An analysis of online reviews of upscale Iberian restaurants

Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) has gained importance with the emergence of new online tools and the hospitality sector is at the core of this phenomenon. In this study, we use a data set of client reviews for Michelin starred restaurants located in Portugal and Spain to analyze the reviews in terms of overall satisfaction and four specific attributes. By employing statistical tests and regression analysis we find that the “food” and “service” attributes show a greater correlation with overall satisfaction than other criteria, and those attributes are common across restaurant segments and countries. These results have implications for the restaurant industry, highlighting the most important determinants of overall satisfaction. Some areas would benefit from small improvements and investments, which could make a difference in terms of rating and might bring a competitive advantage.