How to get more good reviews for your homestay, and answer the bad ones

HostBooking · Updated Nov 2, 2026 · 7 min read

To get more good reviews, ask every guest, consistently, soon after check-out, with a link they can tap to write one. Fix complaints while the guest is still there, and answer every bad review publicly and calmly. Do not buy reviews, do not trade gifts for five stars, and do not ask only the happy guests.

Good reviews start during the stay

Most bad reviews come from one problem nobody dealt with: weak hot water, a noisy room, a slow check-in. Guests often do not say so in person; they write it in the review. So:

• Ask early: the morning after check-in, send one line: “Is the room all right? Anything you need?”
• Fix it, and say so: if it cannot be fixed that day, move the guest or make up for it, and be honest about why.
• Keep a list of repeated complaints and fix the cause: the same point in several reviews is a job to do, not fussy guests.
• Clean to a checklist: cleanliness is what guests mention most. See homestay housekeeping checklist.

Asking: when, where, what to say

When

The best moment is a few hours after check-out, while the stay is fresh. On Airbnb, hosts and guests have 14 days after check-out to write a review; reviews appear once both have written one or when the 14 days end. On Booking.com only guests who booked through Booking.com can review, and Booking emails them the invitation. Your job is a gentle reminder in your thank-you message.

Where

Google gives Business Profile owners an “ask for reviews” link to send straight to guests. If you are not on Google Maps yet, start with adding your homestay to Google Maps.

What to say

Short, genuinely grateful, never asking for a star rating. For example: “Thank you for staying at the Wooden House this week. If you have a minute, a few lines about your stay would help us a lot: [link]. Every comment helps us do better.” Send it to every guest, not a chosen few.

What is banned

Platforms remove reviews, lower your ranking or suspend accounts when they find these. Under the policies of Google, Airbnb and Booking.com:

Beyond platform rules, Vietnam’s Law on Consumer Protection 2023 (No. 19/2023/QH15) bans deceiving or misleading consumers with false information about a service or a business’s reputation. Fake reviews fall squarely into that.

Answering a bad review

You are replying for the guests who will read it later, not to win against the writer. A good reply has four parts:

1. Thank them and name the issue: “Thank you for telling us about the hot water in room 2.”
2. Apologise for what was true, without blaming or long explanations.
3. Say what you did: “We fitted a new water heater this week.”
4. Invite them to get in touch privately if more is needed, with a phone number.

Reply within a few days, keep it short, and never reveal the guest’s personal details. If a review is false or breaks policy (hate speech, not a real guest, coercion), use the platform’s report button and give evidence; do not argue in the reply. Thank people for good reviews too, briefly: new guests see that you are present.

Google, Airbnb and Booking.com policies can change. This post is based on each platform’s policy pages as of 2 November 2026; read the current version before running a review campaign.

Automate the reminder

The hard part is remembering to send it to every guest. In HostBooking, scheduled messages include a thank-you template with a review link, sent by email or Zalo after check-out, once per booking (Basic plan and up). Guests who booked on your own website can also review right on the site after their stay. No commission per booking. See pricing.