Online Reputation Management: A Comprehensive Guide for Hotels

The internet has changed the way we book travel. Today, 81% of customers search online reviews before they book a hotel on their next vacation or business trip. This is exactly why online reviews from sites like TripAdvisor, Google, Yelp, Booking, and Expedia can make or break a hotel’s reputation, so hotels need to monitor their online presence and proactively address negative reviews.

In fact, statistics show that 84% of people consider online reviews as trustworthy as personal recommendations and a whopping 72% of travelers make a habit out of reading reviews prior to choosing their accommodation or activities. This is why having a robust online reputation management strategy in place to manage your reputation and protect your brand cannot be overemphasized. This is where online reputation management (ORM) for hotels comes in.

What is online reputation management?

Online reputation management in the hospitality industry refers to the process of monitoring and improving the reputation of a property on various online review sites. A good reputation can help your business thrive, but a bad one can cripple it. For this reason, it’s important that hotels have a strategy in place to keep track of their online reputation. This may include responding to negative comments with positive ones and resolving customer issues quickly among others.

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Why is online reputation management important in hospitality?

So what happens when a property doesn't have an online reputation management strategy? They’re at a huge disadvantage and risk losing customers to their competitors as 52% of people would never even consider booking a hotel without any reviews whereas, nearly all customers (94%) will refuse to do business with a company based on a negative review. That said, it’s imperative to ensure you have a strong online presence and are able to detect, monitor, and understand how to properly respond to both positive and negative feedback.

What is the impact of a negative online reputation?

A few more things that a negative online reputation can do:

1. It can negatively affect your sales. A bad reputation will reflect poorly on your hotel's services and products, which in turn will impact its revenue. It can also damage the loyalty of your customers and lead to a loss of repeat business.
2. It can make it difficult for you to attract new customers. If you have a damaged reputation, potential guests may be wary of trying out your business because they fear it won't meet their needs or expectations. This makes it harder for you to attract new clients and increase sales.
3. It can affect employee morale and retention rates. If staff members don't feel that your business will help them advance in their own careers, they may leave for another job where their goals are better realized — which can be detrimental to the success of any business operation.
4. It can hurt your hotel's image among industry peers and partners. If other companies read about negative comments made about your hotel, they might be less likely to partner with you in future projects or refer clients to your business if they think there could be problems down the line due to past issues related to guest service or product quality concerns that weren't properly addressed by management when they occurred in the first place (even if those issues were caused by factors outside of your control).

When you skimp on your ORM strategy — even if only a little bit — the consequences can be far-reaching. No business can ever truly survive without it!

What are the benefits of ORM?

ORM is a crucial aspect of running a business especially in today’s digital world. While it can be time-consuming, there are plenty of benefits to having a strong online presence. Here are just some of the ways that ORM can help you:

Increases traffic to your website and social media pages

Since people search for hotels on sites like TripAdvisor, Expedia, Google, and Booking.com before they decide where they want to spend their money, having a positive online reputation will help to attract more visitors to your website and social media pages.

When they see positive reviews about your hotel, they may be more inclined to visit your site or follow you on social media, just to see what else you have to offer.

Improves customer service

Keeping track of all of your guests' interactions with you through online reputation management system can help you better understand their wants and needs — you can't really know what they're thinking if you don't engage with them. This way, you'll be able to see what's working well for them, and what isn't working as well as it should. You'll also be able to learn more about your competition so you can improve your own offerings, processes and services to create an exceptional guest experience.

Generates leads through SEO

Online search engines will rank websites based on factors such as how often sites are linked to and how often they’re shared on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Guest reviews are also considered when ranking sites in search engines, so if guests leave positive comments about your hotel online, it can help increase traffic and lead generation for your website organically without even having to pay for advertising!

Actively collecting and publishing reviews on public platforms like Google, Booking.com and TripAdvisor may be a good idea. Don't just wait for them to come in; proactively request reviews from guests who have stayed at your hotel recently. You can do this by messaging them directly or simply hanging a sign in every room that says, "If you enjoyed your stay, please leave us a review."

Creates trust among potential and existing guests

If people see you responding to any negative comments left on various websites, they'll know that you care about their opinions and are willing to improve the experience for future guests. In addition, this will also show potential customers that your hotel values customer service — something that can make all the difference in choosing which hotel to stay at when planning a vacation or business trip.

