Revealed! Is online booking driven by emotion and function?

Purpose This study aims to examine how review targets and formats jointly influence consumers’ purchase intentions and the underlying mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach This study used three scenario-based experiments via Credamo, an online survey platform, to investigate the interaction between review targets (core features vs customer service) and formats (list-based vs narrative-based) on purchase intention, along with the mediating roles of perceived warmth and competence. Findings The results showed that core features in a list-based format significantly enhanced consumers’ purchase intention, with perceived competence mediating this relationship. Moreover, customer service presented in a narrative-based format was more effective, mediated by perceived warmth. Practical implications This study provides practical guidance for hotels to optimize the presentation of online reviews and the design of review-writing prompts and offers guidance on hotels’ marketing presentation. Originality/value This study integrates peripheral cues and content cues in online reviews, moving beyond a single-cue perspective and addressing a gap in the hotel review literature regarding the effective presentation of different review targets.