How to make the most of your Airbnb reviews

Airbnb reviews are something every owner managing holiday accommodation has to handle.

In many cases, owners are unsure how to use reviews to their advantage. Positive or negative, they simply leave them unanswered.

However, handling Airbnb reviews well can be extremely useful for your online reputation and tourism marketing. At Alehost, we explain how to make the most of those comments and attract suitable guests.

How to manage Airbnb reviews effectively

Always respond to feedback

Whether positive or negative, guest feedback offers an opportunity.

Replying can create a good impression with 1) your guests and 2) people visiting your profile on Airbnb. Guests may appreciate a thoughtful answer, or feel less dissatisfied, while prospective visitors see an owner who cares about managing the property.

The best place to respond is through the reply function on your profile, where the response appears directly below the review.

Read reviews of prospective guests

Airbnb has a useful feature: hosts also review guests. Guests therefore have an online reputation to maintain too.

When someone contacts you through the platform, it can be useful to read the impressions they have left with other holiday property owners.

This helps you assess the enquiry and clarify expectations, including cleaning arrangements.

Respond to negative reviews

A negative Airbnb review can happen even when you have excellent accommodation and provide a very good service. A guest’s circumstances or an aspect of the stay they found unsuitable may affect their experience.

If criticism is justified, acknowledge the problem and explain what you did to resolve it. If a repair happened afterwards, say so clearly: announcing a new appliance does not, by itself, compensate for the inconvenience. Do not promise an improvement you have not made.

It is generally helpful to thank the guest for their feedback, however negative. An angry reply can escalate a dispute without solving anything. If the guest has a specific complaint, invite them to contact you privately rather than continuing a public argument on your profile.

…and positive ones too

Positive reviews are usually easier to answer.

Indeed, it is advisable to respond to reviews of every kind. Positive feedback also has another benefit: a guest who was genuinely happy may become an advocate for your accommodation, recommending it when friends or family travel to your city.

That recommendation does much of the work for you, since a trusted personal recommendation can be a powerful reason to book.

Study recurring complaints, both your own and others’

Ask yourself: what do guests tend to complain about?

It is useful to make a small comparison of nearby holiday properties with similar characteristics. More established listings may reveal what works and what causes problems.

First impressions are often especially important: plan arrival carefully and  be ready before guests arrive.

Pay close attention to bed linen too. We recommend using a professional service, as this is something guests often notice.

You can also learn directly from comments made during previous stays at your property.

Building a strong online reputation is a gradual process, one step at a time.

Use positive feedback in your online marketing

Across many sectors, businesses increasingly highlight the positive reviews they have received.

For holiday accommodation, this remains an underused approach and may offer an opportunity.

Use appropriate marketing channels, such as social media and email marketing, to highlight selected positive reviews and create a favourable first impression.

 

Examples of replies that explain what happened

An acknowledged problem: “We are sorry check-in was delayed. Cleaning finished later than planned, and we did not inform you promptly enough. We have adjusted our coordination to prevent a repeat.” Use this only if it describes a real change.

A resolved issue: “Thank you for reporting the equipment fault. We arranged a repair during your stay and checked that it was working. We are sorry for the inconvenience.”

A disagreement: clarify a verifiable fact without revealing private information or accusing the guest. If content breaches platform policy, use the reporting channel; an unfavourable opinion is not removed simply because you disagree.

Resolve personal matters or compensation privately and keep the public reply brief. For assessing a traveller, see how to write a guest review.