7 Ways Hotels Can Get Positive Guest Reviews And Build Customer Trust

Want to know how to get more guest reviews at your hotel?

Online reviews are one of the most important factors that can fuel your hotel business. Business and leisure travelers today simply won’t trust a hotel with only a few reviews.  This is especially true when choosing a hotel.  More than 60% of American travelers do online research before going on a trip. According to TripAdvisor’s global study, 72% of consumers always read online reviews before booking a hotel. That makes guest feedback the pillar of your hotel’s success. 

 What can your property do to drive positive guest reviews? 

1. Train Staff to Make Personal Connections  

Guests are much more likely to leave a positive review if they make a personal connection with your staff.  In fact, 20% of consumers are willing to pay more for a personalized experience. Your staff can easily add personalization by: 

  • Addressing guests by their name and asking if they are satisfied with the service.
  • Offering extras like cookies, apples, or special treats for the kids. 
  • Starting conversations with guests when appropriate to learn their preferences and act upon them.

It’s imperative to make a perfect last impression. That’s why you need to make sure guests aren’t unpleasantly surprised with extra charges when checking out. To do that, your website and your staff need to be transparent about the costs of every service. Your reservation software should also support the ability to tag or flag guests and highlight their unique attributes to help you build the relationship. Does your guest have allergies? Are they VIP? 

2. Surprise and Delight Hotel Guests   

When consumers book accommodations, they expect a great experience. When something doesn’t go their way, guests are quick to voice their thoughts with others.  However, when everything goes as planned it was “expected”, and guests don’t feel motivated to leave a review. 

Therefore, to get a positive review, it’s important to go above and beyond consumer expectations. By leaving a long-lasting positive impression, you are increasing the chances of the guest wanting to give feedback. 

Go above and beyond guest expectations:  

  • Learn as much as possible about them before the visit (through email, social media, or a short online survey). 
  • Provide free hotel room upgrades when possible. 
  • Pick VIP guests up from the airport. 
  • Accommodate early check-ins and late check-outs when possible. 
  • Congratulate guests on special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. 
  • Offer complimentary treats to kids. 
  • Offer flexible cancellation policies 

Going above and beyond doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. A little extra attention goes a long way. 

3. Send a Post-Stay Review Email Campaign 

Follow-up emails don’t just improve the connection with your guests, they are an excellent way to ask for feedback. 

An example of a post-stay review email looks like this: 

Dear Andy, 

Thank you so much for choosing our hotel. We hope our staff made your stay exceptional. We would be very grateful if you could take a minute to leave a review on (Google/TripAdvisor/Expedia, etc.). Reviews help make our service even better. 

Sincerely, 

Your friends at [Hotel Name] 

Make sure to include all the necessary links to review platforms to make leaving feedback easy. 

4. Reward Guests Who Leave a Review 

Many guests who don’t leave a review might do it if you offer an incentive such as special perks.   

  • Loyalty points 
  • Discounts 
  • Early access to offers  

Keep in mind that you shouldn’t specifically ask guests to leave positive reviews. Both positive and negative reviews are valuable to your business. Occasional negative reviews make your hotel appear more trustworthy. Too many highly positive reviews may appear fake to some guests. 

Note: Keep in mind that in the USA, it’s illegal to offer incentives for Google reviews. The simple way to comply with the law is to provide rewards after guests leave a review. If they don’t know about the upcoming reward when giving feedback, you aren’t breaking the law. 

5. Collect Reviews on Different Platforms 

Don’t limit your guests’ feedback to just Google or TripAdvisor. Create a profile on as many platforms as possible. This doesn’t just generate more reviews but also creates more touchpoints with your guests. 

  • Your brand website (www.myhotel.com) 
  • TripAdvisor 
  • Google 
  • Trivago 
  • Booking.com 
  • Expedia  

Take the time to monitor all these platforms regularly. To stay connected to your guests it’s important to reply to each review in a timely manner. 

6. Segment and Email Notable Guests for Reviews  

Your guests may want to provide feedback but get too busy to do it. High-value guests deserve special attention. It’s best to ask for reviews as soon as possible after a guest’s stay while they are still focused on their experience. 

A simple way to remind them is to send an email. To personalize your email further, you may want to add a detail that you’ve learned about the guest. For example, “we wish you good luck on your presentation at the upcoming Seattle conference.” 

7. Share Positive Hotel Reviews to Encourage Engagement 

As soon as you get a positive review, don’t keep it to yourself. Sharing reviews inspires engagement, increases trustworthiness, and even improves your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) efforts. 

You can add these reviews to: 

  • Homepage 
  • Social media posts 
  • Promotional emails 
  • Blogs 
  • E-books, guides, videos, and other types of content

By sharing feedback, you don’t just appeal to new leads, you show your existing guests that you value their reviews. 

Keep Positive Reviews Coming with rezStream 

In the hospitality industry, reviews are an essential part of a successful marketing campaign. Sourcing positive feedback helps you generate leads, drive conversions, and keeps guests happy. With the right approach to reviews, you can increase your marketing ROI. 

Maintaining positive guest reviews is essential to presenting your hotel as a desirable destination for future guests. With rezStream’s marketing program we can make sure your brand is intact to drive and respond to more reviews. Contact us today to learn more!  

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Published: August 12, 2022