Research Article

Managing Online Reputation amid Polarized Guest Experiences: Evidence from Luxury Hotel Reviews in Turkiye

Volume: 19 Number: 1 January 31, 2026
TR EN

Managing Online Reputation amid Polarized Guest Experiences: Evidence from Luxury Hotel Reviews in Turkiye

Abstract

This study examines online customer reviews and hotel management responses from luxury hotels in Turkey’s four major tourism and business cities: Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and Antalya. The co-occurrence of very positive and highly negative reviews for the same hotel highlights a critical issue: the mismatch between guest expectations and service delivery. To better understand these polarized experiences—often overlooked by traditional surveys—the study adopts a mixed-methods approach combining content analysis and sentiment analysis using NLP (Natural Language Processing). A total of 200 customer reviews and their corresponding managerial responses from TripAdvisor were analyzed. Results show that inconsistencies in service quality, differences in staff interaction, infrastructure problems, and varied response strategies contribute to polarization. Management responses were also categorized by content and tone to evaluate how hotels handle digital complaints. The study contributes to the literature by introducing the concept of “polarized experiences” and showing that online review analysis can provide deeper insights than conventional methods in hospitality research.

Keywords

References

  1. Anagnostopoulou, S. C., Buhalis, D., Kountouri, I., Manousakis, E., & Tsekrekos, A. (2020). The impact of online reputation on hotel profitability. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 32(1), 20–39.
  2. Ayvaz-Çavdaroğlu, N., Iyanna, S., & Foster, M. (2024). Smart service quality in hospitality – A quantitative assessment using MCDM and clustering methods. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 123, 103931.
  3. Bolton, R. N., McColl-Kennedy, J. R., Cheung, L., Gallan, A., Orsingher, C., Witell, L., & Zaki, M. (2018). Customer experience challenges: bringing together digital, physical and social realms. Journal of Service Management, 29(5), 776–808.
  4. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
  5. Casado-Díaz, A. B., Andreu, L., Beckmann, S. C., & Miller, C. (2020). Negative online reviews and webcare strategies in social media: Effects on hotel attitude and booking intentions. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(4), 418–422.
  6. Fidan, A. (2013). Kişisel ve Kurumsal Açıdan İmaj Oluşturma, İmaj Yaratma ve İmaj Yenileme Süreçlerine İlişkin Tespitler ve Bireysel / Kurumsal İmaj Oluşturma ve İmaj Koruma Modeli Önerisi. Kent Akademisi, 6(15), 63-73.
  7. Filieri, R., Lin, Z., Pino, G., Alguezaui, S., & Inversini, A. (2021). The role of visual and verbal cues in eWOM on consumers’ behavioral intention and decisions. Journal of Business Research, 135, 663–675.
  8. Gong, C., Liu, J., Law, R., & Ye, Q. (2022). Exploring the effects of official-structured managerial responses on hotel online popularity. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 106, 103293.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Tourism (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

January 31, 2026

Submission Date

August 11, 2025

Acceptance Date

January 26, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 19 Number: 1

APA
Doğan, E. (2026). Managing Online Reputation amid Polarized Guest Experiences: Evidence from Luxury Hotel Reviews in Turkiye. Kent Akademisi, 19(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.35674/kent.1762839
AMA
1.Doğan E. Managing Online Reputation amid Polarized Guest Experiences: Evidence from Luxury Hotel Reviews in Turkiye. Urban Academy. 2026;19(1):1-18. doi:10.35674/kent.1762839
Chicago
Doğan, Edip. 2026. “Managing Online Reputation Amid Polarized Guest Experiences: Evidence from Luxury Hotel Reviews in Turkiye”. Kent Akademisi 19 (1): 1-18. https://doi.org/10.35674/kent.1762839.
EndNote
Doğan E (January 1, 2026) Managing Online Reputation amid Polarized Guest Experiences: Evidence from Luxury Hotel Reviews in Turkiye. Kent Akademisi 19 1 1–18.
IEEE
[1]E. Doğan, “Managing Online Reputation amid Polarized Guest Experiences: Evidence from Luxury Hotel Reviews in Turkiye”, Urban Academy, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 1–18, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.35674/kent.1762839.
ISNAD
Doğan, Edip. “Managing Online Reputation Amid Polarized Guest Experiences: Evidence from Luxury Hotel Reviews in Turkiye”. Kent Akademisi 19/1 (January 1, 2026): 1-18. https://doi.org/10.35674/kent.1762839.
JAMA
1.Doğan E. Managing Online Reputation amid Polarized Guest Experiences: Evidence from Luxury Hotel Reviews in Turkiye. Urban Academy. 2026;19:1–18.
MLA
Doğan, Edip. “Managing Online Reputation Amid Polarized Guest Experiences: Evidence from Luxury Hotel Reviews in Turkiye”. Kent Akademisi, vol. 19, no. 1, Jan. 2026, pp. 1-18, doi:10.35674/kent.1762839.
Vancouver
1.Edip Doğan. Managing Online Reputation amid Polarized Guest Experiences: Evidence from Luxury Hotel Reviews in Turkiye. Urban Academy. 2026 Jan. 1;19(1):1-18. doi:10.35674/kent.1762839

International Refereed and Indexed Journal of Urban Culture and Management | Kent Kültürü ve Yönetimi Uluslararası Hakemli İndeksli Dergi
Information, Communication, Culture, Art and Media Services (ICAM Network) | www.icamnetwork.net
Address: Ahmet Emin Fidan Culture and Research Center, Evkaf Neigh. No: 34 Fatsa Ordu
Tel: +90452 310 20 30 Faks: +90452 310 20 30 | E-Mail: (int): info@icamnetwork.net | (TR) bilgi@icamnetwork.net