On Airbnb, VRBO or Booking.com the reputation of your property is constructed review by review. There is No paid advertising to offset a rating of 3.8 stars, nor the best listing copy that exceeds a profile with 150 reviews of 5 stars.
Reviews are the asset more difficult to build and more difficult to recover when damaged. And in the market of Orlando, where there are hundreds of comparable properties competing for the same guests, the difference between a 4.6 and 4.9 results in positioning, rates and occupancy.
This guide gives you concrete strategies that work to build and protect the reputation of your vacation property in Orlando.
Why reviews matter beyond the rating visible
The star rating is what the guest sees. But what the algorithms of platforms see is more complex: the total number of reviews, rate of accumulation of new reviews, rate of response of the host, percentage of reviews 5 stars versus 4, and the content of the reviews themselves.
A property with 80 reviews of 4.7 stars appear higher in the search results that a with 10 reviews of 5.0 stars. The volume matters as much as the final score.
And there’s another factor that many homeowners underestimate: the guests read the reviews, but also read the responses of the host. A professional response and empathetic to a review is negative, you can convert a experience of 3 stars in a sales pitch for the next guests.
The real causes of the reviews of 3 and 4 star (and how to avoid them)
The reviews below of 5 stars almost always have the same causes. Understanding them is the first step to eliminating them.
Cleaning is poor or inconsistent Is the number one cause of negative reviews in vacation properties at the global level. A hair in the shower, a kitchen with remnants of the previous stay or towels that smell of moisture destroyed in seconds the quality perception of the whole property.
Communication is slow or non-existent prior to check-in guests who do not receive clear instructions of arrival, that they have to wait more than 2 hours to get a response or that arrive to a property without knowing how to enter, they give the worse regardless of how it is the house.
Difference between what is shown on the listing, and what they find Photos that show a decor that has already changed, amenities listed that does not work or a number of beds different than the advertised are the errors generated by the reviews, the more harmful because they imply a lack of honesty.
Maintenance problems without addressing The air conditioning that makes noise, the swimming pool with cloudy water, the tv will not turn on or the washing machine that does not work. The maintenance problems that are not solved quickly turn a good experience into a bad one.
Strategies to get more reviews out of 5 stars consistently
The check-in that creates the first good impression
The first guest experience at your property sets the tone for the entire stay. A check-in process fluid, clear instructions, property clean and in perfect conditions from the first minute already puts the guest in a positive disposition.
The details that are most valued by the guests on check-in:
- Arrival instructions sent 24 hours in advance with all the necessary information
- The property a comfortable temperature when you arrive (in the summer in Orlando, with the AC on)
- A small detail of welcome (bottled water, snacks, basic, custom note)
- WiFi visible and easy to connect from the first minute
The proactive communication during the stay
Do not wait for the guest you report a problem. Contáctalo at 24 or 48 hours of check-in with a brief message to verify that all is well. That contact has two effects: if there is a problem, you say while you still can solve it before it affects the review. And if all is well, the guest perceives attention and care.
The moment you ask for the review
Ask for a review at the wrong time or in the wrong way reduces the rate of response. The strategies that work best:
- Farewell message sent on the day of check-out, thanking the stay and remembering gently that the review helps a lot on the property
- Message of up to 48 hours after check-out if the guest has not left review
- Never ask for a rating of 5 stars explicitly (the platforms as criminalise and the guests perceive it as pressure)
Answer all of the reviews, including the positive
80% of the hosts do not respond to their positive reviews. It has a real impact on the positioning because the platforms measure the rate of response from the host as an indicator of commitment.
The responses to positive reviews don’t have to be long. A genuine thankfulness and specific (to mention something that the guest wrote) is sufficient.
How to respond to negative reviews without worsening the situation
A review of negative evil answered is worse than no answer. These are the rules that work:
Not to defend or justify in excess. If the guest reported that the cleaning was not good, please do not respond by explaining that the cleaning equipment is excellent. Acknowledge the problem, apologize briefly and explains what extent you took.
Responds to the next guest, not for the one that wrote the review. The host that wrote the review negative is probably not going to come back. But hundreds of future guests are going to read your response. Write by thinking about them.
Keep it short and professional. The long answers, and defensive generate more suspicion that the original perception. Two or three sentences well-chosen are sufficient.
Never respond to an emotional or sarcastic. Even when the review is unfair or exaggerated.
The impact of reviews on the positioning and rates
On Airbnb, the search algorithm (internally called ‘quality score’) ponders the recent reviews more than the old ones. A property that had a streak of good reviews two years ago, but it takes 6 months without new reviews lost positioning in front properties with recent activity.
In practice, this means that maintaining the flow of reviews is just as important as the quality of the reviews themselves.
To understand how to optimize the occupancy and rates for your vacation property in a comprehensive way, including how the reviews directly affect the price you can charge, our management guide covers the complete relationship between reputation and revenue.
And if you want to know how the guest experience 5-star is built up from the day to day operations, including cleaning, communication, and details of welcome, this article gives you the complete protocol.
What more you ask the owners about reviews on Airbnb and VRBO
How can I remove a review negative if it is false or unfair?
On Airbnb you can report a review that violates the terms of use of the platform (for example, if it contains offensive language or information clearly false). But if the review is negative feedback genuine host, although you may find this unfair, you can’t delete it. The best response is a replica professional and brief.
How many reviews you need a property to position yourself well?
On Airbnb, properties with more than 20 reviews already have enough social proof to compete with established properties. The most significant change in positioning tends to occur between the reviews 10 and 30. For over 50 reviews, with a good average, the property goes into a zone of stability where it is difficult to move it.
Can I offer discounts in exchange for reviews?
No. Airbnb, VRBO and Booking.com explicitly prohibit incentivized reviews with discounts, gifts, or any type of compensation. If the platform detects this behavior, you can suspend the listing or remove the reviews obtained in this way.
What happens with the reviews if change of management company?
The reviews are associated with the listing, not to the administrator. If you change your company administrator with no change to the listing, the reviews are maintained. If you close the listing and open a new one, you start from scratch.
The reputation is not managed once. It manages all the days.
A property with 4.9 stars not got there by luck. Came to us because each room was attended to with consistency: properly clean, fluid communication, problems solved before the guest the report.
That consistency is what makes the difference between a property that generates income increased year-on-year and one that stagnates.
Find out how the team HVG manages the reputation of your guests to maximise your reviews.
