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 spoke with Rodica Bulescu, Group Product Management Manager at Booking.comLee-Anne Singer Marketing Director of the Singer Group The Chairperson of FEDHASA Western Cape: What’s new, why it matters and how hoteliers should adapt.
The Review Score Has Been Revised to Include a More Dynamic Rating
Booking.com updated its guest review score at the beginning of January. What’s the main change? Score is now Weighted towards more recent reviewsIt is not a simple average of time.
“We are changing the maths behind the calculation of your property’s overall score. We will now be weighting it by recency and counting those recent reviews a lot more.”
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Some properties, around 50 percent of them, experienced a small change of just 0.1 to 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 Change?
The feedback from partners was crucial in the decision-making process. 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 changes in the guest experience.
“Over time, we’ve evolved from just serving hotels, to now serving home-stays and multi-national chain properties. So the system needs to change as well to adapt to today’s market, and act in a way that is fair to both the accommodation and traveller.”
What all hoteliers should know
For hoteliers, adapting the new system requires embracing agility while focusing on real-time customer satisfaction. Lee-Anne Singer summed up the feeling perfectly:
“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 offers three key takeaways to hotel staff:
- 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!)
- Being a good host – 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 Then, guests leave the property—and before they get that automated review request from Booking.com.
Lee-Anne explained how the Singer Group combines old-school hospitality and modern tools to engage with guests at all stages 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 many negative comments can be avoided by giving guests a means to express their frustrations discretely and at the time. She gave an example of a hotel that used technology to gather feedback mid-stay without forcing guests into uncomfortable face-toface confrontations.
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 emphasized the importance of feedback for future guests, even if it does not impact your Booking.com Score (yet).
Rodica stated that some guests search for negative reviews. However, what is most important is to see that the hotel acknowledges problems and works to solve them.
As Lee-Ann highlighted, the integration of GuestRevu with Booking.com has made it much easier to respond to reviews.
“It would be rude not to reply,” she said. “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: A Revenue Tool
At the end of the session, the focus shifted to how review scores should and can be integrated into revenue and operational strategy.
Lee-Anne looked back at 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.
FAQs
Does the amount of commission received affect the review score?
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 manager to get tailored data and insight.
Will hoteliers have the ability to review guests in the future?
Not presently. 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.
The bottom line is?
Online reviews are evolving. From the grading system to the guest expectations, they have evolved, as has the technology behind them. At the heart of the technology, however, is the guest’s experience. Rodica reminds us:
“I can assure you that the reviews of guests will follow almost 100% if the general manager focuses on this experience.”
Back of House Banter is continuing to explore industry shifts and the people who are shaping these changes. Subscribe to the mailing list if you’re an industry professional in hospitality who is looking to stay on top of trends.
