Reviews

Reviews that bring the next booking

A review is the last thing a guest does for you, and the first thing the next guest reads. This guide is about turning each stay into the next booking: asking for reviews at the right moment, answering every one well, and using what guests tell you to fix things before they cost you.

The short answer

Earn the review during the stay, then ask for it the day after check-out. Answer every review, good or bad, briefly and calmly, because future guests read your replies too. Read your reviews for patterns, fix the thing that comes up twice, and say so in your listing.

How reviews work on the big platforms

Each site handles reviews a little differently. These are the basics worth knowing.

Airbnb

• Guest and host each have 14 days after check-out to write a review
• Reviews appear once both have written one, or when the 14 days end
• You can post one public response to each review

Booking.com

• Guests review after their stay and give scores out of 10
• The scores make up your property's overall review score
• You can reply to reviews from your extranet

Platforms change their review rules from time to time, so check the help pages if something looks different.

Earn it during the stay

Most good reviews are decided long before anyone writes one.

1. Match the listing. A common cause of bad reviews is a place that doesn't look like its photos. Show it honestly, small rooms included.
2. Get the first hour right. A smooth check-in sets the tone for the whole stay. The check-in guide covers it step by step.
3. Check in once, then leave them be. One message after arrival, one the next morning, and then only when they need you.
4. Fix problems fast. A broken kettle fixed in an hour becomes a story about a helpful host. Left until tomorrow, it becomes a complaint.
5. Add one small, real touch. Local coffee, a hand-written note, a tip for a good bakery. Nothing expensive, just something that shows you thought about them.

Ask at the right moment

The best time to ask is the day after check-out, while the stay is still fresh.

• Keep it short. Thank them, say you hope they enjoyed it, and ask if they'd leave a review.
• Ask once. One polite reminder at most; more than that becomes pressure.
• Never offer anything for a review, and never ask for a particular score. Airbnb's and Booking.com's review rules don't allow it, and guests notice.
• Review your guests too. Honest, kind guest reviews help every host on the platform.

Answer every review

Future guests read your replies to judge what you're like when something goes wrong.

A good review

• Thank them by name
• Mention one specific thing they enjoyed
• Keep it to two or three sentences

A mixed review

• Thank them for the stay
• Acknowledge the point they raised
• Say what you've changed, if you have

A bad review

• Wait a day before answering
• Stay calm and factual, never personal
• Apologise for their experience, explain briefly, and say what you've done about it
• Never share a guest's private details

If a review breaks the platform's rules, for example it's about something outside your control or includes discriminatory language, you can ask the platform to look at it. A review you simply disagree with stays.

Read your reviews for patterns

One comment is an opinion. The same comment twice is a fact about your place.

1. Read your last 10 to 20 reviews together. Note every complaint and every compliment.
2. Group them. Cleanliness, check-in, noise, beds, Wi-Fi, location, value.
3. Fix what comes up twice. A thinner pillow, blackout curtains, a clearer entrance photo.
4. Say so. Mention the fix in your listing and in your reply to the review that raised it.
5. Keep what they love. The compliments tell you what to protect, and what to put in your first photo.

The next booking

A happy guest is your cheapest next booking, through the platform they found you on.

• Make it easy to come back. Thank them warmly at check-out and say you'd love to host them again.
• Keep it on the platform. Rebooking through the same site keeps the guest and you protected, and keeps the reviews that win your next guest.
• Remember regulars. A note for a returning guest's second stay costs nothing and is often what they mention in their review.

If you host on Revamp, guests get 2% back in Revamp credit after each completed trip, which they can use on their next booking.

Review mistakes to avoid

• Arguing with a guest in a public reply
• Copy-pasting the same thank-you to every review
• Asking for five stars, or offering anything for a review
• Leaving a bad review unanswered for weeks
• Fixing a complaint and never saying so
• Asking a guest to rebook off the platform

Your checklist

During the stay

• Listing matches the place, photos included
• One check-in message after arrival
• Problems answered within the hour

After check-out

• Review request sent the next day
• Guest reviewed honestly
• Every review answered within a few days

Every month

• Last 10 to 20 reviews read together
• One recurring problem fixed
• Listing updated to say what changed

Questions hosts ask

Should I answer five-star reviews too?
Yes. A short, specific thank-you shows future guests you read every review, not just the bad ones.

Can I get a bad review removed?
Only if it breaks the platform's rules. Otherwise, a calm reply that shows what you've fixed usually does more good than a removal would.

How do I get my first reviews?
Price a little below the middle of similar places for your first few bookings, make every detail right, and ask each guest the day after they leave. The pricing guide explains how to set that first price.

Does answering reviews really matter?
Guests read replies to judge how you'll treat them if something goes wrong. A calm, specific reply to a bad review can reassure the next guest more than another five-star review.