Why Reviews are Like Credit Scores for Revenue Managers

Ask any revenue manager, “Do reviews matter?” and you’ll get a quick “Of course!”

But dig a little deeper, and you’ll see that reviews aren’t just digital feedback—they’re your hotel’s credit score.

Let me explain.

Your Product = Your Income, Your Reviews = Your Credit Score

If your hotel is a great product with fantastic reviews, you have pricing power– just like someone with a perfect credit score gets better loan rates.

You control the game.

But if your product is weak and reviews are bad, you know where you stand – like having maxed-out credit cards and a terrible FICO score.

Banks (and guests) won’t trust you.

The Real Challenge? The “One Bad Month” Effect

Imagine you’ve been paying your bills on time for years, but suddenly, life happens: a missed payment, a financial hiccup. Your credit score tanks overnight.

Same goes for hotels. A few bad weeks, service issues, or unexpected operational hiccups?

Your review score takes a hit. If you’ve got thousands of reviews, it’s a drop in the ocean.

But if you’re a smaller property with fewer reviews? That single bad period drags you down hard—and it directly impacts your conversion rate.

Wait, Do Reviews Impact Demand or Conversion?

Here’s where revenue managers need to think differently.

• Bad reviews don’t reduce demand. People still search for hotels in your area.
• Bad reviews crush conversion. Guests see a low rating, doubt your value, and book elsewhere.

And if you can’t convert, it doesn’t matter how much demand exists: you’re losing revenue.

The Revenue Manager’s Role: Fixing the Score Without Faking It

Unlike a personal credit score, you can’t hack your way to a better review score. You can’t just pay for positive reviews (well, you can, but it’s both unethical and wildly transparent). Instead, revenue managers must work across departments to fix the issue at the root.

1. Front Office & Housekeeping: What operational improvements can drive better guests experiences?
2. Reservations & Sales: How can we set the right expectations before arrival?
3. Marketing: How do we respond authentically to negative feedback?

And let’s not forget: OTAs penalize low-rated hotels. Some won’t even allow certain promotions or visibility boosts unless you hit a specific review threshold.

Why This Matters for Pricing Power

At the end of the day, reviews dictate how much pricing flexibility you have. A high-score hotel has leverage to push rates up, while a hotel with a poor reputation gets trapped in the discounting spiral.

So, revenue managers: Stop seeing reviews as just “reputation management.”
They are directly tied to conversion, pricing, and long-term revenue success. And just like with your credit score, the best way to improve is through consistency, transparency, and fixing real problems—not gaming the system.

Until next time, price smart.