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Partner tips for boosting your review score

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Award-winning partners share their top guest experience tips that help them boost their review scores

Ever wonder how other partners achieve and maintain high review scores? We’ve gathered insider tips from eight Traveller Review Award 2022 winners. Whether it’s creating unique and personal experiences or ensuring a seamless stay, we explore what top-scoring properties do to consistently get excellent guest reviews. 

Michel Bruynseels, Brand Manager at The Hoxton, says: Here at The Hoxton we focus on creating fun and energetic local experiences. A visit to any Hoxton is never the same. The ambiance and vibe is The Hoxton signature, but we work with different local suppliers, artists, and entrepreneurs in every city to create a more local experience. Next to that, our lobby and restaurant is the heart of the hotel, attracting both locals and guests. By including the local community, we create a unique and energetic mix of visitors that’s highly valued by our hotel guests. Also, our informal approach encourages employees to fully be themselves, which creates a more personal interaction with guests and makes them feel more comfortable during their stay.

Bayan Al Abbar, Guest Services Manager at Eden Hotel, says: We always strive to exceed guests' expectations and make sure their stay gets a personal twist. From arranging an unexpected birthday surprise to giving a warm welcome to guests who have had a long trip by serving them, complimentary, their favorite drink. Going the extra mile and surprising guests, that’s what we love doing most here at Eden Hotels and that sure pays off.

Kees Hogetoorn, Director of Sales and Marketing at Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam, says: You really have to stay on top of your review score and take it very seriously at all times. You have to create awareness among your teams as to why a high score is important, and then reward the team members who make a difference to the guest experience. We do this via our Heartist program—a worldwide program for Accor Hotels—where we give all employees the opportunity to create emotional touchpoints for guests during their stay. We try to create unique and very personal experiences. For example, leaving a romantic gift and a handwritten card for a couple that just got engaged. We have prizes for the Heartist story of the month, and all stories are shared internally to celebrate the special moments we create every day.

John M. Flood, President and CEO of Archipelago International, says: My best tip would be to ensure your products and services are always improving in order to meet and exceed guest expectations. Start with a clear vision of what you want to do, systematically implement it, and then get as much guest and staff feedback as you can. Work on those suggestions to improve the offering, and always try to create an emotional connection with guests.

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Micka McDonald, Front Office Manager at The Rees Hotel and Luxury Apartments, says: Creating exceptional guest experiences is what our team strives for. Listening and taking on board the feedback we receive from our guests has served us well in meeting and exceeding expectations. Anticipating our guests’ needs and delivering them consistently is not only satisfying for our service-focused team but also for our guests who continue to return. 

Jill Forbes, Revenue Manager at Pinnacle Hotels Canada, says: My top tip is to remember that a great guest experience doesn’t start and stop with check-in and check-out. It entails embracing all guest touchpoints—including online and mobile channels—with the same level of passion given to face-to-face interactions.

Booking.com provides partners with several tools to help facilitate strong online/mobile guest experiences including guest messaging, the ability to address guest concerns, and increasing flexibility to make modifications and cancellations to bookings directly through the properties’ guest service teams. Taking full advantage of these tools in a timely manner can create a better guest experience that not only increases positive guest reviews but also takes the industry one step closer to achieving frictionless travel, which is ultimately what guests are looking for.   

Eunjin Lee, Complex Director of Revenue at INNSIDE by Melià New York, says: Two of Melia’s core service values are a passion for service and offering guests the best possible hotel experience. Each of our associates are trained and encouraged to become hotel ambassadors and familiarize themselves with our guests on a more personal level. By ensuring that all special requests—whether for extra amenities or preferred floor placement—are met, we show our guests that we’ve been anticipating their arrival and are ready to meet their every need from the moment they walk in. We believe that with this humanistic approach, we can treat our guests more like our extended family and they’ll feel more like they’re at home than at a hotel.

Allison Luscombe, Group Revenue Manager at Brisbane Skytower, says: Brisbane Skytower strives to provide an excellent customer experience to all guests. To create a seamless experience, we’re currently trialing guest self-check in kiosks that will improve the overall guest experience. We endeavor to meet and exceed expectations for all guests, which is a constantly evolving strategy. It is imperative to remain innovative, balancing business needs with the dynamic nature of travel in the current market and the resourceful attitudes led by traveler behavior.

Thank you to all of our partners for continuing to deliver exceptional guest experiences during another incredibly challenging year. We look forward to seeing how you share and display your 2022 Traveller Review Award.

 

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Takeaway
  • Every year, Booking.com's Traveller Review Awards recognize partners' commitment to exceptional hospitality 
  • Creating unique and personalized experiences for guests is one way to enhance guest satisfaction 
  • For some partners, creating emotional touchpoints throughout the stay is the key to great guest experiences