7 Hotel Reputation Management Strategies to Boost Ratings

Travelers don’t get a “try before you buy” option when booking a hotel.

Instead, they rely heavily on the experiences shared by previous guests to decide whether a property is worth their time and money.

So, it begs the question: how is your hotel being perceived online?

Unlike Joan Jett, who might not care about her reputation, hoteliers don’t have that luxury. Having a positive hotel reputation not only attracts more guests but also leads to significant benefits like higher ADR, boosted employee morale, and increased guest loyalty. In this blog, we’ll dive into 7 reputation management strategies for hotels and explore how reputation management software can help you effectively monitor and respond to online reviews.

What is reputation management in a hotel?

Reputation management in hospitality involves the practices and strategies hoteliers use to monitor, shape, and improve how their properties are perceived by guests and the public in the competitive online space.

Why is reputation management important?

Reputation management is crucial for several reasons:

1. Impacts booking decisions

Star ratings play a major role in how guests choose accommodations on popular booking platforms, where ratings are often used as a primary filter. This reflects how seriously travelers consider highly rated places. In fact, Tripadvisor and Ipsos MORI research found that 81% of travelers frequently read reviews before booking accommodations. Additionally, 79% are more likely to choose hotels with higher ratings when comparing similar properties.

So, a strong reputation can greatly sway guests’ choices, driving both higher occupancy and booking value.

2. Increases revenue potential

Just like splurging on VIP concert tickets—people pay more because they trust they’ll get the best experience. A top-rated hotel has that same star power, making guests ready to spend extra for quality! Research from Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research found that a one-point increase in a hotel’s online reputation score (on a 1-5 scale) can lead to an 11.2% increase in price without affecting occupancy rates.

Guests are generally willing to pay more for a hotel they perceive as reputable and trustworthy.

3. Builds brand loyalty

Actively managing your hotel’s reputation builds a strong and trustworthy brand image. By responding thoughtfully to feedback—even from dissatisfied guests—you can transform challenges into opportunities for loyalty. Satisfied guests are far more likely to return and recommend your hotel, becoming genuine advocates who drive word-of-mouth referrals, foster long-term loyalty, and generate repeat business.

Aim to be the property that comes to mind when guests say, “I know just the place for you!”

4. Competitive advantage

Did you know that reputation management is also a powerful revenue management strategy?
That’s right—in a highly competitive industry like hospitality, a strong reputation can give your hotel a competitive advantage, making it the preferred choice for travelers.

In fact, hotel competitive set (CompSet) dashboards are evolving to incorporate a broader range of metrics, including star ratings, to understand guest perceptions and identify areas for improvement.

5. Growth through guest feedback

Speaking of areas for improvement, reviews and feedback provide valuable insights into where you’re getting it right…and wrong. That’s why actively seeking feedback is key to hotel reputation management—it’s not about sitting back and waiting for public comments to roll in and then fixing things afterward. Instead, you want to get ahead of it with tools like post-stay surveys!

The insights you gather can guide you in making operational, service, and product improvements that keep guests coming back.

7 reputation management strategies for hotels

Keeping up your hotel’s reputation is all about staying proactive, being responsive, and delivering great service every time.

Here are 7 strategies for effective reputation management.

1. Encourage positive reviews

Surprise, surprise! Turns out, if you simply ask, you just might receive. According to recent Online Travel Booking Statistics, a whopping 4 out of 5 guests who are asked to leave a review actually follow through.

But it’s essential to have a friendly, structured approach to encourage guests to share their experiences on the platforms that matter most to your business. The best time to ask for a review is often right after check-out when the memory of their stay is still fresh.

Follow-up email or SMS: Send a warm follow-up message post check-out, thanking them for their stay and including a direct link to leave a review. Make it short and inviting, with options for platforms like Google, Tripadvisor, or Booking.com.

Personalized in-room goodbye note with a QR-code: Leave a thank-you card in the room on their last day, encouraging them to share their thoughts online. A personal touch often motivates guests to take that extra step!

Special incentives for future stays: Offer a small discount or complimentary treat for their next visit if they leave a review. It’s a great way to encourage feedback and build loyalty!

2. Respond to good or bad reviews promptly and professionally

According to a survey, 34% of consumers expect a business to respond to their review within two to three days, while 22% anticipate a reply within one week.

Responding to positive reviews shows future guests that you genuinely care about providing a great experience.

And when it comes to the occasional negative review, don’t see it as a setback. Instead, view it as an opportunity to understand the guest’s perspective and let them know you appreciate their feedback. A little empathy and a willingness to address any issues can go a long way in building trust with potential guests.

3. Monitor online reviews and social media

Channel management software has made it easy for hotels to sell through multiple OTAs like Expedia, Tripadvisor, and Airbnb. But with more exposure comes more review sites to keep an eye on, which can feel overwhelming.

RoomRaccoon simplifies this with an advanced connection with Booking.com, allowing you to respond to reviews directly in-app without switching platforms. Plus, dedicated reputation management software lets you track mentions and reviews across multiple sites in one place. In the next section, we’ll explore how these tools make managing your online reputation a breeze.

RoomRaccoon has an advanced integration with Booking.com that enables in-app alerts for reviews and allows users to respond directly.

4. Regularly review feedback for trends

Look for recurring themes in your property reviews or customer survey feedback that might signal unrealistic expectations in your messaging—or highlight areas where you truly excel.

For example, if multiple guests rave about your seamless online check-in experience, spotlight this in your marketing (website, social media posts) to add to your property’s appeal! Often, the best source of marketing content is right in your review section.

