If a guest writes a negative review on a site like TripAdvisor this undoubtedly impacts the price a future customer will be willing to pay for a room. On the other hand, positive reviews, which boost rankings, can allow hotels to apply a more aggressive pricing strategy. It is tricky getting the balance right but one thing is certain, today revenue management and reviews are inseparable.
Thailand’s Onyx Hospitality Group understands only too well how user-generated content (UGC) impacts its pricing decisions. In fact the group has developed a way to assess UGC from various international sites. This helps its operations team to identify ways improve guest satisfaction and, at the same time, allows the revenue management team improve their pricing strategies.
The strategy has been applied at the Oriental Residence Bangkok, an independent property managed by Onyx. In six months the hotel rose from a ranking of 756 on TripAdvisor to the number 1 slot.
