Reviews drive bookings, rankings and the rates you can charge. Most five-star reviews are not won with grand gestures but lost through small frustrations: a hard-to-find key safe, a confusing heating system, a slow reply. Here is how to remove those friction points and ask for reviews the right way.
In this guide
Get the basics spotless
Cleanliness is one of the most-mentioned topics in holiday let reviews. Check the places guests notice: shower drains, under beds, inside the oven and fridge, and the smell when they open the door.
Make arrival effortless
A stressful arrival colours the whole stay. Send directions, parking and access instructions before guests set off, with photos of the entrance and key safe. Our self check-in template covers the details.
Answer questions before they are asked
Every “how does the shower work?” message is a small moment of frustration. Put Wi-Fi, heating, hot water and appliance instructions in a guide guests can open on their phone, with photos. A digital guest guide lets them find answers in seconds, any time of day.
Add a personal touch
Guests remember how you made them feel. A handwritten note, a few local treats, and recommendations that sound like you rather than a directory all show up in reviews.
Fix problems fast
Things break. What guests review is how you respond. Reply quickly, fix what you can, keep them updated and follow up afterwards. A guest whose problem was handled well often writes a better review than one who had no problems at all.
Ask at the right moment
Ask near the end of the stay, when the experience is fresh, in a friendly, low-pressure way. Your checkout instructions are a natural place for a short thank-you and a reminder that reviews help small owners. In Welcomly, a review prompt sits in the checkout section of the guide.
What not to do
- Never offer incentives for reviews, such as discounts or gifts, or ask only happy guests to review. UK consumer law bans fake reviews and concealed incentivised reviews, and platforms prohibit them too.
- Don’t ask Airbnb guests to review elsewhere. Airbnb’s off-platform policy says hosts may not ask guests to review an Airbnb stay on a non-Airbnb website.
- Don’t argue in public replies. Respond calmly and factually; future guests read your replies too.
Put this into practice in minutes.
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