booking delete review

How to Remove A Review From Booking.com

Reviews can either make or break a business. While getting more and more reviews is important, it is equally important to stay on top of all the negative reviews that a business might receive. 

Getting a negative or downright mean the review is a big nightmare for any business owner. Whether you are a hotel or any other business, your  reputation  over the OTA is extremely important for your customers. One of the most widely used platforms is  Booking.com , where customers can leave their reviews and allow others to form an opinion about their business.

Headquartered in the Netherlands, Booking.com is a travel fare aggregator and metasearch engine for lodging reservations. With over 29 million listings worldwide, this comes across as one of the most widely used OTA platforms for the guests to visit and book accommodation for themselves. It is evident from the research that “travelers are more likely to trust property with 20 reviews than one with 2 reviews –” Thus along with the quality even the quantity of reviews matters!

So, it is essential to stay away from negative reviews. Everything that a customer writes about a hotel or any other service, to that matter of fact, may not be accurate. It must be kept in mind that a review is more of a subjective opinion after (or not) a first-hand experience which may or may not be the same for everyone. In a nutshell, all reviews are not reliable.

As we know, a deliberately crafted negative review bringing an ill reputation to a business counts as fraudulent behavior. Hence every owner would be concerned about keeping away from such reviews, which might have a stronghold over influencing the customers’ decisions in a negative manner.

Since one has no control over the negative reviews posted by the users, one has to opt for a viable solution. Sometimes an owner might disagree with the content of a review as it might be a little misleading or detrimental to a property’s reputation.

After all, there are two sides to every story! Not just the negative reviews, even the reviews where renovation or new change has not been noted yet and which might be a little misleading for the prospective customers, it is important to get them erased and start afresh.

But when it comes to removing reviews, Booking.com has its own set of rules and guidelines under which it processes the request for deleting the reviews.

But before diving deep into Booking.com review removal, it is important to understand that  Booking.com allows reviews only from verified users,  unlike Google and TripAdvisor. 

That means the hotels get to verify if the user has stayed at their property and only those users can leave a review. 

In a way, the reviews are 100% genuine. But since a review is nothing but a subjective opinion of the customers, some content might be irrelevant or might not just be in keeping with the guidelines provided by the site.

According to Booking.com, you can request a review removal only in below-mentioned situations:

• In the case of no-shows, cancellations, and over bookings (when the guest has been relocated as a result).

• If we suspect that a review isn’t genuine and may be used to target a competitor, we’ll remove it completely.

• If, after investigation, we determine that the guest reviewed the wrong property. ‍

• If the review is used in a blackmail attempt from the guest’s side (valid written proof must be provided).

You can also request for a review to be removed if it seems to be going against the set guidelines:

• When the review includes abusive language, swearing, discriminatory remarks, threats of violence and political or religious commentary.

• When the review promotes illegal activities.

• If it includes contact details like phone numbers, addresses, email addresses or website links. In these cases, you can inform Booking.com via your extranet ‘Inbox’ , using the subject ‘Reviews’.On their partner help center, Booking.com mentions this as well:

[Note: When comments are removed due to a breach of policies, the score will remain online.]

Tip for hoteliers: Who else can help?

If you think you have a strong valid reason, reach our to your booking.com market manager or support team and explain your side or story, they can guide you through the process.

Meanwhile, what the best practices?

Surely, there is. Since it’s the guests who get the link from the Booking.com directly to review your property, you will have to get in touch with the guests, understand their grievances, pacify them and convince them to change or remove the review you need them to. This includes some proactive approaches.

1. Win Over the Customer

You can attempt to get in touch with the customer by whom the negative review has been written and if something is not accurate, you can politely request them for a review removal since only a user has the authority to edit or delete a review.

Not just this, but while engaging in a conversation with the customer politely explain to them about the faults if there are in the reviews. In fact, there are certain best practices that you can resort to while responding to online reviews to win over the customer’s trust by letting them know that you value their feedback and are willing to do whatever it takes to improve their experience in the future.

Once convinced, here is what your guest can do:

• Contact Booking.com by phone ( here they can find the phone number for their country) or login into their account.

• They will need to have their reservation number and pin code if they call or if they log in they will find the review on their account and can send an email.

• An Agent in Booking.com can assist them with the process. Booking.com will send an email where the guest can resubmit the review that will substitute the old one.

‍ Thus, by winning over the customer, you can actually remove a negative review and at the same, appease the potential customers with your reassuring response to the negative review posted by a disgruntled customer.

2. A Sincere Follow-Up to Convince the Disgruntled Customer

A sincere follow-up with the customers to resolve your issues will surely culminate into something positive. You can also send them a sorry email, invite them once again to your location or bring to their notice the issues that you have fixed as per their request. Once you have successfully won over your customers, you can ask them to edit or delete the review for you.

3. Instill Confidence in Potential Customers: Reply Even to a Negative Or Possibly Fake Review

The reason behind doing this is that it creates trust and lets the potential customers know that you can handle even the negative criticism well. Again, prompt action shows that you are committed to customer service. This is how you can reply to a negative or fake review:

Hi (the reviewer’s name),

We thank you for posting your review and at the same time, we apologize for any dissatisfaction that you might have experienced. Unfortunately, we do not have any recollection or record of a customer experience befitting this account. Again, we apologize that we are unable to verify anything about your identity from your name in our records. We take these issues very seriously and we humbly request you to contact our executive (name) immediately at (email address) to allow us to look into this matter and resolve it immediately if you were a client of ours.

Thank you, (Hotel’s Name) (Name), General Manager

In a nutshell,

• Verify your records. • Thank the customer and respond to the review (Yes, even if it’s fake) • Address the complaint and apologize for the dissatisfaction they might have experienced. • State that you can’t seem to trace them in your records or are unable to verify their identity. • Offer them to reach out to you by providing your contact details. • Once you’re convinced that the review is fraudulent, report or flag it!

Here are some of the best practices that will help you in responding accurately to the negative reviewsBooking.com has a strict policy when it comes to removing reviews.

But obviously, it is stricter when it comes to removing fake reviews. If they detect that the review is fake, they will remove it without notifying anyone, in case of a suspected foul play.

Additional Tips

• An effective and technology-driven end-to-end solution like Instant Review invite or Guest Messaging will be the most effective in helping you with your reputation management which, in turn, will help you increase your Google Reviews. Again, a review generation tool will help streamline the entire review process

• Amplify your positive responses by playing your role in providing the customers with a great experience which, in turn, will help you collect more reviews. 

How to Manage the Reviews Effectively to Avoid the Hassle of Removal

• Manage your reviews on an everyday basis. Review Management Solution can come in handy to help you respond to the reviews accurately on go by managing them all on a single dashboard.

• Make your offline actions better by seeking to improve. You can deeper insights from analyzing the reviews trends, sentiment analysis- which will reveal many actionable insights that can help you make changes that can make substantial impact.

• Timely respond to the reviews on Booking.com as this can also encourage the guests to leave you a review by conveying the message that you consider their feedback valuable and care to respond to each of them.

• Handle the negative reviews pretty well by deploying a personal yet professional tone in curating your response which acts as a great indicator of your reputation as a hotel or business.

• For further assistance, you can also contact Booking.com by following the steps mentioned above.

• Get a Reputation Management Solution to save yourself from the peril of fake or negative reviews as it allows you to check and respond to your reviews timely by bringing them all in one place.

No business owner can afford to see his hard-earned reputation getting tarnished in a day by one disgruntled customer. Hence it is important to stay ahead in the game and take the necessary precautions before the situation blows out of proportion.

Removing a review from Booking.com might not be an easy task and might take some time as the platform receives a large number of reviews per day. But with the right technique and patience, your business will surely see the light of the day in the form of more positive reviews.

In fact, one of the best ways to combat negative reviews is to strive for getting more positive ones and formulate strategy to proactively get internal guest feedback to make positive changes. Hence it is important to invest in a good reputation management solution that will help ease your worries to a great extent.

Need more ? We are here!

