The words “reputation” and “online”, linked together and described as such, define exactly the reflection of a brand’s prestige on the Internet. But how does this affect us as hoteliers? Does everyone have the right to give their opinion about us? Due to the unstoppable rise of the current free bar of hotel criticism, it is interesting to evaluate the point of view from the inside of a hotel and to read first-hand the effects that a simple opinion can have, whether in positive or negative aspects.
Hotel establishments, unlike many other sectors, are the target of our guests’ criticism of us. We have all heard of fantastic doctors and others who are less so, we all know bank clerks who go out of their way to do their job and others who simply do what is right and necessary, sensational carpenters and pitiful carpenters, efficient plumbers and disastrous plumbers… but is there a portal where we can register and give our opinion on their work with full stops and commas? simply no. If the review did not affect the hotel’s economy I would not be writing these lines right now, but the reality is that we all know that when faced with two identical hotels, in the same street and with the same stars, we will opt for the one with the best opinion on the internet, therefore better reviews = more sales. Contrary to what it might seem with what I have just written, at Altafulla Mar Hotel we are very much in agreement that the client himself can freely give his opinion about his stay and encourage, or not, other new clients to enjoy a good holiday in our hotel. Criticism has always existed, and we know that word of mouth has led to the success of many businesses, a restaurant could be classified as a “good restaurant” after years of its customers speaking well of it. The difference today lies in the fact that online reputation acquires enormous strength from minute one, as it allows an establishment to be classified or evaluated as good or bad within 48 hours of its inauguration and in an absolutely subjective way. However, it is less than impossible nowadays not to get involved in the wheel of criticism; if the establishment does not register on the portals, it is the client himself who can make a mention and indirectly create the profile. Education when evaluating or generalising an overall opinion of a hotel is important, more reviews = greater reliability of the overall average score.
Can we consider from a hotel to please everyone who stays with us? Taking into account that we receive clients from all over the world, with different customs, different habits and different tastes, it is difficult to think that no matter how hard we try we will have a proposal to suit all of them, denying this statement would only hide the pure reality. However, within the parameters of a good stay, we understand that the basis of a good 4-star hotel establishment lies mainly in a good, professional, decisive, efficient and fast service, a quiet room with a comfortable bed, and a cuisine prepared with quality raw materials; these are the 3 main pillars of the Altafulla Mar Hotel.
From our point of view, in a hotel review profile we can find unfavourable opinions, and in a way it is good that to a certain extent they are there as they provide credibility; it would be really doubtful to read a hotel with 200 excellent opinions, not even the mythical, luxurious and idolised Hotel Ritz on Place Vendome in Paris (which incidentally will reopen in 2015 after an unprecedented refurbishment), has an immaculate hotel review.
What we could call online reputation blackmail has recently emerged, in other words, any customer who, in order to obtain financial compensation, or in kind, threatens to maliciously publish a negative review, we are suffering unfairly on a daily basis and as readers of reviews we must know how to give value to the responses of the managers on negative reviews, the hotel’s version is just as important as the objective assessment of a customer.
From our point of view, it is essential to respond to all reviews, whether they come via Booking, Tripadvisor or as a review on a social network, which has been gaining popularity in recent months due to the immediacy and ease of publishing an opinion. In the same way, we believe that we must break the myth that a person who leaves an establishment happy does not usually give an opinion about it and that, on the contrary, those who leave dissatisfied tend to criticise; according to a recent Tripadvisor study, 9 out of 10 travellers give a positive opinion about their stay in a hotel and only 10% give a negative opinion.
The reality of online reputation is that we have reached a point where it is mainly graduated from private companies. We do not know what a good alternative would be, but certainly, given the enormous importance of the situation, we believe that an alternative to be considered would be for the public administrations of each country to regulate the criticism of the establishments by equating them by category and location through an egalitarian system and, as a cherry on top, to promote direct booking at the hotel without commissions or intermediaries. Utopia? consumers hold the key, in the meantime hoteliers will continue to work to make your stay as memorable as possible in the hope of a good positive reward afterwards.
Jordi Ferré
Director of Altafulla Mar Hotel ****
