The authenticity of TripAdvisor reviews is under the spotlight again after new research revealed thousands of suspect postings on the Chinese version of the website.

The study, carried out by Kwikchex, an "online reputation management" company that has been a regular critic of TripAdvisor, uncovered what it called "alarming patterns" on daodao, the site's Chinese domain.

Chris Emmins, Kwikchex co-founder, cited "amazingly prolific" reviewers on the site, including one member...

By now most hotels have a Facebook page, but many struggle with how much time to dedicate and what results to expect. Is Facebook a channel for sales, marketing or guest service? In ReviewPro's most recent webinar, we tackled these questions and more. Here are the highlights from our discussion.

Is Facebook declining in popularity?

I ask this question a lot when I'm working with the hotel industry. I'm always surprised by the answers I receive. Some of my clients respond it's our location.  I then have them walk outside with me, and there's a whole group of hotels all around them. Some of my clients respond by saying it's our product offering and amenities. So I then have them go online and look at the other hotels on their level to discover that they also possess the same level of product offering and ...

With the emergence of social media, and visual-rich website experiences, visual storytelling has become a necessity for hotels to stand out online today.

Hotels don't necessarily need to produce a sea of content in order to have plenty of fresh, interesting media. This is the 21st century, take advantage of the internet and social media by crowdsourcing content from guests.

A recent TripAdvisor TripBarometer report re-highlights the importance of online reviews in the purchasing behaviours of online travellers: 93% of travellers worldwide say online reviews have an impact on their booking decisions.

Whilst TripAdvisor is probably the most widely recognised online reviews platform for accommodation, Google is rolling out a valuable tool for hoteliers, giving insight into your guest feedback.

Part of Google Places for Business, the ne...

Booking.com continues to see strong growth in mobile bookings with the total transaction value of mobile accommodation bookings more than doubling from over $3 billion in 2012 to over $8 billion in 2013. Looking back at the 2011 figure where Booking.com saw $1 billion in mobile bookings, it is clear that mobile accommodation booking continues to grow rapidly year on year.

"Booking.com has more than 425,000 accommodations across 25 different accommodation types, bookable via ...

Stuart Perry from New Zealand is the first General Manager of the newly established Tonga Tourism Authority.

His apppointment started the daily operation of the authority in January 2014, to ensure the delivery of outputs mandated in the Tonga Tourism Authority Act 2012. The Act established the private-sector led authority to drive th...

Boss. Leader. Manager.

Kick enough goals, win enough brownie points, and you'll frequently progress up your career ladder to any one of these positions. These are often the terms given to you when you take on the management of not just a task, but a project that involves people, personalities and project goals. Each of these terms are also interchangeable right!?

As hotels start to assemble social marketing teams, it is important to understand how to integrate  social media in hotels. Being clear about how you see it being used, will only help your customers understand how to use it.

The bad news: Social media in hotels is not a primary tool. It can not on its own - at this time - lead the charg...

The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has published new research that highlights how the expectations of 21st century travellers are evolving - and the standards expected of global hotel brands are high.

The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has published new research that highlights how the expectations of 21st centur...

The state’s leading industry associations and Hoteliers have had a mixed reaction to the proposed NSW liquor law changes.

The Australian Hotels Association NSW said it would be examining the details of the policies over coming days and discussing the implications with its members.

“The organisation wholeheart...

Video is taking content marketing by storm, but you'll have to do more than just make one to realise its full potential.

Video is everywhere. Small businesses who ignore it 'do so at their peril'. Photograph: Robert Gray/Getty Images

If it were five years in the future, would you be reading this article or would you be watching it? As online vid...

A local resort has successfully set up a solar system – letting the owners achieve their dream of getting off the national power grid.

Muri Beach Resort owners Paul and Jane Pearson have always believed in alternative methods and thought Rarotonga the perfect place for solar energy because of its long sunshine hours.

When the couple first thought about getting off the grid the technology was not available, but since then advancements have been made to make their dream vi...

If the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation is correct, Adelaide will be the hottest city in the world today with temperatures expected to reach 46C – hotter than the same time frame in Rio de Janeiro (40C) and Bangkok (32C).

Victoria, which has already experienced extreme temperatures this week, is on course to peak above 40C for four consecutive days, for the first time in 100 years, with temps expected to soar to 44...

In the past year, a lot has been said and happened in regards to Millennials and the hospitality industry.

For example, there was exciting news from Marriott and Commune Hotels with the announcement of new brands geared towards Millennials, Moxy and Tommie, respectively. But due to the intense interest in the next generation of travel, a lot of noise has been added to the conversation as well, with the same repetitive points being made.

Millennials are te...

For the hotel and lodging industry, loyalty takes a backseat to price, according to Accenture Hospitality’s Global Consumer Pulse Research. The survey queried 12,867 customers in 32 different countries about the hotel and lodging industry.

The research found that 41 percent of customers find offers and deals as a top differentiator w...

By Feature Writer Arielle Sanchez

Online Travel Agencies or OTAs such as Expedia, Priceline, and Hotels.com may seem to be doing hotels a favor at first sight. Guests book a room online through the OTA's website and the hotel now has a customer it did not have before. Good right? Not exactly. OTAs take an average of 20-25% commission on each room sold while also taking away the relationship between your hotel and the guest. In fact, hotels could actually spend a lot less than th...

In this mornings Herald, Sideswipe makes a joke of the word MICE which it clearly has never heard of before but it is totally correct. We think the thought it should of been NICE!

WRONG.

Funny how one gets paid determines so much of one’s behavior. Or that of one’s business. Industry even.

We in the communications planning and delivery business generally get paid in one of two ways. Neither makes much sense, and both lead to bad behavior.

The first is around commissions. In brief, what t...

Savings of $200 per couple are available on eight-day, whale-swim holidays in Tonga, with nature lovers able to frolic with the giant humpbacks that migrate to the warm tropical waters every year to mate and give birth.

Australia-based eco operator, Majestic Whale Encounters, runs a range of whale-swim holidays in Tonga from July to October, ...