Project – The Effect of Online Guest Reviews on Hotel Selection Decisions: A Study of Customers of Selected Hotels in Abeokuta, Ogun State
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The growth of internet-based communication has transformed how consumers search for information, compare service providers and make purchasing decisions. In the hospitality industry, this transformation is particularly important because hotel accommodation is an intangible service that customers often purchase before personally experiencing it. Potential guests may be unable to assess a hotel’s room quality, staff attitude, cleanliness, security or service reliability before arrival. Consequently, they frequently rely on information provided by previous guests, travel websites and online booking platforms. Online guest reviews provide consumers with accounts of other customers’ experiences and may reduce uncertainty during the hotel-selection process. Litvin, Goldsmith and Pan (2008) explain that electronic word-of-mouth has become an important form of communication in tourism and hospitality because consumers can share and access travel-related opinions through online platforms. Their work establishes the relevance of online consumer communication to hospitality marketing and decision-making.
Online guest reviews can contain both numerical ratings and written descriptions of customer experiences. Numerical ratings may provide a quick indication of overall satisfaction, while written comments can explain the reasons behind a guest’s evaluation. Reviews may discuss room comfort, cleanliness, staff professionalism, food quality, location, value for money, security and the quality of facilities. These attributes can help prospective customers compare hotels and assess whether a particular establishment meets their needs. Lee, Hu and Lu (2018) examined more than 1.1 million TripAdvisor hotel reviews and investigated the contribution of review quality, sentiment and reviewer characteristics to perceived helpfulness. Their study demonstrates that online reviews are not uniform in value: consumers may need to distinguish useful information from reviews that provide limited assistance. This is relevant to hotel selection because the quantity of available reviews does not necessarily mean that every review offers equally useful information.
The influence of online guest reviews may extend beyond information search to the formation of attitudes and booking intentions. Positive reviews can communicate satisfaction with a hotel’s services, while negative reviews may draw attention to problems that prospective guests consider important. However, the effect of a review may depend on its content, perceived credibility, relevance and the way it is presented. Sparks and Browning (2011) investigated online reviews in a hotel context and found that review valence, presentation and numerical ratings could affect consumer trust and booking intentions. Their experimental findings indicated that negative information presented early could have a substantial influence on consumers’ perceptions, while positive framing combined with numerical ratings could increase trust and booking intention under the study conditions. These findings suggest that customers may consider not only whether reviews are positive or negative, but also how the information is communicated when evaluating hotels.
The volume and credibility of online reviews are also important considerations in consumers’ decision-making. A hotel with many reviews may attract attention, but prospective guests may still question whether the reviews are authentic, recent and relevant to their own expectations. Reviewers’ experience, the specificity of their descriptions and the consistency between written comments and numerical ratings may shape how readers interpret the information. Lee et al. (2018) found that reviewer characteristics were useful predictors of review helpfulness in their analysis, underscoring the relevance of information about who provides a review. More recent research by Zhang and Wu (2022) examined key online reviews and hotel booking, finding that selected reviews can play a mediating role between review-related characteristics and booking behaviour. These studies highlight the importance of understanding how consumers assess the usefulness and credibility of reviews rather than assuming that every online comment has the same influence.
Online reviews may also affect the range of hotels that consumers consider before making a final selection. During the early stages of decision-making, consumers may use reviews to become aware of unfamiliar hotels, eliminate alternatives that appear unsuitable or develop a shortlist of establishments for further comparison. Vermeulen and Seegers (2009) examined the effects of online hotel reviews on consumer consideration and reported that exposure to reviews increased hotel consideration on average in their experimental study. Both positive and negative reviews could increase awareness, while positive reviews additionally improved attitudes towards hotels. This suggests that reviews can have more than one role: they may bring a hotel into a consumer’s consideration set, while the tone and content of the information may influence whether the consumer develops a favourable impression of it. Hotel selection therefore involves a process in which consumers interpret online information alongside their personal preferences and travel requirements.
In Nigeria, the relevance of online guest reviews can be considered within the broader growth of digital communication and the hospitality sector. Consumers seeking accommodation may use online search engines, social media, hotel websites and booking platforms to identify and compare available establishments. Reviews can be particularly useful when customers are unfamiliar with a hotel or destination, or when they are making decisions for business trips, leisure visits, events and family travel. At the same time, consumer decisions may also be shaped by price, location, personal recommendations, brand reputation, accessibility, facilities and direct communication with hotel staff. The international hotel-review literature shows that online information can influence trust, consideration and booking intentions, but it does not establish that the same factors operate with equal strength in every market. Sparks and Browning (2011) and Vermeulen and Seegers (2009) provide evidence of review-related effects in their respective study settings, supporting the need to examine how online guest reviews are used by customers in a specific Nigerian context.
Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, provides a setting in which to investigate customers’ use of online guest reviews when selecting hotels. Customers choosing accommodation in the city may compare establishments according to service quality, price, location, cleanliness, facilities and perceived reliability. Online guest reviews may contribute to these comparisons by offering accounts of previous experiences, but customers may differ in how frequently they consult reviews, which review features they trust and how much importance they attach to positive or negative comments. Existing international research has examined review helpfulness, hotel consideration, trust and booking intentions (Lee et al., 2018; Sparks & Browning, 2011; Vermeulen & Seegers, 2009), while also indicating that review characteristics can affect consumers in different ways. A study of customers of selected hotels in Abeokuta is therefore necessary to examine the role online guest reviews play in hotel selection decisions within this local context.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Online guest reviews have become a source of information for consumers considering hotel accommodation, yet the growing availability of reviews can make it difficult to determine which information is useful and credible. Customers may encounter numerous comments with different ratings, levels of detail and descriptions of service experiences. Some reviews may be vague, outdated or inconsistent with other information about the hotel, making interpretation challenging. Lee et al. (2018) identified review helpfulness as an important issue in the hotel-review environment and examined how review quality, sentiment and reviewer characteristics relate to helpfulness. This suggests that the availability of online reviews alone does not guarantee that consumers will receive clear or dependable guidance when selecting a hotel.
Another problem concerns the possibility that reviews influence customers differently depending on whether they are positive or negative and how they are presented. A strongly negative account may discourage a prospective guest, while a positive review may increase confidence in a hotel. However, consumers may also interpret reviews in light of their own expectations, travel purpose, budget and previous experiences. Sparks and Browning (2011) found that review valence and presentation affected trust and booking intentions in their experimental hotel study. Vermeulen and Seegers (2009) also found that online reviews could increase hotel consideration, while positive reviews additionally improved attitudes. These findings show that reviews can affect different stages of consumer decision-making, but the extent to which customers of selected hotels in Abeokuta respond to these review characteristics requires local investigation.
A further concern is that hotel selection decisions are not necessarily based on online guest reviews alone. Consumers may also consider room rates, location, facilities, personal recommendations, brand familiarity and direct interactions with hotel personnel. Even when reviews are consulted, customers may attach different levels of importance to numerical ratings, written comments, the number of reviews, reviewer credibility and the recency of the information. Zhang and Wu (2022) examined the role of key online reviews in hotel booking and found that these reviews mediated the effects of review content and reviewer characteristics on booking in their study. Such findings underline the need to distinguish between merely accessing reviews and actually using them as part of a selection decision. The relative importance of these review features among customers of hotels in Abeokuta remains an empirical question.
The problem addressed by this study is therefore the need to establish how online guest reviews affect hotel selection decisions among customers of selected hotels in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Although international studies have documented relationships between online reviews, hotel consideration, trust, review helpfulness and booking intentions (Lee et al., 2018; Sparks & Browning, 2011; Vermeulen & Seegers, 2009), their findings cannot automatically be assumed to describe customers in Abeokuta. A focused study is needed to determine the extent to which customers consult online guest reviews, identify the review characteristics they consider important and examine the relationship between online reviews and their hotel-selection decisions. The findings may provide context-specific evidence for understanding customer behaviour and informing hotel operators’ management of online guest feedback.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of online guest reviews on hotel selection decisions among customers of selected hotels in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
1.4 Objectives of the Study
The specific objectives are to:
- Determine the extent to which customers of selected hotels in Abeokuta consult online guest reviews when selecting hotels.
- Identify the online guest-review characteristics that customers consider important in hotel selection decisions.
- Examine the relationship between online guest reviews and hotel selection decisions among customers of selected hotels in Abeokuta.
- Investigate the challenges customers encounter when using online guest reviews to select hotels.
1.5 Research Questions
The study will be guided by the following research questions:
- To what extent do customers of selected hotels in Abeokuta consult online guest reviews when selecting hotels?
- Which online guest-review characteristics do customers consider important in hotel selection decisions?
