Why guest reviews are important

Guest reviews have existed long before booking portals. In the past, people often based their purchases on recommendations from friends and word of mouth. Today, however, we read reviews from strangers online to decide everything, from which restaurant to eat at to vacation rental to book.

But why are guest reviews so important for your vacation rental? Learn everything you need to know about online guest reviews and find some sample answers in this comprehensive guide.

Why guest reviews are important

Major booking portals like Airbnb and Booking.com, but also smaller portals, place a lot of importance on guest reviews. These days, in fact, few travelers book without first taking a look at online reviews.

Imagine that a user is looking for an apartment to rent on a booking site.They find two vacation rentals that meet their needs and expectations. Both are located where they want to stay, offer the same amenities, and the price range is similar. In many cases, what will lead him to decide between the two properties will be their overall rating and feedback from previous guests.

How do positive reviews affect your visibility?

Booking portals, for their part, knowing that users are more likely to book properties with higher reviews, will tend to grant them higher rankings in search results.

Not to mention the badges and titles that hosts who meet certain requirements can receive, one of which is often a high review score. Some examples are:

• Airbnb Superhost status, for hosts that score at least 4.8 out of 5
• The Airbnb Guest Favorites category, which only hosts with a score of at least 4.9 stars can be part of
• Booking.com’s Genius program, for hosts with a minimum score of 7.5
• Booking.com’s Preferred Partner program, for hosts with a review score of at least 7 out of 10

The benefit is obvious: Better reviews mean more visibility, more bookings and more revenue.

Please note: In addition to a positive rating, hosts must meet other prerequisites to obtain these badges/participate in these programs.

Where can you receive your guest reviews?

Although guest reviews on booking portals are probably the most popular, vacation rental owners and managers can also receive feedback from their guests through other channels.

Reviews on your direct booking website

Having a direct booking website for your vacation rental is essential. This allows you to build your brand by sharing your business’ story and values with potential guests. In addition, on your rental property’s website you can receive bookings without paying commission fees to booking portals.

Guests who decide to book your accommodations directly on your website may decide to leave you a review at the end of their stay. So remember to check the comments section on your site and be sure to respond to all of them!

Comments and posts on your social accounts

Guest reviews on your social media may be more informal, but it can still contain valuable feedback. Check comments and private messages on Instagram and Facebook.

If you receive a particularly positive review, you may decide to share it with all your followers, hiding the guest’s name for privacy.

How to ask a guest for a positive review

After the stay, especially if everything went well, you may want to encourage your guests to leave you a review. 

• When checking out in person, ask your guests if they have any suggestions on what you could improve. Explain to them that it is important for you to receive constructive feedback to optimize your offerings. Before they leave, also ask them to leave you an online review.
• Shortly after your guests’ stay is over, send them a message to thank them for choosing your rental. Here you can remind them to leave you a review. If they made their reservation on a portal, you can let them know how many days they have to leave you feedback. Use this email to also invite them to visit your direct booking website and your social networks.
• Most booking sites send reminders to guests who have not yet left a review. Since they may be busy and forget, it’s a good idea to remind them a couple of times!

Examples of responses to positive reviews

How to respond to a positive guest review? We have prepared examples of responses for you that might serve as inspiration.

Example 1: Formal response

Dear [Name of couple],

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your kind review regarding your recent stay at our private accommodation.

We are pleased to learn of your satisfaction regarding the timeliness of our responses as well as your appreciation of the transportation services provided. Your comfort is our top priority, and we constantly strive to ensure a flawless experience for our guests.

In addition, we are honored to know that the Michelin restaurant we recommended helped to make such a significant moment as your anniversary a memorable one.

We sincerely hope to have the opportunity to host you again at our exclusive retreat and further assist you in ensuring a refined and unforgettable stay.

With distinguished consideration,

[Your Name]

[Name of your business]

Example 2: Informal response

Dear [Guest Name],

Thank you so much for your positive review! We are happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed your stay at our guest house.

We are especially pleased that the activities for children, such as horseback riding and fishing, helped make your time with us even more memorable. The satisfaction of our guests is our top priority, and knowing that we hit that goal fills us with joy.

We truly hope to host you again in the future and offer you new unforgettable experiences. Thank you again for choosing us.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

[Name of your business]

Example 3: response in Italian

Caro/cara [Guest’s name],

Grazie della recensione positiva! Siamo felici che tu abbia apprezzato il tuo soggiorno presso la nostra struttura. Non vediamo l’ora di ospitarti di nuovo quando i tuoi viaggi ti riporteranno nella nostra zona. A presto!

Tanti saluti, 

[Your Name]

[Name of your business]

Example 4: response in German

Liebe(r) [Guest’s Name],

Vielen Dank für Ihre positive Bewertung! Wir freuen uns, dass Ihnen Ihr Aufenthalt bei uns gefallen hat. Wir würden uns freuen, wenn du dich bei deiner nächsten Reise in unsere Region wieder für uns entscheidest. Gute Reise!

Viele Grüße,

[Your Name]

[Name of your business]

Example 5: response in French

Cher/Chère [Guest’s Name],

Merci beaucoup pour votre avis positif ! Nous sommes ravis que vous ayez apprécié votre séjour chez nous. Nous serions enchantés de vous accueillir à nouveau lors de vos prochains voyages dans la région. Bon voyage !

Cordialement,

[Your Name]

[Name of your business]

Example 6: response in Spanish

Estimado/Estimada [Guest’s Name],

¡Gracias por tu reseña positiva! Nos alegra saber que disfrutaste de tu estancia con nosotros. Esperamos recibirte de nuevo cuando tus viajes te traigan de vuelta a nuestra zona. ¡Buen viaje!

Atentamente,

[Your Name]

[Name of your business]

What to do when you receive a negative review?

Negative reviews are a vacation rental manager’s worst nightmare. This is because when a property receives many negative reviews and its overall rating drops, it will lose visibility and receive fewer bookings.

Nevertheless, do not panic the moment you receive negative feedback. Look at the review as constructive criticism that will help you improve your offer. Respond to all negative reviews with polite language, thanking your guests for giving you the opportunity to learn from your mistakes. Future potential guests will greatly appreciate it!

To learn more about negative reviews and get some examples of appropriate responses, check out our dedicated guide.

Reviewing your guests

On some booking portals, such as Airbnb, you will have the option of leaving a review for your guests.

Although it might not seem like a priority for your business, leaving a review of your guests and how they behaved in your accommodation is important. Your review in fact:

• It will be very useful to other owners and managers, who can learn from your experience.
• It will allow you to alert other hosts about those guests who have been negative and misbehaving during their stay.
• In some cases, your constructive feedback could help guests understand their mistakes, as they may not be fully aware of their behavior.
• Finally, especially in the case of particularly positive experiences, leaving a review for your guests might entice them to leave you a good review in turn.

To learn more: check out our comprehensive guide on Airbnb reviews.

Manage your bookings with Smoobu

To receive good reviews and gain more visibility, vacation rental owners must do their best to provide an excellent experience.

Offer a hassle-free booking and check-in process that is simple and efficient. Make sure your vacation rental is always clean and the equipment is working properly. Respond to your guests’ messages in a timely and accurate manner and provide them with the advice and information they need to have a memorable vacation.

To help you manage your short rentals, also consider relying on a channel manager like Smoobu. Our software automatically synchronizes your calendars across booking portals and your direct booking website, avoiding the risk of double bookings. You can automate communication with guests, optimizing your response time, and take advantage of the many partner integrations to optimize different aspects of your business. Test Smoobu with our free 14-day trial.

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