guest experience in the middle east
TRANSCRIPT
Turn guests into ambassadors
Guest Experience in the Middle East
www.olery.comApril 25, 2016
Based on Hotel Guest Reviews Published April 2015 - March 2016
About OleryOlery captures content shared by travelers on accommodation booking sites and travel apps. Technologies such as Natural Language Processing help to analyze the millions of opinions published by guests.
This way Olery extracts data about destinations, hospitality businesses and travelers worldwide. This data is used to monitor performance and reputation, improve services through feedback and to better understand visitors.
The Olery data platform powers a suite of web applications, reports and developer APIs for the hospitality industry, tourism organizations and travel commerce companies.
Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, contact us or visit www.olery.com to learn more
DisclaimerThis report is based on information extracted from online guest reviews. All analyzed content is publicly available. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data, Olery makes no representation, warranty or guarantee in connection with this report and hereby expressly disclaims any liability or responsibility for loss or damage resulting from the use of this data.
Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under the Creative Commons License, “Attribution Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Netherlands”. This license enables you to use, copy, spread, and build upon this work non-commercially, as long as you credit Olery, and license your new creations under the identical terms. Charts contained in this report may be reproduced for publication, however they may not be modified in any way without the prior written consent of Olery. The Creative Commons License is available for download at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/nl/.
Cover image credit: Francisco Anzola (www.flickr.com/photos/fran001/)
3Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Table of Contents
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Bahrain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Cyprus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Egypt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Kuwait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Lebanon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Oman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Qatar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Saudi Arabia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
United Arab Emirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Abu Dhabi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Dubai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Sharjah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
About Olery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
In a world of slowed economic progress, tourism continues to be a major driver for growth. The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) reports that international arrivals grew by 4.4% in 2015 alone.
While this constitutes an above-average increase in tourism, the Middle East region is struggling to fully participate. Conflicts, terrorism and political instability are taking their toll.
Nonetheless, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) calculates that tourism sustains more than 5.5 million jobs in the region. With Iran becoming a travel destination once again and international events like the Expo in Dubai and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar lined up, the expectations for the coming years are high.
When planning and booking trips, modern, tech-savvy travelers increasingly turn to information digitally shared by their peers. An abundance of web and mobile platforms lets users publish opinions about destinations, hotels, restaurants, attractions and other businesses.
Online reviews also provide excellent insights into the experiences of travelers. Businesses, associations and governments worldwide use this data to understand their visitors and make better investment decisions.
This report provides a snapshot into the review data for all major destinations in the Middle East.
Introduction
0
500000
1000000
1500000
2000000
2500000
3000000
50
60
70
80
90
100
20162015201420132012201120102009
Guest Experience Index™
Num
ber o
f pub
lishe
d re
view
s ac
ross
all
sour
ces
Review Volume & Guest Experience of hotels in the Middle East
Estimate
5Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Rank Country GEI1 Change # of reviews
1 (1) Cyprus 84.4 1.91% 113,631
2 (3) Israel 82.0 2.22% 163,307
3 (2) Lebanon 81.1 0.25% 24,614
4 (4) Egypt 80.7 1.35% 282,272
5 (5) Jordan 79.5 0.28% 50,690
6 (7) Qatar 79.2 1.95% 63,083
7 (6) UAE 78.8 0.05% 983,710
8 (8) Oman 77.5 0.62% 45,541
9 (11) Bahrain 76.9 2.74% 50,288
10 (9) Kuwait 75.8 0.14% 32,316
11 (10) Saudi Arabia 73.5 -1.98% 335,842
Guest Experience Index per country 2016tm
Egypt
Saudi Arabia
Yemen
Oman
UAE
BahrainQatar
Iran
Kuwait
Iraq
Syria
Jordan
Israel
Cyprus
Lebanon
73.5
80.7
77.5
78.879.2
76.9
75.8
79.5
84.4
81.1
82
Guest Experience in the Middle East
This map shows the average Guest Experience Index™ in the period from April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 for all hotels in the destination.