Need Help ? Talk to our Experts to supercharge your Pre-Arrival experience

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Booking.com Reviews Policy | How to Remove Reviews on Booking.com

Whether when buying a house, or a car, or planning the next vacation, online reviews play an increasingly important role in the final decision-making process. According to Statista , two in every five European customers consider star ratings to be an important criterion when reserving hotel rooms, whereas around one in every three do not.

According to recent news via Phocuswire , travel reviews have a powerful influence on consumer booking behavior,

“With the growth of the vacation rental sector, it's little surprise that consumers continue to turn to reviews to help them make what is an emotional decision and one that takes up a significant percentage of people's income.”

As per information derived from Booking.com research team results, 53% of travelers have decided not to book accommodation after reading negative reviews about the host. 75% of travelers consider reviews from others to be important in finding welcoming hosts before booking.

An equally important piece of information gathered is that guests rate the staff higher than other factors such as value, location, and cleanliness when choosing where to stay. So paying attention to how the staff treats guests on arrival and during their stay is becoming a crucial factor.

As hosts and property managers the key takeaway on this is that your Booking.com listing may be successful or unsuccessful based on reviews, as they are a widely trusted source of information.

While they might be a lifesaver by bringing to the forefront stellar attributes of your property that you may have forgotten when creating your listing's profile, they can also damage your listing if they are blatantly honest or unreasonably critical.

Booking.com Reviews: What Hosts need to know

Maintaining a constant stream of bookings entails having solid reviews accessible for new guests to refer to. Guest reviews reveal the honest opinions of guests who stay at your property. This is why it is so important for the property owner/host to keep track of the reviews posted by previous guests.

How Guest Reviews work on Booking.com

A score between 1 and 10 is assigned to each review. To calculate the overall score, booking.com adds up all the review scores and divides that total by the number of reviews received.

The Guest Reviews Tab

A host can access guest reviews from within the extranet of Booking.com. The ‘ Guest Reviews ’ tab in your extranet gives you insight into what your guests liked and what could be improved.

Using this tab, you can see all your reviews over the last 36 months, as well as your average review score and ratings for services provided by you at your property during a guest stay.

The tab is divided into three sections:

• Guest reviews
• Average review score
• Additional rating

1. Guest Reviews

The latest reviews appear at the top of this section along with your reviews from the last 36 months.

There is a total review score as well as a breakdown of how the guest rated specific categories such as location and cleanliness for each review. Additionally, it includes the guest's name, reservation number, and any comments they made.

Booking.com does not publish a guest's name, reservation number, or date of submission if they left an anonymous review.

You can reply to a guest's review by clicking the 'Reply' button. Your replies will appear beneath the guest's comments on your property page.

Note that reviews from guests who haven't stayed at your property or reviews that are older than 36 months will not appear.

2. Average Review Score

Individual aspects and provisions of your property can also be rated separately by guests. The subscores and overall scores are submitted independently by guests - therefore they are not linked directly.

The average review score section shows your score for each of the six main categories,

• Services and facilities
• Hygiene conditions
• Value for money

Additionally, you will receive an overall average score. This will help you understand where your property is doing well and where improvements can be made.

Within 48 hours of a new guest review, or within 48 hours of a review being removed, your overall average score is calculated.

3. Additional Ratings

This section displays how guests rated other factors such as Wi-Fi, Breakfast, Amenities provided, etc. There is no direct impact on the average score from the ratings in this section. They may, however, appear independently on your Booking.com account page.

How to Access the Guest Review Scores on Booking.com

The "Analytics" page has a component - which is "Guest review scores" , which combines your ratings and comments from different guests to provide you with an overview of your property's performance.

Your evaluations are also monitored over time, so you can see how your property performs over time.

What is the protocol for guests to post reviews on Booking.com?

Only guests who have used Booking.com to make a reservation and/or who have stayed at your property may submit reviews on Booking.com.

Therefore, you should always inform Booking.com of a guest's cancellation by designating the reservation as a no-show.

How can a Host reply to reviews on Booking.com?

To add a reply to a guest review:

Go to the Extranet's Guest Reviews tab. Click Reply and then Send when you’re ready.

• Reviews can only be responded to with comments.
• The reply must be in English or the same language as the review. Responses provided in a different language won't be displayed online or translated.
• Your response will be reviewed by the booking.com team before it's published online.

How can a Host Remove Reviews on Booking.com?

Making the most of reviews requires understanding how they work, who can leave them, and when they can be removed.

What you primarily need to acknowledge is that guest reviews are personal opinions expressed by guests after staying at a property and what their experience at your property was like.

Conditions for Review Removal on Booking.com

Booking.com will remove both the review and the score in the following circumstances to ensure the relevance and impartiality of reviews.

• The guest canceled a reservation and confirmed they were not able to make it to the property
• The reservation isn’t canceled last minute (24 hours prior)
• The review does not describe the guest's experience
• Due to an invalid credit card, the Host canceled the booking.
• Upon reviewing the guest's review, Booking.com determines that the property was incorrectly reviewed.
• Booking.com determines the review is intended to blackmail the host – in such instances written evidence is needed to remove a review for this reason.

If a guest checked in at your property but decided to leave before their planned check-out date – and then left a review – Booking.com will not remove these reviews as long as it’s relevant to the guest’s experience at the property and to the reason why they decided not to stay.

Booking.com Guest Reviews Policy

All reviews, positive and negative, will be published. However, reviews will not be displayed if it includes or mention,

• Politically sensitive comments
• Content intended for promotion
• Illegal activities
• Sensitive or personal information (e.g. email addresses, credit card numbers, etc.)
• Using profane, sexually explicit, hateful, discriminatory, or violent words or phrases.
• Fake content and spam
• Animal cruelty
• Inauthenticity (i.e. falsification of identity)
• Violations of Booking.com review guidelines.

As part of Booking.com's effort to ensure reviews are relevant, they accept only reviews that are submitted within 3 months of checking out. Once reviews are 36 months old, Booking.com automatically removes them from the property page.

In addition, Booking.com removes any reviews when an accommodation's ownership changes.

Fake Reviews

To detect fake reviews on Booking.com have specialized teams and automated systems in place. The data is deleted, and whoever is responsible for it may be taken to task if necessary.

As a host, whenever you notice something suspicious, you should report it to Booking.com Customer Service so that the fraud team can investigate it.

How to Request the Removal of a Guest Review

Message the booking.com team via the extranet by following these steps:

• Log in to the extranet
• Click on Inbox
• Click on Booking.com messages
• Click on See contact options
• Select Guest Reviews as the topic
• Click on See all contact options
• Choose your preferred contact method
• If you chose Message, indicate your booking number and explain your issue

How to Respond to Negative Reviews on Booking.com

Guests on Booking.com heavily rely on reviews as well as location and price when making decisions. In a survey conducted by Booking.com , they found guests prefer reviews from other travelers over those from reporters, travel bloggers, and even family and friends.

Negative feedback from guests may become uncomfortable to hear or see, but responding to it can be a great learning experience. The information you derive from a negative review may assist you in creating a better guest experience in the future.

When determining whether or not to reply to a bad review, a good rule of thumb is to respond to reviews that focus on details over which you have control. Here are a few pointers on how to address negative reviews,

1. Respond as quickly as possible

Whenever possible, respond to negative reviews as soon as possible. It was a negative review because the guest wanted you to know that their stay on your property was unpleasant. Consider a customer-focused approach to resolving the issue.

2. Thank the Guest

Thank them for bringing this issue to your attention and demonstrating that you take their feedback seriously

3. Acknowledge Your Guest’s Feedback

Don't discount your guests' feedback, even if you are skeptical. In your response, make sure you address their specific concerns and maintain a positive attitude. Refrain from being argumentative as you may come across as defensive to outside observers if you approach this issue as if it were a dispute.

4. Apologise if needed

Your apology should be sincere and empathetic, not deflecting criticism, but accepting responsibility for the unpleasant experience your guest had to face.

As a general rule, sincere apologies start with "I'm sorry" and then describe what happened. Remember to take them at their word and respect what they have said.

