Hotel reviews have never really been useless, but they did lose some of their impact over time. When they first emerged, they revolutionized the hotel industry. Suddenly, hoteliers had to up their game—guest feedback was no longer limited to a suggestion box at the front desk; it was out in the open, influencing bookings. But as reviews became ubiquitous, their influence started to wane.
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For many travelers, reviews turned into a quick scan of the star rating and a glance at the last few comments. Because, who really has time to read 50 reviews, half of which are from people with wildly different expectations and travel styles? Platforms, driven by algorithms that prioritize ratings over actual content, reinforced this behavior. The result? We started making decisions based on a number (rating) rather than meaningful insight.
But AI is about to change that.
Large Language Models (LLMs) are giving reviews a second life. The ability to analyze vast amounts of unstructured content means that travelers can now extract relevant insights tailored to their needs. Imagine asking an AI, “How is this hotel for a family with young kids?” or “Is the Wi-Fi actually good for remote work?” and getting a summary based on thousands of reviews, filtered for relevance.
Suddenly, that wealth of information we had no time to sift through becomes accessible again. AI can surface details from travelers with similar preferences, even if their trip was for a different purpose—say, a business traveler mentioning soundproofing, which also happens to matter for families with toddlers.
This shift could have bigger implications than just improving decision-making. If reviews regain their importance, they might evolve into more than just a reference tool. Could hotels start monetizing specific attributes based on AI-identified trends? If enough reviews highlight the importance of blackout curtains or soundproof walls, could those become upsell opportunities?
We’re entering an era where review content could drive revenue—not just through bookings but by shaping hotel offerings in real-time. Hotels have always tried to adapt to guest feedback, but AI will accelerate the process, making reviews a dynamic force rather than a static scorecard.
So, the next time you ask for a review, remember: it’s not just a rating—it’s data, tell guests to mention specific attributes they liked or that could be improved. It just might be a key to your AI-search optimization.
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About me: I’m a fractional CMO for large travel technology companies helping turn them into industry leaders. I’m also the co-founder of 10minutes.news a hotel news media that is unsensational, factual and keeps hoteliers updated on the industry.
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