Impact of online reviews on hotel booking intention: The moderating role of brand image, star category, and price

This paper analyses the impact of online reviews on hotel booking intention. The moderating effect of brand image, star category, and price on this relationship was also tested. A quantitative approach has been followed by collecting questionnaires from a convenience sample of 432 customers who have previous experience with online booking. Results of the research revealed that reviews with positive valence do not affect booking intention, while reviews with negative valence have a strong impact. In addition, it was found that several moderators made this impact more or less severe. Brand image demonstrated a slight moderating effect due to the factor's inherent subjective nature. A moderating effect was also observed for both price importance and star category on the relationship. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the need for hotel managers to address online customer reviews, and specifically negative ones, to take advantage of promotional opportunities.