Example of an Apology to your Guest,

*“ We understand you had a disappointing stay at our property during your stay on (DATE) due to the (Describe the experience ). Providing a superior level of service to our guests is one of the things we take pride in at (property name). Thank you for informing us of the negative experience that disrupted your stay. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.” *

5. Indicate you are taking action toward the complaint

If you are taking steps to alleviate the problem, explain how you are doing so. At the very least, inform them how you are reviewing their complaint to ensure that future guests do not have the same experience. Keeping your words with action is, however, most important. It is important to show that you sincerely care about upgrading your property and making your guest's stay pleasant at all times.

6. Invite them back!

Let the guest know you'd like them to return on a later date and that you're open to hearing from them. Maintain a positive attitude and if you like you could offer them a discount on a future stay.

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How to Leave a Review on Booking.com and Share Your Travel Experience

Elio Mondello

Planning a trip? Want to share your travel experience with others? Leaving a review on Booking.com is a fantastic way to do just that. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll show you how to make your review count.

From Start to Finish Step-by-Step Guide:

Ok so how can i leave a review on booking.com ? You are here because you want to write, chage or delete a review in booking.com.

Booking.com has long been a trusted platform for travelers worldwide. With millions of properties available, it’s crucial for users to be able to rely on accurate and honest reviews. By sharing your experience, you can help fellow travelers make informed decisions and have unforgettable trips.

Booking.com Hosting Guide

In today’s market, the online travel agency (OTA) industry is booming: according to a recent survey by Travel Daily News International, more than half of all millenials prefer to book via an OTA than through other means. Given this popularity,…

A Comprehensive Guide of Booking.com write a review

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the process of writing, reviewing and also removing a review on Booking.com from start to finish.

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a first-time reviewer, we’ll provide you with valuable tips and insights on how to craft a review that not only captures your experience but also helps other travelers make informed decisions.

How to Write a Trustworthy Review on Booking.com

Planning a trip and looking for the perfect accommodation? Booking.com is one of the most trusted platforms for finding and also booking accommodations worldwide. But with countless reviews to sift through, how can you make your review stand out as trustworthy and helpful?

From understanding the importance of authenticity and transparency in your review to providing practical examples and templates, this guide has got you covered. So we’ll delve into the dos and don’ts of writing a trustworthy review. Also we will reveal the secrets to making your review resonate with readers.

So, if you want to make a difference and contribute to the travel community, keep reading. By the end of this guide, you’ll be equipped with the tools and knowledge. So you will write a credible and compelling review on Booking.com that will leave a lasting impact.

The Importance of Trustworthy Reviews for Travelers

When it comes to choosing the perfect accommodation for your trip, reviews play a crucial role. Travelers rely on the experiences and opinions of others to make informed decisions. Trustworthy reviews not only help fellow travelers but also contribute to the overall credibility of Booking.com’s platform.

To write a trustworthy review, it’s essential to understand the impact your words can have on others. Your review has the power to shape someone else’s travel experience, so it’s essential to be honest, fair, and balanced in your assessment. Your goal should be to help fellow travelers make informed decisions and have the best possible experience.

Understanding the Review Guidelines on Booking.com

Before you start writing your review, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with the review guidelines on Booking.com. These guidelines ensure that reviews are fair, accurate, and helpful for other travelers. By following these guidelines, you’ll not only maintain the integrity of the platform but also increase the chances of your review being seen by others.

Booking.com’s review guidelines prohibit the use of offensive language, personal information, and irrelevant content. They also encourage reviewers to provide specific details about their experience, including the cleanliness, comfort, location, facilities, and staff of the accommodation. By adhering to these guidelines, you can ensure your review is valuable and trustworthy.

A non existent help center and a poor forum

Some customers have had disappointing experiences with Booking.com agents. So they may not always provide helpful and friendly service. Improving agent training and implementing customer feedback mechanisms could help enhance the overall customer experience. While not all customers have negative experiences, it’s important for Booking.com to consistently deliver high-quality support.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Trustworthy Review

Now that you understand the importance of trustworthy reviews and the review guidelines, let’s dive into the step-by-step process of writing a review on Booking.com.

1: Stay at the Accommodation

To write an authentic and credible review, it’s essential to have first-hand experience. Stay at the accommodation and immerse yourself in the surroundings. Take note of the amenities, cleanliness, and overall experience.

2: Gather Your Thoughts

Once your stay is over, take some time to reflect on your experience. Jot down your thoughts, emotions, and key moments that stood out to you. This will help you organize your review and ensure you don’t miss any important details.

3: Start with a Captivating Introduction

Begin your review with a captivating introduction that grabs the reader’s attention. Share a brief overview of your trip and set the tone for what’s to come. This will make your review more engaging and encourage readers to continue reading.

4: Provide Detailed and Unbiased Information

The heart of your review lies in the details. When describing your experience, be specific and provide as much information as possible. Talk about the cleanliness of the accommodation, the comfort of the beds, the friendliness of the staff, and any other aspects that stood out to you.

5: Highlight the Positives and Negatives

While it’s essential to highlight the positive aspects of your stay, don’t shy away from mentioning any negatives. Constructive criticism can be valuable for both the accommodation and future travelers. However, make sure to be fair and balanced in your assessment.

6: Use Language that Resonates with Readers

To make your review more relatable, use language that resonates with readers. Share your emotions, describe the ambiance, and paint a picture with your words. This will help readers connect with your experience and make your review more memorable.

7: Wrap Up with a Strong Conclusion

End your review with a strong conclusion that summarizes your overall experience. Reiterate the key points you mentioned throughout the review and provide a final recommendation. This will leave a lasting impact on readers and help them make an informed decision.

Tips for Providing Detailed and Unbiased Information

When writing a trustworthy review, it’s important to provide detailed and unbiased information. Here are some tips to help you achieve that:

Instead of saying the room was “nice,” describe the specific features that made it stand out.

Compare the accommodation to others you’ve stayed at to give readers a frame of reference.

Talk about the proximity of the accommodation to key attractions, transportation, and amenities.

Share your interactions with the staff and any memorable experiences you had.

Think about how your experience might differ for others based on their preferences and needs.

By following these tips, you’ll provide readers with the information they need to make an informed decision.

Dos and Don’ts of Writing a Trustworthy Review

To ensure your review is trustworthy and helpful, here are some dos and don’ts to keep in mind:

– Be honest and also transparent about your experience.

– Provide specific details and also examples to support your claims.

– Consider the target audience when writing your review.

– Proofread and edit your review for clarity and coherence.

– Use offensive or inappropriate language.

– Disclose personal information about yourself or others.

– Exaggerate or misrepresent your experience.

– Let personal biases influence your review.

By adhering to these dos and don’ts, you’ll craft a review that is credible and valuable to fellow travelers.

How to Handle Negative Experiences in Your Review

Trustworthy reviews not only help fellow travelers but also impact the rankings of hotels on Booking.com. Positive reviews can boost a hotel’s reputation and increase its visibility, while negative reviews can have the opposite effect.

By writing a trustworthy review, you contribute to the overall credibility of the platform and help shape the travel experiences of others. Your words have the power to make a difference and influence the choices of future travelers.

Building Credibility as a Reviewer on Booking.com

If you’re passionate about sharing your travel experiences and helping others, you might consider building credibility as a reviewer on Booking.com. So here are some tips to establish yourself as a reputable and trusted reviewer:

Regularly share your experiences and insights on the platform.

Make sure your reviews are valuable and provide meaningful information.

Interact with other travelers and respond to their comments and questions.

Adhere to the review guidelines to maintain the credibility of your reviews.

Share your honest experiences and opinions to build trust with fellow travelers.

By following these tips, you’ll become a respected member of the travel community and help others make informed decisions.

