Effects of negative sentiment and review length on ratings, as moderated by social turbulence and hotel quality

Purpose By advancing understanding of the effects of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) in the hospitality industry, the current study offers insights that can help hotel practitioners make better-informed decisions, improve tourists’ experiences, enhance their reputations, and gain economic benefits. Design/methodology/approach With a sample of negative online reviews, this study specifies the direct impacts of negative sentiment and review length on hotel ratings and the moderating influences of review length, social turbulence due to COVID-19, and hotel quality. The sample covers a two-year period (2019 and 2021) and comprises 19,441 online textual reviews written by Spanish tourists, referring to 121 four-star hotels in the Canary Islands. The analyses rely on NVivo 15 and SPSS 28. Findings The results confirm that both negative sentiment and review length negatively affect hotel ratings. Review length and social turbulence increase the effect of negative sentiment on ratings; hotel quality mitigates the negative effect of review length. Research limitations/implications The study results are limited to reviews posted only on Booking.com. Originality/value This study addresses an important research gap and calls for more in-depth studies of the hospitality industry to clarify the relationship of eWOM content with ratings. It establishes a comprehensive, novel, and contemporary framework that integrates several theories and applies them in a relevant, popular global tourism destination.