The Guest Experience Index™ (GEI) is a holistic measure of hotel performance through the eyes of the guests. It aggregates all data shared in online reviews for a hotel. At its core is a proprietary algorithm, developed in cooperation with the VU University of Amsterdam. This algorithm takes ratings, the opinions stated in the review (sentiment analysis) and the trustworthiness of the reviews (based on credibility of the reviewer and the review site) into account.
The current rank is compared to the one of the previous period (number in brackets).
The data differs from last year’s report due to a change in the reporting period and analysis of additional reviews.
6Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Rank Emirate GEI Change # of reviews
1 (1) Abu Dhabi 82.2 0.96% 145,485
2 (2) Dubai 78.2 0.02% 503,997
3 (3) Sharjah 74.9 0.10% 37,220
Data from hotels in Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al Khaimah and Umm al-Quwain is included in the ratings for the United Arab Emirates.
Guest Experience Index per emirate 2016tm
78.2
82.2
74.9
Abu Dhabi
Dubai
Sharjah
Guest Experience in the United Arab Emirates
7Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Guest ratings per category
This table shows the guests’ satisfaction with different aspects of their stay. The numbers represent the average ratings given in all reviews for hotels in the destination. This data helps to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the hospitality industry in each destination.
Guest ratings per guest type
This table shows the average rating for the overall experience per guest segment. The segments are deducted from the public profiles of the reviewers on the travel sites.
Rating color scheme 1008060
Rating color scheme 1008060
Bahrain Cyprus Egypt Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Oman QatarSaudi Arabia
UAEAbu
DhabiDubai Sharjah
Overall 78.5 83.8 82.2 81 79.3 76 80.5 78.7 79.7 74.3 80.4 83.4 79.9 75.5
Value 82.8 85.5 85.5 83.6 81.8 80.8 82.9 78.5 81.8 75.5 84.2 86.9 83.3 83.1
Room 84.8 85.1 87 85.2 83 84.7 83.8 85.2 85.7 80.4 88.4 90.5 87.2 82.1
Cleanliness 86.7 88.6 86.3 86.5 83.5 85.7 84.9 87 87.2 80.3 89.6 91.4 88.6 81.2
Location 86.6 87.4 86.8 91.1 88.4 86.5 89.5 82.3 86.2 88.2 87.1 87.9 87.4 83
Service 85.7 88.8 87.4 86.6 83.9 85.7 83.9 84.6 85.7 77.4 88 89.5 87.2 81.8
Bahrain Cyprus Egypt Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Oman QatarSaudi Arabia
UAEAbu
DhabiDubai Sharjah
Business 83.7 82.5 82 83.8 84.2 85.8 85.7 78.7 83.8 76.3 84.2 87.2 83.1 76.8
Couples 80 84.2 83 81.1 79.5 75.9 80.9 79.6 81.1 75.2 81.5 83.6 81.3 75.8
Families 79.5 83.5 81.7 81.5 78.4 75.9 79.5 78.5 78.8 74 80.2 82.7 80.3 75.7
