HRS, Europe's hotel portal, is enhancing its points-based hotel evaluation system to include written feedback. HRS is also offering hoteliers the option to respond to the published comments, a move called for by HOTREC, the European umbrella association for hotels, restaurants and cafes.

As is always the case, only guests who have stayed at a hotel can submit an evaluation via the HRS portal. After their departure, they receive a link that takes them straight to the evaluation page. This way HRS ensures both the points score and the comments are genuine and reliable.

Guests mark hotels in 14 criteria on a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (very good) so the average values for the hotel can be calculated. To ensure evaluations are up-to-date, scores awarded more than two years previously are not included in the published average for the hotel and the average score does not show until five evaluations have been submitted. Once at least five customer reviews have been received, HRS calculates an overall score for the hotel, which is displayed in the hit list and gives the user a clear overview at a glance. So that the customers can find customer evaluations that reflect them and their interests among the 2.5 million on the system, the reviews clearly show whether they have been submitted by private or business travellers, single people or couples.

HRS provides hoteliers with access to reviews in a new "My Guest Evaluations" section of the Hotel Service Portal. HRS also informs hoteliers by e-mail as soon as a new comment about their establishment has been published or at timed intervals.

"Personal comments make the evaluation of the hotel even more helpful. They provide future hotel guests with an additional benefit and make it easier to choose a hotel," says HRS CEO, Tobias Ragge.

“Every customer's opinion counts. That's why we advise hoteliers to take comments seriously and to respond both to critical and positive comments, the latter of which make up the majority of hotel evaluations on HRS."