The unexpected sales boost of the rating gap and review gap for hotels: An expectation confirmation perspective

Consumers typically compare information before making decisions. Only when the two types of information are consistent in admitting high service quality are consumers motivated to book a hotel. However, the impact of the attitude gap between similar information sources on consumer booking behavior remains unexplored. Drawing on expectation confirmation theory, we investigate the influence of the rating gap and review gap on hotel sales. Additionally, we explore the moderating effect of hotel popularity. Through archival and experimental analyses, we found that (1) both the rating and review gap have a significantly positive effect on hotel sales, (2) the review gap has a more positive effect on hotel sales than the rating gap, and (3) hotel popularity amplifies the effects of both the rating gap and the review gap on hotel sales. Our findings provide valuable managerial insights for service providers to improve hotel sales in dynamic environments.