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Unclean rooms? Disruptive neighbors? Inattentive service? These are the last surprises you want after a long day of travel. That’s probably why almost 100% of hotel guests read reviews before they book, and why your rating on platforms like Tripadvisor carry so much weight. Great reviews build trust, boost visibility, drive bookings and expand your hotel’s global reach.
Ranking well on Tripadvisor isn’t always straightforward — but the long-term ROI is worth putting in the effort. In this blog, we’ll break down five actionable ways to improve your hotel’s Tripadvisor ranking, increase your online presence and get more guests through your doors.
Key highlights:
Tripadvisor is the world’s largest travel guidance platform — and one of the most influential when it comes to booking decisions. It hosts millions of user-generated reviews, photos and ratings for hotels across the globe. When travelers are searching for a place to stay, it serves as both a discovery engine and reputation scorecard for individual hotels.
Tripadvisor ranks listings based on a proprietary algorithm that takes into account review quality, quantity and recency, as well as consistency of service over time. A higher ranking boosts visibility (and may let you increase prices, too!). In short, if you're not actively managing your presence on Tripadvisor, you're leaving visibility, revenue and guest engagement on the table.
Tripadvisor reviews are user-generated ratings submitted by hotel guests. Reviews include a rating from one to five, a written summary and sometimes photos. These reviews are what a hotel’s overall rating on Tripadvisor is based on.
Reviews also offer real-time insights into what guests value most. Paying attention to what guests mention frequently, like cleanliness, comfort or service levels, make them a powerful feedback loop for hotel teams.
Why Are Tripadvisor Reviews Important for Your Hotel?
Tripadvisor reviews are one of the most influential factors in a traveler’s decision-making process. Before booking, most guests turn to Tripadvisor to compare properties, read about real guest experiences and evaluate which hotel offers the best value and service.
Here’s why that matters for your hotel:
Tripadvisor reviews are more than just online feedback — they’re a powerful marketing and operations tool that can drive long-term growth for your hotel.
Your Tripadvisor ranking (essentially where you rank in potential travelers’ search results on the site) is different from your rating. Your ranking is determined by something called the popularity index, which evaluates how you rank against other properties in your geographic area. It takes into account:
Age of reviews: How recent (and how often) your guest reviews come in.
Getting a bad review never feels great, but a single negative experience won’t make or break your rating. However, if you’re consistently getting negative scores, focusing on improvements has a big impact. Here are a few tips.
The guests experience stars long before booking. As soon as a traveler begins researching your hotel, they start forming a first impression — and of course, it doesn’t stop there. That’s why it’s important to prioritize every part of the guest experience, which you can do by:
Sending a heartfelt, post-stay thank you message
Encouraging guests to leave a review at the right time with the right methods can help you significantly improve your Tripadvisor ranking. Reminding guests to leave a review as part of your checkout process or in post-stay communications goes a long way increasing review volume.
Tripadvisor reviews are more than just a marketing tool — reading between the lines also gives you insights. Guest sentiment reveals what your hotel is doing well and where there’s room to improve. When you analyze reviews for patterns, you can quickly identify:
Staying attuned to guest sentiment helps you go beyond star ratings and make smarter, data-driven decisions that elevate the guest experience — and climb Tripadvisor’s hotel rankings in the process. You can also utilize a reputation management software to help you aggregate these sentiments automatically.
Even at the nicest hotels, the occasional bad review is inevitable. When you get public criticisms, respond in a positive, helpful manner. Acknowledging the issue and sharing how it’s being addressed shows both past and future travelers that your property values what guests have to say.
When setting up your Tripadvisor profile, it’s crucial that your online presence aligns with the in-person experience. Make sure your pictures, listed amenities and property information are all accurate so guests know exactly what to expect when they arrive.
More reviews mean more visibility — and more trust. When travelers browse Tripadvisor reviews of hotels, they’re looking for authentic guest feedback. The more positive reviews you collect, the higher you’re likely to rank on the Tripadvisor rating scale, which directly influences your hotel's position on the platform.
Here are proven strategies to help you generate more high-quality reviews:
Tripadvisor’s free Review Express tool lets you send automated follow-up emails to recent guests. You can customize the message, include your hotel branding and drive guests directly to your review page in just a few clicks. It’s a fast, scalable way to boost your volume of verified reviews.
Sometimes all it takes is a polite ask. Train your front desk or guest services team to mention Tripadvisor during checkout or in person when guests compliment their stay. There are a few ways to do this:
After checkout, send a short, branded email thanking guests for their visit and inviting them to leave a review. Include a direct link to your Tripadvisor listing to make the process seamless.
For even better response rates, meet guests where they are. Use SMS, WhatsApp or a mobile checkout solution to send review requests during departure.
