Review portals: improving your online image

How hoteliers and restaurateurs can protect themselves against bad reviews

Gerd Altmann/Pixabay

1. September 2023 |

Alexandra Gorsche

1. September 2023

Alexandra Gorsche

In the digital era, review portals have become important sources of information for potential guests. Unfortunately, bad reviews can damage the image of a hotel or restaurant. The question is: how can restaurateurs and hoteliers protect themselves against negative reviews and improve their online image? In this article, we give hoteliers and restaurateurs practical tips on how they can protect themselves against bad reviews and improve their online image.

1. excellent service as the best tool:

According to a 2021 study by BrightLocal, 87% of consumers write reviews online when asked. However, 70% only write a review if they were satisfied with the experience. First-class guest service is the best way to prevent bad reviews. Satisfied guests are more likely to write positive reviews.

2. monitor the reviews:

It is important to regularly monitor reviews on the multitude of platforms. Set up notifications to respond quickly to new reviews. According to a 2021 survey by Podium, 57% of consumers expect a response to their reviews from businesses. Show that you take feedback seriously and take care of your guests by responding to all reviews, both positive and negative.

3. ensure the authenticity of reviews:

Fake reviews can affect guest trust. Look out for suspicious patterns or reviews without comments. According to a 2020 study by the market watchdog team of the North Rhine-Westphalia consumer advice center, 37% of the reviews investigated were fake.

4. use the power of online marketing:

In addition to reviews, image can be improved through targeted online marketing. An appealing website, the presentation of offers and services on various platforms and the use of social media can have a decisive impact on the desired target group. According to a 2016 study by Yelp, reviews with photos are 200% more trusted than reviews without photos.

5. ask for reviews appropriately:

It's important to get reviews from satisfied guests, but avoid over-soliciting. A 2020 survey by Trustpilot found that 89% of consumers read reviews before making a purchase decision. Avoid intrusive solicitation and make sure it's easy for guests to leave reviews.

Bad reviews can tarnish the image of a hotel or restaurant, but there are measures you can take to protect yourself. Excellent service, monitoring reviews, authenticity of reviews, utilizing online marketing and appropriately soliciting reviews are crucial to improving online image. By following these tips, hoteliers and restaurateurs can strengthen their online image and gain the trust of potential guests.

A la table, s'il vous plaît! A la table, s'il vous plaît! A la table, s'il vous plaît! A la table, s'il vous plaît!

AI 2026

From Experiment to Structural Integration

Artificial intelligence has become part of everyday life in many businesses – but by 2026, it will become a structural imperative. The focus is no longer on testing individual tools, but on the question of how AI can be deployed reliably, effectively, and across the entire organization. Examples from tourism, events, and organizations already demonstrate today how scaling works in practice – and where AI specifically reduces the workload.

A clear turning point is emerging for the year 2026. The company-wide deployment of AI is taking center stage. This is the conclusion reached by Hamburg-based AI expert and interim manager Eckhart Hilgenstock, who has analyzed numerous national and international studies on the development of artificial intelligence. His conclusion is clear: “Following the pilot project phase in 2024/25, many companies are aiming to scale AI within their organizations by 2026.”

future trends

Pasta has never been just al dente

Why Italian Cuisine Is Currently Being Radically Rewritten

In 2025, Italy was officially designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site – for its cuisine. Not a single dish. Not a single product. An entire cuisine. As a “system of social practices, regional traditions, and collective rituals”. The initiative for this historic recognition was largely spearheaded by the long-established culinary magazine La Cucina Italiana, whose editor-in-chief, Maddalena Fossati Dondero, has been actively driving the international push for the UNESCO listing of Italian culinary culture since 2020.

And now, of all times, pasta is being reinvented. What sounds like a contradiction is, in truth, a logical consequence: if a cuisine is cultural heritage, it must not become stagnant. It must continue to evolve. Pasta is not merely a side dish in this context. It is the stage.

food & beverage

Trendspotting Munich

Dry January: From a Monthly Phenomenon to an Industry Standard

Dry January is no longer just a month of abstinence. It’s a barometer. For changing guest preferences. For more conscious consumption patterns. For a new aesthetic of enjoyment. Anyone who still believes in 2026 that non-alcoholic drinks are merely lemonade in a crystal glass has failed to grasp the trend. At Bar Montez in the Rosewood Munich, Bar Manager Mario Sel demonstrates just how sophisticated, structured, and gastronomically relevant non-alcoholic creations can be today – and why they have long been a strategic component of contemporary bar culture.