We want to give you the most accurate and helpful information, so we work hard to ensure that every review on Booking.com is genuine and reliable. We’ve put a lot of effort into developing our review system, which uses a combination of technology and human expertise to weed out any fake or inappropriate content.
How We Calculate Our Scores
To arrive at the overall score you see for an accommodation, we simply average all the individual review scores we’ve received. This system is straightforward and transparent, but we’re always looking for ways to improve it. In some regions like Malta, Iceland, Australia, Greece, Brazil and North Carolina, we’re testing a new weighted review system. This means that more recent reviews will have a bigger impact on the overall score.
We also allow guests to provide separate ‘subscores’ in specific areas like location, cleanliness, staff, comfort, facilities, value for money and free Wi-Fi. While guests can submit these scores and their overall review score independently, there’s no direct link between them.
Maintaining Review Integrity
We’re committed to providing a platform where honest and impartial reviews are the norm. To achieve this, we use a combination of human review teams and automated systems to detect and delete fake reviews. We take this seriously and won’t hesitate to take action against anyone found responsible for submitting fake reviews.
We understand that not every review is perfect. That’s why we encourage you to report any suspicious reviews to our Customer Service team. Our dedicated Fraud team will then investigate the matter thoroughly.
What We Don’t Allow in Reviews
While we aim to publish every review, whether good or bad, there are certain things we simply won’t tolerate. We won’t show reviews that:
- Impersonate other people
- Violate our review guidelines
We also make sure reviews are relevant and up-to-date. We might only accept reviews submitted within 3 months of a guest’s stay and we might stop showing reviews that are older than 36 months – or if the property has changed ownership.
Review Display and Sorting
To keep things clear and organized, recent reviews are always displayed at the top of the list. Other factors like language, type of review and anonymity can also influence the order. You can also sort and filter reviews by various criteria like time of year or score.
We might also show external review scores from other reputable travel websites. We’ll always make it clear when we’re displaying these scores.
Our Commitment to Transparency and Fairness
Our goal is to provide a platform where everyone can contribute their honest opinions without fear of censorship. We strive to maintain a balance between freedom of expression and a family-friendly environment. We’re confident that these guidelines will help keep the content on Booking.com accurate, relevant and valuable for everyone.
Contributing to a Better Review System
We believe that your contribution is vital in creating a trustworthy and reliable review system. Please take the time to share your experience honestly and thoughtfully, and report any suspicious reviews.
Let’s work together to make sure that Booking.com continues to be a reliable source of information for travelers around the world.