Friends 85 84.4 87.5 87.1 82.7 84.8 81.5 81 87.5 79.1 86.6 88.7 86 81.5
Solo 75.4 82 76.8 79.6 78.2 74.4 80.3 75 77.9 73.5 77.6 81.2 76.7 75
Group 69.1 77.8 71.4 69.4 76 67.8 73.7 77.4 73.4 75.3 75.9 79.2 76.6 68.2
8Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
destination traveler from
Bahrain Cyprus Egypt Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Oman QatarSaudi Arabia
UAEAbu
DhabiDubai Sharjah
UAE 78.4 81 73.8 76.7 76.4 80.1 76.1 77.6 74.9 77.7 80.5 76.9 74
Bahrain 81.5 78.6 74.4 82 79.6 78.5 78.7 78.1 76.5
Cyprus 80.9
Germany 82.7 84.7 78.5 81.7 79.7 80.1 79 84.2 88.5 82.4 75.3
Egypt 76.6 77.5 82.9 75.8 78.9 78
France 81.2 79.8 76.5 80.4 80.1 79.5 79.3 81.3 86 80
UK 81.7 86.6 86.2 82.8 81.6 80.3 83.1 84.9 82.5 74.6 86.5 88.6 85.8 78.1
Greece 79.1
Israel 87.3 80.7 82.2
Jordan 77.9 81.3
Kuwait 80.3 75.1 78.3 77.8 81.1 81.6 80.4 76.9 80.7 85.5 80.4 77.4
Lebanon 82.1 78.6 80.6
Oman 74.8 78.6 76.1 74.7 75.4 75.2 75.6 80.6 75.3 74.6
Qatar 79.3 77.3 79.4 79.8 79.3 81.2 75.7 78.5 82.7 78 75
Russian 84.5 86.2 78.8 82.4 79.3 83.8 83.3 81.3
Saudi Arabia 77.5 74.6 75.9 74.4 80 79.2 78.6 74 78.3 83.7 77.7 76.4
United States 81 84.6 83 84.1 82.9 81.5 83.8 83.4 81.7 75.2 84 87.8 83.1
Guest ratings per guest nationality
This table shows the average rating for the overall experience per guest nationality. The nationalities are deducted from the public profiles of the reviewers on the travel sites.
Rating color scheme 1008060
9Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
destination traveler from
Bahrain Cyprus Egypt Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Oman QatarSaudi Arabia
UAEAbu
DhabiDubai Sharjah
UAE 3.9% 1.1% 2.8% 9.9% 15.6% 16.0% 26.1% 9.3% 5.0% 37.7% 64.8% 26.1% 33.4%
Bahrain 5.3% 1.2% 5.0% 1.3% 2.5% 2.6% 1.4% 1.7% 1.4%
Cyprus 29.3%
Germany 3.6% 12.4% 6.2% 4.9% 2.5% 7.3% 1.2% 2.8% 3.7% 2.7% 1.1%
Egypt 31.8% 1.5% 9.1% 1.7% 1.2% 1.4%
France 3.1% 1.7% 8.3% 5.2% 6.0% 5.0% 1.1% 2.2% 1.8% 2.6%
UK 2.8% 37.0% 18.9% 6.6% 7.6% 1.5% 5.0% 8.8% 3.6% 1.6% 8.9% 6.1% 10.6% 1.9%
Greece 3.8%
Israel 3.8% 56.8% 4.7%
Jordan 20.6% 4.5%
Kuwait 8.3% 2.6% 3.6% 12.2% 6.8% 4.0% 4.9% 2.4% 4.8% 1.7% 6.2% 3.5%
Lebanon 1.3% 1.7% 22.5%
Oman 1.2% 1.1% 2.2% 32.4% 1.4% 1.4% 6.5% 3.3% 5.6% 29.2%
Qatar 4.0% 2.9% 4.0% 3.5% 3.3% 19.4% 1.7% 3.0% 1.9% 3.7% 1.9%
Russian 13.5% 9.6% 11.4% 2.2% 1.1% 1.5% 1.7% 2.7%
Saudi Arabia 70.0% 14.8% 25.1% 55.8% 14.8% 6.2% 52.8% 83.1% 26.0% 11.0% 32.7% 21.7%
US 1.9% 1.4% 2.1% 9.7% 7.2% 1.4% 4.4% 2.3% 1.8% 1.2% 2.5% 2.1% 3.0%
Guest distribution per origin
This table shows the percentage of reviews published by guests from the most common visitor countries. The origin is deducted from the public profiles of the reviewers on the travel sites.
10Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Bahrain
Hotels in Bahrain continue to improve their quality in the eyes of travelers. The Guest Experience Index™ (GEI) rose to 76.9 in 2016. While this is still below the GEI of the top ranking countries, the increase of 2.74% is extraordinary. Together with competitive ratings in most categories this demonstrates a strong commitment of the local hospitality industry. However, not all visitors are equally satisfied. Solo travelers rate their experience much lower than other segments.
Guest Experience IndexTM Total number of reviews76.9 50,288
Rating color scheme 1008060
per guest nationality
Saudi Arabia 70.0% 77.5
Kuwait 8.3% 80.3
Bahrain 5.3% 81.5
Qatar 4.0% 79.3
UAE 3.9% 78.4
per category
Cleanliness 86.7
Location 86.6
Service 85.7
Room 84.8
Value 82.8
Overall 78.5
per guest type
Friends 85.0
Business 83.7
Couples 80
Families 79.5
Solo 75.4
Group 69.1
Guest ratings
Review Volume & Guest Experience of hotels in Bahrain
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
50
60
70
80
90
100
20162015201420132012201120102009
Guest Experience Index™
Num
ber o
f pub
lishe
d re
view
s ac
ross
all
sour
ces
Estimate
Review Volume & Guest Experience in Bahrain
11Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Cyprus
As in previous years, travelers give their stay in Cyprus top ratings. With a Guest Experience Index™ of 84.4 the island ranks first among all countries in the Middle East. This likely contributed to the record high in the tourist arrivals last year. All kinds of travelers enjoy their time in Cyprus, with visitors from the United Kingdom and Israel being especially satisfied.
Guest Experience IndexTM Total number of reviews84.4 113,631
Rating color scheme 1008060
per guest nationality
UK 37.0% 86.6
Cyprus 29.3% 80.9
Russian 13.5% 84.5
Greece 3.8% 79.1
Israel 3.8% 87.3
per category
Service 88.8
Cleanliness 88.6
Location 87.4
Value 85.5
Room 85.1
Overall 83.8
per guest type
Friends 84.4
Couples 84.2
Families 83.5
Business 82.5
Solo 82
Group 77.8
Guest ratings
Review Volume & Guest Experience of hotels in Cyprus
0
30000
60000
90000
120000
150000
50
60
70
80
90
100
20162015201420132012201120102009
Guest Experience Index™
Num
ber o
f pub
lishe
d re
view
s ac
ross
all
sour
ces
Estimate
Review Volume & Guest Experience in Cyprus
12Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Egypt
Political disputes and terror attacks continue to harm tourism in Egypt. While the number of visitors may be lower than in previous years, the guest experience has not suffered. In fact, Egypt was able to improve Guest Experience Index™ by 1.35%. Russian, German and British guests continue to value beaches and historical sights in the culture-rich country. This, however, presents a stark contrast to guests from the Middle Eastern countries like the United Arab Emirates and Qatar who rate their experiences below average.
Guest Experience IndexTM Total number of reviews80.7 282,272
Rating color scheme 1008060
per guest nationality
Egypt 31.8% 76.6
UK 18.9% 86.2
Saudi Arabia 14.8% 74.6
Germany 12.4% 84.7
Russian 9.6% 86.2
per category
Service 87.4
Room 87
Location 86.8
Cleanliness 86.3
Value 85.5
Overall 82.2
per guest type
Friends 87.5
Couples 83
Business 82
Families 81.7
Solo 76.8
Group 71.4
Guest ratings
Review Volume & Guest Experience of hotels in Egypt
0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
50
60
70
80
90
100
20162015201420132012201120102009
Guest Experience Index™
Num
ber o
f pub
lishe
d re
view
s ac
ross
all
sour
ces
Estimate
Review Volume & Guest Experience in Egypt
13Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Israel
With a plethora of historical sites, bustling cities and beautiful beaches, Israel is a major tourist destination in the Middle East and attracts millions of visitors every year. The local hospitality industry is doing its part to make guests comfortable. An excellent Guest Experience Index™ and high ratings in all categories but value for money are proof of that. While visitors from the US exhibit an especially high satisfaction, Europeans are more critical.
