The 5 properties with the most Management Responses

Management Responses are a great way to show past and future guests that you value customer service and feedback. As you saw in a recent post, the number of Management Responses on TripAdvisor is growing exponentially each year. We would like to congratulate the all-time top five contributing properties, highlight what they do right, and look at what other properties might glean from their best practices

5) Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London
London, UK
1235 Management Responses

What they do right: Clarify or reiterate what their property has to offer.  With this approach, you can effectively use each response as both a reply to a previous guest and a marketing touch to prospective ones.

4) Ocean Blue & Sand
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
1374 Management Responses

What they do right: Thank reviewers for taking the time to share feedback. Travelers don’t have to write a review. Expressing appreciation within your response is an important way of acknowledging that they’re helping make your business a better place.

3) Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
1465 Management Responses

What they do right: Personalize each response. We discourage properties from posting responses that are clearly based on templates – management comments won’t feel as meaningful if they come across as generic and canned. Referencing something specific that the reviewer has mentioned is a great way to connect with guests.

2) Marina Bay Sands
Singapore
1608 Management Responses

What they do right: Respond in a timely manner.  When a property replies quickly, it sends the message that customer feedback is of the utmost importance and deserves prompt attention.

1) Venetian Resort Hotel Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
1713 Management Responses

What they do right: Share feedback with their staff. Let travelers know that your whole team will benefit from both the positive and negative comments reviewers have passed along.

To see more best practices on how to write Management Responses, see this tip sheet.

Management Response contributions more than double from 2011 to 2012

Since the launch of TripAdvisor’s Management Response feature back in 2003, properties have exponentially increased their communication with past and future guests each year.

From 2011-2012 alone, the number of Management Responses more than doubled, and almost one of four reviews written in 2012 received a Management Response. These stats further point to the growing importance businesses are placing on the value of online reputation management.

What property was the first to ever respond to a review on TripAdvisor? The pioneering hotel that wrote the first Management Response was Boulder Twin Lakes Inn in Boulder, Colorado and they still respond to reviews today. Check back tomorrow to see which properties have written the most Management Responses.

Want to learn more about Management Responses? Check out our guide, which includes step-by-step directions on how to respond to positive and negative reviews.

Baros Maldives: Using Management Responses to connect with guests

Congratulations to Baros Maldives for collecting its fifth annual Travelers’ Choice Hotel Award!

Baros was named to eight Travelers’ Choice Lists:

• Top 25 Hotels in the World (#8), in Asia (#3) and in the Maldives (#1)
• Top 25 Luxury Hotels in the World (#18), in Asia (#5) and in the Maldives (#1)
• Top 25 Hotels for Service in Asia (#21) and in the Maldives (#3)

Exceptional customer service and hospitality has driven Baros’ success. Nearly 90% of travelers give Baros Maldives an Excellent rating. A quick scan of the property’s reviews reveal hundreds of glowing comments like:

“…The pristine waters and clear blue skies that greeted us every day definitely made our holiday in Maldives wonderful, but it was the knowledge that if we needed anything, the resort staff would do their utmost to help that made the holiday a truly amazing experience.” – emailjoannhere, December 29, 2012

Once a review is posted, a General Manager or Resort Manager responds to it within a few days, thanking the guest for staying and for their comments. They also discuss how constructive feedback will be addressed and encourage future stays.
_______________

Shuhan A, Resort Manager at Baros Maldives, responded to this review
January 8, 2013
Dear emailjoannhere,

Thank you very much for the detailed review you left with us. We are delighted that you have spent your holidays on our small tropical island and that you enjoyed your stay with us.

I assure you that the details you have mentioned for improvements are closely looked into and will be improved to make sure your next stay will be even more memorable.

Warm Regards,

Shuhan
Resort Manager
_______________

This property’s commitment to service is clear even after guests have left for home. Congratulations, Baros Maldives, on your 2013 Travelers’ Choice Hotel Awards! Keep up the great work!

To view the complete list of Travelers’ Choice Hotel winners, visit www.tripadvisor.com/travelerschoice.

Get Ready for 2013: New on-demand webinar!

Want to give your property a head start on your competition in the New Year? All you need is 10 minutes to learn about the powerful marketing tools that can help your accommodation reach 60 million* monthly visitors on TripAdvisor and transform more browsers into 2013 bookings.

Watch this free on-demand webinar to learn how to:

• Take advantage of TripAdvisor’s free marketing tools
• Maximize your property’s exposure on the world’s largest travel site
• Increase direct bookings
• Gain access to mobile travelers
• and more…

And good news: this presentation is viewable anytime, anywhere, and on any device.

Watch the webinar now!

*Source: ComScore Media Matrix for TripAdvisor site worldwide, July 2012

Study: TripAdvisor reviews and online reputation management can impact hotel booking

A new study conducted by PhoCusWright^® on behalf of TripAdvisor shows just how important TripAdvisor reviews and online reputation have become in the online booking process. Most notably, the study has found that 53% of respondents will not book a hotel that doesn’t have reviews on the site. And an overwhelming 87% agree that TripAdvisor hotel reviews “help me feel more confident in my decisions.”