Step-by-Step Guide to Edit a Review

“Some time ago I hosted two guests who did not leave a very good review. Their comments were not negative. Infact they left quite a few nice comments. The score was 6.3 but I felt that what they gave me as scores and the comments did not make sense. So I contacted them through extranet asking them for further feedback as I really wanted to understand what was wrong and whether there was some mistake. They told me they were going to change the review. Is this possible? Can guests change their review scores?” Joey an host in Booking.com

Ok so  it is possible for a guest to change or remove a review within 30 days from the moment of check-out . Here is what you need to do:

• Contact Booking.com by phone ( here you find the phone number for your country ) otherwise login in your account.
• You need to have your reservation number and pin code if you call. Otherwise if you login you will find the review on your account and you can send an email.
• An Agent in Booking.com can assist you with the process. Also teh agent will send an email where a guest can re submit the review that will substitute the old one.

Same thing happened to me a couple times after contacting the guest about their review. One guest explained me that he did not know what he was doing (those smiley can be confusing) and how to change it. A host in Booking.com

In the meantime,  an host, can make a public reply and other guests can read it .  The guest will not receive any notification or email after the host published a reply. Instead everyone can see the reply on the review section of the property.

The host can also keep sending emails to booking.com and they will eventually contact the guest.

Step-by-Step Guide to Remove a Review

Another time I have contacted Booking.com to remove it, because it was not a genuine review and they refused. In fact they said is up to the guest to request to change the review. A host talking with Booking.com Customer Support

Note : It’s up to the host to make sure the guest knows they will be contacted by Booking.com. In fact the host should keep in touch with the guest.

DO NOT put a reply to the review so Booking.com will use this as a cop out for removing the review. The guest can change a review even if the host respond or not to the review.

It can be a long process but it’s worth it if the guest has lied ( there is a way of getting those reviews removed)

Here is what Booking.com says about removing reviews on their partner help center:

We  know customers find reviews to be very useful when browsing online. Because of this we only remove reviews in certain situations:

• In the case of no-shows, cancellations, and overbookings (when the guest is relocated as a result).
• If we suspect a review isn’t genuine and might be used to target a competitor so we’ll remove it completely.

We also remove comments if they go against our guidelines:

• When the review includes abusive language, swearing, discriminatory remarks, threats of violence, and political or religious commentary.
• When the review promotes illegal activities.
• If it includes contact details like phone numbers, addresses, email addresses and also website links.

Note:  When comments are removed due to breach of policies, the score will remain online.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts on Writing, Editing and Deleting Reviews

Writing a trustworthy review on Booking.com is not only about sharing your experience but also about helping other travelers make informed decisions. By following the steps outlined in this guide and adhering to the review guidelines, you’ll craft a review that is credible, valuable, and impactful.

As a result remember, your words have the power to shape someone else’s travel experience. Whether it’s highlighting the positives, addressing the negatives, or providing detailed information, your review can make a difference.

So, the next time you stay at an accommodation booked through Booking.com, take the time to write a review. Contribute to the travel community, help fellow travelers, and also make your mark on the platform. Your review matters, as a matter of fact, it has the potential to leave a lasting impact. On the other hand, If you have done a mistake edit or remove your review.

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Remove review posted on booking.com today.

I recently stayed at forest guest house in South Shields. I posted a good review about room but forgot to mention the great vegetarian breakfast I had and how clean the place was nothing was too much for the hosts and would definitely stay there again my review only got 7.5 and should of got 10. Please can this be changed as soon as possible. Thank you.

They remove my review!!!! For the first time!!! i think property owner pay them money to remove!! They told me u add names!!!! Every one add names!!! But they only remove my review!!! I will remove my account with them and booked directly with hotels and people they are cheaper than them any way..

Can I alter my comments on recent trip to TSH Florence with bookings.com 20th September for 3 nights,name,Barbara Brodie thanku very much

The other day, I wrote a review of my few days at Doongarra in Queenscliff. The comments I made should have been only for the owner to see. I would like to amend my comments to: The location was ideal and the accommodation very comfortable and convenient.

Hi my name is Dumisani, I recently stayed at Villa Manor and Spa, I gave them a bad review because they told me they don’t serve dinner and they served other guests and we had a misunderstanding about a deposit that I believed they owe me. So they were rude to me and I acted out of emotions. I would like to delete that review or change it if possible..

Yes if you ask booking

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How to Remove Bad Reviews from Booking.com or How to Mitigate Their Impact

• 5. July 2023
• Booking.com

Article Outline

Understanding the Importance of Online Reviews

In the era of digitalization, online reviews are an integral part of any business’s reputation. For hospitality industries, including hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals, platforms like Booking.com hold significant influence.

The Impact of Negative Reviews

Negative reviews can be detrimental, especially for those operating in a competitive environment. They can adversely affect potential bookings and ultimately, your bottom line.

Why You Can’t Just Remove Negative Reviews

However, it’s crucial to understand that you can’t always remove negative reviews. Why? Because they’re part of a transparent, authentic online environment, and sometimes they might contain a grain of truth you need to address.

Steps to Remove Bad Reviews from Booking.com

Are there ways to remove bad reviews from Booking.com? Yes, but it’s not always straightforward, and it usually involves:

Contacting the Reviewer

If a review is genuinely unjustified or based on a misunderstanding, you might consider reaching out to the guest directly to resolve the issue. They could then agree to modify their review.

Reaching Out to Booking.com

If you feel a review violates Booking.com’s review policy, you can report it to the platform for evaluation.

How to Mitigate the Impact of Bad Reviews

More than removal, it’s often more helpful to focus on mitigating the impact of bad reviews.

Responding to Negative Reviews

Replying to negative reviews is an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction .

The Art of Crafting a Diplomatic Response

A well-crafted response can help turn a negative into a positive, showing that you care about your guests’ experiences.

Encouraging Positive Reviews

Counterbalance negative reviews with positive ones. How? By encouraging your happy guests to leave reviews!

Incentivizing Satisfied Customers

Consider offering incentives like discounts on future stays or free upgrades to encourage more positive reviews .

Proactive Measures to Avoid Negative Reviews

Prevention is always better than cure. Proactive measures can help prevent negative reviews in the first place.

Implementing Service Improvements

Always strive to improve your services based on feedback. Remember, every criticism is an opportunity for improvement.

Regularly Monitoring Your Online Reputation

Stay on top of your online reputation by regularly monitoring and addressing reviews and feedback.

Negative reviews on Booking.com can feel like a thorn in the side, but there are steps to remove or mitigate their impact. Balance is key – while it’s crucial to address negative reviews, proactively fostering positive ones can make all the difference.

• Can I delete a bad review on Booking.com? You can’t directly delete a review. However, you can report it to Booking.com if it violates their review policy, or you can contact the guest to resolve the issue.
• How do I report a review on Booking.com? You can report a review from your Booking.com account’s “Guest Reviews” section.
• What should I do if I get a negative review? Address the issue promptly and politely, showing your commitment to improving guest experience.
• How can I encourage positive reviews? Excellent service is the best way to get positive reviews. You can also incentivize guests with special offers for their feedback.
• How can I prevent negative reviews? Providing top-notch service, promptly addressing concerns, and actively seeking feedback are effective strategies to prevent negative reviews.

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How to remove an unfair guest review

Last year a couple stayed in my cottage and it was only the other day that they posted their review.  I spoke with the lady too and offered an early check in, left a lovely welcome pack and prepared my cottage to a very high standard.  The review that she left was pretty awful, the first ever, as usually I guests score the cottage 9.5 and above.  The unfair review has now pulled my overall rating down.  It's something that I would like removed as it's simply not a true reflection of my holiday let.  Very upsetting and if future potential guests read it, then it will tarnish my reputation.  Could anyone help please?

It will not be removed. BDC policy.

However, as only one bad review amongst a gaggle of very high ones, most readers will put it down to an unreasonable guest.

Additionally you can turn it around with your courteous reply.

Express your surprise and disappointment at not pleasing your guest.

If there are actual untruths mentioned, these should be calmly & factually addressed.

Happy Thai New Year!

Thanks for your advice, I think your right, future guests might read it as a one off!  The guest made no comment and therefore I am unable to comment myself.  I’ll draw a line under it now, but when so much effort is put into making the guest experience perfect, then you get an unfair rating, it’s so deflating!  Best wishes from Wales, UK 🇬🇧 

LOUISE VAUGHAN-HARRIES  Best you reply to their review as genuinely as you can so that others can see that their review is not a reflection of your guest experience.