Guest Experience IndexTM Total number of reviews82.0 163,307
Rating color scheme 1008060
per guest nationality
Israel 56.8% 80.7
Russian 11.4% 78.8
US 9.7% 84.1
France 8.3% 76.5
UK 6.6% 82.8
per category
Location 91.1
Service 86.6
Cleanliness 86.5
Room 85.2
Value 83.6
Overall 81.0
per guest type
Friends 87.1
Business 83.8
Families 81.5
Couples 81.1
Solo 79.6
Group 69.4
Guest ratings
Review Volume & Guest Experience of hotels in Israel
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
50
60
70
80
90
100
20162015201420132012201120102009
Guest Experience Index™
Num
ber o
f pub
lishe
d re
view
s ac
ross
all
sour
ces
Estimate
Review Volume & Guest Experience in Israel
14Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Jordan
Jordan is a popular destination among tourists from the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. However, exactly those guests find their experiences in local hotels often underwhelming. Value, rooms, cleanliness and service receive below average ratings. Everything considered, Jordan’s hospitality industry still operates on a high level and secures the fifth place in the overall ranking.
Guest Experience IndexTM Total number of reviews79.5 50,690
Rating color scheme 1008060
per guest nationality
Saudi Arabia 25.1% 75.9
Jordan 20.6% 77.9
UAE 9.9% 76.7
UK 7.6% 81.6
US 7.2% 82.9
per category
Location 88.4
Service 83.9
Cleanliness 83.5
Room 83.0
Value 81.8
Overall 79.3
per guest type
Business 84.2
Friends 82.7
Couples 79.5
Families 78.4
Solo 78.2
Group 76
Guest ratings
Review Volume & Guest Experience of hotels in Jordan
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
50
60
70
80
90
100
20162015201420132012201120102009
Guest Experience Index™
Num
ber o
f pub
lishe
d re
view
s ac
ross
all
sour
ces
Estimate
Review Volume & Guest Experience in Jordan
15Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Kuwait
After improvements in previous years, Kuwait was not able to further increase the Guest Experience Index™. Leisure travelers, especially families, couples and solo travelers, were disappointed with the local hotels compared to those of other destinations in the Middle East. Saudi Arabian visitors are among the travelers who give the lowest ratings. The overall impression and the value for money are identified as downsides by guests. On the other hand, business travelers seem satisfied with their stay in Kuwait.
Guest Experience IndexTM Total number of reviews75.8 32,316
Rating color scheme 1008060
per guest nationality
Saudi Arabia 55.8% 74.4
UAE 15.6% 76.4
Kuwait 12.2% 77.8
Bahrain 5.0% 74.4
Qatar 4.0% 79.4
per category
Location 86.5
Service 85.7
Cleanliness 85.7
Room 84.7
Value 80.8
Overall 76.0
per guest type
Business 85.8
Friends 84.8
Couples 75.9
Families 75.9
Solo 74.4
Group 67.8
Guest ratings
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
50
60
70
80
90
100
20162015201420132012201120102009
Guest Experience Index™
Num
ber o
f pub
lishe
d re
view
s ac
ross
all
sour
ces
Review Volume & Guest Experience of hotels in Kuwait
Estimate
Review Volume & Guest Experience in Kuwait
16Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Lebanon
Once being called the “Switzerland of the Middle East”, Lebanon has a long history as tourism destination. Despite an uncertain security situation, the capital Beirut still draws tourists from all over the world. With solid ratings and a Guest Experience Index™ of 81.1, local hotels show a strong performance and secure Lebanon - down one place from last year - a spot in the top 3. Business travelers also enjoy staying here, as indicated by the above average rating of 85.7.
