What are TripAdvisor reviews?

TripAdvisor is one of the world’s leading travel information and booking websites. One of the keys to its success is the TripAdvisor review feature, which allows any user to leave feedback for any travel business.

The importance of responding to TripAdvisor reviews

Travel experiences like hotel stays aren’t things you can try before you buy, so potential guests will rely on the firsthand accounts of other travellers – TripAdvisor hotel reviews – to offer insight on the quality of the experience that your hotel offers.

When you are a small hotel operator, your job is more than just a job to you — it’s a way of life, and it’s something you are passionate about.

You care about your property and you value the experience that your guests have during their stay, which is just one reason why TripAdvisor reviews can be intimidating.

Of course, you also know that these reviews are powerful, and that negative feedback can change a potential guest’s opinion about your hotel before they ever arrive.

But here’s why you shouldn’t feel stressed or nervous about TripAdvisor reviews:

TripAdvisor reviews are mostly positive

According to a survey, approximately 63% of all hotel reviews on TripAdvisor are positive.

And the number of positive reviews increases based on the star-level of the hotel, with five-star hotels earning positive reviews about 80% of the time and four-star hotels earning positive reviews about 70% of the time.

How to get more TripAdvisor reviews

The more TripAdvisor reviews you receive, the more potential guests will trust your TripAdvisor rating, as they will know that the numbers aren’t skewed by a small sample size. There are a few ways to build up a healthy number of TripAdvisor reviews, including:

Responding to reviews promptly and professionally.

If a guest sees that your hotel actively responds to TripAdvisor reviews, they’ll be more likely to leave one, as they’ll know that they aren’t shouting into the void.

When responding to TripAdvisor reviews, the first thing you should do is thank the guest for staying at your hotel — even if the review is negative.

Regardless of the content of the review, you should be polite and professional. Offer to help if there was an issue during their stay, as this shows future guests that you value customer service.

Requesting feedback from your guests.

As your guests are checking out, ask them to leave feedback about their stay. Giving your guests a reminder may be just the encouragement they need to rave about your property online.

Of course, don’t forget to use technology in order to tie it all together. Send automated emails to your guests in the days following their stay, and ask them to leave feedback on TripAdvisor and other popular review sites.

How to respond to a bad review on TripAdvisor

Wondering how to reply to a negative Tripadvisor review? Here’s how to respond to a bad review on TripAdvisor, using a basic framework.

  1. Acknowledge the issue
  2. Take responsibility
  3. Offer a resolution
  4. Contact directly
  5. Improve on the feedback

See our article on how to professionally respond to negative reviews for your hotel.

How to respond to good reviews on TripAdvisor

If the TripAdvisor review is good, you have a little more freedom in how you respond, although the following tips may be useful.

  1. Express gratitude 
  2. Personalise the response
  3. Highlight specific compliment
  4. Welcome them back
  5. Be sincere 

See our article on the best ways hotels should respond to positive reviews. 

TripAdvisor review responses examples

If you’re struggling to visualise how you might respond to reviews, find some examples below.

TripAdvisor management response example of a good review

Thank you for such kind words, Cathy!

We are truly happy that you enjoyed your stay so much, particularly our beds and our concierge service. We’ve worked hard to offer our guests the best hotel experience possible, and comments like this make it all worthwhile.

If you’re ever in the area we’d love to host you and your family again!

– The A1 Hotel team.

TripAdvisor management response example of a bad review

Dear Cathy,

Thank you for taking the time to write a review, and I’m glad to hear you enjoyed our restaurant. I’m sorry to hear that you felt your room wasn’t as clean as it should be, and for this I sincerely apologise. We are always looking for ways to improve our service at AAA Hotels, and I’d be truly appreciative if you were willing to share your experience with me directly using the contact details below.

Rest assured I will be speaking to our housekeeping team, and if you’re ever in the area again, I’d love to host you again and make up for this experience.

Robert, General Manager (Phone/email)

How to boost your TripAdvisor hotel rating

Customers no longer trust a B&B listing in isolation, they need advice from other travellers before they make a booking themselves.

So it only makes sense that 81% of travellers think TripAdvisor reviews are important.

Use these 5 tips to boost your TripAdvisor rating…

1. Provide Unforgettable Customer Service

The most important step in improving your TripAdvisor ratings is to ensure that you really are providing your guests with an amazing experience.

This doesn’t mean driving them to the sites in your personal car, but it does mean paying attention to the small details and customising your guest experience based on pre-researched preferences.

2. Give A Small Gift Upon Arrival/Departure.

This technique is very effective in making your guest feel like you’re genuinely invested in them. Leaving something like a small chocolate and a welcome note, a couple of nice bottles of water, or even a bottle of wine, will make it appear that you are taking something out of your own pocket to enrich their holiday.

3. Be Authentic

Making an impression requires something different. Hoteliers need to be true to their brand and offer something unique that will stay on guests’ minds hours, and even days, post-departure.

Know what your brand is and have a clear idea of how you will convey this to your guest.

4. Avoid Negative Reviews

Avoiding negative reviews, and a blow to your reputation, can be achieved by following a few simple steps.

  • Upon arrival, before your guest heads to their room, ask them if there is anything else you can help with to make their stay even better.
  • During their stay, make sure to check in every now and then to see if your customers are still enjoying themselves. Make them feel like they can be honest and candid with you about anything that ails them. And if there are issues, do your best to fix them.
  • Admit when you cannot fix the problem and offer them compensation, don’t just give them a promise hoping they will forget.
  • Upon departure, ask guests how they enjoyed their time at your B&B. If they have a positive reaction, then follow up with an email asking them to review your property on TripAdvisor.

5. Represent Your B&B Truthfully.

There is nothing worse for a guest than showing up at their accommodation only to find it is completely different to what they were expecting.

Ensure the images on your website, or on OTAs, are a true representation of what your guests will be walking into. This rule also extends to advertising your facilities; if they are no longer working or are out of order, exaggerating your distance to the beach, local activities, or any general misleading facts of what your B&B offers.

If your customers feel tricked, they will take to the internet to warn future browsers not to make the same mistake. 

Simplify hotel management and improve TripAdvisor reviews with all-in-one software

The only way to earn great reviews is to provide a great hotel experience. Little Hotelier is an all-in-one booking and property management solution designed to help small, independent accommodation providers to do just that.

Little Hotelier gives you total control over your bookings. The channel manager brings all your reservations together in one screen, and allows you to update all your listings at once. The booking engine, meanwhile, reduces your reliance on OTAs by helping you generate more reservations through your website.

  • 450+ OTA integrations: TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb, and hundreds more – Little Hotelier can connect seamlessly with whatever channels you take your reservations through.
  • Save 35 minutes per booking: The Little Hotelier front desk tool automates reception desk admin, saving you half an hour or more on every booking while getting guests to their rooms sooner.
  • More direct bookings: Freed from the need to pay an OTA middleman, direct bookings are the best bookings. The Little Hotelier direct booking engine can get you up to 43% more!
Try for free Learn more

By Dean Elphick

Dean is the Senior Content Marketing Specialist of Little Hotelier, the all-in-one software solution purpose-built to make the lives of small accommodation providers easier. Dean has made writing and creating content his passion for the entirety of his professional life, which includes more than six years at Little Hotelier. Through content, Dean aims to provide education, inspiration, assistance, and, ultimately, value for small accommodation businesses looking to improve the way they run their operations (and live their life).