Case Study: YHA New Zealand climbs TripAdvisor rankings with ReviewPro

How YHA New Zealand created a customer-centric organization and climbed the TripAdvisor rankings

YHA New Zealand, the country’s largest backpacker chain with 14 managed hostels and 29 partner properties, needed a better way to manage its online reputation. As review sites increasingly shaped travelers’ value perceptions and booking decisions, YHA wanted deeper insight into guest feedback, stronger review response practices, and a clearer view of how it compared with competitors. ReviewPro’s Online Reputation Management (ORM) solution was chosen to help address these challenges.

ReviewPro implemented its ORM platform across YHA properties to track reviews, benchmark against competitors, and streamline responses with tools like translation, reporting, and response management. The results were strong: TripAdvisor rankings improved significantly, including YHA Wanaka rising from #11 to #2 and YHA Auckland International from #44 to #15, while YHA Rotorua’s management response rate jumped from 1.3% to 67.1% and its TripAdvisor rank climbed from #14 to #4. ReviewPro also helped YHA improve staff engagement, identify refurbishment priorities, and measure the impact of investments on guest satisfaction.

YHA New Zealand

Brian Westwood

Manager Marketing and Sales