In many hotels, responding to guest reviews is viewed as a “necessary evil.” However, leaving comments unattended can not only affect review scores but also significantly reduce the likelihood of future bookings. The example of Thermal Hotel Visegrád****Superior shows how professional reputation management can quickly pay off and even play a crucial role in successfully handling unexpected situations.
Three years ago, this four-star superior hotel decided to treat reputation management as a strategically important area. “We tasked the Everguest team with analysing three years of guest feedback to reveal the impact of the COVID period and help us identify areas for improvement. The analysis highlighted forward-looking opportunities, prompting us to treat guest review management as a distinct, specialised field,” says Zsófia Nagy-Bándli, the hotel’s Strategic Director.
Following the audit, the Everguest team created a long-term strategy that encompassed both internal and external communication for the property. One of its main goals was to improve the guest satisfaction score on Booking.com. The ongoing expert collaboration began in spring 2021, but Everguest’s reputation managers soon faced new challenges.
Comprehensive renovations while remaining open
In spring 2021, the hotel began renovations, covering almost every area, including the lobby, rooms, restaurant, and wellness facilities. Everguest’s reputation managers were tasked with minimising the potentially negative impact of construction on guest reviews. Additionally, the project included analysing the effects of repositioning the hotel within the premium category.
“We agreed on complete transparency with the hotel’s management, receiving precise updates on each construction phase and any inconveniences caused by the work. We proactively communicated this information online, ensuring guests were informed ahead of time, rather than learning about it from each other. This approach helped maintain satisfaction scores throughout,” explains Kitti Gondos, Head of Everguest’s Reputation Division, detailing the keys to successful project management.
Unexpected external challenges
Even more challenging than the renovations was a local regulatory change. The Panoráma Road in Visegrád was closed to motorcyclists (the ban was only lifted in autumn 2023), and the frustrated biker community responded with one-star reviews on all local restaurant and hotel rating platforms.
“Hundreds of reviews came in overnight, primarily affecting our Google score,” says Kitti Gondos. “It was essential to ensure that people who weren’t aware of the new regulation didn’t only see the one-star reviews. We applied the same procedures we used during the renovation, communicating transparently and proactively, paying close attention to personalised responses. As a result, we managed to preserve the scores across all platforms, and on Google we even restored the rating to its previous level.”
The advantages of reputation management
“One of the greatest values of reputation management is the in-depth information it provides about areas needing improvement, including those that would otherwise remain invisible,” says Zsófia Nagy-Bándli. “To give a few examples, some guests felt there weren’t enough sun loungers, so we added more in the wellness area. We also changed the cleaning products and increased the cleaning frequency to make the wellness floors less slippery. These may seem like small changes, but guests immediately appreciated the attention to detail, and it’s reflected in our scores.”
The hotel’s Booking.com rating increased from 8.5 to 8.8, while its rating on Szállásvadász rose from 4.59 to 4.7. Across other platforms, they managed to maintain already high ratings.
Success factors
“In the case of Thermal Hotel Visegrád, the continuous dialogue and swift feedback from various departments within the hotel are worth highlighting,” stressed Kitti Gondos. “We introduced weekly online meetings and monthly in-person meetings, attended by the hotel’s marketing team, ensuring everyone had the information they needed to do their jobs and allowing us to maximise the potential synergies between different departments.”
“In terms of reputation management, I believe the key to our success lies in elevating this field to a strategic level and heavily relying on the recommendations of Everguest experts. We’re delighted that our highly active online audience appreciates the extra attention we give, and thanks to this dialogue, our relationship with them is much closer,” Zsófia Nagy-Bándli emphasises.
Thermal Hotel Visegrád****Superior welcomes guests year-round in the picturesque Danube Bend. Bookings: https://thv.hu/
Looking to enhance how you manage guest reviews and improve guest experiences? Discover Everguest Intelligence: https://services.everguest.com/everguestintelligence/