You might know this already, but guest reviews can be removed in some situations. Unfortunately I don't think this case fits the requirements, but I'll leave this Partner Help article here if you'd like more context:  https://partner.booking.com/en-gb/help/guest-reviews/general/can-i-ask-…

I wanted to also welcome you to the Community :) I'm sorry you received that review, but hope to hear from you soon with more positive news!

Thank you for the kind words!  Also for your useful advice …. Unfortunately, on this occasion the guest didn’t leave any comments, therefore the system won’t allow me to comment.  Booking.com has refused to remove the review, therefore I’m just going to draw a line under it.  98% of my guests have been truly lovely, so I have to be grateful for that.  Just hope that any potential future guests scroll through to see that most of my reviews are positive ones.  Wishing you a Happy Easter!

Best wishes

Happy Easter LOUISE VAUGHAN-HARRIES  ! :)

It's a shame that some don't appreciate the hard work that accommodations put in to make their stay wonderful.

That said, if the majority of your reviews are positive (which is not a common occurrence) you must be doing something very, very right. Congratulations and looking forward to any tips you might have!

You will always get a proportion of bad reviews regardless of how good your property is / how hard you work at it. As an example, we had a guest that gave us a 2.5 instead of usual 9+ for value for money because we wouldn't give them a discount for cash.

Nothing you can do about it except swamp it with good reviews (as advised above).

Dont let it get you down!

agree, the review system needs an overhaul.

if you are at a 6 review, my personal view would be to Opt out of the "Review System" 

It is not mandatory and It takes away all the stress that Pandering to Guests 

Mr Spence Eng

ApartmentsWales

we have won awards 4 years in a row, getting tired of 1 bad review putting our average score down and it tales 10 good reviews to get back up again - system is unfair.  how do you opt out of reviews..?

They you go, me and my big mouth, since writing this response, BDC has removed this option.

However, you can OPEN a NEW PROPERTY Account which will be published using the same company details as your other Properties and start over, ok they place a couple of trading restrictions on your early bookings, but soon these are removed and you are good to go.

We operate 3 Business Profiles each with a different score range and allows us to offer a range of options between business profiles.

Mr Spence Eng [ ApartmentsWales ]

All properties are someone's pride and joy .... something they've worked hard to save up for, to buy, to renovate ..... and they're allowing other people to stay there and enjoy it ..... and those who stay should have more respect for those who have worked hard to save up, buy and renovate a property .....

And in fact, Booking.com should also respect that people have worked hard to save up and buy these properties and do not deserve to be treated with such disrespect by guests

Very true but to BDC properties are simply a commodity to make money from. They don't hide it and they certainly don't care. We are far from being "partners".

They prefer to promote an image of customer first but in reality treat them with the same contempt.

How true. We really need an activist 'Partner' group, but I am sure BDC would find (more) creative ways to punish us if we did.

Dear Louise,

It is so sad when this happens and I think we all feel your pain. Many of us will have had the same experience at some point, and so did we. Funnily enough they are usually the guests you go the extra mile for, because they tend to be pretty demanding. Our experience was like that, people booking last minute, demanding (not asking) for a 3 course vegan (not vegetarian) dinner on arrival and behaving as if we were a hotel when we are a B&B and welcome people into our own home. These guests did leave a message with their 4/10 evaluation on BDC, or rather a rant. There were so many lies that my reply would have been extremely long to address them all so I didn't. I just wrote I was sorry to see he was obviously not happy since we always do our very best to please our guests and said that we did not recognise his account of his stay. I ended up saying that, even though we thought the things he said were unfair and untrue, rather than defending ourselves we preferred focussing on the comments of all the other guests who loved it here.  Onwards and upwards! Which doesn't mean I have not shed a tear or two on that comment and the 4/10 - which will take a hell of a lot of 10/10 evaluations to even out. 

I have just had the same experience Louise.  So far out of 47 reviews, 45 were marked as 9 or above, with only one in the "Average" band.  I just had a review 28 days after the guest left, marking me as a 3 = "Poor". The individual category marks were substantially lower than normal, but there is no way I can challenge or respond since they didn't leave any comments.  It is really annoying when things like that knock your rating down, but as somebody said we are only a source of income to BDC, which makes the title "Partner" so laughable!  BDC doesn't allow anonymous reviews now.  I think they should go further and require justification comments where a marking is below average.

I couldn't agree more. Shady anonymous reviews (when you can pretty much always work out who they are) and the no comments, so no response brigade. How is that fair to us? I've just completed another of their surveys to improve their 'partnership' with us... the last section was "If you were the CEO of BC, what would you need to know to best improve things (paraphrasing). I wrote "Actually listen to us and not just say that you do!". Not sure why I bother, they won't listen...

Same here Louise, we've all been through it at some point and all shed those tears. And it is always the high maintenance guests.. those that demand the most or need the most help. You do it - help them, provide everything you possibly can and then they slap you in the face. When you care and you work so hard, it hurts.

We took over our place 6 years ago with 9.1, worked our backsides off improving the property, the facilities and the guest experience. We were very proud of getting the score up to 9.4 and then BDC took it all away with this stupid new system. I can't tell you how many overall 9s we get, when the individual categories are over 9.5

Now we're back to 9.1 again.. 6 years hard graft gone up in smoke. It's gutting.

i know how you feel - gut wrenching and just takes out the pride you have in for doing it. 

BDC doesn't allow anonymous reviews now.  I think they should go further and require justification comments

We've just had a 1/10 on a property where we normally get 9/10 on BDC and 5* on Airbnb - guest demanded refund (free holiday) and we said no, so he retaliated with a 1/10 review

Had another one, 2/10 on a property where we normally get 9/10 on BDC and 5* on Airbnb - very overweight guest found the beds uncomfortable - not our fault

Personally I think review scores should be abolished on every platform - anything less than maximum score is negative and the scoring has zero benefit to owners/hosts/partners

the guests surname is not showen - so its still annonymous.

problem is a low score put you back a few notches -  say 1 pint, and it takes 10  good scores to make up, hardly not fair at all. 

• Yes, in GB at least all bookings left with a comment or not have a traceable action
• Simply click on the Booking Number shown in the review, that will take you directly back to the Booking page they made.

Hope that helps

Mr Spence Eng ApartmentsWales

Well, I am sorry for your lose and I do sympathise, but the only way to enjoy a good nights sleep is to remove the Review Badge from your Extranet, which I understand can be done on your account.

I have multiple properties and 2 of our properties [Apartments] are presently showing no reviews and it seems to make no difference to the bookings we take compared to our other listings, which have a 9.4 score.

If you look at the rating of some with say 4 or 5 on BDC and the amount of stays producing reviews, they still manage to pull in an audiance, maybe it is just horses for courses.

I am still looking for the Golden Challis, why does someone book that Partner and not that Partner, is it location, picture, review................. or a combinatiion ?

A question for any would be phychologists out there, why do Guests insist on leaving A Glowing Review in the Guest Book and the same comments posted on a BDC Review, then leave a Bloo...... 8 and then rub salt into the would - "we can't wait to come back"  

Perhaps we should go back to the good old days, when you just added your own chosen reviews to your Web Page and binned the nasty ones (:

ApartmentsWales.com

you cab remove review badge.,.?  how..? 

I would love to do that but I can't find out how. Can you maybe explain us?

It looks like its not possible

I have thought about this issue as it is concerning for hosts. I agree that having no reviews doesn't seem to affect bookings as I am new to BC so don't have any reviews and I am booked solid for July and August.

I agree it is really difficult to decide just what it is that influences guests to pick your property and I have given up because there is no answer since every guest has a very different requirement and focus on what is important to them. To some it's location, to others it's facilities, lots are influenced by price to some extent and some look at what entertainment and eateries are around.

