Understanding Consumer’s Satisfaction to Online Hotel Review Systems: Quality Perception and Usability

Abstract

Online hotel reviews get intensive attentions in the disciplines of hospitality and tourism. However, studies on online hotel review system (OHRS), where online hotel reviews are generated, viewed and replied are far from adequate. A variety of OHRS with different features are available online, but there is currently a lack of studies deconstructing OHRS from a consumer satisfaction standpoint, this study aims to provide an in-depth understanding on consumer’s satisfactions to OHRS from a design feature perspective. Primary design features of OHRS are identified and classified based on an improved Kano method to depict consumer’s quality perceptions. After quantitatively measuring the importance of design feature, we combine their implementation level to capture the overall usability of OHRS. The effectiveness of the proposed methods are verified by applying it to the evaluation of OHRS in six well-known online travel platforms. Compared with prior studies, the current study provides insights into consumers’ asymmetric perceptions toward design features of OHRS and its usability structure, improves the deficiencies of the traditional Kano model, as well as provides valuable reference for online hotel vendors to optimize the design of OHRS to foster consumer’s satisfaction.