polite and calm. Thank them, acknowledge the issue, and explain the fix.
- Apologize sincerely and update them when it’s resolved.
- You may offer a small discount or invite to return.
- Other travelers will see your professional response and trust you more—some guests may even revise their review.
3) Use automation to save time and keep consistency
Technology can make ORM easy for independent hotels and chains.
- Instead of asking for paper feedback at checkout, automate review requests.
- A Property Management System (PMS) like Hotelogix can integrate with Tripadvisor’s Review Express and other tools.
- With Review Express, you can customize emails to collect feedback. The PMS stores guest data for future stays.
- Emails go right after checkout, so reviews are fresh and frequent.
- This can increase Tripadvisor ratings and review count, which helps you get more bookings.
Why this matters for Tripadvisor Tripadvisor looks at quality, quantity, and recency of reviews. By automating review requests (especially to happy guests), you improve all three and can move up in rankings.
Product Focus: How Hotelogix helps you manage reputation daily
- Auto post-stay messages: Send a short “Thank you” with your review link right after checkout (via integrations). This keeps your reviews recent and regular.
- Guest profile memory: Save preferences and notes (floor, pillow type, late checkout). When repeat guests feel known, they are more likely to leave 5★ reviews.
- Issue log & follow-ups: Record a service issue, assign to the right team, and close it before checkout to reduce negative reviews.
- Simple tracking: View basic trends and reports (invites sent, response patterns, common complaints) for your weekly GM review.
- Single or multi-property: Use the same SOP and reply templates across locations so your tone and service stay consistent.
Simple reply templates you can use
Positive review “Thank you, , for your kind words about our <room/restaurant/team member>. We’re glad you enjoyed it . We look forward to welcoming you again.”
Negative review “Dear , we’re sorry for . We have and briefed our team to avoid this in the future. Please contact <email/phone>; we’d like to make this right.”
Quick tips
- Use the guest’s name and refer to a detail they mentioned.
- Apologize once, then show the solution.
- Keep replies short, warm, and professional.
Make reputation a routine
Daily
- Check new reviews on Google, OTAs, Tripadvisor.
- Reply to all reviews within 24 hours.
Weekly
- List top repeat issues (Wi-Fi, AC, check-in delays).
- Share staff mentions from good reviews in team briefings.
Monthly
- Review rating, review volume, and response time trends.
- Fix one root cause that shows up often in reviews.
- Update photos on Google/OTAs to keep pages current.
Quick wins by department
Common mistakes to avoid
- Late replies: Waiting days to answer reviews signals you don’t care. Aim for the same day.
- Copy-paste replies: Guests notice. Personalize with name and one detail.
- Arguing online: Keep calm. Share the fix and invite the guest to contact you offline.
- Asking every guest for a review: Prioritize guests who clearly had a good stay.
- Letting listings go stale: Old photos or wrong info create mismatch and more complaints.
- No root-cause action: If the same issue repeats, fix the process, not just the reply.
Your 1-hour setup plan (quick start)
- 10 mins: Update Google Business Profile (contact, amenities, check-in/out, fresh photos).
- 15 mins: Create two reply templates (positive + negative) and save in a shared doc.
- 10 mins: Turn on Hotelogix post-stay message (via integration) with your review link.
- 10 mins: Make a simple issue log (who raised, what, when, ETA, closed).
- 10 mins: Brief FO team on the checkout ask: “May I share our review link?”
- 5 mins: Set a daily 5-minute slot to check and reply to new reviews.
Final takeaway for hotel owners
Online reputation is not a one-time task. It is a daily habit:
- Deliver a clean, consistent guest experience.
- Ask for reviews at the right time (after checkout).
- Reply fast with clear, polite, solution-focused messages.
- Use your PMS and tools to automate and track.
- Review monthly trends and fix real issues.
Do this, and you’ll see better occupancy, ADR, and repeat business—across city hotels, resorts, boutique properties, and multi-property groups.
