How Much Does a Higher Booking.com Score Really Matter?

Industry studies show a clear connection between higher review scores and increased revenue. A one-point increase on a 10-point scale can boost revenue by 10-20%, while even a 0.1-point improvement can lead to a 1-2% revenue gain.

For example, a 150-room hotel with an average daily rate of €120 and a 70% occupancy rate can see an additional €90,000 in annual revenue from just a 0.1-point rating increase. Since fixed costs like rent and salaries remain the same, most of this extra revenue turns into profit. 

For a property with a 60% gross margin, this could mean an additional €55,000 in net income and an almost 25% increase in net profit. This means that even minor improvements in guest feedback quality can lead to a disproportionate increase in profitability. Beyond revenue, higher ratings also improve direct bookings, reduce dependence on OTAs, and lead to long-term brand loyalty.

The Problem: Reactive Review Management Instead of Proactive Issue Resolution

Most hotels invest heavily in tracking and responding to guest reviews after checkout. While this is important, it’s too late to change the guest’s experience at that point.

The most successful hotels don’t just respond to bad reviews—they prevent them from happening in the first place. This means capturing feedback while guests are still in-house and resolving issues before they escalate into negative online reviews.

The Challenge: Capturing Guest Feedback in Real Time

Hotels often depend on front desk interactions to assess guest satisfaction, but this method has clear drawbacks:

• Many unhappy guests do not voice their concerns in person, choosing instead to leave negative online reviews later.

• Even when complaints are raised at the front desk, staff may not escalate them quickly enough to prevent dissatisfaction.

• With busy schedules, hotel teams often struggle to proactively gather feedback from every guest.

Instead, hotels should strive to find solutions where guests can share their feedback during their stay in a structured and intuitive manner. Hotels can implement solutions like apps, in-room tablets or QR codes to make their feedback tools accessible to their guests. 

By capturing feedback in real-time and alerting staff to issues before guests check out, hotels can address problems proactively, enhancing the guest experience and preventing negative reviews.

Using a During-Stay Feedback Tool to Improve Guest Satisfaction

A during-stay feedback tool allows hotels to capture guest sentiment in real-time, reducing the likelihood of negative reviews. By integrating feedback collection into in-room technology, hotels can engage guests and provide them with an easy way to share their experiences.

Guests can quickly indicate whether they are happy, neutral, or dissatisfied with their stay. If an issue is reported, hotel staff receive an immediate alert, allowing them to resolve concerns before checkout. This proactive approach serves as an automated check-in, ensuring guests have an opportunity to voice concerns while they can still be addressed.

Hotels using this method see measurable improvements in guest engagement and satisfaction:

• Top-performing hotels receive over 50 feedback responses per device per year.

• Average-performing properties collect at least 10 responses per device annually.

• A 100-room hotel using a feedback tool can gather more than 1,000 guest insights each year.

On average, 88% of feedback responses are positive, while 12% highlight areas for improvement. This creates around 120 opportunities per year to address concerns before they turn into negative reviews, enhancing guest satisfaction and boosting online ratings.

Preventing Negative Reviews and Maximizing Revenue

Many guests who have a negative experience share their feedback online, but only a small percentage of Booking.com guests leave reviews at all. This means that a significant number of dissatisfied guests may post negative reviews if their concerns are not addressed during their stay.

Without intervention, an estimated 40 negative reviews could be published each year. However, using a during-stay feedback tool allows hotels to engage with dissatisfied guests and resolve their issues before they escalate. As a result, many guests who would have left a negative review instead either decide not to post at all or provide more balanced feedback.

By preventing or improving around 20 negative reviews annually, hotels can protect their online reputation, maintain higher ratings, and increase future bookings. These figures align with industry benchmarks and real-world hotel data, demonstrating the value of proactive feedback management.

To improve Booking.com ratings and maximize revenue, hotels should:

• Shift focus from post-stay review management to in-stay feedback collection.

• Capture and analyze guest sentiment in real-time.

• Utilize a during-stay feedback tool to address issues before they result in negative reviews.

• Leverage improved ratings to boost direct bookings and long-term profitability.

Hotels implementing proactive feedback management have already seen these results. Investing in real-time feedback solutions is a direct path to higher guest satisfaction, stronger ratings, and increased profitability.

The Long-Term Value of Proactive Feedback Management

It’s important to note that the figures outlined represent an optimal scenario based on the following:

• A 60% gross margin, ensuring most additional revenue translates into profit.

• A 2% revenue increase per 0.1-point rating improvement is a challenging yet achievable target.

Even in a more conservative case, the financial and reputational benefits remain substantial. Preventing negative reviews offers long-term value beyond immediate revenue gains, securing a stronger market position and enhanced guest loyalty.

Hotels looking to take control of their online reputation and profitability should consider implementing proactive feedback solutions today.