What does Van der Valk Hotel Gilze-Tilburg do to increase the review score on platforms such as Booking and TripAdvisor?

Many consumers filter on the review score on platforms such as Booking.com and TripAdvisor when choosing a suitable hotel. A high score in combination with a reasonable price contributes to a high occupancy rate. At Nick van der Valk, general manager of the Van der Valk Hotel Gilze-Tilburg, we put the question for "What does Van der Valk Hotel Gilze-Tilburg do to increase the review scores?"

For years, Nick has been running the huge hotel that has undergone thorough renovations and extensions in recent years and he recognizes the importance of review scores.  The hotel now distinguishes itself as a "resorthotel", for the time being the first and only within the Van der Valk chain.  This is due to the large range of facilities such as own swimming pools, wellness, bowling alleys, fitness, halls, several restaurant concepts, a horse hotel, casino, bicycle and scooter rental and much more. But also the unique appearance of an international allure and strategic location in the green in the midst of the most beautiful sights.

Nick tells us: “Increasing the review score on Booking and TripAdvisor starts with hotel staff that is friendly, helpful and guest -oriented, that is in our DNA. Guests appreciate a positive interaction with the staff. That is a condition for being able to work with the review score at all. The most important factor that assesses the rooms. But what is a comfortable room?

A comfortable room

“It is no longer the case that a good bed and fine bedding combined with a good format TV automatically leads to a positive guest experience. Guests are more used to and at the same time there are more and more products on the market that focus on a positive guest experience. Some of these products are very expensive and there are also products with which does not get the guests of the review. Curtains are served too complicated or an air conditioning that makes the room too cold, whatever the guest tries to do.

What are products that are worth considering with a refurbishment of the rooms, or design of new rooms that increase the comfort level?
"A comfortable room is a room that offers more than what the guest is used to."The extra mile" That is why we have done everything we can to make the guest in the hotel room completely happy. For example, all rooms are equipped with a minibar, a Nespresso device and ironing supplies and the slightly more luxurious rooms are also furnished with things such as a hot tub and a Rainshower. The smallest details provide the most valuable impressions to the guest. For example, things like Audio that have been eliminated in the rooms in Gilze in the ceiling appear to do very well with our guests ”.

"Beautiful and spacious room, spacious bubble bath, Bluetooth speaker so that you can enjoy your own music, while you relax in the Bubblebad" (Sharinette). "Free WiFi what the kids thought was great, as well as the possibility of playing music in the room via Bluetooth" (Jillstroo140) - TripAdvisor

“The hotel room audio is only a small investment compared to, for example, a hot tub. This is what Audio has been considered. This was delivered by the Dutch company Octavium that has the largest selection of Hotel room audio in Europe ”. Some important characteristics of the hotel room audio:

·        Volume ceiling (to be set per room)
·        Pin code
·        Stereo image
·        Nicely concealed (so it does not have to be cleaned and difficult to steal)
·        Interestingly priced

The wireless telephone chargers built into furniture also comes from Octavium.

"A large 2 -person jacuzzi, rain shower with Sunshower, bottle of bubbles, wireless telephone charger, Bluetooth sound system in the room" Remco P - TripAdvisor

Important features of these chargers:

·        You can load all phones with it
·        It prevents questions at the reception for all kinds of charging codes
·        They are incorporated in the bedside tables, so they cannot be stealed

“All of them products, or maybe you better say gadgets, which require a small investment and have a big impact”

For example, why do you buy those chargers Octavium And not elsewhere? Nick: “You can purchase cheaper chargers on a Chinese site, but then you enter into a big risk and you have" 0 "service; we will go for quality. Working together with Octavium Moreover, is very pleasant ”.

In summary: for high review scores you pay attention, in addition to your staff, especially at the comfort, quality and broadness of facilities. Be sure to focus on the small details, don't make it too complicated and go for that step extra! ”

This text is a summary of an interview with Nick van der Valk where a filtering has been applied to products from Octavium