Every stat on this page links to its original research. Click the source to verify. These are the numbers that should keep every hotel owner up at night — and the reason we built SmartHotel.
Properties that respond to more than 50% of their reviews increase their likelihood of receiving a booking inquiry by 24%, compared to properties that don’t respond to reviews at all.
“Properties that respond to more than 50 percent of their reviews increase their likelihood of receiving a booking inquiry by 24 percent, compared to properties that do not respond to reviews.”
The study analyzed accommodation properties across the 25 most-reviewed cities on TripAdvisor, examining review counts, management response rates, and booking inquiry clicks.
TripAdvisor — “Responding to Reviews Online Drives Booking Inquiries”, 2014 →If your hotel gets 100 booking inquiries per month and you’re not responding to reviews, you’re leaving roughly 24 additional inquiries on the table. At even modest conversion rates, that’s real revenue every single month.
77% of travelers say they are more likely to book a hotel when the business owner responds to reviews. The same study found that 89% said a thoughtful response to a negative review improved their impression of the business.
“77% of travelers surveyed agree that they are more likely to book when business owners respond to reviews.”
Based on a survey of 23,292 TripAdvisor users across 12 countries, conducted by Ipsos MORI.
TripAdvisor / Ipsos MORI — Traveler Survey, 2019 (n=23,292) →More than three quarters of your potential guests are actively checking whether you respond to reviews before they book. Silence isn’t neutral — it’s a signal that you don’t care.
89% of consumers read businesses’ responses to reviews. Among 18–34 year olds, that number rises to 96%. An unanswered negative review doesn’t just lose one guest — it turns away almost everyone who reads it.
“89% of consumers read local businesses’ responses to reviews.”
From BrightLocal’s annual Local Consumer Review Survey (2026 edition) — one of the most cited studies in reputation management. The same survey found that 80% of consumers are likely to use a business that responds to all reviews.
BrightLocal — Local Consumer Review Survey, 2026 →Your reply to a 1-star review isn’t for that guest — it’s for the hundreds of future guests who will read it. A professional, caring response turns a negative into a positive signal.
A 1-point improvement in online review scores (on a 5-point scale) allows a hotel to raise rates by 11.2% without losing occupancy or market share. The same Cornell research found that a 1% increase in reputation score leads to a 0.89% increase in ADR and a 1.42% increase in RevPAR.
“If a hotel increases its review scores by 1 point on a 5-point scale, the hotel can increase its price by 11.2 percent and still maintain the same occupancy or market share.”
From Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research, combining data from ReviewPro, STR, Travelocity, comScore, and TripAdvisor.
Cornell University — Chris K. Anderson, “The Impact of Social Media on Lodging Performance”, 2013 →If your average rate is €100/night and you improve your review score by 1 point, you could charge €111 without losing bookings. Across 92 rooms, even at 50% occupancy, that’s over €185,000 more per year.
76% of online consumers prefer to buy products with information in their native language. 40% will never buy from websites in other languages. For hotels receiving reviews in 6+ languages but only responding in two, this is a direct booking leak.
“76% of online shoppers prefer to buy products with information in their native language. 40% will never buy from websites in other languages.”
Based on a survey of 8,709 consumers across 29 countries by CSA Research (formerly Common Sense Advisory), the leading research firm in localization economics.
CSA Research — “Can’t Read, Won’t Buy”, 2020 (n=8,709 across 29 countries) →A German couple reads a 3-star review about AC problems. No response. Their network sees: this hotel ignores German guests. Responding in the guest’s language isn’t a nice touch — it’s a booking decision for everyone from that market who reads it.
Businesses with complete, active Google Business Profiles receive 7x more clicks than incomplete ones. Properties with photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more click-throughs to the website. Most independent hotels have incomplete profiles, no posts, and unmanaged Q&A sections.
“Complete Google Business Profiles receive 7x more clicks than those that are missing information.”
From Google’s own data on Business Profile performance, corroborated by BrightLocal’s Google Business Insights Study analyzing 45,000+ listings.
BrightLocal — Google Business Profile Insights Study →Your Google Business Profile is free. Keeping it active — fresh photos, weekly posts, answered questions, responded reviews — is the highest-ROI marketing activity most hotels aren’t doing. It’s not about social media. It’s about being found.
Every stat on this page points to the same conclusion: the hotels that actively manage their online reputation outperform those that don’t. The question isn’t whether it matters. It’s whether you have the time to do it manually.
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