In Berlin, Germany’s capital and one of Europe’s most competitive hospitality markets, keeping a top reputation is not about a one time spike, it is about consistently collecting fresh, high quality guest feedback.
Gorki Apartments has done exactly that, reaching number 1 out of 608 hotels in Berlin on Tripadvisor and earning the 2025 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award, supported by Customer Alliance’s Review Distribution feature working quietly in the background.
Key achievements
- Ranked #1 on TripAdvisor in Berlin (out of 608 hotels) in 2025.
- 74% of 2025 reviews generated via Customer Alliance Distribution feature
- A decade-long partnership: using Customer Alliance since 2015 to scale review generation
- Stronger visibility with consistent review flow across TripAdvisor + Google
- International market impact: noticeable uplift in interest/bookings from international guests after reaching #1
- Low operational effort: review requests run automatically without daily management
About Gorki Apartments
Gorki Apartments is a boutique apartment property in Berlin, operating since 2013, with 34 studio/apartments plus two penthouses. Known for its distinctive design, open-space layouts, and “local, stylish” feel, the property attracts guests looking for a more personal, residential experience, something the team reinforces through warm, human service and fast communication.
The challenge before Customer Alliance
Since opening in 2013, Gorki Apartments has consistently delivered a distinctive and high quality guest experience. In the early years, most reviews were generated organically through OTAs, particularly Booking.com.
As platforms such as Tripadvisor and Google became increasingly influential for travelers, the team saw an opportunity to strengthen their visibility beyond OTA-generated feedback. Guests were leaving reviews, but without a structured approach, volume and distribution across key platforms were not being fully leveraged.
To create a more strategic and scalable approach to review generation across channels, Gorki Apartments partnered with Customer Alliance in 2015. The objective was not to change the guest experience, but to ensure that the quality already being delivered was consistently reflected across the platforms that drive visibility and ranking performance.
The solution with Customer Alliance
Gorki Apartments uses Customer Alliance to centralize reviews from multiple platforms in one place. Instead of switching between different portals, feedback can be monitored within a single dashboard, ensuring visibility across channels.
Within Customer Alliance, reviews can also be answered directly from the platform. Responses can be written faster and in multiple languages with the support of the AI Reply Assistant, helping hotels maintain consistent and professional communication across markets.
Automated review requests with the review distribution feature
At the core of Gorki Apartments’ success in reaching number 1 on Tripadvisor in Berlin is their exceptional service, supported by Customer Alliance’s Review Distribution feature.
After check out, automated post stay emails are sent to guests, inviting them to share their experience. Hotels can either pre-select the review portal they want to prioritize or allow the system to automatically redirect guests based on their language. This ensures reviews are strategically distributed across key platforms such as Tripadvisor and Google in a structured and scalable way.
The automation runs continuously in the background, generating a steady flow of fresh reviews without adding operational workload. As the team explains:
“Without Customer Alliance, we wouldn’t be able to send all the email requests to our guests,” said Laura Reimer, Director at Gorki Apartments.
This structured approach ensures that every guest is invited to share their experience, helping Gorki Apartments consistently translate guest satisfaction into visible online reputation.
In 2025, this consistent review generation supported Gorki Apartments in achieving an outstanding average Tripadvisor satisfaction score of 98.2%. Notably, 74% of their Tripadvisor reviews were generated via Customer Alliance’s Review Distribution feature, demonstrating how structured automation plays a central role in sustaining top ranking performance and reaching the number 1 position in Berlin.
Why it works
This setup works for Gorki Apartments because it complements their operational reality. The team does not need additional complexity or more tools to manage. They need consistency. Customer Alliance runs in the background, ensuring that review generation continues even when the team is focused on delivering exceptional guest experiences on property.
Achieving a top position on Tripadvisor requires more than high ratings. It depends on a consistent flow of recent, high quality reviews. By automating review requests, Gorki Apartments ensures that guest satisfaction is reflected online continuously.
For some hotels, that visibility directly translates into ranking performance. For others, guest feedback becomes a strategic data source that informs revenue and operational decisions. A different example is Preston Palace, an all inclusive hotel in the Netherlands, which uses Customer Alliance to centralize reviews and leverage guest feedback insights to support investment decisions and long term business strategy.
Just as importantly, the platform remains intuitive and easy to manage, even without daily interaction. As the team shared,
“It is easy to work with the tool and to log in and to see the data. Even when you don’t work with it every day, it is quite easy for us to manage.”, said Constance Caillaux, Marketing at Gorki Apartments.
This reliability becomes especially important during periods of internal change. When team responsibilities shifted, including during maternity leave, Customer Alliance continued to operate smoothly in the background. Reputation performance did not depend on constant manual effort, but on a structured and scalable system that ensured review generation remained consistent.
The takeaway
Gorki Apartments didn’t become number 1 by chasing reviews manually. They earned it by delivering a standout stay and using Customer Alliance to systematically turn guest satisfaction into visibility.
If your guest experience is strong, the biggest missed opportunity is often not asking consistently. Automating review requests is one of the simplest ways to build ranking momentum over time, without adding work for the team.
When asked why another hotel should use Customer Alliance, Laura Reimer, Director at Gorki Apartments, put it simply:
“Because it’s easy to use… you need this tool as a hotel to gather reviews for your visibility and to increase bookings.”
Great service creates the experience. The right system ensures it drives results.
Schedule a free demo with our team and see how Customer Alliance can help you elevate your review distribution and reputation performance.