By now, you probably have no reason to believe that ORM is just another business buzzword. But the question is, how exactly are you going to make your ORM strategy a success?

How do you build a good online reputation as hotel?

When it comes to ORM, there are a few steps that you need to take in order to ensure success.

Responding to your reviews

Engaging with online reviews is an important strategy for businesses aiming to enhance their online presence and foster customer trust. By addressing reviews, you not only show appreciation for positive feedback but also demonstrate your commitment to resolving any concerns. Here are three reasons why responding to reviews matters:

1. Reduce Negative Reviews: When potential reviewers see that management actively engages in dialogue, they might be less inclined to leave negative public feedback. Instead, they may choose more private communication methods to share their concerns.
2. Encourage Positive Reviews: Customers who see active engagement from businesses are more likely to contribute with positive reviews. A personal thank-you or acknowledgment of their feedback can motivate satisfied customers to voice their support.
3. Control Your Narrative: Responding to reviews provides an opportunity to clarify misunderstandings or provide additional context. This transparency helps potential customers make informed decisions and can positively influence their perception of your business.

Here are the do's and don'ts of responding to online reviews.

To streamline this process, you can leverage MARA AI's Smart Snippets feature. By teaching the AI your preferred narrative, you ensure that recurring complaints are handled consistently and effectively. For instance, if guests frequently mention late check-in issues, you can create a Smart Snippet that apologizes for the wait and explains the measures you're taking to improve check-in times. This not only saves you time but also ensures your responses align with your brand's voice and commitment to customer satisfaction.

Embracing AI-driven solutions like MARA ensures that your interaction remains both timely and consistent, reinforcing trust and enhancing your overall reputation.

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Actively gathering reviews

Collecting numerous customer reviews is vital for businesses, given their impact on Google's ranking algorithm. One effective way to seek feedback is by emailing each guest post-stay, asking for their views on the experience.

Tools like MARA can also assist in this process. It provides optimized post-stay surveys aimed at encouraging as many positive reviews as possible. These surveys are designed considering certain factors that often prevent guests from leaving a review:

1. The survey length: Guests are more likely to convert their internal feedback into a public review if the survey is concise and to the point.
2. Account creation requirement: While businesses can't avoid the need for a guest to create an account on some review platforms, opting for platforms with a wide user base is beneficial.
3. High self-expectations: Some guests feel pressured to leave a very detailed review when it's public. MARA addresses this by turning a guest's summarized feedback into a comprehensive review covering all the points they mentioned.

Thus, actively collecting customer reviews is not just essential for managing your business's reputation, but it also helps in engaging customers and improving SEO rankings. By adopting these strategies and using tools like MARA, businesses can significantly improve their online presence and earn customer trust.

Showcasing reviews on your website

While the majority of customers prefer reading reviews on platforms like Google or Booking.com, displaying reviews on your website can be beneficial. However, it's important to prioritize earning great reviews on third-party platforms before optimizing your own website.

Placing trust signals on your website can enhance conversions slightly according to some research studies. Therefore, if a potential customer chooses your hotel and decides to book through your website, displaying high-quality reviews can ensure they follow through with their booking.

The essential goal is to keep your website's checkout process as user-friendly as possible. Make sure it's as easy to navigate as Booking.com, offers similar cancellation policies, and competitive prices. Showcasing your rating from well-known platforms can be that final push a customer needs to convert.

Remember, most customers won't be familiar with a TrustYou Score. Present them with ratings they recognize and trust, like the ones from Google or Booking.com.

MARA's review widget helps businesses achieve this by displaying reviews from various platforms of your choice. This can help to improve conversions by a few percentage points, giving you that slight edge in the competitive online market.

Analyzing your online reviews

Understanding the feedback from your online reviews is essential for improving your business offerings and customer experience. Analyzing reviews allows you to gain insights into what your customers value and where there may be room for improvement. Here’s how you can effectively analyze your reviews:

1. Identify Common Themes: Look for recurring comments in reviews to understand common customer sentiments. Whether it’s praise for your excellent customer service or frequent mentions of issues with room cleanliness, identifying these themes can help you focus on the areas that matter most to your customers.
2. Gauge Customer Satisfaction: Reviews often reflect the overall satisfaction level of your customers. By systematically analyzing star ratings and written feedback, you can gauge the effectiveness of your current practices and identify potential areas of concern before they lead to negative experiences.
3. Prioritize Improvements: Use insights from your reviews to prioritize operational improvements. If, for instance, multiple reviewers highlight slow Wi-Fi, addressing this issue could significantly enhance your guest experience and lead to better reviews in the future.
4. Monitor Trends Over Time: Tracking review patterns over time can help you assess the impact of changes you've implemented. If you notice a steady improvement in ratings after updating your facilities or services, it confirms that your efforts are paying off.