Guest Experience IndexTM Total number of reviews81.1 24,614
Rating color scheme 1008060
per guest nationality
Lebanon 22.5% 80.6
UAE 16.0% 80.1
Saudi Arabia 14.8% 80
Egypt 9.1% 82.9
Kuwait 6.8% 81.1
per category
Location 89.5
Cleanliness 84.9
Service 83.9
Room 83.8
Value 82.9
Overall 80.5
per guest type
Business 85.7
Friends 81.5
Couples 80.9
Solo 80.3
Families 79.5
Group 73.7
Guest ratings
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
50
60
70
80
90
100
20162015201420132012201120102009
Guest Experience Index™
Num
ber o
f pub
lishe
d re
view
s ac
ross
all
sour
ces
Review Volume & Guest Experience of hotels in Lebanon
Estimate
Review Volume & Guest Experience in Lebanon
17Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Oman
Hotels in Oman were not able to improve the guest experience by much in the last year. While guests find the rooms and cleanliness to be adequate, they are not satisfied with the value compared to price. Another reason for concern are the low ratings by business travelers which tend to rate more favorable in most Middle Eastern destinations.
Guest Experience IndexTM Total number of reviews77.5 45,541
Rating color scheme 1008060
per guest nationality
Oman 32.4% 74.7
UAE 26.1% 76.1
UK 8.8% 84.9
Germany 7.3% 80.1
Saudi Arabia 6.2% 79.2
per category
Cleanliness 87
Room 85.2
Service 84.6
Location 82.3
Overall 78.7
Value 78.5
per guest type
Friends 81
Couples 79.6
Business 78.7
Families 78.5
Group 77.4
Solo 75
Guest ratings
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
50
60
70
80
90
100
20162015201420132012201120102009
Guest Experience Index™
Num
ber o
f pub
lishe
d re
view
s ac
ross
all
sour
ces
Review Volume & Guest Experience of hotels in Oman
Estimate
Review Volume & Guest Experience in Oman
18Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Qatar
With an increase of almost 2% of the Guest Experience Index™ Qatar climbed one place to the 6th in the ranking. Business travelers, couples and groups of friends are particularly satisfied with what the local hospitality industry has to offer. The rooms and cleanliness are rated highly, as both of these ratings place Qatar in the 2nd and 3rd place in their respective categories. The value rating, however, is still below average.
Rating color scheme 1008060
per guest nationality
Saudi Arabia 52.8% 78.6
Qatar 19.4% 81.2
UAE 9.3% 77.6
Kuwait 4.9% 80.4
UK 3.6% 82.5
per category
Cleanliness 87.2
Location 86.2
Room 85.7
Service 85.7
Value 81.8
Overall 79.7
per guest type
Friends 87.5
Business 83.8
Couples 81.1
Families 78.8
Solo 77.9
Group 73.4
Guest ratings
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
50
60
70
80
90
100
20162015201420132012201120102009
Guest Experience Index™
Num
ber o
f pub
lishe
d re
view
s ac
ross
all
sour
ces
Review Volume & Guest Experience of hotels in Qatar
Estimate
Review Volume & Guest Experience in Qatar
Guest Experience IndexTM Total number of reviews79.2 63,083
19Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Saudi Arabia
With Mecca and Medina, two of the world’s most important pilgrimage destinations are in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the country hosts massive number of travelers each year. However, this cultural significance is not reflected by the guest experience. As the only country with a decrease in the Guest Experience Index™, Saudi Arabia occupies the last place in this year’s ranking. In the eyes of the guests local hotels fail to price their offerings appropriately. Not only that, service, rooms and cleanliness are all lacking. The low ratings are consistent among all tourist groups.
