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Should hotels post guest reviews on their website?

January 16, 2012 | Hotel Marketing

As traveler reviews continue to grow in influence and pervasiveness, more hotels are debating if they should post guest reviews on their websites. Even hotels with rave reviews and top ratings are hesitant. Hotels are highly controlled environments, where everything is “my pleasure” and beds are made for you.

Despite the risks, in October Starwood joined a small minority of major international hotel groups and took the bold step of posting raw, unedited guest feedback to its official website. Visit the W London page on Starwood.com and you’ll find a range of opinions, from “Groovy, bling ambience” to “It sucks! Avoid at all cost”.

To willfully allow negative commentary - doesn’t that contravene everything we know about marketing? Or is it a shrewd, forward-thinking move that shows confidence in the product and will ultimately convert more travelers?

Reviews are everywhere these days. Independent properties from B&Bs to boutiques post TripAdvisor widgets and feeds. Online travel agencies have been amassing reviews for years, and recently Expedia announced big plans to go even more social. Even destination marketing organizations like VisitScotland.com and Quebec City Tourism have gotten into the action. On VisitLondon.com and WhistlerBlackcomb.com you can view TripAdvisor ratings, rankings and recent reviews without leaving the site.

But you won’t find reviews on Hilton.com, Wyndham.com, Fairmont.com, Hyatt.com or BestWestern.com, nor on InterContinental, Mandarin Oriental or Taj websites. Many now post Facebook and Twitter links, but feeds of raw commentary are rare.

It’s a particularly complicated dilemma for hotel groups, which must answer not only to guests but to owners, members and franchisees. One black sheep in the family can tarnish the reputation of other properties and the brand as a whole.

Get the full story at Daniel Edward Craig's blog

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