The influence of online reviews and hotel digital responsibility on ESG practices and sustainability performance

Purpose This study aims to investigate how online guest reviews and hotel digital responsibility (HDR) influence environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices and sustainability performance in the hospitality sector. This study explores HDR as an industry-specific application of corporate digital responsibility (CDR) framework. Design/methodology/approach This study collected data from 196 Brazilian hotels through questionnaires and analyzed 212,147 TripAdvisor reviews, categorizing them into ESG attributes using a specialized dictionary. This study tested hypothesized relationships using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings Hotel managers respond differently to ESG-related content in reviews. Positive social-related comments enhance HDR whereas negative governance-related comments diminish it. Environmental reviews show no significant impact on HDR development. Hotels demonstrating stronger HDR implement more robust ESG practices, which significantly improve overall sustainability performance. Research limitations/implications This research provides practical methods for hotels to systematically analyze online reviews through an ESG lens and develop automated sentiment monitoring systems. The findings enable managers to prioritize social interactions and governance transparency while understanding why environmental initiatives may not resonate with guests. Theoretically, the study extends CDR theory by introducing HDR as a hospitality-specific framework that bridges digital stakeholder engagement with sustainable operations. Originality/value This study develops an innovative framework connecting online reviews to ESG performance in hospitality. It extends CDR theory by introducing HDR as a hospitality-specific application addressing ethical challenges from digital guest interactions. The findings highlight how digital responsibility bridges guest expectations and sustainable hotel operations.