Guest Experience IndexTM Total number of reviews73.5 335,842
Rating color scheme 1008060
per guest nationality
Saudi Arabia 83.1% 74
UAE 5.0% 74.9
Kuwait 2.4% 76.9
Qatar 1.7% 75.7
Egypt 1.7% 75.8
per category
Location 88.2
Room 80.4
Cleanliness 80.3
Service 77.4
Value 75.5
Overall 74.3
per guest type
Friends 79.1
Business 76.3
Group 75.3
Couples 75.2
Families 74
Solo 73.5
Guest ratings
0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
600000
50
60
70
80
90
100
20162015201420132012201120102009
Guest Experience Index™
Num
ber o
f pub
lishe
d re
view
s ac
ross
all
sour
ces
Review Volume & Guest Experience of hotels in Saudi Arabia
Estimate
Review Volume & Guest Experience in Saudi Arabia
20Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
United Arab Emirates
The guests experience differs significantly between the seven emirates part of the UAE. Therefore, the United Arab Emirates as a whole do not occupy a top position, even though it scores top ratings in the categories room, cleanliness and service.
Guest Experience IndexTM Total number of reviews78.8 983,710
Rating color scheme 1008060
per guest nationality
UAE 37.7% 77.7
Saudi Arabia 26.0% 78.3
UK 8.9% 86.5
Oman 6.5% 75.6
Kuwait 4.8% 80.7
per category
Cleanliness 89.6
Room 88.4
Service 88
Location 87.1
Value 84.2
Overall 80.4
per guest type
Friends 86.6
Business 84.2
Couples 81.5
Families 80.2
Solo 77.6
Group 75.9
Guest ratings
0
300000
600000
900000
1200000
1500000
50
60
70
80
90
100
20162015201420132012201120102009
Guest Experience Index™
Num
ber o
f pub
lishe
d re
view
s ac
ross
all
sour
ces
Review Volume & Guest Experience of hotels in the UAE
Estimate
Review Volume & Guest Experience in United Arab Emirates
21Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Abu Dhabi
With an exceptional Guest Experience Index™ of 82.2, Abu Dhabi clearly takes the top spot in the UAE, outranking the two other popular destinations of the country, Dubai and Sharjah. This constitutes a respectable increase by almost 1%. If compared to the GEIs of the Middle East countries, Abu Dhabi would place 2nd. All traveler types are very satisfied with their stay in the emirate. The ratings for room, cleanliness, service and value are the highest among all probed destinations.
Guest Experience IndexTM Total number of reviews82.2 145,485
Rating color scheme 1008060
per guest nationality
UAE 64.8% 80.5
Saudi Arabia 11.0% 83.7
UK 6.1% 88.6
Germany 3.7% 88.5
Oman 3.3% 80.6
per category
Cleanliness 91.4
Room 90.5
Service 89.5
Location 87.9
Value 86.9
Overall 83.4
per guest type
Friends 88.7
Business 87.2
Couples 83.6
Families 82.7
Solo 81.2
Group 79.2
Guest ratings
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
50
60
70
80
90
100
20162015201420132012201120102009
Guest Experience Index™
Num
ber o
f pub
lishe
d re
view
s ac
ross
all
sour
ces
Review Volume & Guest Experience of hotels in Abu Dhabi
Estimate
Review Volume & Guest Experience in Abu Dhabi
22Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Dubai
While the quantity of hotels in Dubai is higher than in Abu Dhabi, the quality is not. Dubai received a mediocre Guest Experience Index™ of 78.2 and the gap is widening, since satisfaction levels have barely risen in the past year. Nonetheless, Dubai still enjoys high ratings in all categories.
