The guest review rating is a key KPI for accommodation providers. It influences everything from OTA visibility and guest trust to the overall performance of their business. Booking.com made a significant update in how the scores are calculated. The hospitality industry was understandably concerned when Booking.com released this information.
The latest episode of Back of House Banter, GuestRevu’s Amy Branford met with Rodica Buzacu, Group Product Manager at Booking.comLee-Anne Singer Marketing Director of the Singer Group The Chairperson of FEDHASA Western Cape: What’s new, why it’s important, and what hoteliers can do to adapt.
Review Scores That Are More Dynamic
Booking.com updated its guest review score at the beginning of January. What is the key change? What is the score? Recent reviews are weighted more heavilyRather than being a simple mean over time,.
“We are changing the logic and math behind the way we compute the overall score for your property. We will make it more dynamic by weighing it according to recency. This means that the most recent review counts a lot more.”
Around 50% of properties experienced no changes at all. Others saw small shifts between 0.1 and 0.2 points. Only a small percentage (about 4–5%) saw more dramatic movement.
We’ve also analysed how your Tripadvisor score is calculated and how to improve it
Why the Changes?
Feedback from partners was a key factor in updating the system. Booking.com partners who have been with the company for a long time felt that their scores were stagnant and didn’t respond to recent improvements in guest satisfaction or decreases.
“Over the years we have evolved from only serving hotels to also serving home-stays and multi-national chain properties. The system must change in order to adapt to the current market and behave fairly for both the accommodation and traveller.”
What hoteliers need to know
For hoteliers, embracing the new system requires agility and a greater focus on guest satisfaction in real time. Lee-Anne Singer’s sentiments were perfectly captured:
“What I want is a handbook – a best practice guide – so I can go back to my team and help them understand how to benefit from these changes.”
Rodica has three main takeaways for hoteliers:
- Prioritise guest experience From beginning to end
- Avoid negative reviews by actively preventing them Check in on guests while they are staying (but do not try to disturb them). block negative reviews With underhanded tactics!)
- Be a great guest – think of each guest as a visitor in your own home.
Capturing feedback before it is too late
The most important tactic discussed was collecting feedback Before you begin, please read the following: guests leave the property—and before they get that automated review request from Booking.com.
Lee-Anne revealed how the Singer Group uses old-school service with modern technology to reach guests at any stage of their journey.
“As [Rodica] “As was rightly pointed out, it is important that people have the ability to communicate with us in a way they find comfortable.”
Rodica said that negative reviews are often avoided when guests can express their frustrations discretely and at the time. She shared an example where a hotel used technology to collect feedback from guests mid-stay, without having them engage in awkward face-to-face encounters.
Use in-stay surveys It’s important to collect feedback from guests while you still have time to fix any problems
Should you respond to reviews?
Yes! Rodica and Amy both stressed that even if your Booking.com rating (yet) doesn’t change, the responses are still valuable for future customers.
Rodica said that guests are looking for bad reviews. What matters is that the property acknowledges the problem and attempts to fix it.
Lee-Ann emphasized that the integration between GuestRevu.com and Booking.com makes it easier to respond.
She said, “It is bad manners to not respond.” “Now, my managers can do it all in one place – it’s life-changing in terms of productivity.”
Find out how to respond to reviews even faster with GuestRevu’s built-in AI assistant
Reputation is a revenue tool
The conversation turned towards the end to the way review scores could and should be incorporated into revenue and operation strategies.
Lee-Anne discussed the evolution of online reviews and their role for hoteliers. Reviews were initially just something that you responded to. Then we learned how to utilize review insights in operations. And now, they have the potential to become a revenue-management tool.
Rodica agreed, stating that reviews provide valuable insights into operations, customer preferences, and more. staff performance.
Amy sums it up:
Your reviews tell your story. Your reviews are your story. Make sure they’re the ones you want to be heard by potential guests.
Common Questions
Do higher commissions affect review scores?
No. Booking.com’s scores are entirely based on the guest reviews. They cannot be affected by commission rates.
Do stricter cancellation policies impact revenue?
It depends. Rodica suggested that you discuss this with your Booking.com account representative for tailored data.
Will hoteliers have the ability to review guests in the future?
Not at this time This is a very popular request from short-term and home rental providers. However, it’s not something that will be implemented in the near future.
What’s the bottom line for you?
The role of online reviews, from grading systems, to expectations for guests, is changing, as is the technology which powers them. At the heart of the technology, however, is the guest’s experience. Rodica reminded me:
I can almost guarantee that guest reviews will follow if a general manger is focused on this experience.
Back of House Banter continues to explore the industry changes with those who are shaping them. Subscribe to the Guest Revu newsletter if you’re an industry professional interested in staying on top of trends.
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The original version of this post appeared on GuestRevu. here The reproduction of their work is done with their permission.
