Hotel managers and owners have hundreds of things to worry about every day, taking care of the needs of their buildings, their employees, and their guests. With all of this occupying your attention, the state of your reputation may never be topmost in your mind. But with more and more travelers depending on online reviews and information when making lodging choices, hotel reputation management matters.

With this in mind, knowing how to manage and maintain your reputation can make an immense difference in your bottom line. There are many nuances to how to accomplish this, but the following three tips provide a good start.

1. Proactive, Not Reactive

If you wait until you have several negative reviews of your property, you may find it much more difficult to recover and rebuild than it would be to get in front of it. Hotel reputation management occurs along the way, in every step you take.

This may include inviting reviews on sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor, and also posting reviews on your website. You can use customer surveys, distributed at the end of a visit or via email in the days following. Spontaneous reviews are often extremely good or bad, so this can encourage a broader range.

2. Line for Solicitation

That said, some sites forbid solicitation of reviews. Yelp, for example, allows you to mention their site ("Find us on Yelp!") but not to specifically ask for a review ("Review us on Yelp!"). Thus, you should be careful in how you approach customers. And, because a significant part of your reputation is the service you provide, you should focus on delivering excellence before collecting reviews.

3. Engagement Is Key

Finally, an engaged hotel looks better. Whether you receive positive or negative reviews, take the time to respond with thoughtful, careful information that shows you are addressing the customer personally. This helps you build your online rankings and enhances your online reputation.

Above all, acting ahead and responding positively go a long way in hotel reputation management. Planning ahead, giving excellent service, and engaging your customers can do wonders for you online.