What do consumers want from their e-fellows? Segmenting travellers based on their preference for hotel review categories

This study investigates the influence of hotel guest reviews on customer hotel preferences in the context of booking hotels online applying a conjoint design. The empirical research shows that the subjects’ willingness to pay is significantly higher than their reference price for hotels. In addition to that, the results of this study indicate that reviews on the hotel in general and on the hotel’s rooms are perceived the most useful for consumers reading reviews. Applying a cluster analysis, we identify seven different segments. The findings indicate that users of consumer reviews do not belong to only one homogeneous group but perceive the importance of review categories differently. The paper also provides managerial implications.