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Recently on LinkedIn, I saw a post that shared a message from Marriott’s Aloft Miami Brickell.
They were offering guests 3,000 Bonvoy points for completing a survey with a perfect 9 or 10 score.
The text even explained how it works:
“If you enjoyed your stay, we kindly ask you to select the top score.” I stared at the post, blinking my way through various thoughts.
I was puzzled that a brand of this size would play this "Let's Make a Deal" style game.
Even if the guest gives the 10 and takes the 3,000 points, the relationship changes in an instant.
It’s no longer a hospitality experience; it’s a transaction.
And worse, the hotel trades away honest feedback that could have made the next stay better.
No thanks.
I'm not naive; I know this isn’t rare.
In fact, a day later, I opened my inbox to another example:
“Review XYZ property management system and be entered to win an Amazon gift card!” Which got me thinking…
If I thought they were great, I’d share that.
If I thought they were terrible, I’d let them know.
It’s the unremarkable experiences that make up most of the silent middle.
Those guests who make up the silent middle - that's where many growth opportunities die.
On average, 5% of hotel guests share their experience in a review.
(Revinate, 2024 Hospitality Benchmark report)
Only 5%!
This means 95 percent of guests, the quiet ones, leave without saying a word.
It's those guests who are your most significant opportunity.
You may be wondering why.
Because with AI search on the scene, reviews do a lot more than build your reputation.
Reviews decide which hotels get cited and recommended in AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Perplexity.
When travelers ask ChatGPT or Google to plan their trips:
“Where should my boyfriend and I stay in Paris with a rooftop bar view of the Eiffel Tower?” In the past, that answer came from your ad spend or SEO keywords.
Now it comes from the stories your guests have told about you - on Google, TripAdvisor, Reddit, and across the web.
AI connects the dots between those stories to decide what to recommend to guests booking hotel rooms.
So your reviews don’t describe your hotel.
Reviews define it.
If your site says “great mountain views” and your reviews say the same thing, guests and AI believe it as a trusted source.
If they don’t line up, trust starts to crack.
Alignment in your marketing and reviews is key.
How to get more (and more remarkable) reviews.
Many hotels use incentives to encourage reviews.
As a former GM and marketer, I get it.
Everyone wants more feedback.
What if you could get more reviews from the ones who don't usually speak up?
You can do this by creating moments that are worth talking about.
Guests aren't likely to talk about just good service.
They share surprises, emotions, and stories.
Think of the moments that make a guest pull out their phone or tell a friend.
- A handwritten welcome card with a fun local tip.
- A popsicle cart circling the pool deck at 2 p.m.
- An outdoor play area for dogs and dog owners to mix and mingle.
Those sparks create emotion, and emotion drives reviews that move hearts and rankings.
Good reviews vs. great reviews
Good reviews are written with the head.
Great reviews are written with the heart.
A good review says, “Clean rooms, good breakfast.”
A great review says, “They left a handwritten note and cookies because they noticed it was my birthday.”
One lists facts.
The other tells a story: your hotel's story.
And what loves these types of stories?
AI loves stories, not surveys.
The reviews that tell your story are the ones that sell your hotel.
This 2002 quote from Seth Godin, a global marketing leader, couldn't ring truer today.
More remarkable experiences = more remarkable reviews = more visibility in AI search.
How are you preparing now and into 2026 to show up in AI search?
When you're ready for some help, reply to this email and type in "AI search" and we'll talk through a fast-action plan.
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