Add visual reminders throughout your property — such as stickers or signs at the front desk, in elevators, or near the exit. These subtle cues encourage guests to leave a review before they’ve even left the building.
Tripadvisor provides embeddable widgets you can place on your hotel’s website. These display recent guest feedback while providing an easy path for visitors to write their own review. It’s a passive but effective way to grow your review count over time.
Ultimately, the best way to earn a higher Tripadvisor hotel ranking is to create experiences worth writing about. When your staff delivers personalized, attentive service, guests are more likely to leave positive feedback.
An up-to-date Tripadvisor profile builds trust and improves guest engagement. Keep your photos, descriptions, amenities and contact info accurate and appealing to encourage interaction and reviews.
Dive into your current reviews to identify common praise and recurring pain points. Guest sentiment can help you understand what’s working — and where you need to improve to consistently earn high ratings and better reviews.
When used well, reviews are a blueprint for operational improvement. Use guest feedback to fix pain points, recognize standout staff, and optimize every part of the guest journey. When guests see that you listen and respond, they’re more likely to leave reviews — and recommend your property to others. To learn how, check out our hotel reputation management guide.
Responding to Tripadvisor reviews (yes, both positive and negative!) is critical for maintaining a strong reputation and building trust with future guests. Thoughtful, timely replies show that your hotel values feedback and is committed to delivering an exceptional guest experience.
Here’s how to respond effectively across the board:
Positive feedback is an opportunity to reinforce what you’re doing well and encourage future engagement. Here are some tips:
Example:
“Thank you, Sarah! We’re thrilled you enjoyed your ocean view room and had such a great breakfast with us. We’ll be sure to pass along your compliments to our culinary team. Looking forward to welcoming you again soon!”
Negative reviews are challenging, but they’re also a chance to turn a bad experience into a loyal guest (and to show potential guests that you’re proactive and professional).
Here are some tips:
Example:
“We’re sorry to hear your stay didn’t meet expectations, Alex. We appreciate your feedback on the check-in experience and are actively reviewing our processes to ensure faster service. We’d love a chance to welcome you back and provide the smooth, enjoyable stay you expected.”
Thoughtful responses — even to the toughest reviews — show prospective guests that your team is responsive, empathetic, and committed to continuous improvement. That’s often the difference between someone booking with you or moving on to the next listing.
Tripadvisor hotel reviews play a vital role in shaping a hotel’s online reputation — but the policies and features can be tricky. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about how Tripadvisor reviews work:
To write a review, guests visit tripadvisor.com, search for the hotel they stayed at, and click the “Write a Review” button on the listing. They’ll be prompted to rate their stay using the Tripadvisor rating scale (1 to 5 bubbles), provide a title and written summary and optionally upload photos.
Guests must have a Tripadvisor account to submit a review. Once submitted, the review typically goes through a short moderation process before appearing publicly.
Tripadvisor doesn’t allow users to edit a review once it’s been published. However, reviewers can delete their original post and submit a revised version. To do this, the guest must log in to their account, navigate to “Contributions”, find the review and delete it. They can then submit a new review for the same property.
Tripadvisor doesn’t let users edit reviews while they’re in the moderation phase. Once a review is submitted, it’s locked until it’s either published or rejected. If a reviewer notices a mistake or wants to change their wording, they’ll need to wait until the review is live, delete it and resubmit.
If you suspect a review is fake, fraudulent or violates Tripadvisor’s guidelines, you can report it through the Management Center. Select the review in question and click “Report a Problem.” You’ll be asked to specify the issue (e.g., the reviewer never stayed, contains false claims or violates content guidelines).
Tripadvisor’s content moderation team will investigate and determine whether the review should be removed. Keep in mind that decisions are final and typically not open to appeal unless new evidence is provided.
Hotel owners and managers can’t delete reviews, even if the review is negative or unfair. Only Tripadvisor’s content moderation team has the authority to remove reviews after a formal investigation.
What owners can do is respond publicly to any review, clarify the situation and demonstrate professionalism to future guests. A well-written management response can go a long way in maintaining credibility and trust, even when a negative review stays up.
Climbing Tripadvisor rankings comes down to three key factors: quality, quantity and recency of reviews. Small moments throughout the guest journey — from pre-arrival communication to thoughtful service during a stay — are all opportunities to earn high-quality feedback. Whether it’s a personalized note, seamless check-in or a quick resolution when something goes wrong, guests always remember how you made them feel.
The key is to be intentional. Use automated tools to ask for reviews at the right time, guide guests to Tripadvisor, and make it easy to share their experience. And once you start seeing results? Don’t slow down. The most successful hotels keep the momentum going — there’s no such thing as too many great reviews!
If you’re ready to take it a step further, you can also check out our guide to earning better Google reviews and Booking.com reviews. And when you’re ready to see how Canary’s Smart Checkout boosts Tripadvisor rankings, book a demo today.
