During holidays, hotels near major tourist attractions are often fully booked. The huge market demand has not only led to a surge in newly opened hotels but also directly boosted the rapid development of various OTA (Online Travel Agency) platforms, including Qunar and Tuniu. Acting as a bridge between travelers and hotels, OTAs provide great convenience for travelers to book hotels that suit their needs, while also driving traffic to the various hotels listed on the platform. OTAs benefit from this as well, making it a win-win situation.
Similar to the review function on Taobao, customer reviews are often an important reference for travelers when booking hotels on OTA platforms. As a result, business owners pay extra attention to customer feedback, fearing that negative reviews might harm their reputation. Many owners go to great lengths to explain and compensate for any bad reviews they receive.
OTA customer reviews: A double-edged sword with mixed results
Recently, while searching for hotels near Shanghai Disneyland on the Qunar website, I came across an interesting customer review post that I felt was worth sharing. Perhaps this incident also deserves reflection from the industry.
The story is quite simple: during the Spring Festival, a traveler booked a room at the Tiny Times Hotel on Qunar. After checking in, the traveler had an overall positive experience and found the owner’s service excellent. However, when writing the review on the OTA platform, the traveler gave the hotel a negative review due to minor issues such as water pooling in the bathroom, a leaking showerhead, and a slightly broken shower gel button. Upon seeing the review, the hotel owner took it very seriously and responded nervously that same night, detailing the entire process—from providing a free private car to pick up the traveler, taking them to Disneyland, and then to the airport. The owner also covered the traveler’s taxi fare and even gave out free bottled water, showcasing thoughtful service.
Here, it’s worth briefly introducing this Tiny Times themed apartment hotel. This theme hotel, which has thrived thanks to the OTA platform, is located about 3 kilometers from both Disneyland and the subway station, and just a 20-minute drive from Pudong International Airport, making transportation fairly convenient. The hotel is fully equipped, and its rooms—ranging from cartoon-themed to romantic styles—are quite appealing. More importantly, the hotel offers distinctive services, such as free shuttle buses to the subway station and Disneyland. Although its location isn’t particularly outstanding, the hotel has maintained good business since opening in 2017 thanks to its quality service. Its room capacity has expanded from just over ten to 88, and it generally receives positive online reviews, having built a solid reputation.
Unfair reviews: How should OTA platforms handle them?
As an observer, after reading the owner’s several-thousand-word reply, I deeply appreciated the thought and care put into running the business and quietly felt that the positive reviews were well-deserved. Of course, I’m not blindly siding with the owner. It’s undeniable that the service wasn’t perfect—for example, the cleaning staff didn’t replace the bedsheets and pillowcases promptly, and the shower facilities weren’t repaired in time. But considering it was the peak of the Spring Festival—the busiest and most understaffed period in the hospitality industry—it’s understandable that overworked staff might make mistakes. If the overall service was still good, shouldn’t customers approach their reviews with a bit more tolerance and recognize the owner’s many strong points despite minor flaws?
Additionally, we must consider how OTA platforms should respond when faced with unfair evaluations from travelers. After the seller provides a detailed explanation, should the platform allow the inaccurate review to remain or assess it and remove the comment to give the business owner justice? In the internet era, the traditional relationship between hotels and customers is evolving. Intensified competition and the growing importance of online reviews compel hotel operators to improve service quality and cost-effectiveness to earn good reputations and attract customers—which ultimately benefits travelers. At the same time, while enjoying VIP-like treatment, shouldn’t customers also provide fair and rational reviews—neither overly harsh nor excessively flattering—so that businesses can feel a sense of accomplishment while staying motivated to continually refine their offerings?