You’re in the market to buy a hotel—maybe a smaller hotel listed for sale by the owner. One of the first things you’re going to do is check out the available reviews for the property, including the OTA (Online Travel Agency) ratings. Reviews can make or break any business, and the hotel industry is no exception. What kind of approaches should an owner take in order to improve those OTA reviews?
Check Your Online Image
Have you taken a good look at how your property appears online? Have you submitted new photos since you updated the décor in your rooms or updated features such as hot tubs and furniture? If your property appears tired and outdated online, potential guests will be turned off and explore for other options, even if your price is lower than others.
Conduct Regular Online Monitoring
Your reputation is everything, and if a trend of negative feedback takes hold, it can be challenging to counteract. Stay up-to-date on property feedback on all available online channels, and be responsive to comments to whatever extent possible—even (and especially) negative feedback.
Ensure Competitive Pricing
It’s critical to conduct regular reviews of your pricing structures to ensure that you’re not pricing yourself out of the neighborhood for your hotel class. Be sure that your pricing is in line not only with nearby competition, but also with any extra amenities or special features that your property may offer that would justify a higher rate practice.
Utilize Expertise
Do you have a market manager assigned to you that could help provide advice on regional trends or upcoming events that you may want to target? Are you being included in targeted mailings or campaigns that could drive more business to your property? Be sure you are taking advantage of all available experts.
Increase Guest Reviews
One of the best ways to improve your OTA rating is through an increased number of positive reviews by customers. Especially after you have implemented some of the other suggestions, you should be able to successfully solicit customers to provide reviews of their hotel experience, thereby raising your online reputation and improving your rating.
By keeping a keen eye on these details, you can effectively raise your OTA rating for any type of property you may own. Contact NewGen Advisory today to speak with expert hotel brokers and insure your hotel investment is a success.