Incorporating AI tools can greatly enhance the efficiency of this analysis. AI-driven analytics tools can quickly sift through large volumes of reviews to highlight key terms and sentiments, saving you time and providing actionable insights. This data-driven approach helps you maintain a competitive edge by continuously aligning your offerings with customer expectations.

What are the features of online reputation management tools?

ORM tools help hoteliers to manage their online reputation and reviews across booking platforms. Most of the established players offer a similar feature set with review management at heart. Typical features of a top-notch online reputation management tool are:

AI replies

The trend of AI replies began in 2023, but by 2025, AI drafts are expected to completely replace templates, making guest communication more personal and engaging. Instead of relying on stale, one-size-fits-all responses, AI technology will generate personalized replies that reflect the unique concerns and compliments of each guest.

Tip: If you're still using templates, it's time to embrace AI replies. These tools can help you craft more personal and effective responses to guest reviews.

By 2025, AI tools are anticipated to transform from simple ChatGPT plugins to AI agents reflecting your brand voice. These AI assistants will understand your hotel's uniqueness, allowing them to respond accurately and personally to specific cases. This shift to AI Personality boosts the authenticity of responses and guest satisfaction.

Currently, MARA AI is the only reputation management solution that automatically adapts to your hotel's brand voice. MARA has evolved from an AI system to a full-fledge reputation management solution, which is why high-quality AI replies are one of the main advantages of this software.

Review inbox

A review inbox of an online reputation management tool is a central location where you can easily access and manage customer reviews from different online sources. The primary benefit of a review inbox is that it provides an easy way to monitor and respond to customer reviews in real-time. This allows businesses to quickly address negative reviews and take proactive steps to maintain a positive online reputation. Responding to each guest feedback from a centralized platform will certainly help you increase your response rates and limit the risk of overlooking critical reviews. Besides the speed improvement (no need to log in to 10+ platforms), another benefit is that there is a built-in translation to understand guest opinions in any language. ORM's inboxes differ mainly in the platforms integrated into the system, with each ORM tool supporting the main booking platforms such as Google, Booking, Tripadvisor and Expedia.

Automation

Think about the time your hotel spends weekly responding to simple 5-star Google reviews. By 2025, reputation management software will automate responses to such reviews, saving considerable time. Automation allows you to focus more on personalizing responses to detailed reviews.

Tip: Analyze your weekly review volume to decide which reviews can be automated, semi-automated, or need manual attention. This strategic approach can greatly boost your efficiency.

AI review summaries

Word clouds and simple sentiment analysis are becoming outdated. The future lies in AI-based solutions that accurately capture guest feedback without the need for complex data analysis. New AI solutions offer accessible formats like Pro and Con lists or written summaries, replacing individual reviews.

Tip: Utilize AI-powered review summaries for precise insights into guest sentiment to understand your strengths and improve guest satisfaction.

Competitor analytics

Almost every hotel is facing threatening competition. With competitor analytics, not just own online reviews are analyzed but also competitor reviews. There are multiple benefits of competitor research for hotels:

1. Gaining insights into the competitive landscape: Competitor research helps hotels gain valuable insights into the competitive landscape and gain an understanding of what their competitors are doing with regards to their pricing, services, and marketing efforts.
2. Identifying opportunities for improvement: Comparing a hotel's offerings to the competition can help identify areas of improvement, such as amenities, customer service, and marketing.
3. Developing a successful marketing strategy: Analyzing competitors' marketing strategies can help hotels create a successful marketing strategy of their own.
4. Staying ahead of the competition: By keeping a close eye on the competition, hotels can stay ahead of the game and adjust their strategy accordingly.
5. Understanding customer preferences: By researching customer preferences, hotels can develop a better understanding of their target customer and tailor their services to meet their needs.

