Writing Hotel Reviews that Count

The point of hotel reviews is to inform, or even influence, the choices that other consumers make when looking for the same products or experiences. Whether you’re looking to boost the business of a small hotel that really worked hard for you, or you want to warn others about the pitfalls of an establishment, there are certain things to do if you want to write hotel reviews that are taken seriously and have an impact.

These days anyone can leave a hotel review with sites like TripAdvisor… here’s how to make yours stand out…

Provide some information about yourself

Let everyone know what kind of trip you were taking, what you wanted from the experience, and maybe even who you were travelling with when writing hotel reviews. You could also let people know if you have visited the area or hotel in the past, and if this review is representative of your overall experiences with the hotel/company. Sharing your background with readers will help them take the right message from your review.

Provide specific details

Be specific about what was on offer and how it met, or missed, your expectations. If you can think of details that would be a game changer for you include them, and especially put in any information you would have wanted to know before booking! Whether it’s about a tricky parking system, or a long trip to and from the airport you can be sure that it’ll be important to someone!

Remember your high school English teacher

You don’t need to get technical or use huge words, but you should aim to be coherent, concise, and grammatically correct. Good spelling and grammar won’t necessarily be noticed, but bad spelling and grammar definitely will be! You would be surprised at the difference spending five minutes to re-read what you wrote will make to your hotel review.

Photos paint a thousand words

Plenty of review sites like TripAdvisor allow you to upload pictures to support your hotel reviews. If your chosen platform allows this, you should definitely make use of it! A picture of the dirty tub, or the wonderful view of the sunset, will definitely enhance the impact of your words.

Talk about location

Let your readers know how far the hotel really is from the beach, the center of town, and all those amazing attractions, give an idea of the length of the ride to the airport, and map out some of the hotspots around the resort if you can. Oftentimes, staying in a resort that is far away from the hotel zone is a plus for many visitors and they welcome the long drive from the airport.

Amenities and facilities

Travelers will be grateful to know about all the basics in your hotel review; more so than you might think! So let them know about the mattress, the TV/cable, the balcony, and even the kitchen implements (if you were self-catering) because these are the little things that can really make a difference to the overall experience. Check out the gym and spa too!

What were the staff like?

The staff can really save a bad establishment, and mar a good one; anyone who travels often knows this. They are the human element of the hotel, and if they’re amazing, or they are a bit lackluster, it changes the guest experience hugely. Be sure to shout out to people of interest in your hotel reviews. If you know the name of a particular member of staff who helped you, be sure to include it in your hotel review.

Remember to keep it all in perspective; if you would go again let that shine through! Happy writing!