An Analysis of Open-Ended Online Reviews about Bed and Breakfast and Inns in Portugal

Abstract

Researches about User-Generated Content (UGC) have gained attention in the fields of Tourism and Hospitality in the last years. This study focus on online reviews about alternative accommodations – B&Bs and Inns. The development of this work was realized applying inductive methods and using an exploratory approach. We collected a sample of 450 online reviews and analyzed them segment by segment, making a total of 4621 segments. We used the Appraisal Theory to assess what attitudes online reviewers are expressing about B&Bs and Inns in Lisbon. We verified that positive appreciation is the most frequent attitude while expressions of affect and judgment are more rare. This study contributes to the academy as it brings a new parameter of analysis of UGC using the Appraisal Theory in the field of Hospitality.