What is brand reputation, and why is it so important for your hotel?

Did you know that, according to a TripAdvisor survey, 81% of travellers read reviews before booking a hotel? In the hospitality sector, a brand's reputation is not just a question of its prestige, but a key element that influences rates, sales and the growth of the business. Keeping an eye on reviews, understanding guests' impressions and improving the experience can make all the difference, giving you a decisive competitive advantage.

But what exactly does brand reputation mean? This is the image that customers have of a hotel, based on their direct experiences or on what they learn from other sources, such as word of mouth, online reviews, brand communication and interaction on digital channels.

Because of its influence on booking decisions, brand reputation analysis has become an indispensable tool for the success of accommodation facilities. This process involves monitoring, measuring and interpreting the indicators of a hotel's reputation, using data from a variety of sources, such as reviews, social media mentions and scores on metasearch platforms. Comparing your business with competitors in the same category or with the same aims also provides a valuable perspective on strategy.

A positive reputation, in fact, strengthens trust in the brand and can markedly increase the rate of conversion. Monitoring and analysing brand sentiment also makes it possible to identify strengths and areas for potential improvement, in order to optimise the service and respond in a targeted way to the expectations of guests. Ultimately, a high rating and a significant volume of positive reviews influence visibility on OTAs and search engines, increasing the ability to appeal to new customers.

To reinforce the image of the facility and build a trust-based relationship with guests, here are five strategic measures to put into practice:

• Improving the guest experience.
  It seems obvious, but excellent hospitality is the cornerstone of good brand perception. Investing in the structure, personnel and a careful and attentive service, with the ability to anticipate the needs of customers and resolve any issues quickly, is the first step towards generating positive reviews.
• Pay attention to your online presence and provide accurate and realistic descriptions and images.
  Accurate descriptions and realistic images on both the website and social media help to build a solid and transparent image. Communicating clearly what guests can expect from their stay avoids any disappointment and reduces the risk of negative reviews.
• Monitor and respond to feedback.
  Every review is an excellent opportunity to bond with customers and remedy or explain any potential issues. Providing a prompt and professional response to comments, both positive and negative, helps to build trust and improve the overall experience.


• Encourage positive reviews.
  Encouraging satisfied customers to leave a review in a non-intrusive way can increase the number of positive reviews. A personalised thank you at check-out or a post-stay email are a simple but effective strategy.
• Monitor your competitors and the market.
  Analysing the positioning of competing hotels allows you to identify best practices and industry trends, thereby helping you to continually improve your offer and market.
  
  
  

To help hotels assess their online reputation, Blastness' Rate Shopper + Parity Check has been enhanced with a new feature, Reputation Analysis, which allows you to monitor and compare your hotel's positioning against the competition.

This tool is organised into four key sections to help you make more informed strategic decisions:

• Review Score: allows you to analyse the performance of your property on Booking.com, Expedia and Google, with the opportunity to compare it with selected competitors.
• Strategic Map: visualise your main competitors on a map, monitoring key information about them on OTAs.
• Brand Positioning: an intuitive graph that combines the score on Booking.com with the average selling price for the next 90 days, offering a clear indication of the balance between price and perception of quality.
• Reviews: allows you to monitor the number of reviews received and their trends over time, offering useful insights to estimate the volume of bookings and your visibility on Google Travel, Booking.com and Expedia.

Investing in brand reputation is a way of improving the guest experience and strengthening your competitiveness on the market. With the right tools, you can optimise your strategy and maximise your opportunities for growth.