I have just accepted that there is no definitive answer. I have resolved to provide the best experience I can at a reasonable price and that is all you can do.

the problem with the review system is that hosts can be intimidated by guests - we had an example recently and the guest used a Siska inside the apartment - we have spent 3 days trying to get rid of the smell, the guest claims they used it outside, they breached various house rules and we had to report them.  We have since been called racists  and much more in writing to booking.com too.   We have called for a review of the guest review system - as we feel that some hosts are being intimidated and fearful of reporting guests in fear of getting a score of 1 out of 10 like we did.   the system is unfair.    We lodged a guest misconduct report. please support a review of the guest review system and how it works.

Great initiative Ian. Lets hope that Booking.com take notice. I dont think any of us have an issue with the review system per se, and (certainly for us) occasionally it throws up something that we need to look at. But as you say, the issue is when the scoring sysyem is used maliciously.

Its only one part of a solution, but I think that BDC should display median scores rather than simple averages. That way 'outliers' like scores of 1 or 2 get removed. The comments a d individual reviews would stay though, so not ideal.

I respect your cojones if you do take BDC to court. But worth considering that they are completely cynical where "Partners" are concerned  - and they have VERY deep pockets (thanks to us).

BDC don't answer lawyers letters.,   very convenient when they are an overseas company, 

replied to wrong comment

This important point on using the median (or midpoint in a distribution of scores) rather than the mean is crucially overlooked and an inherently bad feature for a guest review system.

Data scientists consistently stress the risk of using an average as it can be so skewed by a few outlier scores at the very end of the rating scale. 

The reason is an average expresses a single unit of measure that condenses all the scores, from the middle to the outer limits, into one unit of measure.  Additional scores right at the ends of the scale therefore pull this condensed single measure towards that outer end of the scale, almost disproportionately (as it were).

By contrast a median or midpoint is not a condensed measure, it's just the middle position in a 'bell' curve distribution of scores, so is comparatively less affected by scores right at the ends of the scale.

After all, a few extreme scores at the end of the scale do not move the overall middle area of the bell curve distribution of scores that much. But extreme scores really do move a single condensed average.

This becomes critical as guests abuse reviews with scores at the low end of the scale to punish hoteliers from spite if they don't get the discount/free room upgrade/early arrival outside hours/what they want.

The review system is therefore open to abuse twice over:

(1) By entitled guests making unreasonable demands, then punishing the hotelier with the lowest scores out of disgruntlement when they don't get what want (but had no reasonable right to expect).

(2) By Booking.com further enabling the impact of this punishment by the disgruntled guest, as their use of the lowest scores to punish us pulls down the average score to a greater degree than if the review number was based on a median score. 

Great idea Ian!  I will definitely support your appeal.

thanks, spread the word- need as many ppl on this as possible....

I would be very happy to support, but I don't know how we would be able to ask for a review. I have written to BdC and pointed out the flaws in the review system, even suggested ways to correct it, but I never got an answer. In an earlier conversation thread, the moderator (Sergei) said BdC was aware of the flaws and was working on repairing them. He would keep us posted. This is about 1 1/2 years ago and he never posted anything after. 

I also have reported guest misconduct and blocked them from booking again, but the comment and evaluation still stand. 

So yes, let me sign a petition or write a mail, I will gladly do this because this affects you, me and all of us. 

PS if we are going to write a petition of some sort, I would like to include more suggestions, not just the one about being able to appeal clearly unfair ratings and comments (which I totally support). 

- BdC has to make more clear to travellers that the 'overall experience' rating refers to their stay at our place only and not to their holiday as a whole (including bad weather, bad restaurant in the area etc). Booking could very easily add a phrase like "Please note that your experience rating only refers to your stay at the facility" or something similar. 

- the rating for the area should be removed. The area is chosen by the guests themselves. It is not our fault that some guests do not research where they are going to stay and are subsequently disappointed because there is not restaurant or supermarket in the street, because it is too quiet etc etc. Also it is something we cannot change so it is useless feedback and doesn't say anything about our performance as hosts. 

- the final rating should be a total of the subratings and the 'overall experience' rating combined. It would be far more objective that way. It happens very often to all of us that all of the subratings are 10/10 and the overall experience rating is an 8/10. Also, guests do not seem to be aware of the fact that the last one is our only score and the other ratings don't count (which I know from experience when I explain). 

- instead of being able to appeal to ratings, which BdC could feel is too much trouble for them, there is the option of just removing ratings that are 3 points or more below or above average. This could be done automatically and thus would not force BdC to actually work for their commission. 

Lastly, unrelated to the above, I would like to add a complaint about the information BdC gives to travellers: they say they offer the best deals when rooms are cheaper on our own website as I am sure is the case with many of you. They urge people to book quickly as there is only one available room left when this is not the case and they tell people they can book without any consequences because they can cancel for free anyway .. which causes us a lot of hassle in our administration and planning and I find very disrespectful towards hosts. 

I hereby end my rant, my apologies :-)

I would agree with all of the above 100%

My only addition would be the wording ‘Please rate your overall experience in relation TO HOW THE PROPERTY WAS DESCRIBED ON ITS LISTING’. 

There was someone earlier in this thread who got marked massively low for location… because there was no sea view…. On his property in the middle of France!

That’s an extreme example, but we get this all the time. Guests complaining about things they expected to see and yet are clearly marked in the listing for our property.

And you are soooo right about the ‘overall experience’ thing. Guests seem to think that the weather is something we can control…. !!

Hey Nicky, 

I don't think guests believe we are responsible for bad weather, I think they just don't think their answer through. Someone asks: "how was your experience staying in that place?" That sounds like: "did you enjoy yourself?" which is not the same as "was the property to your liking?". If you have never owned or run a business like ours, it is an easy mistake to make to be honest. People are in a hurry, they answer fast. When I explain the meaning of the question to guests, most of the time they say "oh I never realised that". 

one of the other problems is that guest sometimes take it personally - and "attack" the host  - people are not logical these days - we have a had recent experience which has caused us a lot of pain.   our ranking went from 9 to 8.    so we are considering taking out a court intervention order in Victoria, Australia.   the order can restrict what people can say about you or your business. what dissappoints me mots is that booking.com  seem to allow vexatious scores - something the Australian legal system will frown upon - such as vexatious litgiants - some how booking.com need to look at this issue very carefully.....seems unfair it cannot be applied to rules on booking.com  

Hi Milos Radovic , I hope you are well. I would like to inform you that your comments here include personal information, such as our employees' names, and this is the reason why they will be removed by our moderation team, as posting personal information is a breach of our company's community and content guidelines. 

personal name is in review of non show guest and NO ONE removes it yet!!

ps: here we will hide personal name of your employee and keep it

BTW BOOKING.COM WANTS TO KEEP REVIEWS OF NON SHOW GUESTS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO CONTROL REVIEW SCORE!

I wrote to the Partner Support Team beginning of November on an unfair review, but have until today not received any response. Quite disappointing. The guest was upset because of something that is written in automatic text by booking, not my text. Then he gave us grades 5-7 for no reason at all. And didn't understand that I cannot influence the automatic text.

And by the way dear Didem

When personal name of your employees are in post then post has to be removed, but when review of non show guest is made with vulgar language, witch contains personal name too and fake photos then thats fine...can stay on site? is that justice you called?!

Dear Milos Radovic , if you requested the removal of a guest review's comments through our support teams specifically because they include personal information such as property staff name, our teams will consider removing the comments. Please kindly be aware that when a review's comments are removed, your reply under those comments will also disappear. I hope that this is helpful information. 

The best will be to remove all my poats where i cricize booking agents work, right?! Thats your answer?!

Try to answer those questions where everyone in this forum supports me! Try to make better service, to fix injustice made to us, not only to think how forcefully to show that everything is perfect!

didem - milos is correct,  removing the comments is only 50% of the problem, removing the vexatious score of say 1/10  is the othwr 50% of the problem - the scores should be removed too.    this is the problem BDC dont seem to recognise or have chosen to ignore.   

here is review with fake photoes!