Guest Experience IndexTM Total number of reviews78.2 503,997
Rating color scheme 1008060
per guest nationality
Saudi Arabia 32.7% 77.7
UAE 26.1% 76.9
UK 10.6% 85.8
Kuwait 6.2% 80.4
Oman 5.6% 75.3
per category
Cleanliness 88.6
Location 87.4
Service 87.2
Room 87.2
Value 83.3
Overall 79.9
per guest type
Friends 86
Business 83.1
Couples 81.3
Families 80.3
Solo 76.7
Group 76.6
Guest ratings
0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
600000
700000
800000
50
60
70
80
90
100
20162015201420132012201120102009
Guest Experience Index™
Num
ber o
f pub
lishe
d re
view
s ac
ross
all
sour
ces
Review Volume & Guest Experience of hotels in Dubai
Estimate
Review Volume & Guest Experience in Dubai
23Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Sharjah
Sharjah attempts to mirror the success in tourism displayed by Abu Dhabi and Dubai with its cultural attractions. While some progress was made, the Guest Experience Index™ has not significantly increased in the last year. Especially the overall impression of local hotels leaves much to be desired. The hotels in Sharjah have one of the lowest ratings in the categories cleanliness and service.
Guest Experience IndexTM Total number of reviews74.9 37,220
Rating color scheme 1008060
per guest nationality
UAE 33.4% 74
Oman 29.2% 74.6
Saudi Arabia 21.7% 76.4
Kuwait 3.5% 77.4
Russian 2.7% 81.3
per category
Value 83.1
Location 83
Room 82.1
Service 81.8
Cleanliness 81.2
Overall 75.5
per guest type
Friends 81.5
Business 76.8
Couples 75.8
Families 75.7
Solo 75
Group 68.2
Guest ratings
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
50
60
70
80
90
100
20162015201420132012201120102009
Guest Experience Index™
Num
ber o
f pub
lishe
d re
view
s ac
ross
all
sour
ces
Review Volume & Guest Experience of hotels in Sharjah
Estimate
Review Volume & Guest Experience in Sharjah
24Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Olery Publication - Guest Experience in the Middle East April 2015 - March 2016
Methodology
This report is based on reviews of hotels in the Middle East published between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016.
• 2,145,294 reviews from 8294 hotels were analyzed
• Multiple public travel websites were used as source
• The Guest Experience Index™ (GEI) per country constitutes an average of the GEIs for every individual hotel in the country
• All GEI charts are based on yearly values and can therefore differ from the April to March reporting period of the report per country
• Performance aspects are based on more than 538 rating categories of the review sites
• Guest segments are deducted from the public profiles of the reviewers
• Ratings and the GEI might vary from last year’s report due to a change in the considered period and the analysis of additional reviews
• Syria, Yemen, Iran and Iraq are not included due to a lack of reviews
25Olery ©2016, some rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 25
About OleryOlery captures content shared by travelers on accommodation booking sites and travel apps. Technologies such as Natural Language Processing help to analyze the millions of opinions published by guests.
This way Olery extracts data about destinations, hospitality businesses and travelers worldwide.This data is used to monitor performance and reputation, improve services through feedback and to better understand visitors.
The Olery data platform powers a suite of web applications, reports and developer APIs for the hospitality industry, tourism organizations and travel commerce companies.
Industries Hotels & Hotel GroupsTools for reputation management & guest surveys
DestinationsIndustry monitoring & marketingtools for DMOs, Tourism Boards &Authorities
Online Travel AgenciesReview content for booking sites & apps
Hospitality Service ProvidersPerformance tracking & prospectingtools for hotel-related providers
Hotel Software ProvidersData to build Online ReputationManagement solutions
For enquiries please contact
Kim van den Wijngaard Co-founder & CEO+31 (0)6 141 33 [email protected]://nl.linkedin.com/in/kvandenwijngaard
Products Olery Web ToolInsights into the hospitality industry in different markets
Hotel Review Data APIAccess to data from millions of guestReviews
Hotel Review SummariesAuto-generated summaries of review data for consumer sites/apps
Reputation for HotelsOnline tool to monitor, manage reviews and to benchmark against competitors
Feedback for HotelsA simple survey tool to gather real insightsfrom guests
Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, contact us or visit www.olery.com to learn more