Dubai: Consumers are increasingly turning to the internet to inquire more about a brand before parting with their cash. For those planning a trip or looking to book a hotel for a weekend getaway, it pays to know what previous clients have to say about their experience.
Data analytics company Tagmemics has recently ranked the brands in the hotel industry based on thousands of consumer reviews.
The company applied "sentiment and intent analysis" to over 10,000 customer comments on TripAdvisor, to find out how the hotels fared in terms of their operations, brand engagement, service delivery and guest experience.
At least 17 brands from seven different luxury hotel groups were covered in the case study and ranked according to various metrics, including which ones attracted the most positive or negative customer feedback.
Brand associations were measured according to what customers said about a hotel in online conversations or posts. Comments like “Staying at Shangri-La was the greatest experience of my life” associated the brand in a positive context. Reviews like “the Ritz didn’t measure up to my exceptions, the rooms were small” associated the hotel brand negatively, a spokesperson explained.
In terms of positive brand association, Ritz-Carlton Luxury and Resorts topped the table, with nearly a third (26.3 per cent) of consumers identifying the chain as “best”, “excellent” or “amazing”.
The hotel brand also earned the top spot in other categories, receiving the highest positive sentiment for its facilities (17.8 per cent) and dining and entertainment (15.4 per cent).
Despite garnering the most positive online reviews, however, the hotel brand scored the worst in other areas, including in terms of what consumers think about their rooms (16 per cent negative).
Four Seasons came second on the list at 22.7 per cent, followed by Kempinski (22 per cent), Sofitel (21.9 per cent), Starwood (20.9 per cent), Shangri-la (19.1 per cent) and Hilton (16.1 per cent).
The hotels were also ranked according to which ones attracted the most negative reviews from customers.
Topping the list is Starwood, having earned more negative than positive reviews from customers as a whole (23.6 per cent). The brand, however, scored best for accommodation, with many of the guests saying it has “awesome” and “stylish” rooms.
Second on the list is Kempinski (21.9 per cent), followed by Shangri-La (21.5 per cent), Four Seasons (21.2 per cent), Hilton (20.4 per cent), Ritz-Carlton (19.3 per cent) and Sofitel (17 per cent).
Tatjana de Kerros, Tagmemics founder, noted that their company is the first start-up to offer businesses in the Middle East the technology to identify and measure intent from social data and networks. It is also the first to offer the technology in the region in Arabic and English.
“While sentiment analytics capture human emotions, intent provides a realistic measure of something much more difficult, but tangible to capture – future sales, loyalty and growth,” de Kerros said.
In terms of front desk performance, Sofitel Luxury Hotels emerged as the “worst for inattentive front of house and bad service” at 24.3 per cent, according to Tagmemics. “Guests were most likely to complain about ineffective management,” the company said.
Hilton Hotels and Resorts emerged as the winner in the category, with 33 per cent saying the hotel has the “best service and staff”.
In terms of location, the award goes to Shangri-La Luxury Hotels, with many of the guests describing the brand’s choice of location as the most “amazing.”
For dining and entertainment options, Ritz-Carlton emerged as the winner (15.4 per cent), followed by Four Seasons (15.2 per cent).
