Expedia innovations aim to increase positive reviews and same-day bookings

Expedia is introducing what it claims are powerful new tools for hoteliers and travellers alike.

Expedia is introducing what it claims are powerful new tools for hoteliers and travellers alike.

The products will emerge globally this year as the latest developments to the overhaul of the hotel-facing Expedia PartnerCentral tool.

Real Time Feedback, designed following feedback from hoteliers who wanted more support in securing positive hotel reviews, targets the mobile-savvy traveller.

Shortly after a guest checks into an Expedia-booked hotel, they will receive an email asking them three short questions: “How was your check in?”; “How is your room?” and “Are you happy with the location?”

Guests answer these questions through a simple interface and are offered the chance to enter specific feedback.

The review is transmitted in real time to the hotelier via Expedia PartnerCentral, giving them the opportunity to act upon the feedback and avoid a potentially negative trip review.

Through the second tool, Sell Tonight, Expedia group claims to have made it faster and simpler for hoteliers to push out same day rates and availability to Expedia.com and Hotels.com customers around the world, in addition to the more than 80 million app downloads.

Sell Tonight, accessible via Expedia PartnerCentral, informs hotels in real time of same day rates in their market, providing them with the details they need to better compete and increase same day bookings.

John Kim, chief product officer of Expedia group said: “Our hotel partners have told us time and again that their feedback to a negative review is simply ‘I wish the guest had told us, as we would’ve corrected the issue.”

“So our product team began ideating how we could troubleshoot that, and Real Time Feedback was born.”