- What relationship exists between online guest reviews and hotel selection decisions among customers of selected hotels in Abeokuta?
- What challenges do customers encounter when using online guest reviews to select hotels?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
The following null hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance:
H₀: There is no significant relationship between online guest reviews and hotel selection decisions among customers of selected hotels in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
1.7 Significance of the Study
The findings of this study may be useful to hotel managers and operators in Abeokuta by providing information about how customers use online guest reviews when choosing accommodation. An understanding of the review features customers consider important may help hotel operators monitor guest feedback, respond appropriately to complaints and identify service areas that customers frequently discuss.
The study may also benefit hotel marketing and customer-relations personnel. By examining customers’ perceptions of review credibility, helpfulness and influence, the research may provide insights into how online feedback contributes to hotel reputation and customer decision-making. The findings may encourage hotels to treat guest reviews as a source of customer feedback rather than solely as promotional content.
Customers may benefit indirectly from the study because its findings could draw attention to the role of review quality, credibility and relevance in accommodation decisions. Greater awareness of these factors may help consumers assess online information more carefully and compare hotels according to their individual needs.
The study may contribute to academic literature on hospitality marketing, electronic word-of-mouth and consumer behaviour in Nigeria. It may also provide a reference point for future researchers investigating online reviews and hotel-selection decisions in other cities, destinations or categories of accommodation.
1.8 Scope of the Study
The study focuses on the effect of online guest reviews on hotel selection decisions among customers of selected hotels in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The geographical scope is limited to the selected hotels within Abeokuta.
The content scope covers customers’ use of online guest reviews, the characteristics of reviews that customers consider important, the relationship between reviews and hotel selection decisions, and the challenges encountered when using reviews. Review characteristics may include review valence, numerical ratings, written content, perceived credibility, helpfulness and the volume of reviews.
The respondents will comprise customers of the selected hotels who are able to provide information relevant to the study. The findings will be interpreted in relation to the selected hotels and should not automatically be generalised to all hotels or hotel customers in Ogun State.
1.9 Operational Definition of Terms
Online Guest Reviews: Written comments, numerical ratings or other feedback posted online by individuals who have experienced a hotel’s services.
Hotel Selection Decisions: The choices customers make when identifying, comparing and selecting a hotel for accommodation.
Review Valence: The positive, negative or neutral tone conveyed by an online guest review.
Review Credibility: The extent to which a customer perceives an online review as believable, trustworthy and reliable.
Review Helpfulness: The extent to which a customer considers a review useful for understanding a hotel and making a selection decision.
Customer: A person who uses or has used the services of a hotel included in the study.
Selected Hotels: The hotel establishments in Abeokuta, Ogun State, chosen as the study locations.
Abeokuta: The capital city of Ogun State, Nigeria, and the geographical setting of this research.
Project – The Effect of Online Guest Reviews on Hotel Selection Decisions: A Study of Customers of Selected Hotels in Abeokuta, Ogun State
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Customers are Happy
Ademola A.
I was skeptical at first, but after placing my order, my full project arrived in my email in under 15 minutes! The process was smooth, clear, and professional. Truly amazing service!
Kwabena K.
I needed a custom project on a new topic. Https://azresearchconsult.com.ng delivered within 3 days, and the quality was outstanding. They even guided me on how to defend it. Highly recommend!
Michael H.
Fast, reliable, and very professional. My research project was delivered on time, with no hidden charges. The team is trustworthy and supportive.
Fatou B.
I got my full project in minutes and my custom request within 3 days. Their communication is clear, and the material is top-notch. Excellent experience!
James O.
https://azresearchconsult.com.ng is a lifesaver! My project was delivered exactly as requested. The team is friendly, professional, and highly responsive. Very satisfied!
Ngozi E.
I was worried about paying online, but the team reassured me and delivered my complete project instantly. Transparent and professional service!
Ama S.
I requested a custom topic project and received it in just 3 days. The guidance and quality were excellent. I recommend azresearchconsult.com.ng to everyone!
Sarah W.
The service is dependable and efficient. My project arrived on time, and every step was transparent. Truly a professional service I trust.
Emmanuel T.
Fast and reliable. My full project was delivered in minutes, and the custom project in 3 days. Communication was excellent throughout.
Aisha N.
Extremely satisfied with the service. My project was delivered promptly, fully transparent, and of high quality. A trustworthy academic partner!