When choosing a hotel, many people will be familiar with using consumer review websites to research comparative reviews of traveler experiences. From comfort to service, location and amenities, thousands of people flock to the internet to provide reviews. You can scroll the page to write general feedback and check whether it meets your requirements or not.
At CTM, we know that a successful hotel program is about more than location and price. This includes strong traveler engagement that meets the needs of both organizations and business travelers, such as service, cleanliness, facilities and overall experience. And that's why Lightning, our exclusive online booking tool, includes hotel ratings and reviews, allowing travelers to rate their hotel experience at checkout based on the metrics that matter most to business travelers and travel programs.
If you're curious about the value and importance of peer-reviewed hotel reviews within online travel booking tools, this blog aims to explore and answer those questions.
So how does it work?
Lightning aggregates and displays only hotel reviews and ratings submitted by your company’s employees, ensuring that feedback is relevant to your business and your traveling workforce. Reviews are then displayed in Lightning’s hotel search results, allowing travel bookers to view, compare, and choose accommodations based on their team’s relevant feedback.
Reviews via Lightning allow travelers to rate hotels based on room, value, service, cleanliness, facilities, and overall experience, as well as provide feedback on their stay.
Cherie Drummond, CTM Chief Product Officer (AU/NZ), “Lightning’s Hotel Reviews help travelers and travel bookers book trusted, high-quality accommodation options, eliminating the need to check extensive consumer review sites. This establishes a direct channel for traveler feedback to inform travel managers of their on-site experiences at hotels within their travel programs.”
Why is social proof important?
Social proof plays an important role in establishing product credibility and alleviating customer uncertainty. People naturally seek confirmation from others when making decisions. For Lightning, hotel reviews summarize the popular opinions of peers with similar needs and preferences, giving fellow business travelers a way to cross-check hotel research with first-hand experiences. In fact, a 2024 study by Wisernotify found that 92% of people trust suggestions from their peers, while only 70% trust suggestions from the public.
As a result, travelers can make smarter, more informed choices about the hotels they book, ensuring a safe, comfortable and convenient stay that lives up to their expectations. Accessing peer reviews during the booking process can provide reassurance and confidence for both travelers and bookers. Conversely, travel managers need visibility into the traveler experience to ensure that hotels within their programs meet agreed-upon standards and provide positive traveler experiences.
How do Lightning's Hotel Reviews support hotel program compliance and traveler approvals?
Travel managers and bookers want to ensure that travelers adhere to travel policies and book through the right channels for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to risk management, duty of care, and budget management. They also want travelers to stick with their preferred suppliers to maximize their contracts, further supporting future negotiation opportunities.
The ability to post hotel reviews within Lightning helps support and influence the decision-making process. When individuals see other people endorsing a hotel, it helps them validate their choices and reduces the risk of making a wrong decision. Peer validation can be especially useful in situations where multiple options are available for an audience.
High ratings and positive reviews help build trust and credibility for your hotel. This lets your colleagues know that your service has been tried, tested and approved, making it more attractive and trustworthy. They are not selected to be part of the company's hotel program simply based on rates. Social proof creates a sense of belonging and community among traveling employees. Knowing that others have had similar experiences creates a sense of camaraderie and shared values, strengthening the decision to join a particular hotel or chain.
Ultimately, providing travelers and bookers with peer hotel reviews at the time of booking can support good booking behavior, travel program buy-in through positive traveler experiences, and lower the risk of out-of-policy bookings. Reviews also help us introduce a thoughtful, well-considered Preferred Hotels program that helps guide commentary on where future changes may be needed based on collective feedback.
Lightning's reputation for speed and simplicity, along with new hotel review and rating innovations, demonstrate how a truly modern online booking experience can add value to both travel managers and travelers to help build successful corporate travel programs.