Reputation Management
Harlow Hospitality Group
Hotel Brand Reputation Recovery — Post-Renovation Relaunch
TripAdvisor rank: #34 → #6 in city · 4.2★ → 4.9★ · direct bookings up 88%
- ORM
- Review Management
- TripAdvisor
- Google Business Profile
- Content Strategy
- Digital PR
The Project
Overview
The Harlow Hospitality Group had invested £2.1 million in a full property renovation across their flagship 78-room boutique hotel. The renovation delivered a genuinely superior product — new rooms, a redesigned restaurant, a rooftop bar, and a spa. But their online reputation still reflected the pre-renovation experience. Travellers were reading reviews describing outdated rooms and a dated restaurant, then booking elsewhere. We were engaged to close the gap between the product's reality and its public perception.
The Challenge
The Problem: A £2.1M Renovation Nobody Knew About
Post-renovation, Harlow ranked #34 on TripAdvisor for their city — despite now operating one of the best-appointed boutique hotels in the area. Their Google Business Profile showed 180 reviews averaging 4.2 stars, most written before the renovation. Booking.com and TripAdvisor reviews still mentioned the old carpets, the dated bar, and the slow service — problems that no longer existed. New guests were being lost to a reputation they'd already earned the right to leave behind.
Pain Points Before Engagement
- TripAdvisor rank of #34 — invisible in the platform's recommendation engine
- 67% of visible reviews described pre-renovation experience — misleading prospective guests
- No review generation process — post-stay review requests had never been implemented
- Direct booking rate of 31% — heavily OTA-dependent with associated commission costs
- Zero press coverage of the renovation — a £2.1M investment with no earned media
The Solution
Tell the Renovation Story. Earn the Reviews. Own the Ranking.
The strategy had three parallel tracks. First: volume — generate enough post-renovation reviews to statistically dilute the old ones. Second: narrative — get the renovation covered in travel and lifestyle press so the story spread beyond reviews. Third: direct — use improved reputation to shift booking behaviour away from OTAs and onto the hotel's direct booking engine.
Post-Stay Review Campaign
Triggered SMS and email sequence sent 24 hours after checkout, personalised with the guest's name and stay dates, linking to TripAdvisor, Google, and Booking.com. Achieved 28% response rate. Generated 160 new reviews in 4 months — all reflecting the post-renovation experience.
Renovation Announcement PR
Pitched the renovation story to 12 travel and lifestyle publications. Secured placements in 6, including two regional lifestyle magazines and a national travel blog with 280,000 monthly readers. Each piece included photography of the new spaces and a direct booking link.
OTA Profile Overhaul
Updated TripAdvisor, Booking.com, and Expedia profiles with 60+ new post-renovation photographs, refreshed property descriptions, and an updated amenities list reflecting the spa and rooftop bar additions. Added a management response to the most-viewed legacy negative reviews contextualising the renovation.
Google Business Profile Renovation Content
Published a Google Business Profile 'renovation reveal' post series — 8 posts over 4 weeks showcasing each updated space with professional photography. Added the spa and rooftop bar as distinct services. Profile views increased 240% month-over-month.
Direct Booking Funnel
Integrated the hotel's direct booking engine with post-review-read retargeting — guests who read reviews were served targeted ads offering a 12% discount for direct booking. Combined with a loyalty perks programme (early check-in, complimentary breakfast for repeat guests) to reward direct customers.
Under the Hood
Platform & Tool Stack
Technology Stack
- Review GenerationAutomated SMS (Twilio) + email (post-checkout PMS trigger)
- Platform ManagementTripAdvisor, Google Business Profile, Booking.com, Expedia
- PR OutreachManual media outreach — 12 publications targeted, 6 placed
- RetargetingMeta Ads retargeting — OTA review page visitors → direct booking
- PhotographyProfessional post-renovation shoot — 80 images across all spaces
- MonitoringReviewTrackers — real-time alerts across all booking platforms
Engineering Highlights
- 160 post-renovation reviews generated in 4 months — statistically overtaking legacy reviews
- 6 earned media placements — including national travel publication with 280K readers
- TripAdvisor rank climbed from #34 to #6 in the city within 5 months
- OTA commission spend reduced by £28K over 6 months as direct bookings increased
Measurable Outcomes
The Results
TripAdvisor City Rank
#6
up from #34 — top 10 for the first time
Google Star Rating
4.9★
up from 4.2★ — 160 new post-renovation reviews
Direct Bookings
+88%
vs. 6-month pre-renovation average
OTA Commission Saved
£28K
over 6 months as direct bookings increased
Press Placements
6
earned media — incl. national travel publication
"We spent two years and £2 million making this hotel the best version of itself. Nexora spent six months making sure the world actually knew it."
General Manager
Harlow Hospitality Group
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