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Partner Londonhotelinsight have posted an article recommending suitable responses by hotels to reviews. The article is both well written and useful, considering that online reviews can be very influential and that malicious ones can be detrimental. It may also be timely to ask: is it true to say that there is no such thing as negative publicity?
Hotel europa, by euzesio
The article explores the range of reviews and hotel responses (if any!) to them. It then goes on to give at least one good example of a proper investigation of the review and the response given by the hotel.
Regardless of a review being complimentary or negative, if the hotel management exploit them in an appropriate fashion, the end result must surely be a better-run business and more positive reviews in future. This in turn should mean more satisfied customers, present and future. On the other hand, hotels for which little is known should always be examined with a degree of caution. That is to say that hotels should be upfront and proud to be reviewed.
We have reviewed various European hotels including some very recently. It is our hope that both travellers and hotel management have found the comments of value. On at least one occassion we received confirmation by the hotel that, as a result of our comments, suitable changes had been made and we went on to update the relevant post appropriately.
1 response so far ↓
1 darngooddigs // Dec 23, 2009 at 7:39 am
Karen,
We read the Londonhotelinsight article, and thought they hit upon an interesting subject. We often use TripAdvisor, and are aware of its usefulness and limitations. When managers respond to traveler reviews, we find that we learn as much, if not more, about the hotel from the response as we did from the review.
This is especially true for small properties, like bed and breakfasts, where the reponder is usually the innkeeper herself. It is tricky business responding to a criticism in person, and it is even more difficult in writing – especially when you only get one chance, with no back and forth, in front of an audience of perfect strangers.
For example, we sometimes detect arrogance, obsessive attention to detail, defensiveness, embarrassment, and generosity in these responses.
In our opinion, the management responses are just one more tool for us to use when we are researching a hotel.