Hotel blogs can be an extremely important factor in whether potential guests will choose to make a reservation or not. In fact, some travelers will not book at a hotel unless it has reviews or blogs to read. Technically, blogs are websites that allow visitors to the site to add content. They are opportunities in which management and individuals can exchange ideas and communicate with their partners, customers, employees, etc. Blogs are a growing medium of communication not only businesses but for individuals as well. There are almost 3 million blogs created every month, and bloggers create over 1.6 million posts per day which works out to 18 updates a second. If a guest had a bad experience at a hotel, he or she can then write about that experience on the hotels blog that may cause potential guests to choose another place to stay. On the other hand, if a hotel guest has had a wonderful experience that can be expressed as well on a hotel blog. In todays world, it is important for those in the hotel business to be proactive in listening and understanding what people are saying and sharing on their blogs. Monitoring what guests say about the hotel allows the owners to understand why the hotels online reputation is as it is and improve services where needed. From reading the hotel blogs, hotel owners can learn what their target consumers are looking for, and the hotel staff can then make positive steps on how to improve their services. If a hotel owner reads negative reviews on the business it is vital they are not ignored. Instead, the owner should thank the guests for taking the time to write comments about their hotel experience. The owner should then share guest reviews with hotel staff and assign tasks to improve services. In addition, the management should then let the guest know what has been done to improve in that particular area. By acknowledging the reviewer, it is showing that management is listening and assuring their concerns are heard, which can convert an angry guest into a loyal customer. Ignoring online hotel blogs, or responding inappropriately, can have a negative effect on the hotels reputation, which can then be detrimental financially. This is especially true if negative reviews control the search engine results. Keep in mind, happy guests are the best source of new/referral business, and online forums such as hotel blogs are the new and more powerful word of mouth.