Changes in guests’ hotel evaluations due to covid-19: The case of the world heritage city of Cuenca

Purpose - The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the tourism sector changing the guest satisfaction during hotel stays. In this paper, we analyse how this perception has changed considering various pandemic stages. Methodology - Using 1595 reviews for hotels in Cuenca left on the Booking platform, we analyse the changes in the ratings of the stay and identify the factors that have the greatest influence on customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction by conducting a ANOVA analysis. We also consider the urban/rural area, type of traveler, nationality, gender and room type. Findings - he main results show an improvement in guest ratings after the worst moments of the pandemic, albeit with lower scores than in 2019 and 2020, indicating that the services offered by the hotel are key elements for customer satisfaction. Therefore, hotel managers should continue on the path taken, as it seems to be producing results, and try to enhance the services offered to guests. Originality - The outbreak of the COVID -19 pandemic necessitates a detailed analysis of the changes in hotel ratings and hotel characteristics evaluated positively and negatively by guests. However, a review of the literature reveals a gap in this regard, especially when considering different points in time during the pandemic.