How to respond to positive and negative reviews of your holiday accommodation

Before choosing their holiday accommodation, travelers usually thoroughly review the opinions of those who have already stayed in the apartment or house they are interested in. They want to know what other users have to say, but they also like to know the owner's opinion firsthand regarding the comments received. Hence the importance of responding to positive and also negative reviews.

Keys to getting more reviews for your holiday accommodation

It has been proven that accommodations with more reviews get more bookings. So it is essential to get customers who have already stayed at the property to share their opinion publicly.

Offer a good experience

A dissatisfied guest will not hesitate to leave a review on Booking or any other website where they can express their opinion about the accommodation. The good news is that a satisfied guest will also want to testify to their experience.

Therefore, the best thing you can do to get more reviews, and positive ones, is to guarantee your guests the best possible experience. This implies having the property well-maintained, clean and with all kinds of amenities, but also offering good service.

The easier we make it for the guest, the happier they will be. For example, by installing the smart lock system that we at Raixer provide for you. Thanks to this technology, the customer can access the house as soon as they arrive, without having to wait for anyone to give them the keys. And they can leave calmly, without having to worry about returning the set of keys.

Ask for their opinion

Responding to Google reviews will be more common for you if you try asking your guests to leave their opinion on specialized channels.

When they leave, you can send them a message thanking them for their visit and take advantage of that moment to ask them to leave their opinion. You can also send them an email a few days after their visit and offer them a small discount for future stays in exchange for leaving a review.

How to respond to positive and negative reviews

When responding to Google reviews, you should always do so, regardless of whether they are positive or negative. This will show guests that you value their opinion.

Positive reviews

A simple message of thanks to the guest will suffice. However, do not create a standard message and use it as a response every time; try to make each of your replies personalized.

Negative reviews

If you offer accommodation on Booking or another platform and receive negative comments, responding to them is always more complicated. Our advice is to always be polite.

Start by thanking them for the comment and provide an explanation for the criticism expressed. For example: “Thank you very much for your visit and for your review Pablo. We take note of your comments and will work to resolve the deficiencies in the apartment as soon as possible. We hope to see you back so you can see the improvements made firsthand.”

When you receive negative reviews, it's not just about responding; you have a lot of useful information at your disposal to understand what your guests don't like and to improve it.

Responding to positive and negative reviews helps you to be closer to your guests and to better understand what they want when they arrive at a tourist accommodation. So, do not hesitate to always respond and take advantage of the feedback you receive through reviews.