They seem so long ago, those days when hotels were wary of online travel reviews, largely feeling they would be open to unjust public criticism.

Then, the industry shifted and began using this feedback to make the guest experience better by improving service and facilities based on guest comments.

Shortly thereafter, hotels began publishing reviews on their own sites: trust in transparency.

Now with the advent of ORM (online reputation management) integration with CRM (customer relationship management), the potential for hotels to truly embrace online travel reviews has come full circle, as online relationship management becomes synonymous with the highest level of guest service.

Hotel group Lindner �"with 34 hotels across 7 European countries�"is one of the first to integrate their ORM data with Serenata, their CRM provider. This integration takes guest service to a completely new place.

By integrating TrustYou online survey data into Lindner’s CRM and PMS (property management system), the hotel group is able to create detailed guest profiles and VIP reports.

This means that upon check-in, hoteliers have a full report with details about what guests have said about Lindner hotels in which they have stayed in the past. Guest service may then thank the guest for their feedback in person, as well as address any concerns that may have come up in the past.

“With this new integration, we’re able to truly customize our guests’ stays based on their feedback. Our ORM is speaking directly to our CRM, and this means that especially with VIPs, we can review their past comments prior to arrival, make changes to their guestroom experience or make notes about their preferences in service style. This allows us to deliver exactly what the guest is expecting�"or, ideally, more,” says Gunnar von Hagen, Corporate Director of Operations and Central Project Management for Lindner.

It would be easy to think of this integration as a digital data solution, but it is fundamentally a way for hotels to truly personalizing guest service.

Hotel staff can quit assuming a one-size-fits-all service solution and begin, instead, providing customized service based entirely on the guest’s expressed desires.

“Most guests don’t expect perfection, but they do expect to be heard. This new technology allows guests to not only feel heard via survey, but then to have their feedback validated in person and reflected in their stay. It provides a much more fluid guest experience,” says Benjamin Jost, CEO and co-founder at TrustYou.