Reviews
How to respond to guest reviews on Booking and Google?
How to respond to guest reviews on Booking and Google? Rules for a good reply, a pattern for negative reviews and what to do about a fake one. Practical guide.
A guest review stays online for years. So does your reply. A guest comparing properties before booking reads both – and your replies tell them more about the property than the scores alone do.
I am writing about two portals: Booking.com and the Google Maps profile. The rules of a good reply are the same; only the reporting mechanics differ.
The rules of a good review reply
Five rules I apply to every reply:
- fast – answer a critical review the same day or the next. A week later it reads like an apology under duress,
- by name – “Thank you, Ms Anna” works better than “Thank you for your review”. The name sits in your booking data,
- concretely – refer to what the guest actually wrote: the room, breakfast, parking. Generic replies show immediately,
- no arguing – even when the review hurts. Readers judge the property by your reaction, not by the guest’s words,
- short – 3–5 sentences are enough. A longer text reads as a defence.
How do you respond to negative guest reviews?
A three-step pattern works: fact, apology for the experience, what you fixed.
First the fact – acknowledge what the guest described, if it matches your records and your staff’s account. Then the apology: for the experience, not for a fault that is not there. Finally the concrete change you made after that stay.
An example: “Ms Anna, I am sorry the room was not ready at check-in time. That is already fixed – housekeeping now starts at 10 am, so by 3 pm the room stands ready. I hope to host you again and show you it looks different this time.”
Handle the details and any compensation outside the review, by phone or email. What stays in the public reply is content that works on future guests.
What to do about a fake review on Google?
Step by step:
- Check your booking records for whether this person ever stayed with you. Without that you cannot tell a fake review from a mix-up.
- Document it: a screenshot, the link to the review, the publication date. You will need it in the report.
- Report the review to Google as a policy violation, or to Booking.com through the property panel. The portal decides about removal – nobody honest will promise it to you.
- In parallel, write a calm public reply: “We cannot find a reservation under this name and these dates. If it is a mistake, please contact us and we will sort it out.”
Future guests read that reply. Even if the review stays up, they see that you react calmly and have your facts ready.
Should you reply to every review?
Yes, ideally every one. A positive review needs 2–3 sentences: a thank-you and one detail from its text – for example “Thank you, Mr Mark, glad the breakfasts stood out”. A negative one follows the pattern from the previous section.
And silence under criticism? Future guests read it as “the owner does not care”. A reply will not change the score, but it shows how you treat guests.
Who should answer reviews at a hotel?
The owner or one designated person. One voice keeps the tone consistent – when three people take turns replying, it shows in the style. Larger properties work well with a short playbook: the reply pattern, a list of things you never do (arguing, blaming the guest) and the moment a case goes to the owner.
How do you keep up with replies?
Reviews arrive at all hours, in season also when your hands are full. That is why I built the review monitor: every morning it collects reviews from Booking.com and Google in one place and drafts reply suggestions. You review, adjust and send. It starts with the Solo package, 149 PLN/month, with a 30-day trial and no card required.
FAQ
How do you respond to negative guest reviews?
Fact, apology for the experience, what you fixed. No arguing and no excuses, because future guests read the reply, not just the reviewer. Handle the details outside the review, by phone or email.
What to do about a fake review on Google?
Check your booking records, take a screenshot and report the review to Google as a policy violation. In parallel, write a calm public reply – it works on future guests even if the portal never removes the review. Removal is the portal’s call, so nobody honest promises it up front.
Should you reply to every review?
Yes. A positive one takes 2–3 sentences of thanks, a negative one gets the calm pattern: fact, apology, fix. Silence under criticism reads as indifference.
Who should answer reviews at a hotel?
The owner or one designated person, so the tone stays consistent. Larger properties add a short playbook: the pattern, what to avoid and when to escalate.
Tired of reviews slipping through? Write to [email protected] or call +48 519 166 531 – I will show you how the review monitor works.