How do Booking.com guest reviews work?+
Booking.com emails guests an invitation about 48 hours after check-out, and they have three months to submit a review scored from 1 to 10. Reviews are screened for authenticity and inappropriate content before going live, so only genuine guest experiences are published.
Who can leave a Booking.com review?+
Only guests who actually booked and stayed through Booking.com can review your property. This booking-verified system is why Booking.com reviews are highly trusted — there's no way to post a review without a real, completed stay.
How is the Booking.com review score calculated?+
Your overall score is the average of all guest review scores (1–10), with more recent reviews weighted more heavily. Guests also leave subscores for areas like cleanliness, location, staff, comfort, facilities, value, and WiFi.
Can I respond to guest reviews?+
Yes. You can reply to reviews via the Extranet or the Pulse app. Responses are checked by Booking.com before publishing. Keep them friendly, personal, and concise — thank guests for their feedback and address concerns without defensiveness.
Can I remove a negative or unfair review?+
You can report reviews that breach Booking.com's guidelines, and their team will assess them. Genuine reviews from real guests remain, so the best response to criticism is a professional public reply and a focus on improving the guest experience.
How do I get more and better guest reviews?+
Because only verified guests can review, the key is delivering an excellent stay and ensuring the post-stay invitation reaches them. Outstanding cleanliness, accurate listings, and attentive service translate directly into higher scores and more reviews.
Why do recent reviews matter more?+
Booking.com's weighted system gives newer reviews greater influence over your score. This rewards consistently good service and means a strong recent run can lift your score faster — while a quiet period lets older reviews dominate.
What are subscores and why do they matter?+
Subscores rate specific aspects of the stay — cleanliness, location, staff, comfort, facilities, value, and WiFi. Travellers use them to compare properties on what matters to them, so a weak subscore can cost bookings even if your overall score is solid.
How important is my review score for bookings?+
Critical. Guests filter and compare properties by score, and a higher score improves visibility and conversion. Even a small score increase can meaningfully raise your booking volume in a competitive market.
How long until my score improves?+
Because recent reviews carry more weight, consistent positive stays can lift your score within a few weeks to a couple of months. Sustained service quality keeps it climbing, while the weighting protects you from being defined by one old bad review.