Hello Didem, 

In support of Milos and as a fellow host, I would really like to know why Booking has changed its policies and now no longer removes reviews of no show guests. How can people who have not been a guest leave a review? Where would they get their information?

Funnily enough, the mail from Booking to Milos states that the unpleasant comment "probably does not reflect the reality or the quality of your service but simply the subjective experience of this customer". But the customer in question has not had any subjective experiences because he or she did not actually stay there...

I find this very troubling. Could you please explain this change of policy please? In my opinion there is no justification for this but it will hurt us. 

Désirée van Schaick

agree - it happended to us too - is it ignorance ?  or plain failure to understand or just too hard..?

Fully agree Desiree

How can this EVER be justified?

The whole issue of allowing malicious reviews stinks. How this benefits Booking.com (whilst undoubtably damaging individual 'Partners' beats me.

Has anyone at Booking.com got the guts to actually communicate with us and express why this is a great corporate policy?

Do they even understand the concept of malicious/vexatious reviews?

hi claire - i dont think booking.com understand malicious and vexatious reviews and review scores - it would be good of owners could have an open forum face to face in capital cities in australia for example - and the director / owner of booking com actually sits and listens.....would be a  good learning curve for booking.com to make it even a better company for all of us. 

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How to Write the Best Replies to booking.com Reviews

Tobias Roelen-Blasberg

According to Statista , booking.com is the most visited travel and tourism website, with approximately 678 million unique page visits in August 2022 alone. With this number, it's safe to say your page on the website can make or break your business.

Apart from an updated page, engaging copies, and enticing photos of your hotel, your response to booking.com reviews can help boost your presence on the website.

This is how the top hotels do it.

How can I reply to a review on booking.com?

Booking.com offers a wide array of accommodation choices which affects the hotel industry . Most of these alternative options offer flexible check-in time, self-check-in methods, and other features that attract DIY travelers.

Hotels, on the other hand, offer convenience, luxury, and great customer service. Leveraging these benefits is essential for hotels competing with other accommodations modes.

Hotel managers can make potential guests experience these advantages firsthand by responding to online reviews diligently. This way, they will know that booking your hotel will ensure that they will be attended to, even after their stay.

Luckily, booking.com has made it easy for hotel staff to respond to guest reviews with their user-friendly partner dashboard. Here's how to do it:

1. Sign in to your account

Enter your credentials on the login page . If you have multiple properties listed, you'll be headed to "Group Home," where you can easily filter your desired property. Click the property where you wish to respond to reviews.

2. Go to the Reviews tab

After choosing the property on "Group Home," go to the "Reviews" section. You'll be redirected to this page if you only have one property listed after logging in.

The "Reviews" tab will show you the Property Name, Date of Booking, Booking IDs, Review Score, and Comments. If you have a pre-noted review you wish to respond to; you can use the search box. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.

3. Go to Guest Reviews and filter content

Hover your cursor over "Guest Reviews" A dropdown menu with the options "Guest Reviews" and "Guest Experience" will appear. Proceed to the "Guest Reviews."

A dashboard with your property overview will appear. Ensure that the overview's dropdown menu on the rightmost part is tagged on “All Reviews”.

4. Write your reply, send, and review

Scroll down to see the reviews. Click the "Reply" button and begin typing your reply. Hit send.

After sending your reply, you can check your approved response by clicking "View Your Approved Response." You can easily redo your approved response with the "Edit, Remove, and Cancel" below your approved answer.

Scroll on to reply to more reviews.

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How to respond to a negative review on booking.com?

Negative reviews scare people away–that's a fact. Responding to each negative review proves that you're running a legit business and shows potential guests that you're on top of every situation.

But it's easier said than done. To help you with this, here are some tips on how you can reply gracefully to bad reviews with the help of an AI Review Reply Generator .

1. Refrain from being too passive

Being too apologetic or passive affirms that the guests are correct in posting public booking.com complaints. It will also make your hotel look less professional, affecting your brand gravely. Instead tell future guests that this is not your standard and that show them dedication to your business.

2. Never be aggressive

Frustrated guests can be aggressive in reviewing your hotel. The best way to respond to a 1 star review is by appearing cool and collected, as it will make you appear on top of everything.

3. Avoid making promises

Psychology researchers say that using the word "promise" only makes you appear insecure. It will also make it seem like you're just responding to the review without improving your services.

Instead of "promise," the best booking.com replies use more active words like ensure, strive, and working.

4. Take it offline and do not offer compensation

Publicly offering compensation for a complaint can set a precedent among your guests, creating a domino effect of bad reviews. It’s best to request the reviewer to message your team to resolve the issue. This will let the readers know that you don’t easily dismiss criticisms of your services. You can find more tips and tricks in our detailed guide on how to reply to every review .

Here’s an example response from MARA AI Review Reply Generator :

How to respond to a positive review on booking.com?

Positive reviews can be excellent marketing materials. Aside from boosting your presence on booking.com and other search engines, they can also be a great opportunity to increase customer retention and brand loyalty.

Here's how you can make the most out of your positive reviews:

1. Respond quickly

When you disregard positive reviews or respond to a 5 star review a couple of months after, it will make it seem like you can't equate your guest's enthusiasm for your services. That could even make you lose a loyal guest.

2. Highlight areas of the review

Highlight your hotel's edge against competitors. It's the best way to emphasize your strengths, as you already have a testimonial to affirm them.

This review has perfectly enumerated the features of the hotel. Our AI Assistant for Hotel Reviews picks up the specific points mentioned in the review and addresses them with gratitude.

3. Include a Call to Action

Guests who leave positive reviews are the best assets for organic marketing. Invite them to share their experience with their friends or on their social media accounts.

4. Refrain from using a common template

A common “thank you” template is the easiest way to reply to positive reviews. However, it will make your readers feel like bots surround them. This will have a significant impact on your image, because the hotel industry is primarily about personal and lasting experiences - and your guests should feel this with every touchpoint.

The guest in the following review has concisely highlighted the features of a hotel. Below you can find a great answer proposed by the our AI Response Writer that is casual and humble.

How do you respond to a 3 star review without comments?

Responding to a 3 star review without comments can be really tricky. This might signify a guest's indifference towards their stay–they are either pleased or dismayed by their stay that they no longer bother to review your services. Or, they can simply just be busy.

Regardless of the reasons, replying to a 3 star review without comments is essential. It can revive your engagement with the particular guest and show potential customers that you provide excellent customer service to everyone. The best way to respond to a 3 star review is to ask for additional feedback by initiating a private correspondence with the guest.

Luckily, there is an AI Review Reply Generator that automatically generates optimized replies for 3 star reviews without comments:

Respond to Booking.com reviews effortlessly with MARA

Responding to a multitude of Booking.com reviews can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be with our AI Review Assistant , MARA. This intuitive tool is designed to streamline your Online Reputation Management process, making it more efficient, personalized, and time-saving. It offers the best and most personalized AI for responding to and analyzing your guest reviews.

Streamlined Booking.com Review Inbox

Managing your Booking.com reviews might be challenging, especially if you're managing listings on other websites.

One of the key features of this tool is the Review Inbox . The Review Inbox connects to multiple review sources, including Google, Booking.com, and Tripadvisor, giving you a panoramic view of all your reviews. Your review inbox makes responding to reviews as simple as hitting "Generate reply" and clicking "Send". And you can even configure review response automation: Why not allow MARA to automatically respond to simple reviews, like 5-star Google reviews with no text, ensuring you never miss a review? Daily notifications about new reviews keep you updated and in control.

Analyze your reviews easily with Review Analytics

You won't be able to make the most out of your reviews if you can't extract guest sentiment from them.

To help you understand and analyze the multitude of reviews, the Review Assistant also incorporates Review Analytics . This provides actionable, easy-to-understand insights that are tailored exclusively to your business. With MARA, you can quickly get the gist of all your reviews without needing to read each one. The analysis is so detailed that you can find out about specific issues like "water in the pool is too cold" or "lack of vegan breakfast option". These insights help optimize the guest experience without requiring you to be a data expert.