Additional findings:

• 74% of respondents state that they write reviews because they want to share a good experience with other travelers
  • Only 5% state that they focus more on the negative when reading reviews to check for hotels and avoid potential pitfalls
  • 84% agree that an appropriate management response to a bad review “improves my impression of the hotel”

“The findings of the TripAdvisor survey reveal that, to thrive, hoteliers must actively encourage their guests to share their candid experiences online and also respond to their reviews when they do,” said Stephen Kaufer, president and CEO, TripAdvisor. “Otherwise, more than half of travelers may either ignore the property or pick a more responsive one.”

To view all of the results, see the infographic below.

Survey shows what attracts travelers to Asia Pacific property pages

The results of a recent TripAdvisor study reveal that Asia Pacific properties saw a rise in owner engagement based on how many reviews, visuals and management responses are on their TripAdvisor pages.

Reviews

Having more reviews positively affects traveler engagement.

• Accommodations with 11+ reviews see 10% more engagement than those with fewer reviews
• Accommodations with 50+ reviews see 42% more engagement than those with 10 or fewer reviews

Management Responses

The more you respond, the better. Properties that write management responses also tend to have higher ratings.

• Accommodations with more than 5 management responses see 18% more traveler engagement than those with less than or equal to 5 responses

Visuals

Travelers are drawn to photos and videos – adding visual content can have a big impact!

• Accommodations with 30 or more photos have 49% more engagement than those with 10 or fewer photos
• Accommodations with at least one video have 32% more engagement than properties without a video

To encourage reviews, write management responses and post photos and videos, go to your TripAdvisor Management Center. 

Survey shows what attracts travelers to European property pages

Have you wondered what makes travelers spend more time on certain TripAdvisor property pages? TripAdvisor recently conducted a study and found that the more reviews, content, and management responses an accommodation has on TripAdvisor, the more engaged travelers will be.

Here is a breakdown of the results for Europe:

Reviews
The number of reviews can make a big difference! The study found that European properties with more reviews attract more attention from travelers.

• Accommodations with 11+ reviews see 28% more engagement than those with fewer reviews
• Accommodations with 50+ reviews see 38% more engagement than those with 10 or fewer reviews

Management Responses
According to the study, hotels that post management responses see higher rates of engagement from travelers, and also tend to see higher ratings.

• Accommodations with more than 5 management responses see 17% more traveller engagement than those with less than or equal to 5 responses

Visuals
Having more photos and videos can give properties an edge over their competitors.

• Accommodations with 30 or more photos have 42% more engagement than those with 10 or fewer photos
• Accommodations with at least one video have 21% more engagement than properties without a video

To encourage reviews, write management responses and post photos and vides, go to your TripAdvisor Management Center.

How Hotel Commonwealth Climbed to the Top of TripAdvisor Boston Rankings

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Boston, Massachusetts is rich in history.  One of the oldest cities in the U.S., it also boasts many respected and long-standing hotels.  So how did Hotel Commonwealth, an independent property founded in 2003, come onto the Boston hotel scene and climb to the very top of the TripAdvisor rankings?
According to their staff, it’s all about focusing on the guest experience, asking for – and continually improving because of – guest feedback, and then letting that feedback, by way of TripAdvisor reviews, usher new guests in the door.  Watch our video spotlight for all the details!

Do management responses affect my popularity ranking on TripAdvisor?

TripAdvisor’s Popularity Index is based on traveler feedback and reflects how your property ranks compared to your competitors. If you’re a business owner, it’s important to know what factors impact your popularity ranking. One of the questions we often receive is whether management responses are part of the equation.

The Popularity Index is primarily based on three key components: quantity, quality and recency of reviews written about the property. Management responses are not factored into popularity rankings.

However, research shows that when an owner responds promptly and professionally to a review, addressing any specific complaints as well as the positive comments, it can make a big impact on prospective customers. Our surveys show that 78% of travelers say that a management response to a good review makes them think highly of the hotel and when considering two comparable properties, 68% would choose the property with management responses.¹ So while responding to reviews doesn’t impact your ranking, it does make a strong impression on travelers when it comes time to book.

Find out about some of the best practices in responding to traveler reviews here.

For more information about TripAdvisor’s Popularity Index, check out the Pop Index Overview and read our previous post on “How to improve your popularity ranking on TripAdvisor.”

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¹ “TripAdvisor Custom Online Survey 2010”, conducted by Forrester Consulting, commissioned by TripAdvisor

Join us for the “Management Responses” webinar this coming Tuesday

50 million travelers are listening to you, so be a part of the conversation! Management responses give you the opportunity to engage with your previous guests and market your property to future guests. And industry research shows that management responses are highly influential with travelers during the booking process.

To learn more, join us for the “Management Responses” webinar on Tuesday at 11 a.m. EST. The webinar will cover:

• The influence and reach of management responses on the travel community
• Best practices of responding to positive and negative reviews
• How to publish responses on TripAdvisor
• An overview of the NEW Management Dashboard

And don’t forget to bring your questions! This is a 40-minute presentation with a 15-minute Q&A after.

Click here to register for the “Management Responses” webinar