In 2013, travelers took to writing reviews in record numbers. We’ve taken a look at a sample of more than 14 million reviews across North America, Asia Pacific and Europe, the Middle East and Africa to see what was said. This data allow us to pinpoint trends in hotel reviews and understand areas in which destinations have seen success and areas that need improvement. Individual hotels can also get an idea of how they stack up to other hotels in their city.
A few global trends emerged. Check them out, or download the full reports for free for more details:
Worldwide, TrustScores and Volume of Reviews Are On The Rise
As travelers turn increasingly to reviews to help with their hotel booking decisions, hotel management is under constant pressure to focus on and improve review scores of their hotel portfolios. In 2013, hoteliers rose to the pressure, with the majority of regions/countries and major markets posting an increase in scores. The US (+2.4%), Spain (+2.1%), the U.K. (+2.0%) and Australia and New Zealand (+1.3%) registered the biggest percentage gains. The major markets with the highest scores in these reports were: Bali (95.1) in APAC, Prague (93.8) in EMEA and New York (89.8) in North America.
The volume of reviews has grown by double-digit percentages in APAC, EMEA and North America, with most major review platforms seeing gains, showing the continued importance of reviews on the travel industry.
Five-Star Reviews Drop In Major Markets Across The Globe
Despite an increase in TrustScores and volume of reviews in 2013, nearly all major markets in APAC, EMEA and North America have seen a decline in the percentage of five-star reviews. The decline seen in major markets may be a result of increased consumer trust in reviews; they may adjust their expectations as a result of hotel reviews, creating greater demands on hotel management to exceed expectations. That said, outside of major markets, there have been increases in the percentage of five-star reviews, particularly in APAC, which posted regional increases in five-star reviews. Northeast Asia registered the largest year-over year gains (+25.5%).
Service Shines While Satisfaction With Hotel Internet/WiFi Continued Its Downward Spiral
Travelers’ appear to be more satisfied with the service they receive at hotels, with TrustYou Service Scores increasing in most regions compared to a year ago. These gains may have been a key factor in growing TrustScores. Even with an increase in Service Scores, travelers became increasingly unsatisfied with hotel Internet/WiFi availability. Internet Scores dropped by up to double-digit percentages in all countries/regions in this report. Internet service is something that nearly all destinations need to address as the global and constant connectivity of travelers is ever growing.
Download the full reports for free here.