Unlock Hidden Revenue in Guest Feedback
What if every positive review could become a revenue opportunity, instead of sending the standard “thank you” response?
Online reviews hold the power to shape your hotel’s success.
But with the right strategy, your responses can do more than build trust—they can boost your bottom line.
In this guide, we’ll show you how hotel upselling through review responses can turn guest feedback into a powerful revenue-generation tool.
Backed by proven strategies—and with Statista reporting that 86% of hotel chains plan to invest in AI—this approach can now be effortlessly scaled using AI.
You’ll learn how to write review responses that sound genuinely helpful, not salesy, while subtly incorporating upselling opportunities.
Plus, we’ll explore how AI-powered tools make this process scalable and ensure compliance with platforms like TripAdvisor and Google.
By the end, you’ll have actionable insights to elevate guest experiences and unlock hidden revenue opportunities.
The Hidden Potential of Review Responses
Why Review Responses Are a Revenue Game-Changer.
Every review is more than just feedback; it’s a marketing opportunity.
Too often, hotels approach review responses as a routine task, forgetting their immense potential.
Even more concerning, a report by Revinate revealed a 10.6% decline in hotels responding to guest reviews, often due to staffing shortages and limited resources.
Guest review responses aren’t just for engaging with the original reviewer.
They’re also read by prospective travellers who are evaluating whether to book with you.
Imagine a potential guest reading your reply to a glowing review.
Your words don’t just thank the reviewer—they inspire confidence and highlight unique features of your hotel.
This makes review responses one of the most overlooked yet impactful strategies for hotel upselling.
By weaving mentions of your facilities, services, and 'extras' into responses, you can capture the attention of returning guests and influence potential bookers who are browsing your hotel’s reviews.
What’s Hotel Upselling?
Upselling: A Key to Enhancing Guest Experiences
Upselling in the hotel is the tactic of selling guests enhancements to their stay for an additional cost.
These upgrades—like premium rooms, on-site services, or food & beverages—create a win-win.
Guests enjoy a more luxurious experience, and hotels see a boost in revenue.
The secret to successful hotel upselling? Tailoring offers to guest preferences.
When integrated into review responses, upselling becomes an even more powerful tool.
Not only can it encourage rebooking, but it can also introduce potential bookers to services they might not have considered.
This is particularly effective when the same extras are highlighted during the online booking process, as it plants a seed for guests to add these upgrades to their stay.
A study by the American Association reported that 78% of people trust reviews more than ads, making strategic review responses a reliable channel for hotel upselling.
Different Hotel Upsells
Examples of Effective Upsells for Hotels
Hotels have an array of options to upsell. Tailor these to your audience to maximise success:
- Room Upgrades: Promote suites with better views, added space, or luxury amenities.
- Dining Packages: Offer exclusive tasting menus or multi-course meal experiences.
- Spa and Wellness Services: Suggest relaxing treatments like massages or spa packages.
- Activity Packages: Highlight tours, excursions, or special event access.
Upselling in review responses works best with positive feedback. For instance, if a guest mentions enjoying their stay, you might subtly highlight your deluxe suite or premium dining options. These well-timed mentions feel natural and guest-focused.
Upselling vs. Cross-Selling
The Key Differences Between Upselling and Cross-Selling
While upselling focuses on enhancing an existing service, cross-selling introduces guests to complementary services.
- Upselling: Recommending upgrades, such as a larger suite or a premium room package.
- Cross-Selling: Suggesting add-ons, like a spa treatment or a guided tour, that complement the guest’s current booking.
Including cross-selling opportunities in review responses expands your revenue potential.
Positive reviews are ideal for this, as satisfied guests are more likely to consider additional services.
Choosing the Right Reviews for Hotel Upselling
Focus on Positive Feedback
Positive reviews offer the best opportunities for upselling. When a guest expresses satisfaction with their stay, it’s easy to introduce additional services without being pushy.
For example:
Upselling opportunities in neutral reviews.
Neutral reviews may not be glowing, but they still present opportunities for gentle upselling or cross-selling.
These guests might have enjoyed their stay but missed out on certain amenities or experiences.
Use your response to subtly highlight these extras and invite them back to explore more.
