Global Hotel Reputation Benchmark Report 2017 Summary
Core Content
This report provides an overview of hotel performance in terms of online reviews, focusing on global and regional trends from 2013 to 2016. It highlights the importance of benchmarking for hoteliers to improve their services and understand their position relative to competitors.
Main Points
- Benchmarking Importance: Hotels that set goals based on industry standards and respond to reviews tend to perform better, with higher average ratings and more online reviews. Reviews significantly influence bookings and pricing strategies.
- Review Volume and Distribution:
- The top four review sites (Booking.com, TripAdvisor, Google, and Hotels.com) account for 78% of all reviews.
- Google has seen explosive growth, increasing its review volume by 461% in 2016.
- The Priceline Group owns 43% of all online hotel reviews, while Expedia's portfolio accounts for over 10%.
- Review Pace and Response Rate:
- On average, hotels receive 27.7 reviews per month.
- Response rates to reviews increased from 25.12% in 2015 to 27.9% in 2016.
- Response to 5-star reviews increased by 3.1%, while response to 1-star reviews decreased by 2.7%.
- Average Review Score:
- The global average review score increased from 4.02 in 2013 to 4.2 in 2016.
- All regions saw an increase in average ratings, except China, which slightly decreased.
Key Information
Review Distribution by Site (2016)
| Review Site |
Percentage of Reviews |
| Booking.com |
39% |
| TripAdvisor |
24.6% |
| Google |
7.8% |
| Hotels.com |
6.9% |
| Ctrip |
4.2% |
| Facebook |
3.6% |
| Expedia |
3.2% |
| Agoda |
1.8% |
| Priceline |
1.3% |
| Other |
7.5% |
Review Pace and Response Rate (2016)
| Rating |
Total Reviews (2016) |
Review Responses (2016) |
Response % (2016) |
| 5 |
15,449,768 |
4,883,162 |
31.6% |
| 4 |
13,001,583 |
3,193,283 |
24.6% |
| 3 |
4,366,856 |
1,136,114 |
26.0% |
| 2 |
1,913,616 |
494,431 |
25.8% |
| 1 |
995,979 |
269,795 |
27.1% |
| Grand Total |
35,727,802 |
9,976,785 |
27.9% |
Established Markets: Biggest YOY Increase in Review Volume
| Country |
YOY Review Volume Increase |
| Indonesia |
78.9% |
| Mexico |
69.9% |
| India |
44.2% |
| United States |
16.4% |
| United Kingdom |
16.4% |
| Australia |
16.4% |
| Netherlands |
16.4% |
| Brazil |
16.4% |
| Canada |
16.4% |
| Spain |
16.4% |
Emerging Markets: Biggest YOY Increase in Review Volume
| Country |
YOY Review Volume Increase |
| Paraguay |
91.6% |
| Nigeria |
75.3% |
| Romania |
59.3% |
| Ghana |
55.7% |
| Georgia |
44.9% |
| Qatar |
33.0% |
| Lebanon |
31.1% |
| Serbia |
30.7% |
| Ukraine |
29.7% |
| Namibia |
29.0% |
| Iceland |
28.7% |
| New Caledonia |
28.7% |
| Slovenia |
28.6% |
| Oman |
28.1% |
| Jordan |
27.9% |
| Botswana |
27.1% |
| Bolivia |
25.8% |
| Kazakhstan |
25.6% |
| Andorra |
24.7% |
| Mauritius |
23.4% |
| Peru |
22.4% |
| Seychelles |
21.2% |
| Uganda |
20.9% |
| Costa Rica |
20.8% |
| Uruguay |
19.8% |
| Zimbabwe |
19.3% |
| Slovakia |
19.2% |
| Myanmar |
19.1% |
| Sri Lanka |
18.6% |
| Laos |
18.5% |
| Israel |
18.4% |
| Latvia |
17.6% |
| Zambia |
17.4% |
| Tanzania |
17.2% |
| Panama |
17.0% |
| Guatemala |
16.9% |
| Belize |
16.4% |
| Ecuador |
15.1% |
| Bermuda |
14.7% |
| Honduras |
14.3% |
| Taiwan |
14.1% |
| Curacao |
14.0% |
| Vanuatu |
13.4% |
| Mozambique |
12.7% |
Conclusion
The report underscores the growing importance of online reviews in the hospitality industry, particularly in the context of increasing review volumes and the need for timely and effective responses. It highlights the dominance of major review platforms, the rise of Google as a key player, and the trend of larger platforms consolidating market share. Additionally, it identifies both established and emerging markets where review volume is growing rapidly, indicating a shift in consumer behavior towards online feedback. Hoteliers are advised to focus on responding to reviews, especially negative ones, to enhance their reputation and drive revenue.
