Online hotel reviews are more important to consumers than star classification

In today’s world, consumers rely heavily on online information when making purchasing decisions, be it for a new smartphone or the next holiday resort. When shopping for an online accommodation product, more than half of European consumers said that they are influenced by online customer reviews and online ratings, while just one-fifth of consumers see themselves as insusceptible to such reviews and ratings. Two in five European consumers also regard star ratings as an influencing factor when booking hotel rooms, whereas for about one in three consumers, star ratings don’t play a role.

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