For example:
By showcasing what they missed, you plant a seed of curiosity and encourage them to consider these options during their next booking.
At the same time, you demonstrate to potential bookers that your hotel offers standout amenities, like a rooftop bar, that elevate the guest experience."
Never Upsell in Negative Reviews
Upselling is an effective tool for encouraging rebooking and introducing additional services, but it should never be attempted in response to negative reviews.
Addressing complaints with upselling can come across as insensitive and further harm your hotel’s reputation.
Instead, focus on resolving the issue and demonstrating your commitment to improving the guest experience.
For example:
- “Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about your experience and are taking steps to address the issue. We hope you’ll give us another chance to exceed your expectations.”
By prioritising resolution over upselling, you rebuild trust with the guest and show prospective bookers that your hotel values and acts on feedback.
Staying Within Platform Guidelines
How to Stay Compliant While Upselling
Platforms like TripAdvisor and Google have strict rules against overt promotions.
To avoid penalties, familiarise yourself with their guidelines.
Non-Promotional Strategies
Frame upselling suggestions as helpful tips rather than sales pitches.
For example:
Platform-Specific Upselling Strategies
How to Tailor Review Responses for Major Platforms
Each review platform serves a different audience. Tailoring your responses to their guidelines can improve engagement and compliance:
TripAdvisor
- Use subtle, conversational language to mention amenities or premium offerings.
- Avoid overly promotional content to stay compliant with platform guidelines.
Example Response:
Google
Google Reviews provide an excellent platform to integrate "book direct" messaging as part of your upselling strategy.
By engaging both the reviewer and browsing potential guests, you can subtly encourage direct bookings while showcasing the exclusive perks your hotel offers.
This not only enhances the guest experience but also helps reduce reliance on OTAs and their commissions.
Here’s an example response:
Example Response:
Research indicates that Google is now the top site for hotel reviews.
By integrating "book direct" messaging into your responses, you address current and potential guests while creating a strong case for direct bookings.
This not only improves guest loyalty but also enhances your hotel’s profitability by reducing reliance on OTAs.
Pro Tip: Reinforce this strategy by showcasing these same perks prominently on your website and during the booking process.
This consistency ensures a seamless guest experience while driving more direct conversions.
Booking.com
- Incorporate guest feedback into upselling opportunities by highlighting lesser-known amenities or upgrades.
- Mention unique services or add-ons in booking confirmation emails for added impact.
Example Response:
Maximising AI in Review Response and Hotel Upselling
The Reality of Review Management in Hotels
For many hotels, responding to reviews—particularly with quality and consistency—feels like an overwhelming task.
The reality is that most hotels, whether large or small, simply don’t have the time, resources, or writing expertise to craft thoughtful responses that engage guests while including subtle upselling opportunities.
Ignoring reviews or responding poorly means missing out on the powerful role responses can play in hotel upselling.
Thoughtful, strategic responses not only improve guest satisfaction but can also drive additional revenue while protecting your reputation.
This is where tools like BFN-AI make a significant impact.
How BFN-AI Transforms Review Responses
BFN-AI is designed to handle the complexities of review management with features tailored to your hotel’s needs:
- Customised Responses to Your Hotel’s Identity: BFN-AI is trained to reflect your hotel’s tone, branding, and values, ensuring every reply feels unique and personal.
- Human-Like Writing: Responses crafted by BFN-AI are 99.9% indistinguishable from those written by your team, maintaining professionalism and empathy.
- Multi-Language Capability: Respond to reviews in any language, ensuring global guests feel heard and valued.
- Flexible Automation Options: Automate responses for positive reviews, or choose moderation for sensitive feedback. BFN-AI adapts to your preferences.
- Empathetic Handling of Negative Feedback: BFN-AI drafts responses to negative reviews based on reputation management best practices, expressing empathy without admitting fault or liability.
Why AI is a Game-Changer for Hotel Upselling.
BFN-AI doesn’t just save time—it transforms review responses into a powerful tool for hotel upselling. Its capabilities include:
- Maximising Revenue: Each response becomes an opportunity to upsell premium services or encourage direct bookings.