Guest satisfaction surveys

In addition to public online reviews, guest satisfaction surveys are a great way for hotels to ask guests to provide feedback about their experience during their stay. These surveys are important because they provide hotel owners and managers with valuable insights into their services, amenities, and customer service. This feedback can help inform decisions about operations, marketing, and customer service in order to improve the overall guest experience. Additionally, these surveys can help increase customer loyalty and encourage repeat business. With many hotel reputation management tools you can create guest satisfaction surveys to collect first-hand feedback.

Review widget

With review widgets, hotels can publish positive reviews on their website and social channels to increase their online reputation. This can help potential customers see the positive feedback from other guests, which can help them make a decision on whether to book a stay at the hotel. As mentioned above, hotels should focus building a solid online reputation on review platforms first before conversion optimizing the website.

Hotel reputation management software to consider

There are a variety of tools that you can use to better manage your online reputation. Here is a list of ORM tools that you should have on your radar:

• MARA Solutions (named best Reputation Management Solution 2025 by Hotel Tech Report)
• ReviewPro
• Customer Alliance
• TrustYou
• Revinate
• GuestRevu

How should hotels manage online reviews?

Online reviews are the most crucial aspect of a hotel’s online reputation. A strategic online review management strategy should include online profile optimization, consistent review collection, review insight analysis, and prompt posting of review responses. While online review websites have pretty straightforward algorithms which hotel managers can master, what is challenging is replying to a massive number of online reviews for guests.

For this reason, it’s highly recommended to get an AI review reply assistant that could instantly craft engaging and optimized responses. Prompt and well-written replies can help you attract more reviews, enabling you to boost your online visibility, collect more customer insights, and attract potential guests.

Add MARA to your Online Reputation Management strategy

Responding to online reviews can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be with our AI Review Assistant of MARA. This intuitive tool is designed to ease your Online Reputation Management process, making it more efficient, personalized, and time-saving. It offers the best and most personalized AI for responding to and analyzing your guest reviews.

AI-powered Review Inbox

One of the key features of this tool is the Review Inbox. Your review inbox makes responding to reviews as simple as hitting "Generate reply" and clicking "Send". The Review Inbox connects to multiple review sources, including Google, Booking.com, and Tripadvisor, giving you a panoramic view of all your reviews. And you can even configure review response automation: Why not allow MARA to automatically respond to simple reviews, like 5-star Google reviews with no text, ensuring you never miss a review? Daily notifications about new reviews keep you updated and in control.

Advanced Review Analytics

To help you understand and analyze the multitude of reviews, the Review Assistant also incorporates Review Analytics. This provides actionable, easy-to-understand insights that are tailored exclusively to your business. With MARA, you can quickly get the gist of all your reviews without needing to read each one. The analysis is so detailed that you can find out about specific issues like "water in the pool is too cold" or "lack of vegan breakfast option”. These insights help optimize guest experience without requiring you to be a data expert.

The most personal response AI

MARA's AI isn't just about efficiency; it's about personalization too. The Brand Voice feature allows the AI to adapt to your tone, making sure your responses sound authentically you. Plus, with Smart Snippets, you can "teach" the AI how to respond to recurring praises or complaints. Your AI then incorporates this information into its responses, but always with different words, providing more personalized, relevant replies.

This review response assistant has quickly become a game-changer for over 2000 customers. Its promising capacity to elevate your overall rating, amplify response rates, glean insights from customer feedback and economize both time and money, is the reason behind its growing popularity.

Manage your online reputation with ease

The internet has made it easier than ever to find information about any company, hotel, or individual, let alone hotels and other accommodations. While this has been great for businesses, it has also made it easier for disgruntled guests to air their complaints online.

Therefore, if you don't proactively manage your online reputation, it can quickly become a problem for your business. However, with the right tools and strategies in place, you can make sure that your hotel's reputation is in good hands.

If you want to protect your business's reputation on the web, you'll need to keep an eye on what people are saying about you. This will help you respond quickly when something negative happens so that it doesn't snowball into a major crisis. It can also help you develop strategies for building positive buzz around your brand.

With the appropriate software, not only can you streamline your ORM process, but you can also personalize your responses, and derive valuable insights from the reviews. So, why hesitate to give our AI Review Assistant, MARA, a try? It's completely free for testing, doesn't require a credit card, and can be fully operational in less than five minutes.

This article is part of our hero content on “Online Reputation Management for Hotels".