What are Booking.com Reviews?

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Booking.com reviews can mean reviews your property receives from guests who booked through the site. Guests leave comments online about their experience and the service they received, which can be either positive or negative.

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If travellers have a bad experience using the Booking.com platform, that's one issue. But if they have a bad experience at your accommodation and leave a negative review on Booking.com, it can really affect your business.

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Is Booking.com Well-reviewed? 

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Well, as one of the biggest online travel agencies globally, its reviews can be pretty mixed.

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People generally praise Booking.com for:

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• Being easy to use when searching for and viewing travel options
• Making it simple to compare rates and features
• Supporting multiple languages and currencies

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However, there are some common complaints, such as:

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• Poor customer service experiences
• Credit card and payment issues
• Problems with cancellations

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Despite these mixed reviews, millions of travellers use Booking.com to book hotels annually. These reviews typically don't affect your property's success on the site or the platform's overall longevity.

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Are Booking.com Reviews Authentic?

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Booking.com does its best to make sure the reviews on its site are genuine, but there's always a chance of fake or manipulated reviews slipping through.

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They have security and fraud departments that quickly investigate any suspicious activity from hotels or guests.

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If you suspect a review for your property isn't real, you can contact Booking.com directly, and they'll help you resolve the issue.

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Why Are Booking.com Reviews Important for Your Property?

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Reviews on Booking.com play a crucial role in attracting bookings for your hotel or B&B. Just like Airbnb reviews, your website, or social media, guest feedback informs other travellers whether it's a good idea to book with you.

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Potential guests read reviews to see if previous visitors had positive or negative experiences regarding various aspects of your property, such as:

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• Customer service
• Check-in/check-out processes
• Payment and cancellation policies
• Amenities
• Food and beverages
• Room quality
• Accuracy of your descriptions

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No matter if you think the customer is right or wrong, their review is important. However, more negative reviews can lead to lost revenue and a decline in your business's overall performance and reputation.

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To increase bookings on Booking.com, aim for positive reviews, minimise negative ones, and handle any negative feedback calmly and constructively.

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How Can You Get More Booking.com Reviews? 

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Booking.com automatically sends guests their private review links. While you can't send your own review link like you can with Google and TripAdvisor, there are several ways you can remind and encourage your guests to review your property.

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Ask Guests for Reviews Face-to-Face

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It's important to know who booked through Booking.com. Ask those guests for a review when they check out. Some might not know how, so you should be able to explain the Booking.com review process. 

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Request in a "Welcome Pack

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When you provide a guest with a "Welcome Pack," they can find a handy guide to the accommodation. It includes information about the rooms, facilities, house rules, and all the great perks you offer, such as room service and your restaurant menu. They can also get recommendations for nearby tourist attractions, local restaurants, and other fun places to visit.

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Your Welcome Pack can give you a chance to show off everything awesome about your place and maybe even sell some extra services to your guests. But most importantly, it's a great way to remind them to leave a review on Booking.com.

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Follow Up After They Check Out

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Booking.com will automatically ask your guests for a review, but it's always nice to add a personal touch. A quick follow-up message from you can remind them to leave a review and invite them to come back again soon. You could even use this message to get more feedback by asking them to fill out a survey or leave reviews on other sites. It's a win-win!

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Place Visual Reminders  

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Hotels and restaurants often use table decorations to promote their products and services. You can use this idea to prompt your guests to write online reviews.

A small note card or QR code with a simple call to action can make a big difference in the number of reviews you get. Try to make it engaging and friendly. Instead of just saying, "Leave us a review," you could ask, "Tell us how we did!" or "Help us improve by leaving a review." These little prompts can guide your guests to your booking and review sites while also making them feel more involved.

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Give a Little, Get a Lot  

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Online reviews are like gold for hotels. Studies show that most travellers check out reviews before booking a hotel. So, it's totally worth investing a bit in getting more reviews.  

Tell your guests they can get a discount on their next stay if they post a review. This not only gets you that review but also makes them want to come back. The sky's the limit; the more creative your offer, the more likely you'll get those awesome reviews! 

To keep track of things, note down the names of the guests you serve. When those names pop up in your Booking.com reviews, they get a reward!

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Why You Should Respond to Every Review  

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Getting reviews is great, but it's only half the battle. When you respond to reviews, you make a real impact. Recent studies show that 77% of travellers are more likely to book when property owners respond to reviews. Personalised responses are also very helpful for them when they're making decisions.

Reviews help you get noticed, but your responses show what you're really about. Each reply is a chance to thank happy guests and make them feel awesome or to address any issues raised in a negative review. Either way, you're building trust with potential guests and showing past guests that you care.

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Conclusion 

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Booking.com is still a big name in the travel industry. The more guest reviews you collect and the better you respond to them, the more popular and trustworthy you'll become on the platform. It's all about showing potential guests that you're the real deal!

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With the right property management company like Houst, you can offer the best experience to your customers and of course, get positive reviews.