Booking.com wants to provide travelers with the best possible information about accommodations. To ensure that reviews are trustworthy and helpful, we’ve implemented a system that combines human oversight with sophisticated technology.
Understanding Review Scores
Every review you see on Booking.com has a score between 1 and 10. We calculate the overall score by adding up all the review scores we’ve received and then dividing by the total number of reviews. To make sure recent feedback is more impactful, we’re currently testing a weighted review system in several countries, including Malta, Iceland, Australia, Greece, Brazil, and North Carolina.
In addition to the overall score, guests can give separate subscores for important areas like location, cleanliness, staff, comfort, facilities, value for money, and free Wi-Fi. It’s worth noting that guests submit their subscores and overall scores independently.
Keeping Reviews Real
We have a team dedicated to detecting and removing fake reviews. Our automated systems also play a vital role in identifying suspicious activity. If we find a fake review, we delete it and may take action against the person who submitted it.
We encourage anyone who spots something suspicious to report it to our Customer Service team. Our Fraud team will then investigate the matter thoroughly.
What We Don’t Allow
Our primary goal is to showcase all reviews, both positive and negative. However, we won’t display reviews that contain the following:
- Impersonation: We don’t allow reviews claiming to be written by someone else.
- Violations of our review guidelines: We have strict guidelines to ensure reviews are appropriate and respectful.
Making Reviews Relevant
To maintain the quality and relevance of reviews, we may only accept reviews submitted within three months of checking out. We may also stop showing reviews older than 36 months or if the accommodation has a change of ownership.
Responding to Reviews
Accommodations can respond to reviews, providing their perspective on guest feedback.
Finding the Reviews You Need
When you see multiple reviews, the most recent ones will appear at the top. We also consider factors like language, whether a review includes comments or just a rating, and whether the review is anonymous. You can sort and filter reviews by time of year, review score, or other criteria to find exactly what you need.
Reviews from Other Websites
Sometimes, we may include external reviews from other reputable travel websites. We clearly label these reviews to avoid any confusion.
Guidelines for Reviewers
Our review guidelines ensure that content on Booking.com is relevant, family-friendly, and unbiased. We encourage guests to share detailed and helpful reviews that allow others to make informed travel decisions.
Respecting Everyone
We believe that everyone deserves to be treated with respect. As such, we prohibit reviews that contain:
- Profanity or attempts to circumvent our language filters.
- Hate speech, discriminatory remarks, threats, sexually explicit remarks, violence, or promotion of illegal activity.
- Personal, political, ethical, or religious commentary.
- Promotional content or content related to issues with Booking.com’s services.
Keeping It Real
We want to make sure reviews are genuine and unique to each guest. We don’t allow reviews that:
- Are written by property partners on behalf of guests.
- Offer incentives in exchange for reviews.
- Are intended to harm a competitor by submitting a negative review.
Protecting Privacy
We strive to protect the privacy of all individuals. We obscure personal information such as email addresses, phone numbers, and website addresses whenever possible.
Transparency Matters
The opinions expressed in reviews belong to Booking.com customers and properties, not Booking.com. We do not take responsibility for the content of reviews or responses. Our role is to provide a platform for sharing feedback and experiences.
Sorting and Filtering Reviews
By default, reviews are sorted by date, with the most recent reviews appearing first. We also consider other factors like language, reviews with text, and non-anonymous reviews. You can also sort and filter reviews by traveler type, review score, and other criteria.
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