But if you’re seeing comments like ‘didn’t meet expectations’ or ‘expected more,’ it could be an opportunity to fine-tune or update your messaging for better alignment with guest expectations. More on this below.

5. Keep information updated

Studies indicate that travelers visit an average of 38 websites before making a booking decision. The websites include OTAs, hotel websites, review platforms, and hotel social media channels, highlighting the extensive research travelers undertake to ensure informed decisions.

For this reason, keeping your property’s information up-to-date across all online platforms is a crucial reputation management strategy that helps set realistic guest expectations and prevent misunderstandings from the get-go.

Make sure your hotel’s profile on review sites and your website’s booking engine accurately reflect your offerings and room descriptions. If certain amenities are no longer available, double-check that this is clearly updated everywhere guests may find you.

6. Provide proactive customer support

Connect with your guests before they arrive and after they leave to show you genuinely care about their experience. A pre-arrival email with helpful tips—like a guide to nearby attractions or ways to enhance their stay with extra on-property services —shows them you’re going the extra mile to ensure they have the best possible time.

After their stay, a follow-up with a quick survey is a great way to gather feedback and encourage positive reviews!

What are the key benefits of ORM software for hotels?

GuestRevu ORM Software

Before the internet, guests shared their experiences with hotels in ways that were slower and more personal but still powerful, like word-of-mouth, letters to the hotels, and letters to publication houses.

Fast forward to today, and the feedback cycle has sped up like never before.

Guests have more platforms, a bigger audience, and the ability to share their experiences instantly. And with the clear benefits of a strong online reputation, hotels are investing in online reputation management (ORM) software to make sure they’re the 5-star standout in a sea of options.

Here are the 3 important benefits of ORM software:

1. Collect your reviews in one place

Time-saving: Think of ORM software as a centralized hub for your hotel’s reviews. It collects feedback from your guests and displays it all in one dashboard. This way, you can easily see what guests are saying about you (and your competitors) online, no matter where the comments appear.

2. Instantly notifies you of reviews

Accelerated processes: ORM software notifies you when you have new reviews (either immediately or in an activity summary at set times, depending on your preferences) and provides a quick way to respond to the review, either from within the app itself or (if the review site does not permit this) by linking you straight to that review platform.

3. Helps you spot trends or patterns in your guest feedback data

Strategic decision-making: Because ORM software collects all your reviews into one place and aggregates them, you’ll see patterns that may have been difficult or impossible to notice otherwise.

For example, some review sites use a five-point rating system, some use a 10-point scale, and others use percentages. To compare or analyze your overall performance, you need to normalize these scores first – ORM software does this for you.

It also does the same with far more complex data like review sentiment and records all this data in one place. It then presents the data in graphs and tables that make it easy to digest and draw inferences from.

What are the top ORM software for hotels?

Here is our pick of the 5 best online reputation management software for hotels:

1. GuestRevu

🌟 Best for: Collecting in-depth feedback with ease
🔍 Overview: GuestRevu automates the feedback process by sending surveys post-stay, making it easy to collect insights at scale.

🧩 Key Features:

• Customizable surveys tailored to your brand
• Automatic survey distribution to guests
• Real-time reporting on guest responses

❤️ Why You’ll Love It: Save time and improve response rates with an automated survey flow—and as an integration partner of RoomRaccoon, it connects seamlessly into your property management system.

2. ReviewPro

🌟 Best for: Monitoring and improving online reputation across major review sites. 🔍 Overview: ReviewPro offers a comprehensive solution to track, analyze, and respond to online reviews, helping you improve guest satisfaction and rankings on OTAs and review platforms.

🧩 Key Features:

• Sentiment analysis to identify key guest issues
• Review insights across all major platforms
• Analytics to track and compare review trends

❤️ Why You’ll Love It: Stay on top of your property’s online reputation and respond proactively to guest feedback, leading to better rankings and happier guests.

3. Revinate

🌟 Best for: Creating unified guest profiles
🔍 Overview: Revinate’s Guest Data Platform integrates data from various sources to create comprehensive guest profiles, allowing hotels to provide more personalized service and marketing.

🧩 Key Features:

• Single guest view across all data sources
• Real-time data integration
• Insights for personalized marketing campaigns

❤️ Why You’ll Love It: Gain a deep understanding of your guests and deliver tailored experiences that drive loyalty and satisfaction.

4. TrustYou

🌟 Best for: Aggregating guest feedback from multiple sources
🔍 Overview: TrustYou collects guest reviews and feedback from various online platforms and direct surveys, giving hotels a complete view of guest sentiments.

🧩 Key Features:

• Aggregates reviews from top platforms
• Customizable survey options
• Real-time reporting on guest feedback

❤️ Why You’ll Love It: Gain valuable insights from multiple channels, helping you understand what guests love and areas to improve.

5. Customer Alliance

🌟 Best for: Strengthening online presence across review platforms
🔍 Overview: Customer Alliance’s Reputation Management tools help hotels monitor and manage reviews from various online sources, enhancing their digital presence.
🧩 Key Features:

• Real-time review notifications
• Integrated tools for responding to reviews
• Sentiment analysis for better insights

❤️ Why You’ll Love It: Boost your online ratings and maintain a positive reputation by staying on top of guest feedback.

Checking out

It’s important to take care of your hotel’s reputation to attract more guests and make informed judgments on which services can be improved. Simple hotel reputation management strategies, such as responding to guest reviews and encouraging guest feedback, can make a huge difference in how your property is perceived online. Get a demo to learn how to streamline your property management with RoomRaccoon today.