- Boosting Efficiency: Instant, multi-platform responses save time and reduce staff workload.
- Improving Guest Satisfaction: Personalised, timely replies leave a lasting impression on reviewers and browsing travellers alike.
- Reducing Reputation Risks: Empathetic responses to complaints rebuild trust while protecting your brand.
AI Review Response Case Study
Discover how the db Seabank Hotel transformed its review management process with BFN-AI, achieving incredible results in efficiency and guest satisfaction.
By implementing AI-powered review management, the hotel:
- Increased its response rate to 90.4%, ensuring almost all guest reviews were acknowledged.
- Reduced response times from an average of 4 days to just 10 minutes, allowing the team to engage with guests in near real-time.
- Delivered responses so natural and personalised that they were indistinguishable from human-authored replies.
This faster and more consistent approach helped the db Seabank Hotel:
- Boost Guest Satisfaction: Timely responses left guests feeling valued and appreciated.
- Protect Its Online Reputation: Addressing reviews promptly enhanced the hotel’s overall reputation.
- Drive Future Bookings: Subtle upselling mentions, integrated into AI-crafted responses, showcased premium amenities and encouraged rebookings.
With BFN-AI, the db Seabank Hotel proved that AI-powered solutions could combine speed, quality, and personalisation to redefine guest engagement while supporting long-term revenue growth.
Using Hotel Upselling in Review Responses Boosts SEO and AI Search Visibility
Responding to reviews isn’t just about guest engagement—it’s also a powerful tool for boosting your hotel’s SEO and visibility in AI-powered search results.
By incorporating relevant keywords and upselling opportunities into your review responses, you can optimise your presence across traditional search engines, Google AI Overviews, and emerging platforms like Perplexity.
This strategy also improves your chances of appearing in “near me” searches, such as “rooftop dining near me.”
Why Thoughtful Review Responses Matter in the AI Era
Modern search algorithms, including those powering Google AI Overviews and Perplexity, analyse content for context, relevance, and user intent.
When guest reviews highlight specific amenities or experiences, and your responses expand on those keywords, it signals to AI systems that these offerings are central to your brand.
This approach helps your hotel:
- Align with Guest Keywords: Reinforce guest terminology, making your content more relevant to search engines.
- Boost Relevance for AI-Powered Search: Help AI platforms categorise your hotel for important amenities and experiences.
- Enhance Visibility in AI Summaries: Increase the likelihood of being featured in AI-generated overviews or direct answers.
- Capture Local Search Traffic: Use location-relevant phrases like “rooftop dining near me” to attract potential guests searching for nearby experiences.
Example
For instance, if a guest praises your rooftop dining, your response might be:
This response achieves multiple objectives:
- Reinforces Keywords: Incorporates terms like “rooftop dining” to increase relevance for local searches.
- Subtly Upsells: Promotes a premium offering (sunset dinner package).
- Engages AI Search Platforms: Signals to AI algorithms that your rooftop dining is a standout feature worth promoting.
Maximising SEO and Upselling with Review Responses
By crafting thoughtful, keyword-rich responses, you’re doing more than acknowledging guests—you’re optimising your visibility across search platforms.
This approach allows your hotel to:
- Improve search rankings for both local and global queries.
- Enhance visibility on AI-powered search platforms like Google AI Overviews.
- Create upselling opportunities while engaging browsing travellers.
Hotel Upselling FAQs:
-
What is hotel upselling?
Hotel upselling is the process of offering guests upgrades or add-ons to enhance their experience while boosting revenue.
-
How can review responses help with upselling?
Thoughtful responses to positive reviews can highlight premium services and amenities.
-
What are the best platforms for upselling through reviews?
Platforms like TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Booking.com are ideal for leveraging review responses.
Conclusion: Unlock Revenue Opportunities Through Reviews
Hotel upselling through review responses is an untapped goldmine.
By responding strategically, hotels can inspire loyalty, engage potential bookers, and drive revenue growth.
With thoughtful responses, platform-specific strategies, and AI tools, reviews become a powerful marketing tool. Now is the time to unlock the full potential of your hotel’s reviews.
Ready to transform your review strategy? Explore how BFN-AI can save time and drive results. Learn More.