As personal as it can be

MARA's AI isn't just about efficiency; it's about personalization too. This feature is significantly important nowadays as Booking.com is becoming congested with numerous alternative accommodation offers. Personalization allows you to connect with your guests and stand out among competitors.

The Brand Voice feature allows the AI to adapt to your tone, making sure your responses sound authentically you. Plus, with Smart Snippets , you can "teach" the AI how to respond to recurring praises or complaints. Your AI then incorporates this information into its responses, but always with different words, providing more personalized, relevant replies.

Final Thought

Responding to Booking.com reviews can be a powerful strategy for your business, and luckily there are tools that can make the task easier. This review response assistant has quickly become a game-changer for over 2000 customers. Its promising capacity to elevate your overall rating, amplify response rates, glean insights from customer feedback and economize both time and money, is the reason behind its growing popularity.

In conclusion, managing online reviews need not be an overwhelming task. With the appropriate software, not only can you streamline the process, but you can also personalize your responses, and derive valuable insights from the reviews. So, why hesitate to give our AI Review Assistant, MARA, a try? It's completely free for testing , doesn't require a credit card, and can be fully operational in less than five minutes.

This post is a part of our hero content series on “ Booking.com Optimization: The Ultimate Guide for Hotel Managers ".

Frequently Asked Questions:

It’s essential to reinforce the positive notes written by the reviewers when responding to good reviews. This is an effective social proof that will attract future guests. You can also add a call to action for them to revisit your hotel on their next trip.

Your response to a bad review on Booking.com is the best way to mitigate its negative effects on your online reputation. To do this, it’s best to address the concern in a straightforward manner while maintaining a tone of professionalism, respect, and empathy.

Here’s how you can reply to a message on Booking.com 1. Login to extranet 2. Choose Inbox, then click Reservation messages 3. Select the message you wish to reply to 4. Write the message and send

Booking.com actively monitors reviews from guests. They remove reviews based on the following: - Canceled stay or non-arrival - Invalid payment method - Possibility of mismatch of property and review - Failure to detail guest’s experience - Malicious content

Booking.com monitors the relevance of each review through the following standards: - Reviews should be travel related - Appropriateness for a global audience - Authenticity and uniqueness of the content - Respect for privacy of other users

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How guest reviews work

Each review score is between 1-10. To get the overall score that you see, we add up all the review scores we’ve received and divide that total by the number of review scores we’ve received. We are currently testing a weighted review system in Malta and Iceland (excluding hotel and vacation rental chains). For properties in these countries, the more recent the review, the bigger the impact on the total review score calculation. In addition, guests can give separate ‘subscores’ in crucial areas, such as location, cleanliness, staff, comfort, facilities, value for money and free Wi-Fi. Note that guests submit their subscores and their overall scores independently, so there’s no direct link between them.

You can review an Accommodation that you booked through our Platform if you stayed there or if you arrived at the property but didn’t actually stay there. To edit a review you’ve already submitted, please contact our Customer Service team.

We have people and automated systems that specialise in detecting fake reviews submitted to our Platform. If we find any, we delete them and, if necessary, take action against whoever is responsible.

Anyone else who spots something suspicious can always report it to our Customer Service team, so our Fraud team can investigate.

Ideally, we would publish every review we receive, whether positive or negative. However, we won’t display any review that includes or refers to (among other things):

• Politically sensitive comments
• Promotional content
• Illegal activities
• Personal or sensitive information (e.g. emails, phone numbers or credit card info)
• Swear words, sexual references, hate speech, discriminatory remarks, threats, or references to violence
• Spam and fake content
• Animal cruelty
• Impersonation (e.g. if the writer is claiming to be someone else)
• Any violation of our review guidelines.

To make sure reviews are relevant, we may only accept reviews that are submitted within 3 months of checking out, and we may stop showing reviews once they’re 36 months old – or if the Accommodation has a change of ownership.

An Accommodation may choose to reply to a review.

When you see multiple reviews, the most recent ones will be at the top, subject to a few other factors (what language a review is in, whether it’s just a rating or contains comments as well, etc.). If you like, you can sort and/or filter them (by time of year, review score, etc.).

We sometimes show external review scores from other well-known travel websites. We make it clear when we’ve done this.

Guidelines and standards for Reviews

These guidelines and standards aim to keep the content on Booking.com relevant and family-friendly without limiting expression of strong opinions. They are also applicable regardless of the sentiment of the comment.

Contributions should be travel related. The most helpful contributions are detailed and help others make better decisions. Please don’t include personal, political, ethical, or religious commentary. Promotional content will be removed and issues concerning Booking.com’s services should be routed to our Customer Service or Accommodation Service teams.

Contributions should be appropriate for a global audience. Please avoid using profanity or attempts to approximate profanity with creative spelling, in any language. Comments and media that include 'hate speech', discriminatory remarks, threats, sexually explicit remarks, violence, and the promotion of illegal activity are not permitted.

All content should be genuine and unique to the guest. Reviews are most valuable when they are original and unbiased. Your contribution should be yours. Booking.com property partners should not post on behalf of guests or offer incentives in exchange for reviews. Attempts to bring down the rating of a competitor by submitting a negative review will not be tolerated.

Respect the privacy of others. Booking.com will make an effort to obscure email addresses, telephone numbers, website addresses, social media accounts, and similar details.

The opinions expressed in contributions are those of Booking.com customers and properties and not of Booking.com. Booking.com does not accept responsibility or liability for any reviews or responses. Booking.com is a distributor (without any obligation to verify) and not a publisher of these comments and responses.

By default, reviews are sorted based on the date of the review and on additional criteria to display the most relevant reviews, including but not limited to: your language, reviews with text, and non-anonymous reviews. Additional sorting options may be available (by type of traveller, by score, etc.).

Translations disclaimer

This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, express or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.

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Verified reviews from real guests.

We have more than 70 million property reviews, and they're all from real, verified guests .

How does it work?

It starts with a booking.

The only way to leave a review is to first make a booking. That's how we know our reviews come from real guests who have stayed at the property.

Followed by a trip

When guests stay at the property they check out how quiet the room is, how friendly the staff are and more.

And finally, a review

After their trip, guests tell us about their stay. We check for naughty words and verify the authenticity of all guest reviews before adding them to our site.

If you booked through us and want to leave a review, please sign in first.

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Can I request for a review to be removed?

Home > Partner Help > Your reservations > Can I request for a review to be removed?

This article will explain how to deal with reviews that you don’t want to appear under your Agoda listing, as well as general explanations of our property review policies.

Last updated: 1 year ago | 4 min read time

Can I request for a review to be removed Chinese (CN)/简体中文

Can i request for a review to be removed chinese (hk)/中文 (香港), can i request for a review to be removed chinese (tw)/繁體中文, can i request for a review to be removed japanese/日本語, can i request for a review to be removed korean/한국어(대한민국), can i request for a review to be removed thai/ไทย, can i request a review be removed.

Reviews are moderated by Agoda to make sure that only verified and constructive reviews are shown on our page. Our goal is to make sure that all reviews on our site are authentic, honest, accurate, and constructive. And while we want all our partner properties to get the best reviews possible, we don’t remove reviews simply because they are negative.

Some reviews may be removed if they violate our Review Policy, which may include any of the following issues:

• The review is left by a no-show guest
• The whole review is spam or gibberish
• The review is submitted for the wrong property
• The review is a duplicate. Guests are permitted only one review per stay
• The review contains profanity, discriminatory comments, personal attacks, defamatory comments, or sexual references that are inappropriate for a general audience.
• The review contains references to illegal activities
• The review contains an individual’s personal information

How to request for a review to be removed?

If you come across a review that violates any of the scenarios listed above, you can request that the review be removed by contacting us   for further assistance.

If you don’t like a review you received, and it doesn’t fall within one of the scenarios above, we encourage you to respond to the review instead. Your direct response to guest reviews allows you to address the issues with previous guests while showing potential guests how much you care. Find out more on how to best handle guest reviews  here .

How to best respond to guest reviews?

• How can I see the reviews from guests?

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