Leveraging Online Reviews in the Hotel Industry

Abstract

The increasing popularity of online reviews has changed not only the process through which consumers solicit hotel information, but also the practices by which hoteliers manage their online reputation. As a component of "big data," online reviews provide valuable information for hoteliers to facilitate the identification of customer intelligence and the emerging patterns in hotel preferences. An analysis of academic studies and the current practices of hoteliers is performed to collate and clarify the issues related to online reviews, as well as their influence on hotel performance. The successful and poor responses of hotel management to online reviews are presented to illustrate the best practices in enhancing hotel guest experiences and reputation management.