Guests cannot try a room before they book it. They look at photos, check the price, and then read what other guests said. For a small hotel, inn or B&B, those reviews often decide whether someone books with you or with the place down the road.
In the BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, 97% of consumers said they read reviews, 68% said they only use businesses rated 4 stars or more, and 74% said they want reviews from the last 3 months. For a hotel, that last figure matters. A glowing review from two summers ago does little for someone booking next weekend.
Here is how to keep fresh reviews coming in, and how to answer the complaints every property gets.
Where your guests leave reviews
Hotels are reviewed in more places than most businesses. Your guests may leave a review on:
- Google, which shows up when people search for your name or for places to stay nearby.
- Booking sites you list on, which often invite guests to review after checkout.
- Travel review sites such as Tripadvisor.
Each site has its own rules for businesses. Read them before you start asking. As a general rule, ask honestly, ask everyone, and never offer a reward.
When and how to ask
The best time is soon after checkout, while the stay is fresh. A short message that evening or the next day works well.
Thank you for staying with us, Helen. We hope the journey home was easy. If you have a minute, an honest review helps other travellers decide where to stay. Here is the link: [review link]
For guests you see in person, a small card at checkout or in the room, with a QR code that opens your review page, is a gentle reminder. Our guide to QR code review cards shows how.
Keep the rules in mind:
- Ask every guest the same way. Do not only ask the guests who seemed happy at breakfast. Google prohibits review gating.
- No rewards. No free upgrade, discount or late checkout in exchange for a review. Google prohibits review incentives, and the FTC consumer reviews rule, in force since October 2024, allows civil penalties of up to $51,744 per violation (2024 figure) for some review practices, including offering rewards for reviews that express a particular opinion. This is general information, not legal advice.
- Yelp is different. Yelp asks businesses not to solicit reviews at all.
Our guide to incentivized reviews explains the rules on rewards in more detail.
Replying to common hotel complaints
Most hotel complaints fall into a handful of themes. Here is how to handle each, with example replies you can adapt. In the same BrightLocal survey, 50% of consumers said templated replies put them off, so change the wording each time.
| Complaint | What readers want to see |
|---|---|
| Noise | You understand, and what you have done about it |
| Cleanliness | You take it seriously and checked |
| Room did not match photos | Honesty, and updated photos if needed |
| Price or value | Calm explanation, no defensiveness |
| Check-in or staff | An apology and a way to talk |
Noise
Hi Mark, thank you for staying with us, and I am sorry the noise from the street kept you up. Rooms at the front do pick up more sound on weekend nights. We now offer earplugs at reception and can place light sleepers at the back of the house if they ask when booking. I hope you will give us another try.
Cleanliness
Do not argue about cleanliness in public. Thank them, say what you checked, and invite them to talk.
Hi Ana, thank you for telling us. A clean room is the least our guests should expect, and I am sorry yours fell short. I have spoken with our housekeeping team about room 4. If you would like to tell me more, please email me at manager@example.com.
The room did not look like the photos
Hi Raj, thank you for your honest feedback. You are right that the photos of our standard rooms were taken after a refresh a few years ago, and some rooms look different now. We are updating them this month so guests know exactly what to expect.
Then actually update the photos. A reply that promises a fix and a listing that never changes undoes the good work.
Price
Hi Claire, thank you for staying with us. I understand the price felt high for one night. Weekend rates in town rise in the summer, and ours include breakfast and parking. I am sorry it did not feel like good value this time, and I would be happy to talk it through on 555-0100.
For more ideas, see our guide on replying to "too expensive" reviews.
What not to do in any reply
- Do not share booking details, such as dates, room numbers paired with names, or what a guest spent.
- Do not accuse a guest of lying, even if you are sure they are wrong.
- Do not offer a refund in public. Take it to a private conversation.
Replying to good reviews too
Positive reviews deserve a reply as well. A short, specific thank you shows future guests that someone reads them.
Thank you, Ellen and Tom. We are so glad you enjoyed the breakfast and the walk along the river. Come back in the spring when the garden is in full bloom.
A weekly routine for a small property
| When | Task |
|---|---|
| Daily | Send review requests to yesterday's departures |
| Twice a week | Reply to new reviews on every site |
| Weekly | Note any repeated complaints and share them with the team |
| Monthly | Check your photos, hours and amenities on Google and each listing |
Repeated complaints are useful. If three guests in a month mention the shower pressure, that is a maintenance job, not just a reply.
A complete, accurate profile also helps when travellers ask AI assistants where to stay. In the BrightLocal survey, 45% of consumers said they have used generative AI for local recommendations. Our checklist for showing up in AI answers covers what to do.
How Reputfy helps
Reputfy brings your reviews into one place, and AI drafts a reply for each one that you approve or edit before it goes live. Review requests go out the same way to every guest, with a record kept, and your review link works as a QR code for cards at checkout. You can also show the Reputfy seal on your website, so guests can check that your reviews are real. Learn how AI assistants can read verified reviews on our AI page, or see our plans.
