Thanks for sharing these trends, @bookingteam.com.

As a traveler, I definitely second that reviews are very influential in booking decisions!

But I'd like to add one thing, that I think may give some comfort to hotel and restaurant owners: not every review has to be positive! Not every customer is the same, and as a traveler I understand that. Some people just expect super high standards for a low price, and leave a bad review if they find one thing they don't like.

If you receive a such a bad review as a hotel or restaurant owner, it must be upsetting.

And you may want to tell that customer that he's full of it:

Don't...

One thing I can really appreciate it is when I see a hotel or restaurant owner reply to a bad review in a correct way. Let's say for example that a customer had to wait for one and a half hour to get his pizza. He's upset, and posts a negative review.

If I see that review, I'd probably think: "Hmm, maybe skip that restaurant."

But hey wait, there's a reply to that review. It's the restaurant owner, apologizing: "Hi [CUSTOMER], I'm very sorry for your bad experience with us. Yesterday was a public holiday, which meant we were understaffed. Moreover, one of our chefs was sick. That's why you had to wait longer than normal for your pizza. I'd very much like to invite you to come back to our restaurant, and I'll give you 50% discount on your pizza + FAST service."

Now when I read that, I'm impressed! And I'll definitely want to check out that restaurant.

It's all about how focused you are on providing excellent customer service!